Today's flight

[bonal]

I'm putting this post to start a thread as a place to share with others our latest flight. Tell a bit about the trip attach a couple photos if you have them. I am hoping to help little Timmy so he can see why we love our airplanes and love to fly.

Today's flight was from K1o2 to KIZA, my wife and I took our friends daughter and her new cat to her friend. Weather was cool 35 degrees F had 100 plus miles visibility with a nice tail wind. We flew at 7500 and all the controllers were wishing every one a happy new year. Made the trip in under 2 hours with nair a bump averaged 165 knot ground. Her friend met us at Santa Ynez with a couple of cheese burgers.

Our return trip we had some stiff head winds but still managed 135 knots made 2 smooth landings and heard a few Mooney's on the frequency.

I hope others will take the time and tell of their latest flight.

[Hank]

Looks like you had a good one!

Down here, it started raining not long after we lost the ball game . . . This weekend isn't looking too good, either. But we'll survive.

Quick question: what's that to the right of the sun visor???

[carusoam]

Good Morning Hank!

looks like an antenna mounted up there...

best regards,

-a-

[bonal]

Correct, that's the antenna for my Garmine 296. It was a real nice flight I hope others will include there's

[Hank]

As we said in a former life, ah so! Most portable antennas that my buddies use are pucks lying up on the glare shield. Personally, the only "portable" units that I have are my tablets.

Hope to get in my first flight of the New Year this weekend. Right now it's not too hopeful: 80% chance of rain Friday, and 50% all weekend. It could get better, though. Still better than bonal had in December.

[Oscar Avalle]

Great idea!!!! May be we should even rename the vacation section into my last flight! Well today is a WONDERFUL day for flying (although windy as usual 16kts to 20 kts). So I am going to the beach. 

[yvesg]

We returned yesterday from our trip to sunny Florida. Boy oh boy am I glad I had under my belt my Current IFR rating. Check the different legs over here:

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/CFQKM

I did one of my lifetime dream flight which was to overfly the Florida Keys from Homestead to Key West and come back. We used the occasion to spend time at South Beach and visit the aligators in the everglades (even tasted a bit of it).

For this year, the winning best FBO palm goes to AirGate in New Smyrna Beach. The worse was in Homestead, Jet Center

Here are some pictures.

Yves

[moodychief]

Don't have any pictures because I was too busy flying in the clouds.

Last Friday we left the Little Rock, AR area at 9:00 am. Landed in Atlanta 2 hrs 55 minutes later. Had lunch with my brother then headed to Valdosta, GA (1 hr 35 min) to spend two nights with my son and his fiancé. This was our last chance to see him before he heads off to USAF Basic Training.

Returned home on Sunday with a stop at Meridian MS for cheap fuel ( Headwinds at 4,000 ft, 2 hr 35 min with ILS approach 600 OVC) and 1 hr 54 min to home.

Total drive time would have been 27 hours over three days. Total flight time just under 9 hours (despite sucky winds). This gave us an additional 18 hours of quality visiting time that wouldn't have been available if we drove. Transported two of us for about the cost of one return trip airline ticket.

By the way, most of the small airplanes flying in the system on those days were Mooneys. At one time there were four of us being handled by the same controller.

[slowflyin]

 

The Wife and I left on our vacation Christmas day with only one rule.  We decided we would not stay in one place more than two nights.

 

Day one we departed Blackstone (kbkt) for New Orleans.  30 knots off the nose required a fuel stop in Pine Mountain, GA (kpim-453 nm).  Great little airport, nice manager, cheap fuel.  We landed at Lakefront (knew 319 nm) and Landmark took great care of us.  After one night in the French Quarter and a great red fish dinner at Oceana's heavy rains were forecast so we opted to continue our journey.

 

Day two we were off for San Antonio.  More strong headwinds but a nice flight on top just skimming along in and out.   We landed Stinson (kssf- 444 nm) and discovered a wonderful FBO.  San Antonio Aviation is an old school FBO with great staff that promotes aviation at every turn and is a joy to visit.  Not new facilities but wonderful service.  Rental car, fueling, Hotel..... Great!  We stayed two nights on the River Walk and drove up to visit friends at Spring Branch for a third.

 

Day Five we departed for Petit Jean, AR (kpmj- 439 nm).  Nice tailwind with 185 knot ground speed.  Very cool.  Stayed in a tiny cabin with a great fire place.  Enjoyed God's beauty hiking and relaxing for two days!  Had an interesting interaction with Memphis Center during the GPS approach but that's for another thread.

 

Day Seven we were headed home.  Direct Blackstone (kbkt- 733 nm) with a fantastic tailwind.  Most of the flight our groundspeed was 202 knots with an all time high of 220 knots!   That's a record for us.  220-level-9 GPH LOP.  M20-F   Nice!   Flight time was 3:50.   We left at lunch time and were home for New Years Eve!

 

Most of the pics are on my wife's phone but I'll post what I have.

 

http://mooneyspace.com/gallery/album/14035-inflght/

[bonal]

Keep them coming I hope this thread has a long life the stories help to pass the time when I'm not flying myself

[ryoder]

My last flight included some sketchy cloud dodging I need to make sure I dont repeat.

[N9405V]

Took my wife flying for the first time in our plane on Monday. We went from Austin Exec (EDC) to Brenham (11R) for lunch, then cruised over her parents land on the way home. We had a blast and she said she would fly with me again!

.

[carusoam]

Yaaaay!!!!

Your life will be easier if she likes flying.

Take her to dinner to celebrate.

Best regards,

-a-

[bd32322]

Went up in the air to get some landing practice in gusty conditions that prevailed in the north east on new years. Learned a valuable lesson to wait for people to finish using the wrong runway and then land on the correct runway when no one else is in the air.

Airport KFIT has two runways, 20 (3000 feet) and 32 (4500 feet). Winds were 11 G 17 from 240. Three aircraft ahead selected rwy 32 and I did the same to flow in with the traffic. I am sure by the time I touched down I had some tailwind causing me to land longer than expected. Waiting and selecting rwy 20 would have been so much simpler

[bonal]

Got the privilege today to take someone for their first ever airplane ride. A quick hop to UKI to pick up my wife and her friends other daughter. She was very nervous but said she wanted to confront her fears. We departed and made for the coast in perfect smooth air. Once we made the coast we cruised along the shoreline for a bit and then returned. She really enjoyed herself and said she would go again. We then went to dinner and then a quick solo hop back to the home drone.

[kmyfm20s]

Today was a beautiful day is So. Cal. with surprisingly little traffic in the area for such great flying weather. I did multiple approaches with a safety pilot which happens to be a Mooney owner. The flight was 1.3 hrs and consisted of 6 approaches. GPS 6 to KOKB, ILS 24 to KCRQ, RNAV 9 to KRNM, LOC to KSEE, VOR A to KSDM and then to the RNAV 28R to KMYF. The ocean was blue, hills where green and the mountain tops had snow on them:) Only in California!.............Beware of sunshine tax!

[Oscar Avalle]

As I mentioned before, I flew to the beach and spend the day there. Here is the video of the flight.

 

http://youtu.be/BFmQkdYJQEE?list=UUuBPKyU-fEOZGWKutpVtFKw

[carusoam]

Three new pilots in the making....?

They look a bit inspired!

Best regards,

-a-

[Marauder]

As I mentioned before, I flew to the beach and spend the day there. Here is the video of the flight.

http://youtu.be/BFmQkdYJQEE?list=UUuBPKyU-fEOZGWKutpVtFKw

I'm not sure I could live someplace where it is 12 degrees C at 10,000 feet in January and has more sunshine in that video than I have seen this month...

Nice video Oscar. Man, do I want to live somewhere warm in January!

[Oscar Avalle]

I'm not sure I could live someplace where it is 12 degrees C at 10,000 feet in January and has more sunshine in that video than I have seen this month...

Nice video Oscar. Man, do I want to live somewhere warm in January!

 

Jajaja it is nice indeed... and I can not complain about the weather...

[flyboy0681]

The old lady reached 186 knots today at 7,000 feet coming home from Tallahassee.

[Hank]

Good planning, Gary. Winds here today are from the NW, gusting into the 20s at ground level. Must have been much stronger with some altitude. Better than planning to fly into them.

[yvesg]

I'm not sure I could live someplace where it is 12 degrees C at 10,000 feet in January and has more sunshine in that video than I have seen this month...

Nice video Oscar. Man, do I want to live somewhere warm in January!

Delaware is not cold! Was -20C all day here. As I am typing this... it is -26C check the METAR

It will drop below -30C in the next few hours.

Yves

[aviatoreb]

We are having the same lovely weather yves.

 

Here is a picture post landing at BTV to drop off for avionics work, just after my flight test across the lake at PBG yesterday.  You see the weather was dropping right after the flight test which allowed for a just-long-enough window of good VFR.  We literally got it in just in time.  Post test - The short 5 min flight from the VFR at PBG to BTV involved 3 min of IFR.

[bonal]

Now I'm back to work and the weather here is perfect. Weekends here I come. Keep those flights coming