GUNIT
Well-Known Member
After trying to sit down and write this out twice but being stopped by having to go out and snowblow the whole driveway, here goes:
I had been trying to get in my long solo x-c for a few months now but had been weathered each time. Its getting close to my 17th birthday (the 21st) so I want to get this out of the way so I can do my test prep. I had planned a flight from KBED-KLCI-KGFL-KBED, easily exceeding the 150nm minimum. I took the day off of school (the 8th) to do this flight. I got up at 5:30 am to do all my winds aloft, fuel, and time calculations. I set out for the airport at 8 am so I could reach it by 9 to get my plan checked over by a CFI. What normally is a 15 minute drive turned into an hour thanks to an accident. So I reach the airport and it takes about 30 minutes to check my plan and all looks good. The weather is perfect. So I head out into the cold, take the wing covers off, and do a thorough preflight of the Katana (DA20-A1). The line guys preheated the engine and topped off the tank. I started her up, called ground and I was off. Take off was uneventful as was the whole flight up to Laconia. (I totally recommend LCI, its got a great approach path right over Lake Winnepasauke...sp?) I got topped off again at Laconia and went right off to Glens Falls. I climbed up to 6500 and made it past my first two checkpoints. Just then I noticed the Generator Warning light flicking on and off. However, everything else was reading normal. I figure oh well, must be a faulty wire. A few minutes later i went to scan engine gauges and noticed the ammeter showing a slight discharge. I decided that it was something I was going to keep a very close eye on but keep going. Not more than 20 seconds later the DG carded (little card sticks out to indicate it is inop/failed) and the ammeter started to show a greater discharge. By now the generator warning light was on full and I realized that I had a generator failure. Now you could perceivably continue the flight, but I was going to be flying over 4000 foot mountains and I decided I didn't want have only an altimeter, airspeed indicator and VSI. Not to mention that I also would have lost the radios, flaps and eletric trim once the batter wore out (30 mins). Thankfully Lebanon (KLEB, a small class D) was about 5nm away and I informed Boston Center of our problem and, since our DG was gone and I turned off the GPS, I asked for a vector to Lebanon. Turned about 10 degrees and had it in sight. He informed Tower of what was happening and switched me over. I got the flaps out early to lose some altitude and also so that I still had battery power to get them out. Tower cleared me and I landed fine. Got progressive to the FBO (Signal), parked, and chocked her. I called my instructor and the Maintenance back at the club and they suggested to have the maintenance tech at Signal have a look. So I went and got him and he gave it a look but didn't have any experience with Diamonds thus he couldn't help me (but he didnt' charge me anything
) I called back the club and they said they would send 2 people up (I would have to fly back with someone else because by the time they arrived it woudl be close to sunset). So I waited at Signal for about 2 hours and finally the maintenance guys arrived in an Archer III and replaced the Generator on the spot. One of them took the Katana home and I got a ride in the Archer. I have to say the Archer was pretty rad. I can't wait to get checked out on the warrior once I get my ticket. Anyways, finally got back to Bedford and ended my journey for today. So much for my long x-c, but I did gain some valuable experience.
I had been trying to get in my long solo x-c for a few months now but had been weathered each time. Its getting close to my 17th birthday (the 21st) so I want to get this out of the way so I can do my test prep. I had planned a flight from KBED-KLCI-KGFL-KBED, easily exceeding the 150nm minimum. I took the day off of school (the 8th) to do this flight. I got up at 5:30 am to do all my winds aloft, fuel, and time calculations. I set out for the airport at 8 am so I could reach it by 9 to get my plan checked over by a CFI. What normally is a 15 minute drive turned into an hour thanks to an accident. So I reach the airport and it takes about 30 minutes to check my plan and all looks good. The weather is perfect. So I head out into the cold, take the wing covers off, and do a thorough preflight of the Katana (DA20-A1). The line guys preheated the engine and topped off the tank. I started her up, called ground and I was off. Take off was uneventful as was the whole flight up to Laconia. (I totally recommend LCI, its got a great approach path right over Lake Winnepasauke...sp?) I got topped off again at Laconia and went right off to Glens Falls. I climbed up to 6500 and made it past my first two checkpoints. Just then I noticed the Generator Warning light flicking on and off. However, everything else was reading normal. I figure oh well, must be a faulty wire. A few minutes later i went to scan engine gauges and noticed the ammeter showing a slight discharge. I decided that it was something I was going to keep a very close eye on but keep going. Not more than 20 seconds later the DG carded (little card sticks out to indicate it is inop/failed) and the ammeter started to show a greater discharge. By now the generator warning light was on full and I realized that I had a generator failure. Now you could perceivably continue the flight, but I was going to be flying over 4000 foot mountains and I decided I didn't want have only an altimeter, airspeed indicator and VSI. Not to mention that I also would have lost the radios, flaps and eletric trim once the batter wore out (30 mins). Thankfully Lebanon (KLEB, a small class D) was about 5nm away and I informed Boston Center of our problem and, since our DG was gone and I turned off the GPS, I asked for a vector to Lebanon. Turned about 10 degrees and had it in sight. He informed Tower of what was happening and switched me over. I got the flaps out early to lose some altitude and also so that I still had battery power to get them out. Tower cleared me and I landed fine. Got progressive to the FBO (Signal), parked, and chocked her. I called my instructor and the Maintenance back at the club and they suggested to have the maintenance tech at Signal have a look. So I went and got him and he gave it a look but didn't have any experience with Diamonds thus he couldn't help me (but he didnt' charge me anything
) I called back the club and they said they would send 2 people up (I would have to fly back with someone else because by the time they arrived it woudl be close to sunset). So I waited at Signal for about 2 hours and finally the maintenance guys arrived in an Archer III and replaced the Generator on the spot. One of them took the Katana home and I got a ride in the Archer. I have to say the Archer was pretty rad. I can't wait to get checked out on the warrior once I get my ticket. Anyways, finally got back to Bedford and ended my journey for today. So much for my long x-c, but I did gain some valuable experience.
