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Big South Adventure
Big project at work with no vacat since New Year's..... so now that things have settled down a little bit, Andi and I took off to see family and friends. I snapped a few photos along the way!
Plans to leave Monday night were scrubbed by bad weather, but Tuesday dawned clear and cool, so we got up early and headed southeast.  Tailwinds had the happy couple making great time at 9500ft.  We made the turn at Joliet and sped past Gary and the big lake...  My neighbor was a big football star down there.... any guesses?  We stopped for gas at Fremont, OH at their great little airport. An older lady owns the place and insisted on helping me fuel the plane. She just sold one of her late husband's DC-3s and there is a group rebuilding it on the field. This is a real GA airport!  On to the first attraction! Put-in-Bay, OH - scene of some of my less glamorous, but very entertaining moments back more than a few years....  We rented a cart......and got a room at Admiral Brodee's  Andi went fishing.....  I skipped rocks........  More to come!! |
Big South Part 2
We learned about the battle of Lake Erie at the Perry Memorial - the US and England fought naval battles on Lake Erie!!
 We caught a band Tuesday night and rolled out a bit late to take the cart to the airport - the runway was covered with birds!  They all moved when the Lycoming grunted, so all was good. We'll be back!  On to destination #2 - Chapel Hill, NC. Andi suggested I fly while she got some shut eye.....  149 KTAS on 5.8gph. I love this plane!  Great scenery along the way....  Chapel Hill was great, we toured the UNC campus, met our new baby niece, but the highlight of the visit was giving rides to some of our good friends from college and their 4 kids and one nephew! We had a pizza party on the KIGX tarmac - not sure what airport management thought!  Next on to Knoxville to see my cousin Kristi and her family, including her new granddaughter! Had to climb to 12.5 to clear clouds over the Smokies. The RV-9 just said - "Child Please"....no problem. Cloud clearance maintained. The slam dunk into KTYS was really fun.  My cousin's mountain home is to die for - here are the gals on the "creek porch" My aunt, my cousins and my wife.  |
Big South Part 3
We caught "Tennessee Lobster" in the crick....
 There was Moonshine tasting......  and we found fungi in the woods!  Too soon the trip was over. The weather was interesting for the trip home.... Visibility out of Knoxville was legal, but not much fun. We worked up to Louisville and saw the line of storms on XM - I called approach and told them I wanted to set down to consider options. The people at KJVY could not have been nicer - an RV-7 builder/flyer even stopped to say hi and let me know that any help I might need - he could set me up. Makes you feel good. The storms passed and we headed for Ames, IA since Minne was getting pummeled by thunder. We stopped at 3I3, Sky King for cheap gas and met some great folks there. Nice little airport if you are ever passing by. Clouds kept us low over the breadbasket.......Illinois is FLAT!  Soon the clouds cleared and we found 6500ft much cooler. Great view of the Mississippi from up there.  We made it to Ames and had dinner with Andi's Mom, and by the time we got back to the airport, the storms had cleared and we blasted off for Minne. It was good to be home!! APRS tells the story.....  2000 miles - 84 gallons - 13.5 hrs chock to chock. One great week with the wife! |
Nice report. I like the Tennesee Lobster, you should apply to be on "Deadliest Catch"! :D
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Awake at 9500
I hope all of your loyal readers notice that I actually was AWAKE at one point in this trip! Usually it is only photos of me sleeping...
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I love you guys' trip write-ups. Well done!! And keep 'em coming!
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Great as always Pete! Where exactly was that Moonshine testing and how often they do it? :)
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Great trip! Your 9 burns less than my 9 :mad:.
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Private Tasting
Quote:
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I'm picturing the moonshine tour. Does a guy in overhauls with a shotgun put blindfolds on you and drive you through the woods in an old truck?
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