My dad flew down to Arizona to pick up the Yankee, and started the trip home yesterday morning. It handles and performs well – I’m not sure what kind of speeds he was getting, but he’s enjoying it immensely. The planned route was an overnight in Fresno, then up the coast to Everett today.

Unfortunately, the alternator had some issues about 10 miles to the East of Bakersfield, where my dad landed yesterday afternoon. Everything was uneventful, the plane is undamaged, and unlike cars the engine doesn’t draw its electrical power from the alternator, so there wasn’t ever any imminent danger involved. Dual magnetos give aircraft an extra level of redundancy and ensure that everything keeps turning the way it should.

So, we’ve got a short delay, and I won’t get to fly it while I’m home for Thanksgiving. On the plus side, this is the kind of problem you want to spot during day VFR flight, rather than in the clouds or at night.