About the Plane

About putting the plane away last week.

Well, the T-hanger has a ramp in front of it that slants away from the hanger, the best way to keep water from getting in. The worst way to get the plane into the hanger. I managed to line it up, tail first, to push uphill into the hanger, but because of the slope, and my lack of muscle, I could only move it about an inch at a time. I had chocks under the main tires, and would go from side to side, pushing the wing struts to move it an inch, kick the chock back to the tire, go around to the other side and do the same. All this while the beautiful sun beat down on me, and my head pounding from the headache. After about a foot or so it must have leveled out a little, because I was able to push it steadily up to the door channels. There I was stopped, there was no way I could get the tires over the bumps there.

About that time a sheriff's pilot drove up to the hanger where they keep their helicopters. I hiked to the hanger to see if he had a minute to help. I noticed that he used a homemade item to deal with the channels. Strips of rubber the width of the channel heights, held together with another attached with tie wraps. Good idea, though Bill is negative about it. He never wants to try my ideas. Another story there. Meanwhile, the sheriff guy is in a hurry, but decides to drive over to my hanger (what, maybe 75 feet) help push the plane over the hump and zoom back. (He was still there when I finally left, waiting for someone...). After catching my breath and putting the plane to bed I left to go home and put my head down for a while. Which I did.