Cut off the tail eyebolt and reinstalled it with LocTite. Double checked the flaperon pushrod security and reinstalled the big cover. Reinstalled the seats.
Rolled the airplane outside and tied it to the truck to prevent sliding on the ice. Got in and started it up. Plugged in the headset and immediately heard an ELT tone - LOUDLY! (I had left the com radio set to 121.5.) Then the real fun started!
Since the ELT signal was so loud I assumed it was coming from my own ELT. I tried to reset the ELT from the remote switch but succeeded only in activating it. Finally got it shut off, but the ELT signal continued to blast away. Tried to call inside to the FBO on the radio to see if they were hearing the ELT too. Nearly blew my ears out with feedback and a horribly loud version of my own voice returning to my headset. Things were going from bad to worse so I decided that it was time to retreat, and shut down everything including the engine to sort things out. Got out the Garmin manual for the com radio and managed to figure out how to get the sidetone volume down below the threshoold of pain.
Bill emerged from the FBO to say that there was indeed an ELT going off in the hangar. Somebody bumped into it (I know who but will never tell) and it had been blasting out a signal all night. I was just starting to feel better when my cell phone rang. It was Carolyn calling to see if I had crashed. Huh? How did she get into the act? Well, it seems the Air Force Search and Rescue Center had called her! Holy crap! I asked her to call them back to tell them all was well. Right after I hung up the phone rang again. Guess what - was a nice young lady from some Air Force base in Florida. While I was trying to talk my way out of this mess she informed me that she had Carolyn on the other line. Got everybody calmed down and hung up. The phone rang once again. It was my business partner calling from South Carolina. Yep, you guessed it - the USAF called him too! I shut off my phone before Obama called.
