Strip Flying (Flying)

After a recent short introduction to strip flying this parallel came to mind. It’s about how we sometimes with age get a bit complacent and let things slide. I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge the course gave me and I am keen to go back for more.

I can’t speak highly enough for Sharn Davies, the new CFI at Marlborough Aero club, who gently encourage me to attempt and land on strips that my normally sane mind would have only ever entertained in a dire emergency (like being on fire). 

 
Stripping
 
Ask any engineer that’s been around awhile and seen a few aircraft and pilots and they’ll confirm the truth.

Aircraft and pilots gain weight with age.

Whether it’s the build up of grime, the addition of more and more toys/avionics, the noise reduction padding or that fifth layer of paint, slowly but surely over the years they build up the flab, get heavier and less responsive.

There’s only really one sure method of reversing the process. It’s taking out all the unnecessary toys, and stripping the aircraft and pilot back to bare basics, back to the raw material. Now depending on what paint was originally used and how many years it’s had to harden, will depend on how stubborn these layers will be to remove.

Once the aircraft is in its natural state there can be some nasty surprises in the form of corrosion and wear and tear. Sometimes these parts that have gone bad can be fixed by a little sanding, bead blasting, grinding or in the worst cases replacement. Pilots can suffer from a similar effect in the form of bad habits but be reassured, a little encouragement and retraining can recover the situation. If left corrosion and bad habits can be fatal to both pilot and aircraft, sometimes simultaneously.

We all know the real reason for a good paint job is not to make the aircraft look flashy (maybe for resale) but to protect the airframe from the environment. Good training like a good paint job will also save the pilot from the environment. Fences, trees, farm sheds, hillsides, ponds and rivers.

First thing you have to do is accept you’ve got a problem. Secondly you’ve got to be prepared to commit some time and money to this refurbishment project. Weather can be fickle so you’ll need to schedule in a block of days. Your strip, retraining and repainting will need just the right conditions. Not too much humidity, wind or dust. Not too cold or too hot. Mostly you’ll need the will to learn, brain engaged and patience.

The secret to a good paint job is preparation. The most laborious task is the stripping back of the old paint. This can be done at the aerodrome and has to be done thoroughly again and again until you are back to the bare metal. The original skin might not have seen the light of day for maybe forty or fifty years. On the pilot side getting rid of all that extra flab is going to require a bit of exercise. Circuits are the answer. A confidence course of short field takeoffs, unusual attitudes, tight turns, low level, running at hills, slow, fast, degrees of flap, then a quick push up on “the spot” and away you go again. It is draining both physically and mentally. You’ll build up a sweat even in winter.

It’s not a good idea to leave an aircraft naked or a pilot exposed. Not even indoors. Especially if it’s a little older and more fragile. It would be advisable to move on to the next phase as promptly as possible whilst there’s still a feeling of optimism.

Once you’ve established the basics and sprayed the etching primer on, your ready for the undercoat. Remember the Etching primer is the foundation that everything else sticks to/hangs off.

To get depth into your paint job you need layers. Building up thin layers is much better than plastering on one thick layer. This can be done by introducing you to a variety of relatively easy strips first, building up your confidence slowly. Then you can progressively increasing your workload and skill level to the more difficult jobs.

As with painting you set yourself up for a stroke, do a practice sweep (with no trigger pulled) then once you are happy with the entrance, exit and speed you lay on your first coat. As aircraft are expensive items its best to follow the advice of your instructor. Too fast and the paint will splatter, too slow and the paint can run (the pull of gravity works equally well on paint or flying objects). If you’re not happy, its far better to hold off the trigger and go around without laying down anything.

Once you’ve applied a few layers in several directions covering all the possible angles it’s time for a clean up, review the job so far and have a well earned break for lunch. You’ll be exhausted from all the extra mental exercise and sharp intakes of fresh air.

The next stage requires a step up in skill level and judgement. This is the top coat. This is the one that’s really going to show how much you paid attention earlier on and what sort of craftsman you are. You may choose to let someone else more qualified do the next coat and come back with a bit more experience under your belt later. The advanced part of instruction really requires you to be on top of your game and mistakes can be very public, bad for your health, stress levels and no claims insurance rebate.

If you’ve listened well, had a good basic grounding, followed instructions, got to know your chosen aircraft intimately, you’ll be as good as gold. If you’ve choosen the right paint scheme, applied the right techniques, paid attention to the environment and concentrated on the detail you’ll have a stunning piece of work that you’ll be proud to call your own. You can now go and show off your pride and joy to all the paradise ducks, sheep, cattle and farmers in the district. Being much trimmer and lighter in the frame you’ll be healthier and happier as well.