Another Mooney Spacer Gets a LANCAIR IVPT Ride

[Yooper Rocketman]

I flew a friend down to Tomah WI to pick up a SUV he bought and on departure ended up waiting for a M20C departing.  I headed for KRST (Mayo Clinic) to pick up a patient and when I arrived at my home airport (KIMT), saw that same Mooney sitting on the ramp. I inquired with an employee of Kubick Aviation whether they knew the owner and I was promptly introduced to Lester, @86Xray .  Their customer service rep being, not only a beautiful blond bomb but, an acute sales woman, noted Tom (me) likes flying Mooney pilots in his Lancair.   Maybe, if the stars aligned, I would fly down and pick him up after his annual was completed.  
 

   So, today the stars aligned and I flew down and picked him up to retrieve his plane from some extensive maintenance.   I enjoyed meeting and making a new friend, and I think based on his smile he enjoyed his 300+ MPH turboprop flight.  
 

Just FYI, I’m keeping a list of those that have flown with me ( @tigers2007 and@gsxrpilot )  and those that have blown off flying with me.   Just kidding Erik! 

Nice sharing a flight with you today Lester!!!

Tom

[aviatoreb]

Well at least you still remember my name and you even spelled it right! 

Edited August 26, 2020 by aviatoreb

[Yooper Rocketman]

Just FYI, I insisted on a picture so I could “POKE THE PIG” with one of my favorite Mooney Spacers ..... Erik.  And I meant  that!

Tom

[irishpilot]

If I could afford a turbine, a IV-PT is the way to go in style!

Sent from my Pixel 3a using Tapatalk

[Yooper Rocketman]

Here is the picture Lester sent me of his flight home.  Rain just before sunset.  
 

Tom

[86Xray]

Tom
 

What a awesome flight up in the Lancair. I was all smiles because I was taking it all in and loving it.  Next time I come up it’s lunch on me. Had to dodge that rain cell on the way home. Only got a few sprinkles on me. Then a smooth flight home. 

Edited August 26, 2020 by 86Xray

[wcb]

I am willing to be added to the list!  The only problem I see is once you go 300 I would feel really slow going 200.

[aviatoreb]

16 hours ago, Yooper Rocketman said:

Just FYI, I insisted on a picture so I could “POKE THE PIG” with one of my favorite Mooney Spacers ..... Erik.  And I meant  that!

Tom

Now, this statement is either a wonderful compliment, or a hidden insult.  Am I being called a pig that you want to poke?  Or am I being called one of your favorite Mooney Spacers.  Well ever the optimist let's go with option number two.  THANK YOU Tom!   :-?

[gsxrpilot]

18 hours ago, Yooper Rocketman said:

Just FYI, I’m keeping a list of those that have flown with me ( @tigers2007 and@gsxrpilot ) 

Ruining Mooney pilots one at a time 

Not to try and fill up @Yooper Rocketman dance card, but no Mooney pilot in the country is more than a days travel from Tom and that incredible airplane. @kortopates is probably the furthest and it's just a full day for him. 

Yes, a flight in the IVPT is worth the flight to KIMT.

BTW @kortopates, you'd have to go right over my house to get there. So break it into two days and the steak dinner with a nice bottle of red, is on me. 

[Hank]

2 minutes ago, gsxrpilot said:

Ruining Mooney pilots one at a time 

Not to try and fill up @Yooper Rocketman dance card, but no Mooney pilot in the country is more than a days travel from Tom and that incredible airplane. @kortopates is probably the furthest and it's just a full day for him. 

Yes, a flight in the IVPT is worth the flight to KIMT.

780 nm @ 353 initial course. That'll be a gas stop each way for my C . . .  

[gsxrpilot]

1 minute ago, Hank said:

780 nm @ 353 initial course. That'll be a gas stop each way for my C . . .  

I'm telling you, the ROI on that trip is off the chart!

[MIm20c]

A ride does sound like fun. However, I’m more interested in looking over the craftsmanship that Tom invested a decade and thousands of hours on. One of the highlights every year at osh is finding the home built glass aircraft that just take your breath away.  

[Yooper Rocketman]

3 hours ago, aviatoreb said:

Now, this statement is either a wonderful compliment, or a hidden insult.  Am I being called a pig that you want to poke?  Or am I being called one of your favorite Mooney Spacers.  Well ever the optimist let's go with option number two.  THANK YOU Tom!   :-?

You would be totally correct with option 2. I’m Irish, full of sh*t, and love to jest.  When I stop teasing you, you need to start getting concerned.  
 

Tom

[Yooper Rocketman]

1 hour ago, gsxrpilot said:

I'm telling you, the ROI on that trip is off the chart!

Paul,

  My wife and I enjoyed your and your wife’s company tremendously.  We would put you up ANYTIME you graced us with your presence.  
   But, I have to be honest, you set the bar pretty high for a first time IVPT Pilot.  The only guy that took the controls on my plane prior to you (other than my training pilot John Cook) that was in the same league, was a FAA check airman, former FedEx chief pilot, with a ton of turboprop experience. 
 

Tom

[Yooper Rocketman]

And I LOOK FORWARD to the day I meet @kortopates   He’s been on my “I respect that guy list” for some time!!

Tom

[gsxrpilot]

Just now, Yooper Rocketman said:

Paul,

  My wife and I enjoyed your and your wife’s company tremendously.  We would put you up ANYTIME you graced us with your presence.  
   But, I have to be honest, you set the bar pretty high for a first time IVPT Pilot.  The only guy that took the controls on my plane prior to you (other than my training pilot John Cook) that was in the same league, was a FAA check airman, former FedEx chief pilot, with a ton of turboprop experience. 
 

Tom

You are MUCH too kind. We also very much enjoyed our short stop over and lunch at the little cafe in town. If/when things get back to normal, we'll have to make another trip to the UP. It's only 4 hours in my Mooney from Denver. 

[Yooper Rocketman]

34 minutes ago, MIm20c said:

A ride does sound like fun. However, I’m more interested in looking over the craftsmanship that Tom invested a decade and thousands of hours on. One of the highlights every year at osh is finding the home built glass aircraft that just take your breath away.  

Boy ....... you’ve moved up my list of guys that I have to meet and give a ride to!!! 

Tom

[gsxrpilot]

Just now, Yooper Rocketman said:

And I LOOK FORWARD to the day I meet @kortopates   He’s been on my “I respect that guy list” for some time!!

Tom

+1

[Yooper Rocketman]

9 minutes ago, bluehighwayflyer said:

I don’t post a lot anymore, but I just wanted to tell all involved how much I have enjoyed following along in this thread.  There is a lot of paying it forward going on here.   Just plain old positivity; all stemming from our shared love of General Aviation.  I think we all could stand a healthy dose of that right now.  My thanks to all involved.   
 

Jim

Jim.  
 

I wish I could give 2-3 likes.   We need more positive members on this forum!!

Tom

[aviatoreb]

1 hour ago, Yooper Rocketman said:

You would be totally correct with option 2. I’m Irish, full of sh*t, and love to jest.  When I stop teasing you, you need to start getting concerned.  
 

Tom

:-). I knew you were kidding.

Or maybe I should say, I knew you were full of sh&*!

[Ross Taylor]

Very cool!  But...where's the photo of the astute saleswoman (blonde bomb) you referred to?  Tease... 

[Yooper Rocketman]

1 minute ago, Ross Taylor said:

Very cool!  But...where's the photo of the astute saleswoman (blonde bomb) you referred to?  Tease... 

I will work on that.  Pretty sure she will be willing to allow me to photograph her.  She thrives on attention!   
 

In all fairness, she’s a very awesome young lady!
 

Tom

[kortopates]

9 hours ago, gsxrpilot said:

Ruining Mooney pilots one at a time 

Not to try and fill up @Yooper Rocketman dance card, but no Mooney pilot in the country is more than a days travel from Tom and that incredible airplane. @kortopates is probably the furthest and it's just a full day for him. 

Yes, a flight in the IVPT is worth the flight to KIMT.

BTW @kortopates, you'd have to go right over my house to get there. So break it into two days and the steak dinner with a nice bottle of red, is on me. 

 

7 hours ago, Yooper Rocketman said:

And I LOOK FORWARD to the day I meet @kortopates   He’s been on my “I respect that guy list” for some time!!

Tom

Thank you both very much! That is very kind of you and likewise I have enjoyed your contributions here on Mooneyspace over the years very much! And I really appreciate the invitation and the same back to you if you make it out to San Diego!

I hope to meet you both one of these days and of course I would love a ride in your IVPT!!

I have a friend that races a Legacy at Reno, went up for ride with him just a week ago and still awed doing 300 kts with only 24" and 2400 rpm!! And that's with the engine re-configured for normal flying mode - not race mode. When we came back in for landing over the field 240 kts (a bit over the speed limit) he did a break mid field pulling a few G's as it decelerated 100 kts in the turn to the down. Quite a hoot and the fastest piston speeds I've experienced. The Turbo-prop version has to be amazing!

Edited August 27, 2020 by kortopates

[Rusty Pilot]

I love the Lancair and very impressive cruise speed!  Quick question regarding fuel burn- how much jet A per hour?  This would get me from Fredericksburg to the FL Keys quickly.

[Jerry 5TJ]

35 minutes ago, Rusty Pilot said:

I love the Lancair and very impressive cruise speed!  Quick question regarding fuel burn- how much jet A per hour?  This would get me from Fredericksburg to the FL Keys quickly.

An oblique answer for you — on a round-trip flight from Baltimore to Sun n Fun in my Ovation we burned about the same number of gallons as the same flight the next year in the P46T JetProp.