Extra extra read all about it

[bonal]

Looks like mpg decided to justify the cost and got himself a PA28. Congratulations and hope it gives you the satisfaction we all enjoy with our Mooneys. I think that's great news and am very happy for you. Don't matter what brand I think all are great.

[mpg]

Well,,, thanks for calling me out..

Now folks are gonna want to know why it is still 375 mi away from home,,,  kpwt...

[jlunseth]

Why is it still 375 miles from home ( and is that 375 nm or 375 plain m)?

[mpg]

It isnt home yet because i needed to drive my car home,,, i need the car here more than i need the plane here..

it is 375 "plane" miles,,,   they are nautical!!

[mpg]

I took 1.7 hr cherokee retraining flight today...

I am sooo rusty,, I squeek!!!

Again tomorrow! 

[carusoam]

How much flying will it take to knock the rust off?

How long has it been since you were rust free?

I bet day two goes a lot smoother.

Best regards,

-a-

[mpg]

probably,,,   2 more flights like today//

28 yrs since my last flight!

i will have spent for these 3 retraining flights, as much as i spent in 1978 to become a private pilot!!!

i agree, day 2 will be smoother, but i should spray myself down with a can of triflow to help things along...

 

[mpg]

Well,,,   Just for your update pleasure...

after an arduous and expensive 600 mi,,, ferry, cab, bus and another cab rides, i get to ID26....

a very careful preflight and runup takes me from ID26, 37 minutes to KMAN for car gas, and my 1st solo landing in 28 years!

rest awhile and im off,,,   straight through, passing KBKE, KHRI, KELN, and across the Cascade mountains and into KPWT, Home!!!

and my 2nd solo landing in 28 yrs!!!   cruising this part @ 6500 ft..

.6 hrs to KMAN,,   then another 4.7 hrs to Home.

the plane burns more per hr,,  and flies slower than any of my plans or dreams,,,  but it gave me an opportunity to do a thing

i had planned for another time, a thing many of you would not do,,, on purpose!!

i ran a tank DRY!  took all of 6 seconds after the switch to restore power...

and my gauges really do read very accurately 

[MB65E]

Congrats!! Welcome back to the Sky!! 

Hey! As long as you are still burning Avgas, that's better than most dreams!! 

-Matt

[Skates97]

Congratulations!

[carusoam]

Congrats mpg!

Re-learning is an awesome experience.  It is a lot like learning the first time, but you pick things up so much easier/faster the second time around.

Trying to remember it all is a different challenge...

Have you gone through all the new weather services and picked a favorite?

Things to avoid...

1) don't run out of gas.  You already had the warning...

2) Don't fly VFR into IMC...

3) Don't fly into thunderstorms...

4) you have a few months to re-learn the next one... avoid flying in icing conditions.

We Finally have you back flying long X-countries, no need to skip these important issues...

PP 101, how to get in trouble early on...

PP thoughts only, not a CFI...

Best regards,

-a-

Edited June 25, 2017 by carusoam

[mpg]

thank ,,,  I like to read you...

No. 1

the gas thing came up because of faster gas use than planned,

worked out that switching back and forth would leave me in unknown territory..

saw that right tank to the tabs gauge wiggled when I waggled so trusted that 17 gals was really there...

left tank started at full and showed it,,  went down slowly and steadily so trusted that.

decided not landing with some here, and some more there,,,  

soooo  I saved the 2 hrs in the right

and watched the left go to zero and even less,, never a hickup,,,   just died ,,,  

im a pilot!  quick look at the gauge and the pressure,,,  

already had my hand pre programmed to turn the valve,,  looked up to see a straight and nose over glide,,

and seconds pass, engine back to normal...

 

No.2,,,   been there done that,, back in feb 1979,,  wont do that again,,,  but the eclipse was amazing!!

 

No.3 Noooo!!!  Not me,, not ever!!!

 

No.4   This has been done,,,, during No.2,,,   10,000 ft, 4 butts in a cherokee!

 

This was,,,  has been my longest X/C 37 yrs,,  in a plane ive never flown, that has a damage history, that just came out of annual!

Maybe my risk aversion  needs some soul searching..

The plan was solid,,,  until something changed,,,  then everything else changed with it,,, but I gotter done!!!!

[helitim]

This is why we have ferry pilots.  Save us from ourselves.  Put him in the right seat and have a spare pair of hands if things go TU.

Glad you made it home safely and hope you enjoy many more years to come in the left seat.

 

[steingar]

The PA28 airframe has around 1200 parts. I think my Mooney has more inspection plates than that.  Stout and very simple. Nothing whatsoever wrong with a Cherokee so long as you aren't in a hurry to get there.

[mpg]

UpDate,,,,,,

 

My Very Special Day!!

the lead up is that i bought a cherokee south of boise on 3-14-17.
it wasnt until 6-23 that i got back there to bring it home, it had some gas in it, so i flew it 25 mi to nampa for my 1st solo and landing in 28 yrs, to get gas,,, then i flew 375 mi to my home drome, kpwt.. 
it wasnt until 6-28 that i went back to My airport, to pay for my tiedown, and to sit in my plane, just for the heII of it. 
I finally went out again on 7-12, got her fired up,, taxied over and filled her up to the tabs,, i spent about 3 hours in the hot cockpit doing maintenance, it made me feel great!

So for the special day part. 
7-13-17,, I enjoyed a relaxed 20 min drive from home to My airport,, 
Then i walked like a pilot across the ramp to My Own Plane,, then,,, I went Flying!! 
For an hr., made an ugly landing,, but my best in 28 yrs.. 
It feels great to finally realize that I can go and fly anytime i want,, and you know what? 
I might just go out tomorrow and do it again!