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Although this is my first entry here in our on-line pilot's log, lots of planning has already occurred. Let me try to catch you up. I, personally, have been focused on two primary areas of preparation: obtaining a Russian Visa and getting the plane ready. Certainly, we have been carrying out other aspects of the planning process, but these two are priorities due to the time constraints associated with them. Obtaining a Russian Visa... Debbie, my lovely wife, and I have both lived overseas (before we were married) and understand that other countries work in different ways and at different speeds when it comes to issuing visas. Obtaining a visa for this trip has been unusually time consuming. The process starts with getting a sponsor in Russia to give you an invitation. In this case, it is the Department
of Culture, Youth, Sports, Tourism and Information Policy of Chukotka Region (business card
designers in Russia have a great job). You also need a border permit from them. They give you
a letter, you send it to the Russian Consulate with your passport and then you get your visa.
Sounds simple. It's not. I have tried the email addresses given twice, but the only thing I got in
return was a virus (isolated and deleted now) on my computer. I must have 20 phone calls to
Russia (we are not looking forward to the bill this month). The conversation usually
goes like this...
Someone in Russia: "Halo." {pause} "Halo." (always twice cause of the lag time)
Me: "Hello. Nikki please." (Nikki is a fictitious name)
Someone in Russia: "Nikki, [Russian, Russian, Russian] {pause} Halo!"
Me: "Nikki please."
Someone in Russia: "Nikki, [Russian, Russian, Russian] {pause} Halo!"
Me: "Nikki please." [read "please" with the tone going higher like a question cause
somehow I think that it will help]
Someone in Russia: "Nikki, niet!"
Me: "Nikki please." [read with a sigh]
Someone in Russia: "[Russian Curse Words, Russian Curse Words] {very long pause}... In the background I hear footsteps, laughing, conversation, more laughing and once I actually
think I heard someone say in perfect English: "I bet we can get him to call back for another
month at this rate." Another person gets on the phone and says in broken English, "Nikki
gone. Moscow. Two weeks. Please call Anna."
Of course, I am kidding. Those I have called in Russia have been very helpful even though I don't
speak Russian. There are several people in the department who
speak English quite well. For those of you who are pilots, you should go to the Alaska FAA
website where you can learn more about how to apply for Visas, permits, file your flight plans, etc., for this trip. Be advised, in Russia you set your altimeter differently and altitudes are
assigned in meters (better brush off that high school math and learn how to convert feet to
meters on the fly, so-to-speak.) Alaska FAA site:
Getting the Plane Ready... The second area I have been focusing on is getting the plane ready. For you Cardinal fans, my
wife and I have the 1968 model with the 150hp engine. We had thought about converting to the
180hp with the constant speed prop, but we didn't want to lose the 40 pounds or so useful and I
didn't want to spend $60,000. You pilot and plane owners are trying to figure out how an
$18,000 modification will cost me $60,000, so let me show you my strange math:
Earned: $60,000
Minus Taxes (40%) (24,000)
Amount we get to keep: 36,000
New engine, prop and mechanic costs (18,000)
Wife's compensation for letting me spend $18,000 (18,000)
-0-
We don't have $60,000, or $18,000 for that matter, so I added the Powerflow's tuned
exhaust system and Mapleleaf's fixed cowl flap and exhaust fairing. Between
the two, at 80 knots, 2000 pounds, 70 degree day at my home airport
elevation of 1000', I'm getting around 1100 feet per minute. In cruise, I have the throttle
out two fingers to keep the engine out of red line. I cruise at around 2600 RPM and on
my last tank, I only burned 6.1 gal/hour at about 123 MPH true air speed. As far as
speed is concerned, the speed mods have gotten me back to book values (the original
1968 Cardinal book values were terribly optimistic).
Besides these modifications, we had the #3 piston giving us trouble. We've replaced it
and it seems fine now. We'll do the annual early in June and have the oil analyzed to
make sure that #3 is still doing well. That should put N28WF in good shape.
Earl and Carol's plane is in great shape. I think the only work they are getting done is
rebuilding a leaky cross-over fuel valve.
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