Today's flight in 2019

[bonal]

No pics today but flew down to give my CFI a ride home from RHV. Outside temps were really hot and with a short turnaround and a long hold to depart very busy down there today Snoopy was running hotter than I like. ATC cleared me through the SFO bravo but had to keep climb to as little as 200fpm to keep airspeed up with power setting reduced to try to cool things down. Once we leveled off at 6500 was able to get temps back in line. Snoopy don't like hot weather and quite frankly neither do I. 

[Yooper Rocketman]

Did a flight to Pittsburgh Wednesday from the U.P.   This plane still amazes me every time I fly it.  Almost 600 nautical miles, with a full ILS approach into KAGS (do they ever have VFR weather in the morning there?), in 1:45.  Simply amazing.  YES, that was with a bit of tailwind.  Still.... seeing just a couple hours on the return with headwinds.  

https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N994PT/history/20190814/1345Z/KIMT/KAGC

SO, as I taxi out at KAGC for my return, the ground controller asks " what kind of turbine are you running in that?  I remember you flying out of here a few weeks ago."  Seems cool to be remembered for the look of the plane (or performance)..... instead of "the guy that screwed up the last time he was here".  As I'm climbing out from Pittsburgh on my way home, center calls out "significant radar returns" ahead of me.  I'm looking at my ADS-B weather and out the window and it does not appear to be an issue above FL200 (I'm filed for FL280).   https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N994PT/history/20190814/2100Z/KAGC/KIMT .  It's so nice to be above all the crap when it's not major thunderstorms!  It looked a lot more benign out the window than it looked on my ADS-B (it was all colored in under me on the return, not like it looks on the Flight Aware track).

So, I was cleared to FL270 as I climbing through FL260, and center calls out a westbound Conquest at my 1 o'clock, about 7 miles, at FL280.  I acknowledge, (and finally figure out why I wasn't cleared to FL280).  He then calls me out to the Conquest, as possible conflicting traffic, who then replies "did you say a Lancair?"   Center replies, "yes, a Lancair".  The Conquest then says "is that 994PT?"  Center doesn't reply, so about 6-8 seconds later I said "affirmative".  Never heard another word from the guy, didn't recognize his N number, and STILL have no clue who it was (N369WK) ?????? 

Don't know if I'm famous, infamous, or someone is just messing with me???

Tom

 

[Hank]

2 hours ago, Yooper Rocketman said:

So, I was cleared to FL270 as I climbing through FL260, and center calls out a westbound Conquest at my 1 o'clock, about 7 miles, at FL280.  I acknowledge, (and finally figure out why I wasn't cleared to FL280).  He then calls me out to the Conquest, as possible conflicting traffic, who then replies "did you say a Lancair?"   Center replies, "yes, a Lancair".  The Conquest then says "is that 994PT?"  Center doesn't reply, so about 6-8 seconds later I said "affirmative".  Never heard another word from the guy, didn't recognize his N number, and STILL have no clue who it was (N369WK) ?????? 

Don't know if I'm famous, infamous, or someone is just messing with me??

Another great flight! What continues to amaze me is that you literally built this super plane in your garage . . . . .

The Conquest crew may have just been verifying what they saw on their traffic scope ["fish finder"], to make sure you were out of their way.

[bonal]

Yooper, that airplane truly is the other end of the spectrum 

[aviatoreb]

11 hours ago, Yooper Rocketman said:

Don't know if I'm famous, infamous, or someone is just messing with me???

Tom, the word is a "legend".

[tigers2007]

Tom, the word is a "legend".

Apparently a TV star too! This is a live shot at KSAW Young Eagles day:



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Davidv]

I also had a good flight yesterday from FL to NH with some great tail winds from the DC area to NH at 17.5k (230+ ground speeds).  Just for acclaim envy, I took the last photo below in initial descent :).

[Yooper Rocketman]

I made it late to KSAW for their Young Eagles rally today.  I needed to bring back a heart surgery patient (they performed the procedure yesterday afternoon....crazy) this morning, and fog delayed me 2 hours.  He REALLY appreciated the 7.5 hour drive being reduced to an hour and 3 minutes.  We got some pictures just before departing RST. 

https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N994PT/history/20190817/1250Z/KRST/KSAW

I felt guilty on the TV camera thing.  WTH?  A bunch of locals were flying kids all morning, I show and take one group and the TV guy comes chasing over to my plane.  Sorry guys.......

Tom

 

[Davidv]

18 hours ago, Yooper Rocketman said:

Did a flight to Pittsburgh Wednesday from the U.P.   This plane still amazes me every time I fly it.  Almost 600 nautical miles, with a full ILS approach into KAGS (do they ever have VFR weather in the morning there?), in 1:45.  Simply amazing.  YES, that was with a bit of tailwind.  Still.... seeing just a couple hours on the return with headwinds.  

https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N994PT/history/20190814/1345Z/KIMT/KAGC

SO, as I taxi out at KAGC for my return, the ground controller asks " what kind of turbine are you running in that?  I remember you flying out of here a few weeks ago."  Seems cool to be remembered for the look of the plane (or performance)..... instead of "the guy that screwed up the last time he was here".  As I'm climbing out from Pittsburgh on my way home, center calls out "significant radar returns" ahead of me.  I'm looking at my ADS-B weather and out the window and it does not appear to be an issue above FL200 (I'm filed for FL280).   https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N994PT/history/20190814/2100Z/KAGC/KIMT .  It's so nice to be above all the crap when it's not major thunderstorms!  It looked a lot more benign out the window than it looked on my ADS-B (it was all colored in under me on the return, not like it looks on the Flight Aware track).

So, I was cleared to FL270 as I climbing through FL260, and center calls out a westbound Conquest at my 1 o'clock, about 7 miles, at FL280.  I acknowledge, (and finally figure out why I wasn't cleared to FL280).  He then calls me out to the Conquest, as possible conflicting traffic, who then replies "did you say a Lancair?"   Center replies, "yes, a Lancair".  The Conquest then says "is that 994PT?"  Center doesn't reply, so about 6-8 seconds later I said "affirmative".  Never heard another word from the guy, didn't recognize his N number, and STILL have no clue who it was (N369WK) ?????? 

Don't know if I'm famous, infamous, or someone is just messing with me???

Tom

 

Amazing, jealously level 100.  I'm relatively new to the forum and just read your build thread from a few years ago.  Very impressive!

[Yooper Rocketman]

4 hours ago, Davidv said:

Amazing, jealously level 100.  I'm relatively new to the forum and just read your build thread from a few years ago.  Very impressive!

It’s all a matter of prospective.  I’m a 23 year Mooney owner, who will NEVER LOSE THE LOVE OF MOONEY’s, hanging with my Mooney friends because that’s WHERE I want to be.  When the complexity and speed of my Lancair exceeds my aging body and brain, I’ll return to the Mooney ranks, excited as hell to be back in the ranks with my friends!!!

Tom

[amillet]

Flew an approach into KCLM (Port Angeles). Cloud bases 2300, tops 3800. Two turns in the holding pattern.  4 way speed run afterwards.

[gsxrpilot]

Went up today with @Warren to get in some practice IFR approaches. I like to make sure I get them in and not let the currency lapse. We'd been talking about going flying since I moved to Denver, but this was the first time we actually got in the plane together. And it was a good day to have a second pilot in the cockpit. CRM was very welcome today.

We arrived at BJC where we are both based and the METAR was reporting OVC008. The field is IFR. So we filed to LMO, a 5 min flight if that. It's so unusual to get flyable actual IMC here in Denver. But we had a very stable layer at 800 ft that was about 1000 ft thick. We got in four approaches and a hold, all in actual IMC. Add into that the very busy Denver Bravo, and it was nice to have a current and local, pilot, in the right seat.

Approaches at KLMO, KFNL, KGXY, and KBJC.

 

[bonal]

Air mail by Mooney. Flew down to DVO to deliver a painting to a gentleman today. He owns and fly's a Nanchang. Had to wait for the heavy marine layer to recede but was a very nice flight once things cleared enough for us to get in VFR.  Snoopy seemed much happier having the outside temp down to a much more pleasant 70 degrees as opposed to my last flight with temps in the triple digits. He said his first ever airplane was an M20a wood wing said he really liked that plane.

 

[Jerry 5TJ]

On 8/16/2019 at 8:12 PM, Yooper Rocketman said:

 

 

Impressive machine, Tom.  

At the same altitude and FF you are moving 40 knots faster than a JetProp, itself no slouch in the knots per pound of JetA statistics.  

[Mooney in Oz]

On 8/17/2019 at 10:12 AM, Yooper Rocketman said:

Did a flight to Pittsburgh Wednesday from the U.P.   This plane still amazes me every time I fly it....

 

 

 

Hey Tom, I have a question about the aircraft tracking on the chart page of the MFD on your G3X.

Are you able to change it to track up or is this the only orientation available?

[RogueOne]

On 8/12/2019 at 7:59 AM, Yooper Rocketman said:

Sorry I couldn't make it over Saturday morning for that turbine ride I promised you.  That funeral popped up on me unexpectedly.  Let me know the next time you're in my neck of the woods and we'll get that ride for ya.

Tom

No worries Tom.  You and I were both where we needed to be.  Sorry for delay, missed this post until now.  I hope to be Up North a lot in September and October.  Hopefully with new ride and the sale of our E a bittersweet memory...

[Yooper Rocketman]

16 hours ago, Mooney in Oz said:

Hey Tom, I have a question about the aircraft tracking on the chart page of the MFD on your G3X.

Are you able to change it to track up or is this the only orientation available?

Yes, it’s an option.  I generally like North up on my display.  Helps this old man with situational awareness.   LOL.  

Tom

[Skates97]

Saturday my wife and I took a couple of the young women from her church group along to the Camarillo Air Show. @MrRodgers had worked out a discount (one ticket gets everyone in the plane into the show) so of course you need to fill all the seats! Neither of the girls had ever been in a small plane before, but they loved it! You can see the excitement as we took off from KFUL. Hope you enjoy the post and the short video.

Camarillo Air Show

 

[Hank]

Nice, Richard! Mustangs, Corsairs, a Stsggerwing . . . Mooney parking . . . Happy faces! Good times! 

[RogueOne]

9 hours ago, Skates97 said:

Saturday my wife and I took a couple of the young women from her church group along to the Camarillo Air Show. @MrRodgers had worked out a discount (one ticket gets everyone in the plane into the show) so of course you need to fill all the seats! Neither of the girls had ever been in a small plane before, but they loved it! You can see the excitement as we took off from KFUL. Hope you enjoy the post and the short video.

Camarillo Air Show

 

Looks like an awesome day!  Their expressions on take-off are priceless.  Well done!  You are the bringer of fun.

[gsxrpilot]

9 hours ago, Skates97 said:

Saturday my wife and I took a couple of the young women from her church group along to the Camarillo Air Show. @MrRodgers had worked out a discount (one ticket gets everyone in the plane into the show) so of course you need to fill all the seats! Neither of the girls had ever been in a small plane before, but they loved it! You can see the excitement as we took off from KFUL. Hope you enjoy the post and the short video.

IMOP the absolutely MOST enjoyable thing we get to do as pilots, is to take people up for their first airplane, or small airplane ride. 

I fly Young Eagles every chance I get, and have friends and family out recruiting for me as well. But I wish there was a more efficient way to make contact with folks, especially kids, who'd like to go for an airplane ride. It's like a drug for this pilot.

[Skates97]

1 hour ago, gsxrpilot said:

IMOP the absolutely MOST enjoyable thing we get to do as pilots, is to take people up for their first airplane, or small airplane ride. 

I fly Young Eagles every chance I get, and have friends and family out recruiting for me as well. But I wish there was a more efficient way to make contact with folks, especially kids, who'd like to go for an airplane ride. It's like a drug for this pilot.

I know what you mean. I try to get out and fly at least once a week, even if it is just 30-60 minutes after work. There are a lot of times I'm just flying around by myself, which is fun, but it would be more fun taking someone along. I had a friend recently comment that it was "so generous" for me to take people flying. I told him it was my pleasure, I'm going to fly anyway, I would rather have someone come along and experience the fun.

[RLCarter]

2 hours ago, gsxrpilot said:

IMOP the absolutely MOST enjoyable thing we get to do as pilots, is to take people up for their first airplane, or small airplane ride. 

I fly Young Eagles every chance I get, and have friends and family out recruiting for me as well. But I wish there was a more efficient way to make contact with folks, especially kids, who'd like to go for an airplane ride. It's like a drug for this pilot.

EAA's Young Eagles program is a great way to set the hook, and is very rewarding for the pilots as well. Our local EAA chapter isneak nearly as active as I'd like due to the avg. age of our members (I'm 58 and was the youngest by 12 yrs). We get with the local Boy Scouts / Girl Scouts troops, ROTC and Church groups are another good source. A few ago I was part of Women of Aviation, it's a week long event, weather grounded us 2 days but we still flew over 750 women/young girls which was just too cool

[Yetti]

Yesterday's "flight" we lernt to move water.  Moved about 12,000 gallons.

[ilovecornfields]

Not really “today’s flight” but from my last trip. Went up North to drop the plane off for the annual and kept going North until we hit Alaska. 

Due to upload issues with my iPhone, they are in random order but include:

Mt. Shasta

Treehouse in Oregon

Vancouver, BC

Juneau, AK

A glacier

Flirty hiking pose