|
5/18/07 To Philadelphia for the Weekend - Kent, his brother, his brother's girlfriend, and I piled into the 182 with our baggage (and reduced fuel load) to fly to Pennsylvania on Friday the 18th. It was a six-hour flight with one stop in Willard, Ohio. Almost an hour of the trip was at night and a few minutes were spent in the clouds. We went to attend the "Fly-B-Q" fly-in at Wings Field organized through the Pilots of America message board. Friday night we were treated to authentic Philly cheesesteaks and we watched the pork go into the smoker. Saturday at the airport, we had pork sandwiches and hung out with other members of the message board. Kent won a plaque for traveling the greatest distance. Saturday evening a few of us went into downtown Philadelphia for dinner. Sunday we left for State College, Pennsylvania to visit Kent's grandparents. We spent most of that flight in the clouds and getting vectored around a thunderstorm. We headed back in the evening with a stop at Henry County airport in Ohio. Then, the best part of the trip as far as I was concerned: getting to fly right over Chicago at night.
Pennsylvania countryside during trip back
Chicago at night
5/25/07 First Private Pilot Signoff - My student Keith became my first student to receive a signoff to take his private pilot checkride. He passed his checkride this afternoon. Congratulations Keith!
5/26/07 Around the Patch in a Baron - Dave, one of the members of the Pilots of America discussion board flew into Madison, WI from Texas with his Beech Baron 58P. This is a roomy, pressurized six-seat twin great for some serious cross-country travel. The airplane was absolutely beautiful, inside and out. In back there was club seating with fold-out tables and leather seats. Kent and I got to go for a ride and even fly the plane. First I rode in the back while Kent and Dave flew. Then Kent got out and went flying with his instructor, and I climbed into the front right seat. Dave did the takeoffs but I flew the plane around the pattern a couple of times and did some landings with Dave's help. The plane was stable and unexpectedly easy to fly. I liked the way it flew. The weather was rapidly deteriorating with rain and low visibility, so that made it somewhat difficult to stay aware of where I was. The plane easily flew 140 knots just in the pattern... so those were some fast trips around the airport! Thanks to Dave for letting us try our hand at the controls.
I am sitting in one of the aft-facing seats while Kent and Dave fly around the pattern
Dave's Wisconsin relatives (Bonnie, AJ, and Lindsay), Dave, me, and Kent.
|
|
