I was SURE I put up some pics of this event @ KEWK first week-end of Oct. Looked all over & can't find it!! Maybe I just did 'em on facebook ... Oct WAS a busy month for me with the trip to Ron M & Anahuac!

Anyway ... the newsletter came out today & a cool surprise pic of me'n OZ'rora in our first "flight-skill" competition! .....

. I was sorry the guy who took some awesome video of the TO & landing on his phone... did not manage to email the clips to me!

And look'n really good too!

First snow storm coming tonight ... the wind was perfect @ 170/180 @ 9-11kts ... the day was bright & sunny ... just Bloody COLD!!! BBBRRRRRRR ... I just HAD to go fly ... even if just for 1/2 hr - staying close to the airport & practice some landings! OAT 30`F .....but got pod & full windshield!


( I am hoping to snag a Nomex winter flight suit off Ebay ... last day bidding tomorrow! )

.... So fuzzy sweats +wind pants & turtle neck covered by insulated coveralls ... was the dress ... Dang I could barely bend my knee to get up on the step ... THEN all hooked up & buckled in ....the wind blew my glove off my lap down on the ground while I was pulling the other on..... . un plug helmet, unbuckle & waddle down & around to get it! In the cold weather the brake fluid which was getting to the point of needing a top-off last time out ... was barely enough to hold for mag check!

Very little other traffic ... I just thoroughly enjoyed some TO - aborts & power-off landing practice ( much needed practice!) .. then power off approaches to land from the downwind / base ... all with gear-up so I was back to no gear-force landings .... I was very pleased with my efforts ... my final landing of last weeks flight was kinda rough ... but it was near - dark & ... that messes with sight-picture ... height judgement!

GOT MY FIX ... I'm happy for few days now!

Got the brakes recharged & feeling good again!

Looked over my ... winter maintenance .. to do list ... oil change & new radiator cap ... wondering if I try & put in the oil thermostat this year ... the velcro strap works well for the autumn & spring ... just a few flights .... then the rest of the time oil temp is spot-on!
The CHT's are way low ... I need to block off some radiator ... if I keep on cold weather flying!

Anyone got any cool ways to do a nice-looking & secure temporary radiator baffle!????

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Chris: ... Great to see you featured in the magazine

Farmer Jim .... so whats it like being married to a celebrity ??? Haaaa

Winter : You guys are getting some brutal weather for this time of the year ..... we got our first bit of snow a couple of days ago .... temps about 18*f here


..

You are certainly the best looking gyro pilot I have seen in a long while

You put the rest of us to shame a bit

A good temp baffle for a radiator is to cut a piece of 1/8th aluminium the size you reckon drill 4 holes in it (1 each corner) on the side to face the front of the radiator get some of those furniture protector sticky 'dots' so the alloy cant touch/rub on the radiator and secure it on with cable ties thru the hole in the plate and thru the fins of the radiator with a furniture spot stuck to a washer, the zip tie coming thru this and the end of another zip tie holding it all together. You can either start with a small plate and if you need bigger, make a bigger one to replace the smaller..... or make your plate bigger with a few 2" holes in it..... if it is still too cold with all the 2" holes open, put race tape over the holes one at a time until you are happy with the temp. Then you can take off some tape or add more as the weather gets colder or hotter..... works well

Most excellent Muz ... thanks for the detailed description of how-to make it ..... after the TN helicycle crash with ZIP ties holding on the tail ballast ( angle-iron) ... I'll be a little leery of relying on zip-ties to hold anything important on! ( However ... with double ties & for a short -term ... I think should be OK!) ... any idea if the plate should go over the upper - or lower part of the radiator ??? ( With the oil cooler winter baffle needs to cover the top part ... so the oil stays warm @ inlet & outlet points)

Use the good quality cable ties that just fit between the radiator fins (big ones, about 3/8" wide)..... the plate rests against the radiator with the felt spots so it cant damage the radiator..... the wind blows the plate onto the radiator, the cable ties just hold it in place. The cable ties will become part of your preflight while it is cold enough to need the thing.... you can use more cable ties if you are worried, or safety wire.... but the 8"x 12" piece of 1/8"aluminium would take years to vibrate thru the quality cable ties..... and you will take it off for summer every 5 or 6 months.....