Ron Awad

Screw

Lubricating & Stimulating
Joined
Oct 30, 2003
Messages
2,733
Location
Loganville, Ga.
Aircraft
Dominator 2 place/Cessnas & Pipers
Total Flight Time
300+
Well?

Is Ron, the McDaddy, Awad a full fledge Private pilot SEL?

Per Ron, he was to go this morning for his check ride 8)

If he has obtained his PPL SEL, will he continue on for his "Gyro" rating?

Inquiring Minds want to know!!!

John-

BTW- Did you buy that "Turd?"
 
Re:Ron Awad

John, it dawned on me that you may not know what a POS is. If you don't, let me know.
 
Re:Ron Awad

What makes you think that? Because I refer to that POS as a "Turd?" (Piece Of Sh*t is part of a Whole Sh*t). That car is a Whole Sh*t, therefore a TURD. I'm not even sure if it's tappered ;D
 
Re:Ron Awad

Well good news and bad news and not that important news as a bonus.

Bonus news first. Yes I bought the turd. I got the price right, went to the dmv prior to handing over any cash and got a instant clean and clear title and then drove it home. The title will have a colorful history if I ever go to sell it, but who cares about the title history for a good running little car-truck that looks pretty good and is on the road tags and tax and new top and all for under a grand? It will need some work, I plan to play it safe and replace the timing belt since I don't know how many miles are on it already. Several places on the engine leak a little oil so I will need a new distrubutor shaft seal, oil pan, valve cover and possibly a front main seal to clean up the mess under the hood. I also think the water pump is about to go as there is small traces of coolant under the engine near the pump. Everything is super easy to get to and it should be a easy afternoon shade tree mechanic job. I also plan to drain and re fill the trans and rear end and put on new belts. The tires and brakes are fine and It just had a oil change today.
 
Re:Ron Awad

Now for the good news.

Yes I am a Jedi master of the skys now. I am a legal Private pilot Single Engine Land and am ready to go for rotorcraft gyro as a add on next. I don't know about doing much more than that yet but maybe one day in a galaxy far far away I might try to become a CFI.....

I passed my checkride and it was a breeze. I had some snags at first because my logs weren't showing some of the Ad's where they were up to date and the Elt had to be tested and put in the logs. I had the mechanic at the airport take a look at the logs to see if he could get them straightened out and low and behold, the mechanic is the same guy who restored this plane back in 1999 and he hadn't seen it since then since it had since got on to several new homes - I am the 3rd owner since 99. He got me all squared away and I got to do my checkride. It couldn't have been much easier and for the most part it was a lot of fun. I was so glad when I got that paper saying I am now a pilot!!!!

I was all set to go home to celebrate and get ready for tomorrow at the airport to give rides to friends and family but......
 
Re:Ron Awad

Ron,

Since you've already driven it home and you still sound happy about the deal... nothing else matters. You did good. Way to go.

Now what about the check ride, etc.?
 
Re:Ron Awad

There is bad news too. Real dam bad. :'( :'( :'(

It happened to be kinda weird but the little Geo truck I had decided to buy was in the same town as the airport I had decided to do my checkride out of. This town is about 100 miles away by car from home and nearly the same by plane to my home base airport. I had drove down the other day while we still had ice on the roads to look at the Geo and decided I would make it easy on me and try to get it today after my checkride. I was going to have my instructor fly down with me for my checkride incase my paperwork was messed up or any other surprises pop up. I had figured one of us could fly my plane back and other drive back. Simple and knocks out two birds with one stone.

So I had really wanted to fly the plane back and have my instructor drive back. He really wasn't thrilled about it especially since the Geo had no top on it and it was only about 50 degrees today. So with much reluctance I let him fly my plane back and I drove off. He is a good pilot with lots of hours and ratings, and I didn't have too bad of a feeling, but I would have felt alot better had I been the one in the plane today.

So then I am about 45 minutes from home when my cell rings. It is a friend out at the airport and he tells me bluntly that the instructor came in with my plane and ground looped it and ended up off the runway in the large pond. My plane is in the pond he says!!! I figure he is BSing me as we do that kind of stuff all the time with each other. But he swears on his life it is true. So I figured he MAY be telling the truth but who knows.... Maybe he and the rest of the gang had just heard from my instructor when he landed that I passed my test and they wanted me to come to the airport to rip off my shirt tail or something and they all knew I had no plans to go out there this afternoon.

So I wait a few minutes and call the airport office and ask if anything is going on and they put me right on the phone with my instructor and he says he is sorry. I say for what and he says for wrecking my plane. I say your Sh*tting me right? he says no and I hang up. Now I am feeling like... Well words just don't describe how I felt then.... So I drive like a bat out of hell to my house to grab a change of clothes and another pair of shoes - I figured if it was crashed into the pond I'd be swimming! I also swapped vehicles because my Chevy is a 4x4 and I have a heavy chain in the toolbox to pull stuck cars of of ditches and thought the truck may be more useful than the Geo. I then haul ass to the airport.

I get to the airport and drive by the pond and don't see my plane but see a few people standing in front of my hangar and the doors to it are still open. I am thinking Yeah they Were screwing with me after all!

But they weren't.

As I pulled up in front of the hangar there was my broken plane sitting there. Water dripped out of everywhere, Both wings totally destroyed the brand new prop bent out like a set of rotorblades in a high G turn, a bend in the airframe and various other nicks dings and trim bent or broke. Not to mention the interior was soaked from about the floor up two or three inches.

The guys had just pulled it out of the pond and got it in my hangar when I pulled up. It ended up in a shallow part of the pond and the engine never got wet and the prop damage was from hitting water not the ground.

I got insurance, but I am not covered for the value of the plane. The plane WAS worth 25-27 grand and I had that much in it. The insurance company would only write a 23 grand policy. I am hoping that I am covered period since I wasn't the one flying.

anyway that is the bad news. Sucks monster balls, because it is like I worked so frigging hard the last 3 months to get my rating and the day I get it my plane is totalled. And from what I hear it may be next fall before it is fixed or replaced, Apparently, I am told, these aircraft insurance companies drap these things out big time.

I am just glad my instructor only hurt his pride and not hisself. I would have been real upset had he gotten hurt.
 
Re:Ron Awad

Ron, that is bad news, sorry to hear it. If your insurance only covers 23 grand is your instructor going to pay the difference to fix your plane?
 
Re:Ron Awad

I don't know. I owe him money for all the time he has spent with me. He wanted for me to pay all of it at once after I got my checkride over. I was due to pay him Tomorrow..... I don't owe him much though, maybe 500$ at best. But feel like he earned more than that for all the time he spent with me " off " the clock. It puts me in a pickle. I also got a 500$ deductable to consider too.

I do think I will be covered. I just looked at my policy and It covers Me, Mechanics who have to fly the plane for service reasons, and anyone else as long as they have at least their private rating, 300 hours minimum with at least 25 hours in taildraggers and at least 10 hours in a PA -20 Piper Pacer. He has all of that and then some. I will keep my fingers Crossed anyway.
 
Re:Ron Awad

Ron my friend, you have been on the emotional roller coaster from hell today! First, congratulations on getting your PPL. Thats great, there are a large number of people who've been hoping you'd get "legal".

I don't know what to say about your plane. It sounds like you'll probably come out of it financially alright. But unfortunately that doesn't solve the fact you have no plane to fly for the next few months. Looks like the challenger might be getting some flight time. Sorry Pal
 
Re:Ron Awad

Ron,

I was just now able to read about the incident with your fix-wing. Man I am so sorry that happened.

However, it sounds like you are being very positive about it, especially under the circumstances. Therefore, everything will be okay. Who knows, maybe you'll end up with an even better plane than that one, once it's all said and done. At any rate, it could have been a lot worse and I am glad that you are looking at it that way.

I don't have to tell you to keep your chin up because I can tell that you are already doing that.

Yea Ron!!!
 
Re:Ron Awad

Yes it was a long day yesterday for me. But today is the day things start to really sink in and I am still okay. I got a real nice gyro to fly just no way to put on cabin heat and it isn't as fast and no where to take my wife for that ride I promissed.

The Challenger has a busted engine right now. I have it at the local rotax guys place to be repaired, But who knows how long before it is done. It is faster and more protected from wind blasting me, but it is still not the same..... :-

I am thinking the insurance will pay to get the plane fixed. I just wish there was somekind of rental plane provision where they will pay for a few hours a month of rental plane time so I can still fly while they fix the plane.
 
Re:Ron Awad

D*mn Ron,

I am so sorry :'( sucking Monster balls doesn't begin to cover that kind of a day. Congratulations on your rating, and your "Turd." You went into it with your eyes open, got a deal you were comfortable with, and I think you'll be happy with it.

As far the plane goes, I'm sure your instructor is feeling very bad about it and will do all he can to make it right. You didn't ask, but IMHO, if you owe the guy some scratch, offer it to him, he'll probably refuse and try and figure a way to make it right.

If there is anything I can do for you, let me know.

Your friend,

John-
 
Re:Ron Awad

Ron,
Since all insurance companies are different, and all their employees are also, you'll never know what their reaction will be. You may be pleasantly surprised, but probably not. Just remember that they, in all probability, will try to settle for as little as possible. Therefore, you must try to get as much as possible.

It may become necessary to get a lawyer involved in order to get reimbursed for the actual value. Just don't settle too quickly and for too little. And don't believe everything the insurance people tell you. It seems that most of them are trained thieves. In case you do need to get a lawyer involved, let me know first as, I know you are aware, they are typically a bad bunch too. But I have quite a bit of experience with them, so I may can be of some help.
 
Re:Ron Awad

Ron, I believe that everything happens for a reason. Even the bad may have been for a better outcome in the long run.

Who knows, maybe by the other guy being in the PIC saved your life. Not that I think your not an excellent pilot, he just may have done something that you might not have to keep from dying. Or maybe you were going flying today with your wife and would have had an engine failure or something that may have caused a devastating outcome.

You never know, I'm glad that everyone is OK.
 
Re:Ron Awad

Ron,

I hate to say it, but this is why you never let anyone drive your vette, ride your harley, or definitely never fly your aircraft. I loaned my brother my Subaru wagon and it came back with a grinding noise. What am I supposed to do, make him pay for it?

At ROC, I very reluctantly borrowed Jamie B.'s truck to go to the store. He made me use it. I just wanted a ride. Nothing happened but, you know Murphy's Law. I am very sorry to hear about your plane.
 
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