We had a real letdown today when we were loaded up for our legs to Santa Fe NM and on to Weatherford OK. We taxied the plane out to the run-up area (for engine and other checks), and it failed it’s magneto check. For you non-pilots, most small airplanes have two sets of spark plugs for each cylinder, for redundancy. If one spark plug (or one set) fails, your engine won’t quit (always good). For you pilots, the drops were 175 (only just acceptable) and 350+ (yikes). We were worried this could be the end of our trip, or at least something expensive, but luckily, Randall the mechanic at Wiseman Aviation in Flagstaff was able to look at it today, and the problem was loose wiring to the plugs. As for why that was, it’s a long story for another day.

So we checked back into our hotel and decided to explore old town Flagstaff. Sadly, it’s no great shakes. Yes, there’s a small historical area and some cute boutiques, but Dan remembers the Flagstaff of 40 years ago that was a thriving artist community. Shops with the artists inside doing their crafts. It’s still beautiful and maybe worth a trip if you’ve never been. Mostly though, it’s a jumping off point for the Grand Canyon. We’re planning to stop at one of the small airports that border the canyon on our return across the southwest.

Our engine tested fine tonight so we’re excited about getting back on our way tomorrow. BTW, Flagstaff is on the old Route 66, now mostly Highway 40, and our upcoming flights are basically following that old route. We didn’t get our kicks today though.

Today’s aviation lesson? A reminder that when checks fail, they fail. No optimistic thinking. Also, you might have to recheck and recheck the weather and other factors before you get to fly a route. Par for the course.