Flying an Apache

Posted In: PA-23

Participant

Eric Parks on January 19, 2026 at 7:35 pm #25702

Ken,

I’m not sure where the vents came from. I told him I wanted nice ones and said these were a bit more expensive but better built and nicer looking. I’ll have to ask him who made them.

Here’s a picture of the ramp outside his place of business at KBIV airport.

The airplane sitting forlornly alone on the ramp is a Twin Bonanza his shop is working on. They’ve been getting snow for days now and are forecast to continue. I’m hoping that it’ll slack enough in a week to rescue the Apache. We need to get it about 50 miles south and we’ll be out of the Lake Effect snow.

Attachments:
snow.jpg

Keymaster

Kent Dellenbusch on January 18, 2026 at 8:59 am #25699

Hi Eric –
The install looks great and factory placement on the vents. Were they Knots2U vents?
Kent

Participant

Eric Parks on January 16, 2026 at 8:01 pm #25698

Good news, the long time heater installation is done. Of couse as usual we had a few more things to add to the list and the biggest was new fresh air vents mounted directly in the panel on each side to give some great air flow during the summer. So now whether it’s summer or winter we’ll be more comfortable. The bad news (you knew that was coming, right?) is that Holland, Michigan, where the heater install is being done, is snowing daily. And Annie is not equipped with snow skis! So once the weather clears I’ll go and bring her back home for lots of comfortable flying fun.

Big fresh air vents will be much appreciated this summer!

Annie loves the attention

That heater took a while to get in there!

A long with the rest of the fun we got a new spar cap as the old one was pretty tired and wouldn’t have made it through the upgrade.
Attachments:
Heater 1.jpg
Heater 2.jpg
Heater 3.jpg
Heater 5.jpg

Keymaster

Kent Dellenbusch on November 14, 2025 at 10:41 am #25670

Well, if you sharpen your crayon again, we’d be happy to share it.
I like Steve’s titles,

Participant

Eric Parks on November 14, 2025 at 10:34 am #25669

Kent,

You know I’m always trying to make sense on “paper” of my messy flying hobby. I think it’s my attempt at Aviation Rehabilitation. Not sure it’s working though!

Eric

Participant

Eric Parks on November 14, 2025 at 10:32 am #25668

STEVE ELLS wrote:
Eric,
The 56 pages of “Annie stories” you’ve posted on this forum are a testament to your willingness to forge ahead no matter what it costs, or . . . . . .
Perhaps you can recoup some of the costs by turning all these posts into an ebook.
Title it, “Annie Does Eric” or “It’s a Long and Winding Refurbishment of Airborne Annie”
Thanks for posting all the details.
It sorta seems like Annie will tease you with a good flight or two, then she pounces.
Whaddya gonna do.
Flying is Good Medicine.

Steve, thanks for the smile! I love the titles 🙂 Yes, and I have tried to leave out some of the more boring or depressing details! However, as you already know it’s a labor of love and I get such a kick out of flying this little twin. Apparently that’s a good enough pay back. In looking at my logbook my flight time is trending up on a yearly basis but obviously not as much as I’d like. What encourages me at this point is that this is a PLANNED upgrade instead of of yet another suprise fix. Of course we are taking care of several items in this upgrade but that’s for the later story! Annie does seem to have a bit of prankster in her when coming up with mechanical issues. I keep trying to train it out of her!

Eric

Keymaster

Kent Dellenbusch on November 14, 2025 at 9:46 am #25667

Hey Eric –
Nice job on the metal fabrication. Very clean.
Would you like to take a pen and tell your story?
Kent

Participant

STEVE on November 14, 2025 at 9:23 am #25666

Eric,
The 56 pages of “Annie stories” you’ve posted on this forum are a testament to your willingness to forge ahead no matter what it costs, or . . . . . .
Perhaps you can recoup some of the costs by turning all these posts into an ebook.
Title it, “Annie Does Eric” or “It’s a Long and Winding Refurbishment of Airborne Annie”
Thanks for posting all the details.
It sorta seems like Annie will tease you with a good flight or two, then she pounces.
Whaddya gonna do.
Flying is Good Medicine.

Participant

Eric Parks on November 13, 2025 at 4:34 pm #25665

Work continues on the heater for Annie the Apache. The ductwork has been completed and installed.

While working on the ducts it was decided that the spar cap would need to be replaced. It already was “tagged” for work on the next annual and the duct work was going to involve changes to the spar cap anyway so that is now in progress as well.

Attachments:
duct4.jpg
Duct8.jpg
Duct5.jpg
Spar7.jpg
Spar1.jpg

Keymaster

Kent Dellenbusch on October 30, 2025 at 5:29 pm #25648

Looks great. Thanks for the update.

Tight fit with the blower motor.

Aircraft Spruce sells all kinds of different diameter ducting. Heat resistance.