What gives with Westwinds?

[Colonel]

[quote]the second left off 590[/quote]

umm .. second left was renamed "Garbutt Road" at some point - I don't
remember it being called that, but if you turn left there, then right on
Holomego Road (when did they rename that?) you can wave at my
cousin.  We own the land on both sides.

First left on the top of the hill by the graveyard is Winslow. I remember
the Winslows - our neighbours, across the road.  They had a German
Shepherd that I was rather fond of.  In a platonic way, understand.

My grandfather's older brother, "Trapper Joe" built the core of the original
farmhouse, over 100 years ago.  He was quite a character, and ended up
in Churchill MB if memory serves.  It would be an understatement to say
that Uncle Joe loved the outdoors.  They built them tough, back then.  Not
pussies, like today.

Many fond memories of that farm.  I remember as a small child, I spent a
lot of time shooting the semi-automatic .22 rifle of my other grandfather's,
that I would carry with me on the flight.  One day, when no one was around,
I snuck off to the back 40 with my father's .308 Winchester.  It had a scope. 
It was bad-ass. I had no clue what I was doing.

Tucking my eye tight into the scope, and the butt very loose into my shoulder
like the .22 (which had no recoil), I pulled the trigger on my very first centerfire
cartridge.

Holy shit.  No ear protection, of course.  That .308 sounded like thunder, and
kicked like a mule into my shoulder, and the scope just about peeled my right
eyebrow off.  Hurt like hell.

I was in love. 

Ah, the things we did, when we were 10 years old.  I was such a goddamned
Pussyâ„¢, learning to fly on a 210hp fuel-injected constant-speed prop Maule.

[img width=500 height=317][/img]

You probably think they're pussies, too, but one of them is a very interesting
world record holder, on the subject of center-fire cartridges.

[Slick Goodlin]

[quote author=Colonel Sanders link=topic=9503.msg26956#msg26956 date=1551530157]
You're obviously a pussy, like me.
[/quote]
Yep, colossal wuss.  I do have a little different situation though because I’m held personally accountable (and I expect criminally accountable if it ever comes up) for the bad decisions of fifty five others.  With my experience to date I can do lots of cool stuff with airplanes but I wouldn’t dare ask any of those others to go outside the padded walls of the book values.

[quote author=Colonel Sanders link=topic=9503.msg26956#msg26956 date=1551530157]
used to operate a Learjet off a (very long) grass strip.
[/quote]
I used to have a copilot who learned to fly in a L-29 off of grass.  He used to tell stories of hunting gophers because they carried a bounty of a weekend pass off base.

[quote author=Colonel Sanders link=topic=9503.msg26956#msg26956 date=1551530157]
Love the grass strip at Murillo.  Used to tie the Maule down there, when I flew there to visit in the summer.  Always liked the Oliver highway.  Ever been to the fair?
[/quote]
Didn’t even know Murillo had a grass strip.  I’ll have to keep an eye out for it next time I fly over.  As for their fair, between how people reminisce and what I saw the couple times I went, I suspect it’s declined.  There’s plenty more to see and do at the fair out in Hymers.  This year I’m thinking of taking the old truck out to it, if I ever get my cam issues resolved.

[quote author=Colonel Sanders link=topic=9503.msg26956#msg26956 date=1551530157]
PPS be careful swimming in the creeks and rivers there.  Lots of leeches.
[/quote]
I learned that pretty quick when I used to take my dog swimming.  After that I would just go to the cascades, I don’t imagine a leech can outrun the current up there.  Side note for the young guys out there: borrow the biggest puppy you can find, you’ll never have a better wingman.  To be single and in my twenties...

[Colonel]

[quote]cam issues[/quote]

Shot in the dark:  Is it retarded one tooth?  Don't ask me how I know that.

[Slick Goodlin]

[quote author=Colonel Sanders link=topic=9503.msg26972#msg26972 date=1551632114]
[quote]cam issues[/quote]

Shot in the dark:  Is it retarded one tooth?  Don't ask me how I know that.
[/quote]
No, it has an annoying knock coming from somewhere around the front of the engine.  I’ve ruled out loose rods and piston slap, pretty sure at this point it’s the forward cam bushing.  Hopefully I can solve my problems with shims, I’d rather not pull the engine because when I do it will be getting a full (expensive) rebuild.

[ScudRunner-d95]

Just what I have heard they are a bit of runway hog.

You need a versatile plane to make money in the Jet Charters business. I'm sure it would do fine hauling organs or pax to and from big cities, but the point of a private jet or charter is to hit the out of way airports. And if as I heard she's a runway hog then well she aint going to do all.

A Lear 35 is just as cheap and you can get the big door version for putting sleds in and out. Might not be the most comfortable ride but I can tell you she can get in and out of the shorter runways and go pretty far. Which brings me to spares and support. Learjet is still supporting them and you can find parts all over like even in random back yards like Andy gave us the coordinates to. Not sure if IAI really supports them as they stopped making them 30+ years ago and have sold off their bizjet line to Gulfstream.