Ned Gravel Posted March 25, 2015 Author Report Posted March 25, 2015 Little PIREP for you folks. One of the things I wanted to do was get a Mountain High Cross Country Portable system to take with us as we go closer to the granite clouds. So I called Mountain High and they were willing to overnight it anywhere I wanted. I picked Killeen (next to Fort Hood) and neither of the two local airfields and their FBOs I spoke to were willing to receive the package and turn it over to me. They wanted to either install it and get paid for that (a portable system?) or not be responsible for the box (not sign for it) when it arrived. They were both worried about liability and one did not even have oxygen to fill the tank. Oh well..... So one of our Mooneyspace members is going to receive it for me and give it to me during our stop in his fair city. Installation will involve my doing the following: unpacking the box putting the cylinder in its carry all bag putting the straps around my seat having it filled at an FBO that can do this, and connecting up the tubing, the regulators, and the oxymizer cannulas (I already have a pulse oxymeter). I think I can do all of that. Quote
mooneyman Posted March 25, 2015 Report Posted March 25, 2015 Ned, Weather forecast for Dayton and SW Ohio is not looking great for tomorrow. Please be safe. I have to work until 5p tomorrow evening. I'll look for you on flightaware. If timing works out I can stop by the airport on my way home. If I don't catch up with you, please do not miss the Presidential/ Research & Development Gallery tour at the museum. These aircraft are housed separate from the museum on the controlled part of the base. There are four tours daily. You must sign up for these tours first thing in the morning when you get to the museum. They fill up quickly. Ask a museum volunteer to show you to the sign up desk. They require govermnent issued ID(drivers license) or passport. The planes are unbelievable including SAM 2600 (Air Force One) which tranported JFK's body back to Washington after his assasination in Dallas. R & D hangar has XB-70 Valkyrie and mutliple other one of a kind aircraft. http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/exhibits/presidential/index.asp http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/exhibits/r&d/index.asp Have a safe flight! Patrick Quote
Ned Gravel Posted March 25, 2015 Author Report Posted March 25, 2015 Ned, Weather forecast for Dayton and SW Ohio is not looking great for tomorrow. Please be safe. I have to work until 5p tomorrow evening. I'll look for you on flightaware. If timing works out I can stop by the airport on my way home. ...... http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/exhibits/presidential/index.asp http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/exhibits/r&d/index.asp Have a safe flight! Patrick Thanks Patrick. We always try and keep an out.. Quote
Ragsf15e Posted March 26, 2015 Report Posted March 26, 2015 Highly recommend flying over the Grand Canyon using the Special Rules VFR chart (it's on Foreflight too if you download it and then zoom in enough). it was easy and you can keep Flight Following (radar advisories) from LA Center while you do it if you're worried about traffic. I had the SR Freq in one radio and Center on the other. They did ask "4044N, are you familiar with the Grand Canyon SFRVFR Area?" I said yes and pressed on through. it's a heck of a view! Mesquite NV is a good stop if you want to stay outside Vegas - the airport is small, but decent fuel prices and the Casino will come pick you up and has cheap/nice rooms and good food. St. George Utah is also close and is a beautiful new airport. An O2 system would be nice for this trip... you'll want to be at 11,500 or 12,500 for much of your time out there and my wife an I were wore out each evening without O2! I'm getting O2 for the next trip that way. The MOAs and restricted areas will be hot if you go through them on a weekday, but it doesn't hurt to ask. Much less likely to be hot on the weekend, but there are a lot of Air National Guard units in AZ that may use them on the weekend. Again, doesn't hurt to ask and you can go through the MOA if you need to even if it's hot... it's nice if you warn them first (speaking as a USAF pilot). I agree with the previous guys who suggested KSSF in San Antonio over KSAT. KSAT is nice, but too expensive. Equal distance from the Alamo. Enjoy the trip out west, I did almost the same one for Christmas! Quote
Ned Gravel Posted March 26, 2015 Author Report Posted March 26, 2015 Update 1: Holy Hannah Batman!!!! My front passed last night, only to have Sardot's front from Kansas reach Ontario by 6:00 am this morning. Flint, MI is getting snow as I write this. Since no battle plan survives first contact with the enemy (how can you tell I was Army??), we have modified the plan. As our briefing officer from III'rd (Phantom) Corps explained to us during our visit to Fort Hood in 1989, it is now time to Simonize (?) our watches. New plan. Mar 28 Fly to KPCW Port Clinton OH 13:00 clear US Customs and lunch with Cruiser (Tom K) Fly to KDAY Dayton OH Use ASI FBO. Possibly meet Patrick (Mooneyman), Comfort Suites Wright Patterson Mar 29 Wright Patterson Airforce Museum Mar 30 Fly to KCPS St. Louis MO gas stop & lunch Fly to KICT Wichita KS Dave Marten, Phil, Wojo, Pepper, Hotel Wichita Inn Airport (shuttle) Mar 31 Fly to 5T6 El Paso TX Rocketman (Elton), Hawthorne Suites Wyndham Apr 1 Fly to KBLD Boulder City (Las Vegas) NV Grand Canyon/Vegas/Hoover Dam etc Apr 5 Fly to KELP El Paso TX Just for overnight. Hawthorne Suites Wyndham Apr 6 Fly to KERV Kerrville TX Mooney Factory tour, Hampton Inn Apr 7 Fly to KSAT San Antonio TX Visit the Alamo. Hampton Inn San Antonio Apr 8 Fly to KGRK Killeen TX Hotel Candlewood Suites Apr 8 1st Cavalry Museum, buy a cavalry hat. Apr 9 Fly to KMEM Memphis TN Just for overnight. Hampton Inn Apr 10 Fly to CYQG Windsor ON Clear customs & overnight, Ramada Inn Apr 11 Fly to CYRO Rockcliffe ON Home See the new flight path below. I will PM the players separately. For now, Cruiser and the folks from Wichita may read this and note the amended dates. El Paso (5T6) dates have not changed (don't want to cause difficulty for any of the folks taking the Yuma formation clinic). In response to Rags, we do plan on using one or more of the Grand Canyon published corridors as our "first look" before we put into Boulder City Airport. We will have our 16 hour O2 tank operational in the aircraft with oxymizers (and oximeter) before we leave Texas and we will probably be flying IFR until we get past Pheonix. We will be out of the MOAs by then. Quote
mooneyman Posted March 26, 2015 Report Posted March 26, 2015 Great decision! I will be tracking your flight on Saturday. I'm working this weekend but hopefully will be able to swing by the airport in the afternoon. Safe travels-- Patrick Quote
Ned Gravel Posted March 26, 2015 Author Report Posted March 26, 2015 Thanks Patrick. We have already confirmed that the museum is open on the Sunday. Quote
yvesg Posted March 28, 2015 Report Posted March 28, 2015 He is on his way: http://flightaware.com/live/flight/CFSWR Yves Quote
Cruiser Posted March 28, 2015 Report Posted March 28, 2015 A little communications issue with customs but all turned out OK. Ned and Ute arrived in KPCW on time (one and one half hours late) and without incident. We had a nice lunch and they were off again. Needless to say Ned is really excited about the trip. Quote
Ned Gravel Posted March 28, 2015 Author Report Posted March 28, 2015 Update 2: I would like to thank Tom (Cruiser) and his wife and Mooneyman (Patrick) for their assistance today. When we got to Rockcliffe, we discovered that hoar frost was covering the wings, so I contacted all involved (ATC, US CPB and Tom) to delay our departure (and subsequent arrival into Port Clinton) by two hours to de-ice. It turns out that, although we were wheels up two hours late, we were only 90 minutes late into Port Clinton. A tailwind provided us some 15 knots extra speed. Trouble began brewing when I could not reach the CPB folks to confirm my eAPIS arrival or the amendment to the arrival. I am not keen on poking that particular tiger when we travel. But we launched from Rockcliffe without being able to confirm with CPB that things were OK. In flight, however, Yves sent me a text message, so I got an idea and Tom and I were soon communicating and he got through to the local CPB folks. We actually landed some 35 minutes prior to our amended schedule (which they never actually got until after we arrived). Turned out great!! On the way, Ute adopted her second-favourite position in our Mooney. Her favourite one is looking with wonder on the world stretched out below. This is her second-favourite. Some pics of the beginning of the Spring trip. Tomorrow, the US Airforce Museum on the grounds of the Wright Patterson Airforce Base in Dayton, Ohio. Quote
gsxrpilot Posted March 28, 2015 Report Posted March 28, 2015 Update 1: Holy Hannah Batman!!!! My front passed last night, only to have Sardot's front from Kansas reach Ontario by 6:00 am this morning. Flint, MI is getting snow as I write this. Since no battle plan survives first contact with the enemy (how can you tell I was Army??), we have modified the plan. As our briefing officer from III'rd (Phantom) Corps explained to us during our visit to Fort Hood in 1989, it is now time to Simonize (?) our watches. New plan. Mar 28 Fly to KPCW Port Clinton OH 13:00 clear US Customs and lunch with Cruiser (Tom K) Fly to KDAY Dayton OH Use ASI FBO. Possibly meet Patrick (Mooneyman), Comfort Suites Wright Patterson Mar 29 Wright Patterson Airforce Museum Mar 30 Fly to KCPS St. Louis MO gas stop & lunch Fly to KICT Wichita KS Dave Marten, Phil, Wojo, Pepper, Hotel Wichita Inn Airport (shuttle) Mar 31 Fly to 5T6 El Paso TX Rocketman (Elton), Hawthorne Suites Wyndham Apr 1 Fly to KBLD Boulder City (Las Vegas) NV Grand Canyon/Vegas/Hoover Dam etc Apr 5 Fly to KELP El Paso TX Just for overnight. Hawthorne Suites Wyndham Apr 6 Fly to KERV Kerrville TX Mooney Factory tour, Hampton Inn Apr 7 Fly to KSAT San Antonio TX Visit the Alamo. Hampton Inn San Antonio Apr 8 Fly to KGRK Killeen TX Hotel Candlewood Suites Apr 8 1st Cavalry Museum, buy a cavalry hat. Apr 9 Fly to KMEM Memphis TN Just for overnight. Hampton Inn Apr 10 Fly to CYQG Windsor ON Clear customs & overnight, Ramada Inn Apr 11 Fly to CYRO Rockcliffe ON Home See the new flight path below. I will PM the players separately. For now, Cruiser and the folks from Wichita may read this and note the amended dates. El Paso (5T6) dates have not changed (don't want to cause difficulty for any of the folks taking the Yuma formation clinic). In response to Rags, we do plan on using one or more of the Grand Canyon published corridors as our "first look" before we put into Boulder City Airport. We will have our 16 hour O2 tank operational in the aircraft with oxymizers (and oximeter) before we leave Texas and we will probably be flying IFR until we get past Pheonix. We will be out of the MOAs by then. DAMN! I LOVE that map. What a great trip. Have fun, and can't wait to hear all about it. Quote
mooneyman Posted March 29, 2015 Report Posted March 29, 2015 It was a pleasure meeting Ned and Ute today! Hope you enjoy the museum tomorrow! Godspeed for the rest of your trip! Patrick Quote
carusoam Posted March 29, 2015 Report Posted March 29, 2015 The U.S. welcomes Ned and Ute! Best regards, -a- Quote
Ned Gravel Posted March 29, 2015 Author Report Posted March 29, 2015 Update 3. US Airforce Museum at the Wright Patterson Airforce Base in Dayton, OH. Great place for a kid who read every Jane's All the World's Aircraft in the public library from the time they were 12 and dreamed of becoming a pilot (and who now owns a Mooney). Great place for a history buff and someone who served in any branch of the Armed services (in my case the Signal Corps of the Canadian Army). Some pics. And just how did the YF 22 win over the YF 23, huh? As well, neither Al or Art are in the Aviation Hall of Fame. All the others, Beech, Piper etc are, but not the Mooney brothers. Hunh? 1 Quote
carusoam Posted March 30, 2015 Report Posted March 30, 2015 Ned, Great pictures! We're going to need a contact at the museum... We are getting good at letter writing campaigns. Travel well, -a- Quote
Ned Gravel Posted March 30, 2015 Author Report Posted March 30, 2015 Carusoam: I think it will take more than a contact at the museum to get that done. (Might consider involving Jolie Lucas and the Mooney Ambassador organisation in this). The Hall of Fame web page at http://www.nationalaviation.org/nominations/gives some hints. I am attaching the documents for application for enshrinement. NAHF_NominationPkg.doc NAHF_NominationPkg.pdf 1 Quote
mooneygirl Posted March 30, 2015 Report Posted March 30, 2015 I am happy to give it a shot. Thanks for making me aware of it. Jolie 1 Quote
Ned Gravel Posted March 31, 2015 Author Report Posted March 31, 2015 I am happy to give it a shot. Thanks for making me aware of it. Jolie Thanks Jolie. I knew you were the right person to take up this baton. Quote
Hank Posted March 31, 2015 Report Posted March 31, 2015 The big question--the Museum will need an airframe. Can't have mine . . . Yet. Quote
Ned Gravel Posted March 31, 2015 Author Report Posted March 31, 2015 Update 4: Day 3. Just fly to St. Louis, Missouri and have lunch. Then fly to Wichita, Kansas and visit the Cessna jetworks with Dave Marten and have dinner with him and Pepper. Nice easy day. In total, five hours of flying broken into two segments. The lunch venue (Ideal Aviation at St Louis Downtown Airport) was really nice. First spring weather we have encountered this year. Also, it was not the Missouri side of St Louis, it was the Illinois side. Little bumpy and fighting some nasty headwinds between St. Louis and Wichita, Kansas. Over the Ozark mountains and through a military operation area (but on an approved flight plan). In Wichita we met Sardot and Pepper, shared a beer, had some dinner, and visited the Engineering bays at the Cessna factory where the Latitude is finishing certification testing. Some pics. (In case anyone asks, the last one is not real!!!!) Tomorrow we are off to El Paso to visit Lacee. 3 Quote
Ned Gravel Posted March 31, 2015 Author Report Posted March 31, 2015 The big question--the Museum will need an airframe. Can't have mine . . . Yet. Hank: Actually, they should have one of Al's Culver Cadets in there. Quote
Hank Posted March 31, 2015 Report Posted March 31, 2015 Hank: Actually, they should have one of Al's Culver Cadets in there. And a Mite! Quote
cliffy Posted March 31, 2015 Report Posted March 31, 2015 Man what a trip I hope you have a grand time. Quote
RocketAviator Posted March 31, 2015 Report Posted March 31, 2015 Some pics. (In case anyone asks, the last one is not real!!!!) I'm not sure Ned... I mean Flounder! Looks legit! Quote
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