Expect you are wondering about the URL
I am an ex RAF Halton Apprentice, we were known as Trenchard Brats after Lord Trenchard who started the engineering apprentice school in 1922.
One of the most famous ex brats was Sir Frank Whittle who invented the jet engine, probably the greatest commercial invention of the 20th century.
Halton Brats are a unique group mainly due to the 3 years of intense training they were subjected to and the strong bonds that were made which last for years.
They were also an innovative group and can be found in all walks of life, from an Air Chief Marshall KCB,to many commercial flight crews and aerospace engineers, located in many parts of the world.
I am located in California USA, I came here in 1981 to be part of the rapidly expanding Silicon Valley, I retired 25 years later and live in the Sierra Foothills of Northern California.
Not being a Golfing man and having retired from my hobby of racing a 1961 Lotus 20/22 Formula Junior in Historic events,
Link here of Lotus Formula Junior at Monterey Historics. My entry number at Halton was 67
Link to Formula Junior in the Famous Corkscrew at Laguna Seca
I was at a loose end.
I have always been interested in aircraft and I was fasinated by Burt Rutan's designs, so I bought a 1988 LongEZ.
This web page will be mainly about flying and maintaining this aircraft
I bought the aircfaft in Texas, based at N.W. Regional Airport about 15 miles north of Dallas.
I hired my old flight instructor to fly it back with me,it was some flight which I recorded.
Click here for route map
Click here for pictures
In 2005 and 2006 we had a Canard Fly in at Columbia Airport.
Click here for 2006 pictures
On April 25th 2009 whilst flying to a meeting with a friend at UC Davis I noticed the engine burbled, a quick glance at the gauges showed oil pressure decending.
I quickly throttled back and entered nearest on the GPS. I had a choice 2 airfields both about 16 miles away. I was at 5,200ft. and I knew the glide ratio was about 12:1 so I wasn't going to make it.
I kept the engine at idle and trimmed for 75kts.I decided on Calaveras (CPU).At 12.5 miles the engine quit with a large bang and there was silence. I was now a glider. I radioed in to Calavereas that I was attempting to come straight in on 13. The wind was from the NW so I had a quartering tailwind so that was a key factor.I knew about a mile out I was going to make it. I heard later that resident CFI's at the airfield were alerting everyone to stay clear. The airfield was having an open day and all my radio transmissions were on a loudspeaker.
I had enough altitude to do a couple of S turns and landed right on the numbers, I even had enough momentum to turn off at the end of the runway.
I think the crowd at the open day thought it was part of the entertainment.The good people at Calaveras found a hangar spot for me to dissassemble the aircraft for the ride back to my home base at Columbia (O22). My good friend Paul Girard was at the airport that day and offered to transport the aircraft back to Columbia on one of his company's trucks.
Click here for pictures of loading the LongEZ
The reason for the loss of oil pressure was an oil line from the oil cooler to the engine blew off at an end connection.
I had changed the oil line 6 flights before and there had been no leaks prior to the failure of the end fitting.
On further research I decided that the problem was mixing oil hose manufacturers end fittings
Lesson learnt always use the same manufacturers end fittings with the same manufacturers hose.
Over the next 3 months I fitted a replacement engine, which after some work bringing it up to speed I am flying with now.
Click here for pictures of engine installation
Click here for pictures of me landing the LongEZ
Click here for French Varieze Aerobatic Team
I have installed a real time tracking system on 93EZ called APRS
You can track me as I fly also it has a flight log history of all flights
Give it a try
Flight Log LongEZ 93EZ
Contact dndnhrd@gmail.com
I have a recent addition to the family
A 1970 MG B
