After 7 weeks of recuperating from the winter crud, I got in my KR fix this afternoon. Amazingly the KR had not forgotten to fly. Landing on a grass strip is always fun then back to the airport. With only moderate braking after a wheel landing, crossing the numbers at 80MPH, I was able to stop and do a 180 on the runway in 1300 feet. Probably couldn't have done much better with a three point landing.
I learned something new today that I had not encountered before, even after flying out of my home airport for 10 years. We have two runways, 8000 foot and 5000 foot with the short runway connected at it's end to the long runway. My roll out took me past the intersection of the short runway. If you look at the airport diagram for KMWA you'll see what I mean. I landed on runway 02, asked for a 180 and back taxi, and was cleared to back taxi and then taxiway B and C to the ramp. As I crossed the hold short lines on the runway the controller keyed the mike and said, "by the way, you're cleared to cross the threshold of 11 / 29. As I was in a taxi mode it required clearance to cross the hold short lines on the long runway that I had never noticed were even there, even after a hundred takeoffs on that runway. The controller working happened to be the one that, in a very kind way, keeps us from developing bad habits so we don't get in to trouble at other airports. Most of the local controllers have us stay on tower freq all the way to the ramp and other bad habits. Lee even reminded me once that I had landed without clearance after reporting a two mile left base. I apologized and that's as far as it went. I appreciate him keeping me honest. The recent discussion on engines caused me to do an engine search for an 0-200 as mine has 2350 hours since factory overhaul. I ended up purchasing a firewall forward engine from a 1977 C-150. All accessories including exhaust, new style chrome cylinders, hours unknown, bore scope indicates cylinders in good shape. The fuselage was wrecked hauling it home when the tail assembly kissed a toll booth. If it doesn't turn out to be a flyable engine I can nearly get my cost back as a core. I'll use all my recently rebuilt accessories so I only need for the core and cylinders to be in good shape. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Larry Flesner
