The sky turned pretty after I took a quick flight in the Ercoupe. What a nice evening!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Vanya Passes his Checkride
Congratulations to my student Vanya who passed his private pilot checkride today!
He began training in December 2008. Next week he'll enter Fox Valley Technical College's aviation program with a goal of earning his advanced flight ratings and an associate's degree in aviation. I wish him good luck and happy flying!
He began training in December 2008. Next week he'll enter Fox Valley Technical College's aviation program with a goal of earning his advanced flight ratings and an associate's degree in aviation. I wish him good luck and happy flying!
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Hozhoni Hangar Party
Our EAA chapter hosted a hangar party today for children with cancer and their families. Families from the Hozhoni Weekend camp visited us at Brennand Airport and enjoyed a cookout and airplane rides. Weather was great, and we had an excellent turnout of pilots, planes, and helicopters for the Young Eagles flights. I did so many flights over a couple hours that I lost count. It was fun for everyone. I didn't get any pictures but I know our chapter members did, and hopefully we'll have some pictures and stories in the next newsletter.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
First Flight Not Far Off?
A lot of people are wondering about the status of our Ercoupe project. Well, today I had it out and about on the airport and did some full-power runs. Still left to do: install seat and interior side panel, hook up lights, get a new starter cable, and other interior work. I can't estimate a completion date, but I can say there isn't much left to do. It is pretty fun to taxi around in, at least.
Meanwhile, any time I get the itch to go Ercoupe flying, I borrow my former student's plane. I've taken it out for a few quick flights and have given several people rides. Todd keeps it pretty busy and he probably has more Ercoupe time than me now!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Phoenix, Briefly
One minute I was sitting at home bored and the next I was witnessing the sun rise in Phoenix, Arizona. I never know where I'll have to move an airplane to next. Last night I flew the Cessna 340 from Oshkosh all the way to Phoenix with stops in Grand Island, Nebraska and Albuquerque, New Mexico. Suffice to say it was a late night. We arrived in the wee hours of the morning at Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX).
Weather was pretty good the whole way. We were VFR except for a few minutes. We flew past severe storms in Iowa that looked very ominous. Further west we dodged a couple of tiny cells like this one:
After dark we saw distant storms in Colorado and were treated to a nice light show. I happily found out my copilot is as much of a weather guru as I am, so we dimmed the cockpit lights for a while to watch the lightning on the horizon.
On our way to Albuquerque the ground was eerily dark, with almost no civilization out there. The city hid behind a mountain. We had to climb up to 13,000 feet to get over the mountains and then drop down quickly at the last minute in order to make it into Double Eagle II Airport. I could not believe how warm and dry it was when we stepped out of the plane, especially considering it was nighttime. I had never experienced anything like that. The airport's elevation is almost 6,000 feet, and with that heat we used a lot of runway to get off the ground.
We flew over another unpopulated chunk of the country into Phoenix, where it was even hotter and just as dry, even in the middle of the night. I have been to Phoenix before but in the winter. It blew my mind. 93 degrees. What was almost as bizarre was trying to figure out what time it was. We forgot that most of Arizona does not observe daylight savings time.
Whatever time it was, it was definitely time to hit the hay. I thought I would have the urge to sleep in this morning, but strangely I was up and awake a couple of hours before I needed to be. I witnessed a beautiful sunrise from my hotel window.
For this trip I would get to take the easy road home by flying on the airlines. After breakfast I took the shuttle van to the airport. Twice I stepped outside and felt the oven-like dry mid-90s. It was such a big change of scenery to see gravelly dirt ground, palm trees, and cacti. It was nice to see things in the daylight.
About 24 hours after my trip started, I was back at home complaining about the humidity and feeling like the trip was such a blur it never happened. I hope someday I can visit longer and say hello to my flight instructor friend out there.
Weather was pretty good the whole way. We were VFR except for a few minutes. We flew past severe storms in Iowa that looked very ominous. Further west we dodged a couple of tiny cells like this one:
After dark we saw distant storms in Colorado and were treated to a nice light show. I happily found out my copilot is as much of a weather guru as I am, so we dimmed the cockpit lights for a while to watch the lightning on the horizon.
On our way to Albuquerque the ground was eerily dark, with almost no civilization out there. The city hid behind a mountain. We had to climb up to 13,000 feet to get over the mountains and then drop down quickly at the last minute in order to make it into Double Eagle II Airport. I could not believe how warm and dry it was when we stepped out of the plane, especially considering it was nighttime. I had never experienced anything like that. The airport's elevation is almost 6,000 feet, and with that heat we used a lot of runway to get off the ground.
We flew over another unpopulated chunk of the country into Phoenix, where it was even hotter and just as dry, even in the middle of the night. I have been to Phoenix before but in the winter. It blew my mind. 93 degrees. What was almost as bizarre was trying to figure out what time it was. We forgot that most of Arizona does not observe daylight savings time.
Whatever time it was, it was definitely time to hit the hay. I thought I would have the urge to sleep in this morning, but strangely I was up and awake a couple of hours before I needed to be. I witnessed a beautiful sunrise from my hotel window.
For this trip I would get to take the easy road home by flying on the airlines. After breakfast I took the shuttle van to the airport. Twice I stepped outside and felt the oven-like dry mid-90s. It was such a big change of scenery to see gravelly dirt ground, palm trees, and cacti. It was nice to see things in the daylight.
About 24 hours after my trip started, I was back at home complaining about the humidity and feeling like the trip was such a blur it never happened. I hope someday I can visit longer and say hello to my flight instructor friend out there.
Monday, August 3, 2009
IFR to Rhinelander
It's that muggy time of year where it's nice to have an instrument rating flying through the haze. For Dave's instrument training lesson tonight we flew the Arrow from Appleton to Rhinelander and back. It was VFR but so hazy I was glad to be on an IFR flight plan. We crossed a weak cold front and briefly went into some clouds. On the other side, it was much cooler on the ground in Rhinelander and noticeably drier. Back at the hangar in Appleton we stepped out into the mugginess again. It's forecast to get cooler and drier later in the week, and we believed it after experiencing it just an hour earlier!
Saturday, August 1, 2009
EAA 2009
My normal life goes on hold each year for EAA AirVenture. This year I was at the show three days.
Wednesday the 29th: Unlike Tuesday where we had to be places, today we could do whatever. We walked all over the grounds and through the main exhibit buildings. I took some pictures of an RV-7 with a very artistic paint scheme. We watched the airshow and of course had to have one of those really good, big ice cream cones.
Saturday August 1st: We went to the show again this time with a mission to visit the Fly Market. Jim wanted to see if there were any parts, tools, or hardware worth buying. Somehow we left empty-handed that way but carried out a bag full of Ercoupe posters and an Ercoupe rubber stamp. Funny how that worked. By early afternoon we were pigging out on a smorgasbord of food at the Meyers Aviation party. We also stopped at the 7th Heaven hangar party but were too full to eat anything. We joined 100 or maybe it was 150+ other people there to watch the airshow. Normally it's a great spot... but this year due to the crazy number of Oshkosh Truck products parked along the taxiway, we weren't allowed to get very close to the action... and could hardly see it. After a little while there, we left, all Oshkoshed-out for the year.
Click the play button to view the slideshow or click here for the album.
Tuesday the 28th: Jim and I watched the most recent Able Flight graduates get their wings during a ceremony on AeroShell Square. This year some celebrities were present as well as past graduates. Patty Wagstaff, Mike Goulian, and Miles O'Brien gave speeches before giving a wings pin to each new grad (Jessica Cox, Jeremy Maddox, and Mal Zackery). We killed time watching some afternoon flybys and watching one of the big draws this year: the Airbus A380 landing. Later we showed up in the ultralight area for our assigned volunteering shift with the tram. (Our EAA chapter at Brennand volunteers for this.) Jim drove while I talked to the people in back and answered their questions. We'd never done this before but it went pretty well. We drove for a couple hours then went to an Able Flight party at "7th Heaven" where I stayed in 2007 (on the airport).Wednesday the 29th: Unlike Tuesday where we had to be places, today we could do whatever. We walked all over the grounds and through the main exhibit buildings. I took some pictures of an RV-7 with a very artistic paint scheme. We watched the airshow and of course had to have one of those really good, big ice cream cones.
Saturday August 1st: We went to the show again this time with a mission to visit the Fly Market. Jim wanted to see if there were any parts, tools, or hardware worth buying. Somehow we left empty-handed that way but carried out a bag full of Ercoupe posters and an Ercoupe rubber stamp. Funny how that worked. By early afternoon we were pigging out on a smorgasbord of food at the Meyers Aviation party. We also stopped at the 7th Heaven hangar party but were too full to eat anything. We joined 100 or maybe it was 150+ other people there to watch the airshow. Normally it's a great spot... but this year due to the crazy number of Oshkosh Truck products parked along the taxiway, we weren't allowed to get very close to the action... and could hardly see it. After a little while there, we left, all Oshkoshed-out for the year.
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