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Gear Up: A Guide to Bonehead Moves

** Safely out of the Cessna P210, standing
around trying to look cool.**
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • The author recounts multiple humorous and sometimes embarrassing incidents involving airplane doors, including getting locked inside his Cheyenne due to a key obstructing the handle, and a mysterious "ticking" sound in his Cessna 340 turning out to be a forgotten keychain.
  • He also details other mechanical mishaps and moments of pilot error, such as breaking a door handle on his Cessna P210 and getting trapped, experiencing a mid-flight oil leak in an Arrow, and briefly silencing an engine during an in-flight magneto check as a young pilot.
  • These anecdotes collectively highlight the unexpected challenges and learning experiences faced by pilots, often caused by minor oversights or mechanical quirks, and are presented with self-deprecating humor.
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(September 2011) My wife and I had just purchased a new (20-year-old) Cheyenne and it was tucked away in the hangar at KTPA in Tampa for the night. I could not stay away. One night after dinner I drove out to look at the airplane; I just wanted to sit in it and turn on the lights and avionics.

The FBO was quiet. I let myself out to the hangar, which has several bays. We were in the bay farthest from the front desk. I did not see any linemen. I put the key in the door lock and watched with enormous self-satisfaction as the airstair descended with that comforting whoosh. I fumbled for the interior light switch that can be activated from the door and turned off in the cockpit. Beyond convenient. The steps illuminated with a gorgeous array of recessed lights. This elegant touch was missing from my previous airplanes.

Dick Karl

Dick Karl is a cancer surgeon who appreciates the beauty and science involved in both surgery and flying. Dick’s monthly Gear Up celebrates the human side of flying. He writes about his enthusiasm for both the machines and the people who fly and maintain them.

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