[COUPERS-TECH] Allen's Great Adventure

[Tommy Terry]

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Fellow Coupers,

Allen, like so many of us from time to time, is having a bit of trouble with the group mail.  He has asked that I post the letter below for all.  It is a good thing that virtual passengers weigh nothing because he has several hundred of us going with him on this odyssey.  I’m sure that we all wish him fair weather, good luck, and God speed.

 

Three cheers for the “Little Duece Coupe”

 

Tommy Terry

N93929 

 

 

 

I want to thank all of you for your wonderful thoughts, ideas, suggestions, generosity and good wishes.  I am just about ready for my trip and thought I'd send this one summary of what I have done to prepare and what's next.  I'm sure you'll see many of your suggestions here.

 

I replaced the whiskey compasss with a new S.I.R.S. unit and added a vertical card compass to the panel (it looks like a DG in the panel).  I now have two working compasses.  The panel almost looks like a real airplane. I switched to Flitesoft flight planning. I set a Garmin 196 in a bracket on the panel directly in front of the pilot.  It is hooked up to airplane power and has a remote antenna on the windscreen with the lead to the antennal out the top of the glare shield behind the compass.  Looks and works like an in-panel unit.  Turn on the master and it starts. I bought an Oregon Aero portable cushion and lumbar support. I have survival gear including the Master Pro Survival kit, flares, smoke signals, water, sleeping bag, Leatherman Wave, etc.  Also put in a new ELT battery and have a handheld NavComm. I am taking Fly Ties and a hammer. I have a digital camera, laptop, cell phone, voice recorder and a new Lightspeed 30G headset. The airplane has a new steering collar replacing the one the mechanics broke while towing it.  I also had to reinstall the windshield after it popped out on the bottom of the passenger side while I was flying.  That was interesting.  New mag points, fuel lube on the gas tank covers, carburetor overhauled by Skyport (great service from John), new engine mounts and a fresh annual. 

Tommy Terry put me in touch with Bob Bruninga of the US Naval Academy and I have installed a "digipeater," in the coupe.  It is a GPS connected to a radio that will broadcast a discrete signal that HAM operators will pick up.  The information will be posted on the internet and will show an airplane icon with my call sign as it travels around the country.  It is being done as a demonstration and test of the system sponsored by the Naval Academy. I've got a boatload of sectionals and names of people to contact across the country.  The EOC members list is prime.  Jim Slade has generously helped by being willing to take my emails and post them so that I'll have a record of my trip when it is complete. I have had a physical, my eyes and ears checked, been exersising and getting more sleep than usual.  I'm so excited I could s---!  One of the highlights of the trip will be landing at the Imperial Beach Naval Air Station OLF.  Tim Briggs helped manage that and we plan to do some loose formation flying around San Diego.

 

Thanks to all of you.  I'll try to keep that journal with Jim Slade so that you may follow if you wish.  Here are the web sites. 

      www.Jimsladesairlines.com

      For the tracking on the internet, my call sign is "W3AD-11."  Bob Bruninga's web site is, "http://www.ew.usna.edu/bruninga/ercoupe.html"

 

I'll also try to keep up with my email so maybe I can get to meet some of you on the trip.

 

Thanks again,

 

Allen

Allen Rothenberg N94898

 

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