Grounded

 

So, things were looking up. We headed back to the FBO to settle up and head out. The nice folks at the last Supermarine fueled us up and sent us on our way.

The last Supermarine

Ted switched the leaky cap to the tank on the other wing to see if it was a problem with the cap or the fitting, and the problem got pointedly worse. This time, not only did the fuel leak more vigorously, the cap loosened a quarter turn sideways and was rattling in the wind. Yeek. We turned around and landed, heading to Central Aviation in hopes of finding a shop with Piper Archer parts.

Loose cap

Now here’s the thing. It’s New Year’s Day. Everything is closed, folks are on holiday, and to get the mechanic to just show up and look at the cap would cost us upward of $350.

>sigh<

We figured that even if we were able to get someone to look at the cap, we probably wouldn’t be able to order the replacement part until tomorrow, so we decided to save the money and just spend an extra day in lovely Little Rock. We extended our hotel another day, got a rental car and went out to see the sights.

Of course, it is New Year’s Day, and it was very cold and windy, so we mostly saw the outsides of buildings. Briefly. Still, it was a pleasant enough way to spend our time.

Outside the William J. Clinton Presidential Library
Old railroad bridge

William J. Clinton Presidential Library

William J. Clinton Presidential Library

Funny thing: while we were at the library, another family of hearty tourists were braving the cold, looking at the outside of the building, taking pictures… we ended up seeing them two more times throughout the day, at similar landmarks. They probably thought we were just as crazy as them.

The River Market pig
The River Market pig

Outside the Capitol Building
Outside the Capitol Building

Outside Little Rock High School
Outside Little Rock High School

Outside an old Mobil gas station
Outside an old Mobil gas station

Outside the Governor’s Mansion
Outside the Governor's Mansion

Outside the Governor's Mansion

Bill behind bars

Outside the Governor's Mansion

The Old Mill at T.R. Pugh Memorial Park
Crossing the bridge

Bridge at the Old Mill

The Old Mill

The Old Mill at T.R. Pugh Memorial Park

Ducks at T.R. Pugh Memorial Park

Water wheel at The Old Mill

Water wheel at The Old Mill

Graffiti at The Old Mill

Bridge at The Old Mill

Go Potty at The Old Mill

After a very full day, we went in search of dinner. Found Forbidden City, a Chinese restaurant in the basement of the local mall. I can’t say I was thrilled by the cuisine—my Lo Mein had a fairly watery sauce that was just packed with MSG—but it was hot and filling, indoors, and available on New Year’s Day. Can’t complain too much about that.

Forbidden City at the Mall

 

Posted by bpod at Tuesday ~ January 01, 2008 |

Category: christmas 2007, flying, travel

 

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