ORIGINAL: ram3500-RCU

I only wish it were so Mustangman40. I have not actually flown a plane since last November. It has been crappy weather so far for getting the big stuff out. The field is way too soft from all the rain, and hasn't even been rolled yet. We have had some decent weather for smaller planes, but they don't help me anymore than the sim does I think, and frankly, I just haven't had the time to get any of my small stuff ready yet.

I'm hoping to get down there a day early to get some practice in.

I have been flying my maneuvers on the sim, and in my mine a lot.

As for the plane, we fueled her and started the newly gone through engine, and it was fine. All systems have been thoroughly gone through. Brian added a separate switch for the gear now. I can turn the radio on and test all the controls without even powering up the gear now. It has a separate power system. The nice thing about that is the built in protection it has. If the voltage should drop below a preset level, the gear automatically deploys to give you visual warning the there is a power loss somewhere, and this is separate from the control system now. This all takes place while you still have power to get them safely down. We found the prop to be out (thought I had balanced it last year but I guess not) and it was mostly in the hub. Fixed that. Batteries are topped off, and spare parts are almost ready to go. I feel good about the condition of the plane.

I would think many of TG planes are very low time, just coming off the building tables in many cases. Ours is not, having 40 flights on her, and all with me as the pilot. We did make some changes and improvements, but she is still the same basic Zombie, and we were careful to get the balance right where it was last year. I added 7oz more of Steel Powder to the cowl to make that happen.

It will be interesting to see how well a guy can do from the north, not having an opportunity to get in practice like the southern guys can. I know others have done well in the past, Like Mike Barbie (also from Ohio), so this is nothing new to the event, just to me. It is something i have always wondered about, given the event is always early in the Spring.

I won't let it become an excuse though. I'll do my best and hopefully have fun doing it.