April 20, 2014 - Flat Tire at Millville, NJ

I headed out on my own today for a fun fly.  It was a little hazy but at least there was some green on the ground to look at.  The long winter is just about over.  I decided to head east to Millville, New Jersey and check out the museum they have on the field there.

Passing by Massey Aerodrome.
   
Passing by a privately owned, asphalt strip near Massey.
   
I crossed the Delaware Bay to the swamp area on the other side.
   
I followed this winding river to Millville.  Interesting river.  I never really noticed it before.
   
On the ground at Millville.  I had a nice late breakfast at the restaurant which can be seen just to the right of the RV's nose.
   
Then I walked over to the museum.  I've known about it for years but this is the first time I've been inside.  Millville was a big P-47 Thunderbolt training base during Dub Dub Two.
   
I really liked this plastic model collection of World War II fighters.  It's one of best model collections I've ever seen.
   
A big Pratt & Whitney R2800 radial engine which powered the P-47 Thunderbolt, F6F Hellcat, F4U Corsair, B-26 Marauder, A-26 Invader and P-61 Black Widow in WWII.
   
I remember this airshow well.  I was flying south of Millville in the Citabria back in 2004.  I looked to the right and there were the Thunderbirds!  Thankfully I didn't bust their airspace.
   
Things went downhill after I left the museum.  When I got to the RV, I noticed the left tire was a little deflated.  I made a mental note to put air into it when I got back to Essex.  But while I was taxiing to the runway for takeoff, suddenly the plane just drooped to the left.  My heart sank.  I knew the tire was flat.  I knew what a big hassle I was in for.   I called the FBO on the radio and soon the FBO attendant showed up with an air bottle and wheel dolley.  We put air into the tube but not surprisingly it just whistled right back out.  So we towed the RV to an empty T-hangar.
 
The RV requires some special gear to jack the plane, not to mention a new tube, and all of it was back at Essex Skypark.  I tried calling some friends with planes to see if they could fly to Millville and take me back to Essex but no one was available.  So I had to call Lynnette and she made the two hour drive to come get me -- you have to go northeast almost to Wilmington to get around the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays, before you can turn southeast and come back down to Millville.
   
A week later, my hangar neighbor Tom K. flew me to Millville in his Maule with all my gear.  I filled up his back seat! Since the tire tread was low anyways, I decided to just replace both tube and tire while I had the plane jacked.
   
After an almost two hours work, I had the new tube and tire on.  I taxiied over ito the FBO to get some gas and pay my bill.  The wheel stayed on and inflated so that was good.  The FBO, Big Sky Aviation, was very friendly and supportive this entire evolution, by the way.
   
I followed my newly discovered river back to the Delaware Bay.
   
Approaching Delaware Bay.  The weather was pretty much the same as a week ago, hazy.
   
One of the countless private grass strips on the Eastern Shore.  I'd never noticed this one before.
   

A standard Eastern Shore scenary shot.

Back at Essex Skypark, I pulled the RV into the hangar and started taking everything off for the annual Conditional Inspection.
   
 
   
Previous
Home
Next