The Trip

Another pilot and I had to take a plane on a trip earlier this year. It was in need of re-painting and we had to pick up one that was previously painted. The planes were small piston aircraft. The trip ended up being a comedy of errors and delays. We ended up having so many delays and diversions and unexpected stops that nothing went as we planned, which made for a rather interesting journey. We had strong headwinds both ways (you know it’s going to be a long trip when that happens!). The two of us went along to take turns flying and provide an extra margin of safety. On the way back, we had an oil temp concern that added a little extra excitement. In aviation, we cautiously watch the gauges and if anything goes into the “yellow” we keep a closer eye on it. No matter what, “red” is bad and we want to stay out of the “red”. In any event, our oil temp was about as high on the green arc as possible, which made us nervous, but it didn’t peg the red (this gauge had no yellow arc. It was either green or red), which meant that it was running hot but did not spill into the dangerous territory. Oil temp helps keep the cylinders and other metal components lubricated and cooled, so if that gets too hot, it could be a sign of bad things to happen. We were able to manage it to keep it within the “green” (i.e. normal) limits. But it was just one more added factor to the trip. I recounted the journey in a literary ballad. It’s called, “The Trip”. I hope you enjoy the misadventure as much as I did while I lived through it!