Crunch Time

This morning Ethan and I left in the Conquest to go to Sporty's, in Ohio, to pick up his 340, which has rudder bias installed.  That means when you lose an engine, the rudder bias will kick in, and automatically control the yaw FOR you.  The rudder bias is on all the time, and it engages from the moment you reach Vmc speed, and stays on until landing.  I flew it home, and I tested it with the throttles first, and then I emptied out the aux tanks on the way home, and I let one of them run dry. When the engine quit, the rudder bias kicked on and put the amount of rudder in and kept everything stable.  So easy a monkey could do an engine failure.  ;) 

When we got back, we went through all the paperwork in the Conquest, made SURE that it was all in there, not expired, all that stuff. Got tie downs ready to go for Cayman. Got window shades ready to go.  I called and rented a life raft from Ft. Lauderdale.

We were waiting to hear from Don in Ohio who is going to work on the Conquest, but the part didn't arrive until after 3, so Ethan gave up for the day and we went home.  Don called at 3:20, and it was too late.  The only problem with that is that we're doing it tomorrow instead, and tomorrow was my ONLY day off, my only day to work on this Cayman stuff.  Now I have to file some paperwork by tomorrow and I've got flights tomorrow.  I'm getting nervous.  This is a LOT of information.  I mean, a Lot of information.  Pages and pages of details, forms, procedures.  It's slightly terrifying.  Cuba can refuse to let you cross them and you're hosed getting into Cayman. You have to file the wrong direction altitude one way or your flight plan will be denied.  Seven forms.  You can't fire up your airplane before you get your clearance or they get mad.  I've contacted two places who do all the paperwork for you and I'm REALLY hoping they get back to me tomorrow. Or I'll just try to do it all myself and hope for the best.  But I have to send things to Ft Lauderdale, I have to do a Cuba permit, I have to send things to Cayman's FBO, I have to do things with ICAO flight plans.  PER LEG.  I'm going down the 9th, Friday, to drop everyone off, and come right back home.  That's two times of doing all that.  Then I go down the 11th with Steve.  Then we all come home the 16th.  That's two more.  The only good news is if I survive the first two, the next two should be easier.  I hope.

I got a hugely helpful email from the chief pilot of Beck's out of Indy. He has been to the Cayman's over 200 times. He sent me a super well organized bit of info. I don't necessarily know how to do all of it, but it's the best thing I've seen.  I sent it on to Ethan so he could see it too, and Mark also sent me a list of restaurants we had to try.  Ethan came back and said "Cayman is known as the Culinary Capital of the Caribbean."  I love that. I can't wait to get down there, make it in safely, and spend 5 days doing something I've never done in my life. Leave the CONUS under my own steam, and drive on the wrong side of the road.

Tomorrow is William's County Ohio to pick up Steve F and his new guy, fly them over to Newark, Ohio where Don the mechanic is, so that they can all work on the Conquest.  And pray I get back in time or am able to work on this Cayman stuff, because Wednesday all day long I will be flying, and will be completely unable to.  Need 48 hours for some permits and that's Wednesday by noon.  So.......