Thoughts of being at 2,500'

[211º]

Where to fly/what to do...

Frequently, I feel a pulling - more than a simple tensioned nudge - to go down to the hangar, to be in and around aviation, to be near the Mooney.  

Sometimes my reasons are specific (even if somewhat made up): "Oh I should check the oil level today now that all has been quiet for 24 hours" or "I better make a special trip down there to download the JPI data".

Sometimes they are specific: "I should bring the pulse oximeter home... just in case."

But most times, there is just a pull to be down there by the Mooney in the hangar, listening to ground and tower chatter to pilots. Judging the pilot's responses and phraseology, putting the feet up and closing the eyes for a quick nap in the adirondack, or seeing if anyone else has the same affliction at the same time.

Today I could probably get a few needed IFR approaches in.. or I could re-create the recent video of EWR-LGA-JFK with CVG-LEX-SDF-IND-DAY - much farther and much less congested, but it'd be fun.

But the challenge...

How do I explain the use of my hours away from the family, away from the house, away from work and chores?

Words start the explanation, but don't really do it justice.

Even to me now - cruising at 2,500 feet over the fields and small towns - it all begins to look the same and to be the same - unending earth.

But. The balance of the technical, the mechanical, the logical, the finesse to create the a great stabilized approach to the squeaking tires, to the final trasmission: "Six One Québec, right on Bravo, cross Charlie, to the ramp, with me, welcome back and good evening."

Makes me smile. Every. Time.

[PTK]

Most Mooney viruses are mild infections with hardly any symptoms. But yours is a severe one! A doozy of an illness in all its glory exhibiting glory full symptomatology! You have got it bad my friend! We have no vaccine for it but good news is that it’s harmless. Best you can do is some palliative care to try and alleviate the symptoms and make yourself comfortable. Let it run it’s course and eventually you will develop an immune response and antibodies to it and feel better! You should explain it to your family and those around you. So they don’t think you’ve gone nuts and worry about you in the interim. One more thing: it can be contagious. Someone around you may catch it. Again it’s harmless and no distancing required! It’s a lot more fun to share. Misery loves company! 

[Mooneymite]

2 hours ago, 211º said:

Where to fly/what to do...

Frequently, I feel a pulling - more than a simple tensioned nudge - to go down to the hangar, to be in and around aviation, to be near the Mooney. ...

....But most times, there is just a pull to be down there by the Mooney in the hangar, listening to ground and tower chatter to pilots.

I think you need to explore living with your plane in a fly-in community.  

It's the only satisfying cure.

[MooneyMitch]

2 hours ago, 211º said:

Where to fly/what to do...

Frequently, I feel a pulling - more than a simple tensioned nudge - to go down to the hangar, to be in and around aviation, to be near the Mooney.  

Sometimes my reasons are specific (even if somewhat made up): "Oh I should check the oil level today now that all has been quiet for 24 hours" or "I better make a special trip down there to download the JPI data".

Sometimes they are specific: "I should bring the pulse oximeter home... just in case."

But most times, there is just a pull to be down there by the Mooney in the hangar, listening to ground and tower chatter to pilots. Judging the pilot's responses and phraseology, putting the feet up and closing the eyes for a quick nap in the adirondack, or seeing if anyone else has the same affliction at the same time.

Today I could probably get a few needed IFR approaches in.. or I could re-create the recent video of EWR-LGA-JFK with CVG-LEX-SDF-IND-DAY - much farther and much less congested, but it'd be fun.

But the challenge...

How do I explain the use of my hours away from the family, away from the house, away from work and chores?

Words start the explanation, but don't really do it justice.

Even to me now - cruising at 2,500 feet over the fields and small towns - it all begins to look the same and to be the same - unending earth.

But. The balance of the technical, the mechanical, the logical, the finesse to create the a great stabilized approach to the squeaking tires, to the final trasmission: "Six One Québec, right on Bravo, cross Charlie, to the ramp, with me, welcome back and good evening."

Makes me smile. Every. Time.

Ah.......yes!  I love your message!  Enjoying your airplane, your hangar, the airport environment and the flight,  just for the sake of simple enjoyment, nothing more.  How great is that!!!  Enjoying all without feeling a need to do something.  The beauty and the serenity.  It’s incredibly therapeutic!!!  Thank you for your story.

 

 

[aviatoreb]

2 hours ago, 211º said:

Makes me smile. Every. Time.

A lovely poem.  It starts with a question and ends with an answer.  And you bring that smile back home, with expanded energy to do for others., having taken time to build energy for yourself.

[carusoam]

In this case...

Never use a checklist or todo list... don’t stop to think if you brought everything with you...

If you accidentally get everything done in one trip...  you have failed to set yourself up to do it again...

You will want to do it again...

-a-

[211º]

Just put almost 4 hours on the Mooney KLUK KCVG KLEX KSDF KIND KDAY KLUK (Cincinnati Lunken, Greater Cincinnati, Lexington, Louisville, Indianapolis, Dayton, and back to Cincinnati Lunken) plus two practice approaches around the patch. I suggested to my wife that is was quite a selfish day for me - she responded with "sounds like a mental health day to me!"  Several wins for the day.

[Skates97]

Sometimes the best thing after a day at work is to fly nowhere in particular. Squawking VFR, just cruising along outside of everyone's airspace so no stress, only you, the Mooney, and the air around you. 

[MooneyMitch]

3 minutes ago, Skates97 said:

Sometimes the best thing after a day at work is to fly nowhere in particular. Squawking VFR, just cruising along outside of everyone's airspace so no stress, only you, the Mooney, and the air around you. 

Exactly!

[211º]

CVG Rwy 27

LEX Rwy 22

SDF Rwy 17L

IND Rwy 32

DAY Rwy 24L

[Hank]

Final approach into my second Southern base, considerably different from the Big City fields posted above.

But bigger and much more wide open than where I learned and kept my Mooney for seven wonderful years. 

 

[MooneyMitch]

3 minutes ago, Hank said:

Final approach into my second Southern base, considerably different from the Big City fields posted above.

But bigger and much more wide open than where I learned and kept my Mooney for seven wonderful years. 

 

Such a beautiful sight !!

[anthonydesmet]

Where to fly/what to do...
Frequently, I feel a pulling - more than a simple tensioned nudge - to go down to the hangar, to be in and around aviation, to be near the Mooney.  
Sometimes my reasons are specific (even if somewhat made up): "Oh I should check the oil level today now that all has been quiet for 24 hours" or "I better make a special trip down there to download the JPI data".
Sometimes they are specific: "I should bring the pulse oximeter home... just in case."
But most times, there is just a pull to be down there by the Mooney in the hangar, listening to ground and tower chatter to pilots. Judging the pilot's responses and phraseology, putting the feet up and closing the eyes for a quick nap in the adirondack, or seeing if anyone else has the same affliction at the same time.
Today I could probably get a few needed IFR approaches in.. or I could re-create the recent video of EWR-LGA-JFK with CVG-LEX-SDF-IND-DAY - much farther and much less congested, but it'd be fun.
But the challenge...
How do I explain the use of my hours away from the family, away from the house, away from work and chores?
Words start the explanation, but don't really do it justice.
Even to me now - cruising at 2,500 feet over the fields and small towns - it all begins to look the same and to be the same - unending earth.
But. The balance of the technical, the mechanical, the logical, the finesse to create the a great stabilized approach to the squeaking tires, to the final trasmission: "Six One Québec, right on Bravo, cross Charlie, to the ramp, with me, welcome back and good evening."
Makes me smile. Every. Time.

I couldn’t agree more and acted on the same urge today. Decided to go out check the oil, Aspen had some calibration issues last flight so got in to go taxi to the compass rose.......well....all done “good thing I preflighted. Maybe just one practice approach......well after a quick flight over cedar key then an approach....262Rv: JAX approach how are you this afternoon?, JAX approach: good 2RV....262RV: how about the RNAV?....JAX approach: sure thanks for stopping by, 2RV: my pleasure....” little bumpy but managed to pull of a squeaker, wouldn’t have mattered if I bounced, still a great day. I was solo so didn’t take the great approach pictures folks posted here bu when I taxied by the pump to top off from my Boston flight two weeks ago this is what I saw, icing on the cake:


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Andy95W]

[carusoam]

NJ 100LL just went below $4...  one pump... at $3.75...

-a-

[aviatoreb]

1 hour ago, carusoam said:

NJ 100LL just went below $4...  one pump... at $3.75...

-a-

Anthony - check out KRME Rome NY that just went down again - $2.62.  Lowest I have ever seen.  From where you are - its free flying.

[carusoam]

The price of crude per barrel continues to drop....

$18 / barrel last week... after OPEC tried to cut supplies... proving being a cartel isn’t always going to be easy...

After this weekend... price currently is down near $15... a long way from the $100 a few years ago...

Don’t celebrate too soon... there is hardship associated with this low number...

Many MSer’s are in the oil business...

 

Best regards,

-a-

[MooneyMitch]

4 hours ago, Andy95W said:

That’s a beautiful sight, that Mooney wing is !