Astute readers will note I wasn't in my Baron but the Pilatus PC12-NG that I fly for the corporation that owns it. I've got over 100 hrs of turbine time now between flying the Pilatus and the KingAir C90. Love them both!
Back in piston world... I took off in my Baron the other day and shortly after takeoff I lost 800 rpm on the left prop... of course the critical engine. Say what? I got a big yaw moment and thought I lost the engine but looked down at the JPI and all engine params were good. It was like someone just yanked the left prop lever back. I flew it straight to my shop at LVK and they pulled off the left governor and sent it to the guys at Stockton Propellor. Turns out the governor ate one of it's fly weights. Shop said they haven't seen anything like that in a long time. Oh well... $2800 later I've got a freshly overhauled prop governor. I wonder if something about the Colemill P600 STC caused it because I push close to red line on the props when generating all 300 HP. I'm going to start pulling the props back below redline on takeoff.
While all this was going on the shop said my right accumulator was leaking oil and it would be $750 to overhaul it. Hmm... accumulators... I never really use them, it's not a trainer. How much do they weigh? about 8 lbs each. Ditch them! When I practice engine outs I can always restart with the starter. Seems like an easy way to regain 16 lbs of useful load, not to mention save $750. So now my plane is sans accumulators and I'm fine with that.
