Category: Activities

Sometimes I should just leave well enough alone

I went to register my AvMap EKP-IV GPS. While doing so, I noticed that the firmware I have is a couple of version numbers older than the current downloadable one. Upgrading is supposed to be a simple matter of popping out the CF card, putting it into the computer, and copying over the two files you download, and then putting the CF card back in the GPS. Well, I did that, but then the GPS started saying “Device not found”. So I copied back the original files, which I’d copied onto my laptop as suggested in the documentation. And I got the same damn message. So now I’m basically boned.

The instructions were all about “Hilight the two files and drag them”, but I used “cp -R”. I wonder if there is a permissions problem? I knew I should have made a tar file instead of just a copy.

Back from Oshkosh

I’d gotten an STMP (or whatever it’s called) reservation for an IFR departure at 1715Z. But by 1400Z, there just wasn’t that much left to do around the campsite, and I didn’t want to buy another day’s ticket. So I went down to the gate house, got my camping refund (they make you pay for the whole week in advance, then give you a refund when you leave), got a weather briefing, and took a shower, then got ready to depart VFR to see if I could pick up flight following from Muskegon Approach.
Continue reading “Back from Oshkosh”

Well, that sucks

This morning I was sitting there enjoying my breakfast and the early morning quiet when a woman who was parked a few planes down (so she arrived the same time as me) came over to chew me out for nearly hitting her when I turned final on Saturday. I told her that while I don’t remember it exactly, I’m pretty sure my base had been called by the tower, so I really don’t know how that could have happened. Although in retrospect, I could have been focusing too hard on the Mooney I was told to follow, and not enough on looking around.

Now I’m all nervous about just how bad a job I did arriving here, and I’m even more sure that I shouldn’t do the VFR arrival without a second pair of eyes on board.

BTW: Wifi sucks here. It sometimes works at the shower stalls, but it cuts in and out when it does, and the wifi here at the bus shelter is more reliable but there isn’t any power here.

It just fucking figures!

I worked my ass off today trying to get these two bugs fixed before I left. I ended up coming out 12 hours after I got to work. I tried to put my key in the lock, and somebody had punched it out. A quick glance inside my car confirmed my worst fears: they’ve cleaned it out. Well, mostly. I suppose I should be thankful that they didn’t steal my PFD and kayak paddle. But the following items are gone:

  • Pioneer AirWave XM Radio
  • Garmin GPSMAP 296 (with car kit)
  • Sportys leather flight bag
  • Sportys SP-200 NAV/COMM Transceiver
  • Quiet Technologies Halo headset
  • Dave Clark DC10-13.4 with Headsets Inc ANR kit
  • Pilot Avionics PA11-40 Headset
  • 2 Flightcomm 4DLX Headsets
  • Foggles
  • Penguin LED flashlight
  • 2 flashlights
  • all my local charts
  • my log book

There’s probably a bunch more things that I haven’t remembered yet. I haven’t even looked at my trunk yet to see if they got into that.

On the plus side, I finished a log book not too long ago, and I keep a duplicate entry in a program on my PDA, so other than my most recent BFR and IPC endorsements, I haven’t lost much there. It doesn’t look like anything irreplaceable. And I will be going to Oshkosh, which is probably a pretty darn good place to go with a shopping list and the knowledge that an insurance claim will pay for some of it. I just need to make sure I have a headset for the trip out.

I feel bad about the leather flight bag – Vicki was so upset when it didn’t come for Christmas. I think it came about 6 months later. Evidently Sportys waits until they get an order, and then they inseminate a cow, and wait for the calf to be big enough.

Update
Just remembered a few more items:

  • Zulu knee board
  • ASA knee board
  • This “Flight Crew Checklists” binder thingy that I’ve been looking for another one forever
  • Checklists for Archer, Dakota and Lance

Update 2:
I just remembered something else that was in my car: my Duluth Trading messenger bag. I don’t remember everything that was in it, but I’m pretty sure my Canadian passport was. Good thing it’s expired. My British passport might have been in there as well, but it expired years and years ago.