Mick Scores a Hit with the FAA

        Article and Pictures by Brian Gilomen
 

(Mick displays coveted paperwork)

On May 26, 2006, Mick Pahnke achieved an enviable milestone:  the Vans RV-9A that he and Jude have slaved over for in excess of 4 years received FAA approval for flight.

I was on the scene for purely selfish motives:  I had hoped to pin Mick down for some dual time in the RANS S-12 that he'd sold to me to make way in his hangar for that beautiful RV.  The FAA guy was scheduled to arrive at 9 am, and was already there when I arrived shortly thereafter.  I cruised past Mick's hangar to silently lend support, ready to stop and help if I got the nod, but Mick merely waived at me from somewhere underneath his plane.

My curiosity got the best of me, however, when I heard Mick fire the RV up.  I came nearly running to witness the process.  By then Mick had removed all critical inspection access points, and had the cowl off.  The FAA guy made many serious faces during the whole process:

(The Moment of Truth)

All was generally well, but the FAA guy had one beef:  at the suggestion of fellow RV owners, Mick had wrapped his exhaust header pipes with a nonflammable thermal wrap.  Unfortunately, that made an excellent hiding place for spilled oil, something that Mick discovered while changing same during the previous week.  Mr. FAA guy said that he wouldn't sign-off anything that had even the slightest chance of producing a whiff of oily smoke that could end up in the cockpit, so Mick and I painstakingly removed the thermal wrap that Mick had just as painstakingly installed.  (I left about 2 ounces of knuckle on some sharp metal under there somewhere.  I wonder if that won't produce oily smoke of its own?)

After further review, and a promise that he would return to his office to verify that a RV-9A quick-build kit does indeed qualify under the "51-percent" rule (you should have seen Mick's face when Mr. FAA guy didn't seem convinced!), the inspector handed Mick that lovely pink card, certifying that Mick can go ahead and fly the damn thing if he wants to.  So long, that is, as it stays within a 25-mile radius of Morris for the next 40 hours.

Well done, Mick!  I took the opportunity to give him a cigar for the occasion; one of the many that I owe him in return for the stogies that I have mooched off him in the past.  (Wait your turn, Kevin!)

(Mick relaxing after a job well done)