GROUNDED FROM AEROBATICS in the Great Lakes Biplane!

GROUNDED FROM AEROBATICS in the Great Lakes Biplane!
Waco Great Lakes 2T-1A-2 SERVICE BULLETIN GL-SB0002 Issued July 6, 2023
Subject Center Section Former Rib Cracks

[@xpump876]

Great to hear WACO is covering that repair .. I bet the cost to fix it would be in the upper stratosphere! ...so, no more outside loops for a while .. ; /

[@stevederebey]

Kind of a bummer, Ron, but better to be safe and sure that nothing is going to surprise you! Sounds like they’re going to take good care of you and you’ll be back upside down before the ice melts in the spring! Such a beautiful plane!

[@keithnoneya]

An absolutely fabulous company that stands by their products and customers. Thank you so much for sharing this with all of us. Best Wishes & Blessings. Keith Noneya

[@ronrogers]

high quality company with high quality individuals!

[@dabneyoffermein595]

I'm so glad that Waco is going to take care of your aircraft. I would love to see the video of them fixing your aircraft (if they allow you to film it). Fixing structural issues is fascinating to me and the care that goes into the engineering of aircraft like the Great Lakes is more than intriguing. Sorry to hear about Mr. Merkel.

[@WarblesOnALot]

G'day, Better to discover the issue in a NoTAm or Service Bulletin, Than by committing to a Snap-Roll or Pulling out of a Loop...& having the Leading-Edge Skin on the Centre-Section Smack you in the Face, as it Blows backwards in the Slipstream After Detatching. Such is life. Have a good one... Stay safe. ;-p Ciao !

[@jhaedtler]

Thanks for letting us all know!

[@ronrogers]

That's the idea. Glad so many are listening!

[@omahaL98]

Mr Rogers take and be safe with your aircraft, you only get one chance doing aerobatics of all person you already know that....thanks for your service.

[@SucceedingInFinTech]

“Caution is the better part of valor.”

[@GaryL3803]

I remember that differently - "discretion is the better part of valor". Pretty much the same meaning, but in this case I think caution is more precise as discretion is defined as "think before you open your mouth".

[@babboon5764]

Aww DAMN ...... but you're right. It would be daft to say 'Well its optional so I'll not take it seriously'

[@rlsmith6904]

Ed Merkle was one of the nicest human beings on this planet. I attended his funeral. It was one of the saddest days of my life.

[@ronrogers]

I totally agree!

[@barbaradavis393]

Just discovered you on KZbin. I worked with Ed at Cessna in the late 60s. He was also a very nice guy as well as a really smart one.

[@ronrogers]

He was a great guy without equal in my opinion!

[@DWBurns]

If it goes back to KBTL for repair, the food at the Waco Kitchen is great. We fly up there to eat every so often from Columbus, Ohio.

[@ronrogers]

Yes, eaten there many times in my many visits to the WACO factory!

[@MrJdsenior]

Life sucks at times, but it ALWAYS could be worse...well almost always. Murphy lives and thrives. That 'coulda been worse' never works for me, but I figured I'd give it a try, anyway. I guess straight and level is better than hangared. Beautiful bird, BTW.

[@rwedel738]

Hey Ron, Your a pro!

[@ronrogers]

Thanks! I appreciate the comment!

[@LJDRVR]

You wouldn’t be having this issue with a Stearman! Good luck on a quick mod and an early spring, Ron.

[@ronrogers]

Thanks! Considered a Stearman but it wouldn't fit in this hanger.

[@davidcooper7862]

Bummer

[@peanutbutterisfu]

Making something more rigid sounds good but not when it needs to flex.

[@feman43]

That's a real bummer. I miss my GL which had some center section troubles and it ultimately was removed from service. I'm curious where you reside. We live in Valley Center and I knew Ed in his later years and had the opportunity to fly the MKII. What a wonderful airplane that is.

[@ronrogers]

I now live in Crystal Lake Illinois. When I knew Ed and flew the MKII I lived in Wichita Ks

[@jerryfraker377]

If you do some aerobatics im not going to say anything.

[@guypehaim1080]

Think about this; that bulletin may have saved your life.🤔

[@ronrogers]

It was issued as a SB. If the FAA deemed it a safety of flight issue, it would have been issued as an AD or Emergency AD.

[@babboon5764]

@@ronrogers Yeah. But you seem to be wisely ascribing it more or less equivalent weight

[@ronrogers]

@@babboon5764 Yes, I am essentially treating it as an AD. Aerobatics is serious business so I am erroring on the side of caution. I have had enough close calls in my 50+ years of flying.

[@altamiradorable]

I'm going to cry !! My toy will not fly !

[@12345fowler]

Even worse : it's not allowed to do aerobatic this year. But everything will be sorted out next year after the SB compliance work. Pfyyyyouu What a summer I had. Crazy.

[@dks13827]

Can't hear you on this.

[@jeremyrowley1240]

Clearly all those aerobatic vidoes you have posted has got them worried. However, from one of your other videoes about why biplanes are better, there is dual redundancy in the wing department, so what is all the fuss about?😁

[@marttimattila9561]

FBO.s Dauhter has a a great legs.

[@JonCox-fn3hn]

That's what parachutes are for!

[@StevenSmith-pt8rz]

Get serious. Think about your comment. Not funny.

[@JonCox-fn3hn]

@@StevenSmith-pt8rz FACTUAL STATEMENT! Haaaaaaaa! 😁😁🤣🤣😂😂

[@JonCox-fn3hn]

@@StevenSmith-pt8rz Yes it IS! 😁 🪂🪂🪂