Got to go flying last night with Rob in 09L. We met at KLOM at 5pm and, after spending a few minutes trying to deciper some returns around Reading that were showing up on the radar, we decided to get airborne and see how things looked as we progressed East. Intended destination was Zerby/Schuylkill County airport in Pottsville, 61nm from KLOM.

Climbout was unremarkable and, while it was hazy and really just gray, we didn't see any signs of rain or convective activity. So, we dialed in the Pottstown VOR and were off. We decided to fly the VORs so that I could brush off some dust in advance of a couple of rental checkouts that I have the horizon. We flew a radial from Pottstown with cross checks from East Texas and Ravine. Course was good and our positions were confirmed with the GPS. Reading provided Flight Following, although we only heard from them upon our initial request and then again when we cancelled. It was a nice night to be in the air, even with the lackluster visibility.

As we neared Zerby we heard a flight of two military helicopters calling a position at our 11 o'clock (Apaches, maybe?) Rob got a visual and we got a nice view as they passed from our left to right.

Zerby sits up on a litte plateau and was a really pretty approach. Not much activity at the airport and only saw a few planes on tie downs. Runway was in nice shape, though.

A quick taxi back to the departure end and we were airborne again. VOR still dialed in for Pottstown, we were heading home. Overflew the northeastern edge of Reading's Class D and came in over Pottstown/Limerick and then Perkiomen.

Slight headwind on the return trip, as you can see from the cooling towers. Still made decent time. Before we knew it we were in the pattern for Wings.

1.9 on the Hobbs, felt like about 45 minutes. Good night to go flying. Trying to see if I can make the NE Flyers gathering at WWD this weekend. Gary offered to pick me up and I'd love to get the checkout at Big Sky done, but Kelly's working this weekend and I'm not sure if I can get coverage for the kids on Saturday. Stay tuned.

Lollygagging on Wednesday

So I am pleased to report that I was able to get away and log 0.9 in Warrior 9280A. Nothing fancy, just a quick trip over to Pennridge, some sightseeing over Lake Nockamixon and then a couple of landings. My flight track was all over the place, thus the "lollygagging" title. It was nice to just enjoy the view and have no particular place to go. I was jonesing to get in the air and this flight took care of my itch.

Once I can figure out how to upload my Google maps with the flight path (hey Rob, little help here) I'll try to post the flight.

The flight almost didn't happen. After scrubbing a flight Tuesday afternoon due to a change in my babysitter's plans, I scheduled the plane for Wednesday. I've been fighting a cold for the better part of two weeks now (still sick today) and having weighed my IMSAFE criteria. After deciding that I was indeed fit to fly, I headed out to the airport.

My flight actually began on a bit of a sour note. My plan was just to take a quick hop over to Pennridge, which is only 8nm away. A very, very short trip indeed. However, a quick glance on AOPA's site before I left home showed a TFR for Pennsylvania, but no language about it in the details section. I don't know about you, but I don't like to mess with the TFRs. I probably wouldn't have called otherwise, but since there was a bit of doubt in my mind about the possibility of a TFR I decided to get a briefing. The briefer was a super nice guy and, despite the basic nature of my trip, gave me a very courteous, entertaining and detailed briefing. I always enjoy the briefing and like to learn more about the weather, etc. Anyway, I hung up the phone and some guy in the briefing room basically says, "Dude, don't take this the wrong way, but you got a BRIEFING to go to Pennridge???"

WTF.

I felt like saying mind you f'ing business. Instead, I explained that I was uncertain about a possible TFR. Had there been a TFR, it wouldn't have mattered if I was only going to Pennridge. A bust is a bust, and I did what I thought I had to do.

So I walked out to the ramp feeling a combination of pissed and a bit ignorant. I kept telling myself not to let the opinion of another pilot bother me. All was quickly forgotten when I got close to 80A.

She's a great little plane and I had a nice flight in her on that afternoon, but I decided at the end of the flight that I'm going back to the high wings. I've been bouncing between three different aircraft models lately due to funds, availability and training. When funds are tight (as they very much are right now) the C152 is my plane of choice. I tended to prefer the Warrior simply because it was new to me. And our only IR equipped bird is the 172. However, keeping V speeds straight and adjusting to the sight and feel differences has been tough. Not only that, but each plane has its own idiosyncracies. For example, the radios are FUBAR in 80A. I'm not sure what's going on with COM1, but you have to transmit on COM2. Just a minor annoyance, but would be a non-issue if I were flying the same plane day after day.

So since our IR platform is a C172 and I'm on the hunt for a 4-place partnership, I think I should focus my flying in the 172 whenever possible. If I can't get the 172, I'll take the 152 but the feel and speeds aren't different enough to affect my style.

Also, we're heading out to Punxsutawney this weekend. Quick overnight Sat-Sun. My Cessna 172M N61674 was taken off the flight line at DUJ, so I emailed the CFI at N35. I heard that he's got a C152 that he rents. Hopefully I can get a check ride in on Sunday morning and have a plane available again out there. We also have our upcoming two-week pilgrimage to Cape May the first two weeks of August. I may try to run down to Big Sky at WWD and get checked out in their 172 so that I can fly a few days while we're there. Jason, one of my best friends and a ATC'er at NY TRACON will be down. Always nice to fly with him.

What day is the 4th???

I must be losing it.

I was all set and psyched to go flying tomorrow. We have a barbeque at the neighbors in the afternoon and we're hosting some friends on Sunday, so I hatched a great plan. I'd intended to get up with the sun and try to have wheels off the ground by 7am-ish. I really enjoy flying early in the morning and the forecast looked good. I asked Kelly and she hesitated and said, "uh.... I guess that's OK." It wasn't until about 2 hours later that I realized that tomorrow is the 4th. Southampton Parade is at 9am, so there's no way I'm getting in the air.

Oh well. May try again for Sunday, before our friends arrive. If not, Tuesday afternoon may be my next shot.

In the meantime, I've got a bunch of items now trolling on ebay and Craigslist for the airplane fund. Nothing big, but every penny helps. I also hung up a Partnership-Wanted sign at the airport today. Keeping my fingers crossed that something may develop.

Interestingly enough 02S (the plane in which I nearly became a non-equity partner) was flying again today. I didn't recognize the voice of the person at the controls. It definitely was not one of the partners with whom I negotiated back in the Spring. Wonder if they finally sold a slot?

Beautiful Evening

Didn't get in the air tonight, but it sure is a beautiful evening.

Current DYL METAR:

KDYL 292354Z AUTO 25003KT 10SM CLR 25/13 A2951

Perfect night to go flying.

I made a partnership want ad today that I'm going to hang in the FBO. Will see it I get any nibbles. Also listened to an entertaining Uncontrolled Airspace podcast and several great "Finer Points" aviation podcasts during my commute today. Nice way to think about flying during otherwise painfully boring and unproductive time.

The IR...

Need some thoughts on this one.

Nothing pressing, but Kelly's working this weekend so I'm effectively grounded. I do a lot of planning and hangar flying on these types of days. Much easier to accept when the forecast is for low overcast. These CAVU days that I can't fly are torture. Anyway, here are mental musings for the day.

I'm sort of slopping my way through my Instrument Rating. I've got a great CFII at Doylestown who has become as much a friend as a mentor. However, I've come to the conclusion that I really can't commit to it with any consistency right now. My work schedule is going to get ugly this fall with my upcoming clinicals for my Master's being added to the equation. Childcare has been crazy. And my to-do list has been out of control, even on days when I can get away to the airport. It pains me to turn down the opportunity to get this rating with Travis.

Here's where it gets interesting. One of my best friends, Jason, is an ATC guy. He works at NY TRACON directing lots of heavy iron in and around NYC. He's a Private Pilot with a MEL rating, but no IR. We've talked for years about going to an accelerated course in Florida some winter and just banging out our IR in 10 days. We've been talking a lot lately that this idea is getting legs. He and I would have blast, and he really knows his flying so he's be a great partner in this pursuit. My dilemma is that I don't have the cash for the rating and a parnership, towards which I have redirected my savings efforts.

So what would you do???

1. Pursue the rating at the local field with the known CFII, realizing that doing so would preclude a partnership. Also run the risk of family/work commitments impeding the progress and potentially not competing the rating.

2. Go to Florida this winter and get the rating. Stick with the rental line for the forseeable future.

3. Find a partnership and fly like crazy. Become the best VFR pilot that I can be but postpone the IR for the forseeable future.

Thoughts? I may post this one up on the Red Board. I would expect the responses to be interesting, to say the least.

Playing with GPS Track

View flying_june172009 in a larger map
Now that I have *two* followers (thanks Gary and Rob) I'd better make an effort to post here more than every two month.

With Rob's help, I just learned how to import my GPS track into Google Maps. Here's the track from my flight last week. Hope if works. Notice I was too lazy to try to get a clearance to transition through Willow Grove's airspace, so I hugged the Class D all the way around the Wings.

Been a while...

So did you think that I forgot about this blog? Well, I didn't quite forget about it but haven't yet found a way to make updating it a frequent occurrence. Too much else going on I guess.

I attentively follow my flying-buddy Rob's blog. He just landed a sweet deal on a non-equity partnership, so his musing are more entertaining than ever. Maybe once I find a similar opportunity I'll have much more interesting commentary to share.

In the meantime, there are a few new notes from my flying life.

First and foremost, the boat is gone. How is this flying related, you may ask? Well, I've come to the realization that I have far to many hobbies and precious little free time. Something's got to give. When it came down to flying vs. sailing, it's a no-brainer. My beloved Hobie Cat hit craigslist last week. I figured I'd list it at a fair but optimistic price, something I could live with if it sold. Well, the first guy to see the ad came out and took it home at full asking price! It was a sweet set up. The $1500 I got for it won't make or break my flying, but it's another contribution to the "airplane fund." Kelly just kind of laughed. She has agreed not to try to touch my airplane savings so long as the funds are derived from my ebay and craigslist sales, so I can't complain.
I've still got a ton of sailing and Jeep accessories to sell, so hopefully the account will continue to grow. No big ticket items except for the Jeep itself, but that's not going anywhere.

I've been getting in the air about once a week, which isn't too bad considering work, school, babysitting, etc. Last week I took a personal day on Wednesday and flew over the Wings and then home by way of Pottstown/Limerick. I'm trying to save in earnest to I've resorted to the 152. Still a great little plane but seems to anemic and small compared even to the PA-28s that I've been flying lately. But it gets me in the air for $75/hour and that's all that I need. The flight was great. Weather was iffy with a huge front lingering over Lancaster when I departed. I studied the radar loop and spent a good amount of time with the briefer. The front was heading eastward but the ceilings were staying high and visibility reports were good, so I decided to depart and see how things looked when airborne. Climbing out of Doylestown I could see the front but, as briefed, the ceiling was high and vis was great. I began circumnavigating the KNXX airspace keeping an eye to the west. I stopped at Wings and after waiting for landing PennStar chopper, climbed back out. The front hadn't moved so I decided to stop by Pottstown/Limerick. Dialed in the VOR and programmed direct on the GPS, but neither was necessary given the airport's proximity to the cooling towers. Nice landing over the outlets and then followed a Skyhawk who departed from the opposite direction. Back to DYL with 1.1 on the Hobbs and two new airports in the log book.

Kelly was working on Father's Day and the weather was iffy, so I put the kids in the car and we drove up to check out Pennridge Airport. Looks like a nice little field. I think that this will be my next excursion.

I was disappointed to learn last week that that 172M that I rent when we're visiting the inlaws is being taken off the flight line. It was a nice bird. It was a leaseback, so who knows what transpired. But DUJ has a nice, huge runway and 61674 was hangared, so it was always a treat to go flying when we were in the area. There nothing else for rent there so I'll have to explore other options. Punxsutawney, where we stay, has a small field that offers instruction, so I'm going to see if I can check out in their 152.

I think I'm going to create a "Non-equity partnership wanted" sign to hang at the airport. If I can find the right situation, I really think that this could be a win-win situation for myself and the owner.

Just need to make it happen.