New Project

I got handed a surprise project, MFI's 310 had a nose gear collapse and so both engines need to be taken down and inspected. I was also asked to supervise Ben Fisher and Jake Heath do the work. We already have the engines taken down and the cranks sent out to be inspected. We are now measuring and ordering replacement parts. I hope to install the engines on the plane in Florida by mid April The kids are helping me was buckets, taps, hoses and lids in preperation for the upcoming syrup season.
I've have most of my taps out and will be picking up my first sap harvest of the season tonight after work. I have 93 taps out this year and hope to get that number up to 100 before this weekend is over.
Tomorrow we make syrup! Check back again to see how it went. Josh

Fare thee well 402

The Cessna 402 is finished and on its way home. It had almost 3 years in our hanger of on again off again repairs.

Pastor Todd Bell uses this airplane in a church build ministries called Next Town Ministries with his mission verse being Mark 1:38 And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.”. He serves in the northern most areas of Maine.

Josh

Last week

Last week I worked on several different projects as we are trying to tie up some loose ends here in the hangar before we start another big project. I worked with Ben Fisher, one of MMS's newest apprentices. We installed two new antennas on top of Gospel Carrier Internationals King Air 200. Anytime you are working overhead you undoubtedly end up in a position like this. Ben is looking for a dropped screw. We ended up taking the center console loose and vacuuming the area. Not only did we find our missing screws but several other small pieces of this and that.

Noah has been working on his family life merit badge at home. We are having family meetings to discuss faith, drugs, money and other such topics. He had to also complete a project for the good of the family. I decided to let him put the upstairs bathroom back into service, It had mostly been a storage closet. So he is painting, caulking and cleaning.
It was harder than I thought it would be to see my tractor leave on the back of someone else's trailer, but it was necessary. I did not have the time or money to fix it or a suitable place to store it and it was just rotting in the field. So I let it go.
We are getting ready for the syrup season to start. The stove is ready as is my tank and filter/pump. I still need to finish my trailer and a bridge. I am hoping to maybe start tapping this weekend if the 10 day says that the weather will work with us. This year has been crazy for the weather. I don't even know if we'll get any syrup this year. I think the trees need to be frozen for it to work? Check back in a week or two to see how were doing. Josh

Klondike 2012

Noah and I went camping with the Boy Scouts this weekend at the annual Klondike. I think 15 different troops showed up. The weather was much more cooperative this year than it was last. Just cold enough not to be muddy, just enough snow to help the sled run smoothly and warm enough to be comfortable , outside, all day and night and day and night and the next morning.

The Klondike is a competition between the troops with prizes and awards. In most Scouting competitions skills are whats being tested. So our boys were ready with knots, lashing, first aid, fire building, ect... but not this time. It was mostly races and boy did we have a heavy sled!
Between the races was lunch, a good time to sit down and enjoy a warm meal and a well earned rest.
Then back to the races. When it was all said and done we did not place, everyone was a little disappointed. We had placed in the last 4 competitions and had a streak going. But we are already planning for next year. I was talking around and got a set of snow ski's donated and Noah and I will be building a new sled this summer. I was hoping for an all composite, carbon fiber sled but that would end up costing over a thousand. So, back to reality and I'll search the web for some other light weight ideas.

520 wrap up

Paul and I completed the test run on the engine with only a few minor adjustments. I am confident it made all 285 hp. It is hard for me to convey the feeling of pure, raw, power, that the engine produces, it is a beast.

While Paul wrapped the engine up for shipment I worked on paperwork. Trying to get all the necessary information off of our records and into the engine logbook took me two days on the computer and three different revisions. The owner picked up his engine, prop and accessories on Wensday.
Here the kids are unloading the trailer into our wood pile. All this wood is to be burned in the syrup stove over the length of a month or so. I'm guessing there is 8 cords or so and we'll burn it all and probably anything else we can find. I hope I have enough, but i doubt it. Keep watching syrup season starts next month.

Noah built this model of the Bismark for a home school project.

Thanks for checking in, God bless and stay warm. Josh