Snap

Kaylee said she's feeling okay today.  She doesn't know her blood pressure because she doesn't have her own cuff, but she's at least feeling all right.  So that's good, but I'm keeping my eye on her.  From here.

Ann is feeling much better these last two days, which is great.  :)  Her heart ablation is Aug. 13th, and hopefully that'll get the heart back in rhythm and ease some of the symptoms too. 

I'm supposed to fly a Stearman on Monday.  I've heard it's actually a little trickier than a T-6 in some ways, though not as heavy or complex.  So I'm looking forward to it and a little nervous...not about flying it but about not flying it really well with the guy.  lol 

We're having trouble getting and keeping all our planes up and running.  One needs to finish getting a new engine, one needs a 100 hour and a break, one has a left brake issue and a trim wheel issue, one has a radio issue and a fuel leak, I mean...it's non-stop.  One instrument student took the RG on a long cross country, and the RPM started fluctuating, not the manifold pressure, and the engine was running fine, but the RPM was fluctuating.  So he was on flight following and declared an emergency.  The FAA then contacted him and wanted his logbooks, contacted us and wanted the plane's logbooks, wanted to inspect the plane down there in Missouri, wanted to look into the operation, the whole ball of wax, for their "report".  And people made fun of me for saying I wouldn't declare an emergency unless there was something they could do for me and I needed their help to stay alive.  "Nothing comes of it", people say.  Right.  Our paperwork is in order.  Our operation is clean.  The pilot was clean.  We're clean.  But that doesn't mean that 1) you like the government digging into everything they can  and 2) that somebody couldn't find something if they really wanted to to give you a problem.  I don't think they will.  This should be fine.  But I don't like it, and I don't want to hear how benign the FAA is and how declaring an emergency is a safe zone.  Baloney.  Just like I've always said, thank you very much.

For the record, I don't blame him for doing it.  He is low time, had never experienced anything like that, and if he felt it was the safe thing for him to do, then I won't ever tell him otherwise.  *I'M* just not gonna do it for that.  I'd have found the nearest airport and landed and looked into it, like we did when the actual engine started stumbling on the Viking on Steve and I.  We were IFR above a cloud deck and didn't declare, just changed our destination and landed.  If they can't help me, why do I need to waste time talking about it vs trying to figure out what's wrong and safely navigate down.  If I'm GOING down, then I'd let them know so they can start search and rescue.  Or if they have info I need to help me, that I don't have time to look up.  Anyway.  Love being inspected by the FAA.  One of these days I'll end up in a cabin in Montana, we all know this.  ;)