In August, I received word from the Airport that a “shade hangar” was available, and of course, I accepted. My name is still on the list for a regular hangar, but the waiting can be up to a year or two. There are two kinds of shade hangars, the “north” and the “south” facing. Not many want the “south” as the orientation of the hangar allows sun to fall on the nose of the plane. The other side (the north facing) give full coverage from sun. However, I went with the “first available” which was the south, as it was far better than being out on the open ramp. At least the plane will remain dry and protected from rain leaking in and soaking the carpet, and from full force winds and the rare hail we get in the Bay Area. I also get to have a metal storage box for oil and cleaning supplies, and to fold the canvas cover for storage. Since the plane is now “under the shade hangar”, I have left the cover off for the nice summer weather. A cover is great, but if you want to do just a quick “touch and go” afternoon for under an hour…it can be a hassle, as it has to go off and on. Sometimes you don’t feel like wrestling the awkward beast!
We’ve already been able to sit in the shady breeze next to the plane and watch the aircraft on short final. Oh, and I also have electric power, so I can use a portable air compressor or buffing wheel if I want.

On Friday, August 23rd, I flew from Concord to Hayward, CA (HWD) to visit my brother, and work on the airplane. Brian replaced my cabin speaker and reinstalled my headliner, which we had earlier removed for the ADS-B installation (GPS antenna). LED lights were also added. The next project will be the anti-collision light (Beacon) on the tail. I inadvertently ordered the wrong faring cap piece, so we were unable to do that today. Hayward was about 20 degrees cooler than Concord. I flew out of Hayward for about 10 years, and then moved to Concord Airport. It is always very “nostalgic” for me to visit. Much has changed over the years, especially most all of the people I knew and spent many hours with…they are all gone, as well as the old flight schools. It’s completely different today.

Flew down around noon from KCCR (Concord) to KHWD (Hayward) for maintenance on the plane. Beautaful smooth flight, a bit warm, as it was 93 F. Worked until about 5:30 pm and then flew back. My twin (mechanic Brian) went over the plane with a fine tooth comb and found several things which needed fixing. One, the exhaust pipes were put on backwards (Left vs Right) so the tubes pointed back instead of foreard. We’re going to complete some radio upgrades and other minor cosmetics. It was a great day!

Sometimes…this is the best time of the day at the airport. Sun low, heat faded, and no winds… plus you often have the pattern to yourself. I remember many times, just around sunset, I would taxi out and enjoy the solitude of the skies. Most of my evening flights were out of Hayward, and the routine would be to depart Runway 28L, turning downwind towards Coyote Hills and the SF Bay, circling the “sunken ship” and then returning for a few touch and go’s. Best part, the sun would be just below the horizon, so you were not flying directly into the glare.

New cowl plugs installed, made by Bruce’s…same as the canopy cover. The first set from MAC’s were the “wrong ones”, made to fit the later model Cessna 15o’s..the “L”, “M” models. Those have the fiberglass cowl nose which encircles the propeller hub. Earlier Cessna’s such as N5655G, a 1970 “K”, have the “open” style metal cowl nose. Well, the birds sure liked the wrong plugs and they made a nest (twice!) in the engine compartment. Seems the “gap” (with the incorrect plugs) allowed a “private entrance” behind the propeller spinner, where the birds felt nice and secure. No more! Also, there are blue nylon “scrub pads” in the air intakes in the leading edge of the wing. That is to keep the wasps out. They seem to love air intakes.

An Appareo Stratus ESG transponder, Stratus 3i, and GPS antenna was installed in N5655G!  We are now in compliance with the FAA mandate for all aircraft (operating in designated airspace) to comply with  ADS-B.  The required equipment enables your aircraft to be seen on radar, showing your type, registration, altitude, speed…. and (0ptional) to receive in your cockpit live “traffic alerts” of other airplanes flying nearby.  To receive the alerts, you need to have a capable display which shows your position (map) and the surrounding aircraft (targets).  We are using an Ipad with Foreflight, and this is an excellent tool, as it also does flight planning, weather alerts, airport diagrams, airspace, and logbook recording.  You can also record your flight, and replay it in Google Earth for example.  The radio capabilities, moving map/GPS, and navigation available today greatly enhance flying safety!