I am too young to feel this old!

Doing an annual & engine change on a Cessna twin (414) is making me really wonder if I am in the right line of work anymore. At the tender young age of 61 getting into and out of the tight places ain't as easy as it used to be. I just don't fold up like I once did. ugh!

Oh well, I am grateful for the work! Seems a lot of folks don't have any, or are unwilling to do what there is to do. Maybe I am extreme, but perhaps we should place a total moratorium on any immigrant labor until all US citizens are employed in some form or the other. OK; that would mean some people may have to work the fields, packing plants and dig a few ditches. I did some of that, it did'nt kill me, and during the peach harvest in Grand Junction, picking peaches was a good way for a high school kid to pick up a good size wad of pocket cash before starting school! Worked for me!

In the meantime, I pull panels, seats, floorbords, get real grungy stripping down an engine for replacement and wishing I was 20 years younger (and 20 pounds lighter). This bird needs a lot of work. The onwer has the money, and I have the time.

Slowly getting Winston dialed in. As I said last post, I now have a working IFR GPS in the panel, now I need to re-learn how to do approaches with the dang thing. Getting from point A to point B is the easy part, figguring out how to access, input and fly a GPS instrument approach has been a challenge. I may still need to replace the fuel gauge senders, overhaul the Nose gear, Aquire a high effficiancy exhaust system and install an auxillury fuel tank. (Donations gratefully accepted). These plus a few other odds & ends and the old girl (12,800+ hours TTAF) will be ready for one last grand adventure.

Need to pick up a few more students. Have lots of work coming at me. I wish I could find a young eager "understudy" that I could teach the airplane business to. Not being blessed with children of my own, and no worthy heir, I feel a bit lost. Anyone out there wanting to adopt a "grandfather"?