Day: June 2, 2019

I forget to mention after my flight on Friday, how the little microprocessor that I put in to control my hour meter performed.

I started the Savannah’s engine at 10.43 am and allowed the engine to warm up for 7 minutes during which time the hour meter did not run. I then taxied for take off at 10.50 am and switched off at Ste-Foy-la-Grande at 11.30 am, recording a flight time of 40 minutes. The hour meter showed an increase of 36 minutes, so just a bit less.

I switched on again at 11.43 am and began taxying, taking off shortly thereafter and switched off again at Sarlat-Domme at 12.35 am. This gave me a flight time of 52 minutes and the hour meter showed an increase of 49 minutes.

After enjoying a Coke at Sarlat, I taxied the short distance from the parking and took off at 13.00 pm. I switched off at Malbec at 13.20 pm giving a flight time of 20 minutes during which time the hour meter increased by 18 minutes.

I’m happy with that. The hour meter doesn’t start running now immediately the master is switched on and I don’t mind the recorded hours being a bit less than ‘actual’ to make up (a) for the times when the master has been left on inadvertently (well over an hour, if not more, for me alone) and (b) for when the meter was over-reading during every flight in the past.

So that’ll do me. If it keeps running reliably as from now, I’ll leave it alone to work away quietly behind the panel. All I have to do now is find out why the oil temperature gauge isn’t working and I’ll be a happy bunny 🙂