door baulk and battery squawk

Okay ... the airplane is safely delivered to the maintenance hanger an hour and a half Southeast of here. Bunches of planes flying with JAX center this morning.

I got out to the hanger on time for a 1500Z departure. Sure is creepy out there with just the coyotes for company. Those old two story high sliding, and I use that term loosely, doors were cold and cranky. Big hangers have perfect acoustics for whistling in. I love to hear whistling mornings even when it's me. Whistling is so unselfconsciously cheery. So ... I whistled for a while doing a bit of preliminary fiddling then I started pulling pins on those doors. Wow! Golden brilliance ... and warmth fill the space allatonce! I hadn't realized how cold it was. The air was so icey cold and clean, I felt as though I was drinking it. Standing there I recognize this perfect moment when I am the luckiest person in the world ... gorgeous cerulean morning, perfect flying conditions, an airplane waiting ... and I get to fly all by myself, actually doing someone a favor so ... they paid for the fuel ... it couldn't possibly get any better then this!
The crunch of gravel startled me out of my joy ... scared me really ... I reached for my phone. What was that opposite of joy word/feeling?

Ah ... Here is that list:

love .......................................................indifference
joy  .....................................................................fear
peace ..................frustration or obscurity/vagueness
forbearance.....impatience or harshness or stiffness
kindness ........................................malice or cruelty
goodness ........................................pride or cunning
faithfulness ...................................................breach
gentleness ............................pride, power, authority
self control ...................self-indulgent or impulsive

Joy ... Fear. I felt it pierce through me. Maybe some survival instinct kicking in. Turned out to be a nice visitor ... one of the guys who have been just great with helping us get the operation going. He asked me if I wanted help with those old hanger doors, or if I just wanted to figure them out all by myself. I liked that ... choice as a courtesy. Perfectly phrased. I said I was willing to accept instruction and a little brawn thrown in would be appreciated too. He kicked the snot out of the door right where the wheel is supposed to be ... And he also said watch the wheels at the top of the door, they'll help you figure out which way to push.

Most of the door sections are 12'x20' ... Hooked together like box cars and you have to move everyone of them to get enough of an openning to accommodate the 35' wingspan. Doable, but just barely when they get stuck! He watched the wingtips while I pulled the plane out into the sunshine. While I'm doing the pre-flight several strangers pulled in or taxied in ... Fuel prices are lower at this tank then anywhere else near by ... you gotta self serve, but most GA pilots don't seem to mind that. I am not a big fan of strangers. I would guess these guys are hunters just trying to get to their deer leases, but I know I would have been uneasy if a friend weren't around.
So ... Guess what happens next! I prime ... a couple of extra shots 'cause it's cold (I'm used to fuel injected, but this guy has a carburetor) not really sure where the happy place between perfectly tended and totally flooded is ... . We, the warrior and I, get to the part where the prop is supposed tonstart spinning and all I get is rruuu rruuuu ruuuu. Dangit. That is not the right sound. Battery doesn't have enough juice to turn the prop! And, I really am at a loss for what to do about that out here where there are no services (cept the self serve pump and the neighborly assistance of other pilots!). I shut the thing down and climb out ... Everyone has stopped what they're doing and are currently staring ... I hate this. I really don't like it when I don't know what to do. Yeah ... I knew I had a dead battery ... problem identified ... solutions ... not so many. I walked over to where my buddy was standing with some of the other guys with a big smile on his face. Yep, I getting ready to ask for help. One of the strangers asks me if I have an external power receptacle ... I say, "No, but the Warrior does ... ." Everyone laughs. Turns out he has just the right everything to jump the system. Right out in the middle of nowhere ... starts out just me ... and before I even know I have a problem, help arrives. ... Like a hug. Just like a hug.

Sweet flight down ...1.5 on the dime. Winds aloft were given at five knots. I picked up flight following with Atlanta and listened to the big guys who were tickling the sky with white scratches. The flight back was just great. I've never been in a Cherokee 140. The six-pack was strewn all over the dash ... fuses on the circuit panel ... trim on an overhead crank ... no PPT on the right yoke ... vintage, with Hersey bar wings. He let me fly it the whole way home. It rocked. I told him I liked his plane and he said, "Gal, you just like planes."

Back where my jeep sat soaking in afternoon sun a Super Cub came in as we taxied off ... just lovely. Prettiest red paint lazily streaking through the blue. He made four landings before he sailed away. I'm gonna safety pilot in a beech today ... love that engine.