Alternator Set-back Belen, NM

Well thanks to those $100 lithium ion power bricks the ladies jumped the plane themselves. As I side note, ALL vehicles should buy and carry one of those things as they are cheap insurance to get you back on the road if you have electrical issues.

The crew decided to make a short hop to Alexander air field (E80) where they could obtain mechanic services and parts if need be. The ladies called back to their Hartford avionics guru STEVE, to help troubleshoot and diagnose the sudden power problem and the determination was made that possible corrosion on the battery cables might be to blame but in the end it turns out the likely culprit is a faulty alternator.

Sadly there is no alternator available in Prescott Valley or in the New Mexico desert, so the new alternator is being overnighted from Oklahoma to arrive first thing tomorrow 6/17/16. The mechanic is waiting and will perform the change-out on the field as soon as the part arrives HOWEVER this does put the team at risk for exceeding the start point impound time of Noon tomorrow. Teresa will be in contact with the race officials to try and negotiate an exception and a slightly delayed arrival time.

Regardless the team  spirit's are still high and they may certainly be able to compete since the official start of the race is days away. Wish for a little luck but for now the plane is staying in New Mexico for the night as the crew felt it unwise to risk a 250 mile leg into busier airspace without a radio or back-up power source.