Bleeding while Freezing

It's not always a good idea to look at the thermometer whilst on the way to the hangar to do some airplane work. Sure, you'll find out soon enough that it is way too hot or way too cold to be out there crawling around on the floor, but why rush into it? Enjoy the drive!

So, yeah, it was bitter, bitter cold when Pete and I arrived at the hangar hoping to perform the most procrastinated task yet: the replacement of the brake fluid lost from the system as a result of removing the landing gear and taking that opportunity to also re-route a brake line that was poorly positioned and was rubbing against a neighboring line is a most disconcertingly intimate way. No good was ever going to come from that!

I had been dreading the re-bleeding of the brakes based mostly on the frustrating experience we had with it the first time. But, as with many (but by no means all!) of these things, it went far more easily the second time around.  For the most part I was pretty well thermally protected by my Walmartts and glittens, but exposed fingers and anything else than came into contact with cold-soaked tools and airframe strenuously objected to the frigid conditions.

The brake bleeding went so well that we had a little spare time before our core temperatures reached the level of mild hypothermia, so we took the opportunity to do few more of the ever-dwindling list of to-do items. Probably the most gratifying was the final riveting job: the installation of the data plate.

To top it all off, we put the wings back on. 

I have a few more placard decals to put on in order to satisfy the labeling requirements of the FAA, and then it is simply a matter of paperwork.