TEN THINGS TO DO

Ten aeronautical things to do

Another month, and most of us still can’t get airborne. So, what should we do to keep the brain cells ticking over in an aeronautical groove? Here are some ideas from Steve Slater and Francis Donaldson at LAA HQ…

1. Research the history of your aeroplane and write it up with photos of it in previous colour schemes and in other ownerships etc. G-INFO gives details of past owners and a Google (or similar) search will potentially throw up some interesting images. 2. Spring clean your flight bag – are your charts up to date? Are you aware of any new controlled airspace changes that might affect you? If you have SkyDemon or suchlike, brush up on its features – most of us don’t use anything like its full potential. 3. If it doesn’t already have one, consider putting together a simple checklist / set of pilots notes for your aircraft, embodying the flight limitations on the Permit, recommended speeds etc., and some of the tips and

‘gotchas’ you’ve learned over the years about operating it.

For example, the starting technique, how much it needs carb heat, what order to use the fuel tanks etc. 4. Spend time perusing the LAA website – there are lots of very interesting pages that few seem to be aware of! Not least the TADS, (Type Acceptance Data Sheets), which give you chapter and verse on your aircraft type. (You’ll find them in the Data Library in the ‘Aircraft and Technical’ section of the website. 5. Create or fine-tune your aircraft’s maintenance schedule for when you can get back to the hangar. Do a search of relevant ADs and SBs, MPDs etc, compile a file of them for quick reference, figure out and fill out the pink pages of your logbooks to help yourself keep up to date with what’s needed at future Permit renewals, and when required maintenance or specific checks will come due. 6. Make sure your Inspector’s OK – he or she may be isolated and fed up, and might love to have a chit chat about our hobby. 7. Googling may find a type club for your aircraft – why not consider joining it? Ditto your local LAA Strut? 8. Study the weight and balance of your aircraft, you might like to feed the results into one of the apps you can get nowadays, or the Excel files that were discussed in the February issue of the magazine and can be found on the magazine pages. Or, if digital isn’t your thing, create charts the old-fashioned way, showing allowable loading combinations. 9. Consider what you might do with your aeroplane in the future. When might it be due a recover/refurbish? Do you have a long-term plan? Should you be putting money by Right Does your type have wellpresented Pilot Notes? Many homebuilts and orphan types do not, so why not turn that pile of downloaded pages and scribbled notes into an informative information pack?

Below Have you reviewed the ADs, SBs and MPDs etc recently? They will inform you of any mandatory or recommended airworthiness issues, such as magnetos requiring impulse coupling checks or replacement parts.

for an engine fund? Is it really the aeroplane you need now? How might it look with a facelift or in a different colour scheme? 10. How about getting into some other aspect of the sport, for instance, touring, racing, aerobatics, display flying, strip flying etc? Might you even start a new project? There are so many facets of LAA flying to choose from! ■