UKPylot’s MINI Blog

This morning I was thinking about how long its been since my last problem with Sarah, it seems like its been ages especially since I was going to Brecht’s every month for the longest time. Well, I jinxed it. On the way home tonight I noticed that my driver’s side headlamp isn’t working. This happened once before and it turned out to be a loose connection, hopefully it will be the same again. When I book it in, I’ll try to get the V.39 software upgrade at the same time.

Well, not really, but last night on the way home to Brawley I had the cruise control enabled, a tail wind on my back, and the trip computer was showing a fuel consumption of 35.2 mpg and a range of 545 miles. Sadly, both the trip computer and the cruise control are somewhat mathematically challenged – even on an all freeway drive I have never gotten more than 350 miles out of a tank of gas and that worked out at about 31mpg. And the cruise control still wanders between +/- 5mph of what its set at, its definitely not set and forget like it is in every other car I’ve been in. But it does give me much better mileage than if I use my lead foot so I think for my twice weekly commute I shall use it more often.

So I’ve officially decided against going to Vegas. Instead, I plan to motor to Kingman, AZ, to finish up my Commercial pilot certificate at one of the two-day courses held by Sheble Aviation. Not sure when exactly I will go but I think it will be more fun, more friendly, and definitely more worthwhile (so long as I pass!)

Driving into San Diego today I was struck at how much fun it is to drive a manual transmission, or stick-shift if you must. I’ve always known this but the whine of the super charger as you change gear and accelerate adds something extra, I think. I’m not sure I could ever drive an automatic as my daily driver though thats not to say I don’t appreciate the ease it brings when I drive my wife’s Accord.

Coming into San Diego this morning through La Mesa, I spotted an Arco advertising regular unleaded for $1.89!! Premium was $2.11 which isn’t much different to what I pay in Brawley but I thought 1.89 was pretty decent for the times.

Whilst washing my MINI yesterday I was struck by the similarities between that and flying. In both cases it doesn’t matter much what a great job you do, the activity is defined by just one thing: in flying, its the landing; in washing its the windscreen. Fly like an ace but all anyone asks is “how was the landing”. Wax that MINI to a supershine but if there is a smear on the windscreen, you did a bad job.

And, of course, I washed the MINI yesterday because I knew I’d be driving through a monsoon this morning. The road into the base must have been half an inch of standing water for the last 1/2 mile. Its odd, but I don’t remember English motorways getting as waterlogged as the freeways in the US. Is it some difference in construction? Or am I just losing my mind?

Its good to see gas prices coming down a bit. I paid under $2.40 today for the first time in a while. I have recently found a good gas station on the outskirts of El Cajon, the 2nd St exit. It’s an Exxon station and today has premium for $2.27 (or so it looked from the freeway).

On the trip over to San Diego today, had to drive on snow and ice over the mountain. It was amazing to see all the snow on the ground. The DSC came on a couple of times though I really didn’t feel any reason for it.

I don’t know if my MINI is self-adapting, but the recent problems starting in cold weather have gone away, she starts first time every time.

Lastly, I want to wish Sarah a Happy 40th – on the drive home Friday she passed her 40,000th mile and still going strong. A few rattles inside the cockpit but otherwise no sign of aging.

I’ve always thought it odd that there is no aural warning when the ‘low fuel’ state is reached. Unless you glance over and see that the little red light is on, you might not notice until the MINI starts to stutter. There is a warning, however, when the outside temperature gets into the ‘ice zone’, so that you can adjust your driving style to the risk of ice on the roads. It came on this morning a couple of times on the way to San Diego, temps went down to 29F at one point.