Originally posted by wingman
View Post
I was dehydrated, I passed a kidney stone the week before so Ricky was going to have to go and take care of the Zeuschel engines by himself. The day before leaving Sandy Rick's wife went into labor and now I had to go take care of the Zeuschel engines by myself. We had engines in Risky Business, Miss fit, Georgia Mae, and Jeannie two. Bill let me go back to the hotel the night we arrived and Brian Marsh and I arranged to come back out at 1:00 am with Bill's airplanes in one of the giant hangars. Brian took cowlings and rocker covers off while I changed the valve springs and re-torqued the heads. Then we swapped planes and he put the first airplane back together while I changed valve springs and retorqued the heads. The night before I was loading up on cranberry juice at the bar when Bill and the rest of the team came back to the hotel saw me in bar with Brian and not knowing that we had already been asleep, woke up and were getting me re-hydrated at that point Bill was not happy about me being there.
As a result the next morning when Bill and Erin pulled up to the hangar and Risky was sitting there looking like it was not touched except the cowling was removed Bill said you guy's are done! I responded, "No, it was a late night at the hotel but I can be done by noon." Bill turned and left angry. Erin walked over with the traditional jelly doughnut and said "why do you do that to him? Your finished right!" I said"Yes now I have to go get Wiley's airplanes done by 11:00."
BTW Erin Rheinschild got screwed at Texas, she had done more training on formation flying with Skip in the month before than any other unlimited racer that wasn't military trained ever. She had practiced dead stick landings more than anyone except my Dad. Art Vance refused to pass her on her Unlimited pilot qualification because she was a woman. I heard Art discuss that with myself and another person. Bill later asked me if I would like to crew for them at one of the Phoenix events, I told him to let me know if Erin was going to fly, then sure I would. She took the flying seriously.
Oh, yeah, then swap out springs on all four re-torque and send them all home. At least I was riding home with Bill in the Sabreliner....I don't remember Art riding home.
Saturday night my Dad dropped in and we tried to share a room...it worked until he wanted the air conditioner off and I wanted it on. Around 1:00 he changed rooms.
Sherman was in a dry county and the hotel had a bar, they charged you an additional $1.00 per night to join the "club" but then you could get a drink, cranberry juice was only available in the bar.
Comment