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What did you do with your RV this weekend (2/8 - 2/9'ish)
So, what did you do with your RV this weekend? Flew it? Built some more of it? Just went to the airport to look at it? Let's hear it...
Me? I flew from my home airport (CRQ) to San Diego Brown Field (SDM) for the Young Eagles event. Flew two Young Eagles around San Diego, both who seemed to enjoy it very much, as did I. Everywhere I go, the RV attracts attention... Flying the work airplane tomorrow, so that concludes my RV weekend. But, looking like two, possibly three RV flights coming up this week/next weekend, one of which will introduce a corporate pilot friend of mine to the RV. He thinks that he "might" want one. Who wants to take a bet on how long it'll be before he owns one?? :D |
Flew to Denton to look at a car for sale. Lots of student pilots out and about.
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M'lady was scheduled to layover in Charleston for 32 hours, Saturday inclusive, and I was at our Maryland place,
so I figured I would fly standby and join her, then head back to the Sierra's. But the East Coast weather disrupted things, all the direct flights from DC cancelled mid-day Friday, and trying to connect via CLT was not a good idea. Not having driven the I-95 corridor in a while, I have lost track of the painful travel times, and foolishly looked to see what a little road trip might be. 9 hours of Hades on the interstate! Not! Off to the hangar to finish off a static line repair to our plane I had left languishing. Finally got everything buttoned up, but by then it was civil twilight, and I was not up for a cold, dark, turbulent trip. Time instead for two (maybe four) fingers, and surf & turf out of the freezer, since the vegetarian was in Charleston. Woke early, and launched. Nothing like a beautiful sunrise over the Eastern Shore of Maryland: ![]() ![]() Clear and smooth over the Carolina's at 4,500, a far cry from the day before: ![]() A quick Lyft ride from Signature, and I got to the hotel just after m'lady's post workout shower. Time to do a proper brunch at Eli's before a self-guided walking tour of the city: ![]() Later it was half shells and dinner at The Darling Oyster Bar, a decidedly non-pilot bar, yet we ended up sitting next to a JetBlue pilot on a similar extended layover. Then later met a volunteer Airport Ambassador from Norfolk. Aviation connections pop up everywhere! M'lady had a 0330 pickup this morning (glamourous life of an airline pilot indeed) and I considered an early launch myself, but opted for a good nap after she left. Worked some switches to force backup modes on the way north, just to remind me how things work (and to make sure they work) and landed in time to help my son with some auto repair prior to lunch. Our traveling time machine did better than the airline, even if I have to delay my trip back to the Sierra's by one day. Good times. |
Stewardship - Then and Now
Today I watched my RV-8 become someone else's RV-8. It was a good day.
When I took stewardship of N125TH it had a 150hp O320 engine, a wooden propeller, analog instruments, and bare aluminum. The next steward takes N86472 with a 180hp O360, a Catto composite propeller, glass IFR panel, and the livery of the USS Yorktown. The airplane has some extra too. It's now rides on 380x150 tires and has an optional 24gallon AUX tank - both make long travel into grass strips a reality. I've never really "flown for fun". The RV-8 has always been my "go places" machine. It has taken me to the Mecca of air parks - Spruce Creek - and to the shores of Nova Scotia. It has introduced me to new friends and kept me connected to family. Places will feel a lot further away now. Boston goes from 2.5 hours to 9+ hours. Maine goes from 3 hours to half a day. Today was a good day. I'm happy there is a new member of the Vans family who will take good care of this fine airplane. |
Future neighbors
We bought a lot at Falmouth Airpark (5B6) in December.
It is a small community, a very friendly group of folks. we have got a very warm reception since our first visit last summer. A good number of RV?s flying and under construction. Yesterday, toured eight homes/hangars with a home designer. great people willing to open their doors, we made great progress working with the designer, should help things move right along. Now the fun begins! Design, approvals and finally, hope to break ground in the fall. Retirement, here we come! Scott A Jordan 80331 |
February 6, 2020
February 6,2020
RV Central finished another RV14 Mel certified the plane Jay Pratt did the first flight. February 7, 2020. No runs no drips, no errors. Flew again Saturday, the sky was crowded, beautiful day, Jeff Foster N2291J. He will fly some time off and ferry it to North Little Rock later This month. This is #53 for my shop. All but one we’re RVs. We have already started on another RV14 |
I flew my homeward commute on Friday afternoon in the Carolina ugliness that Catmandu mentioned in his post.
Preflight was interesting in the high wind. I had to think about which tiedown to leave for last so I could unhook it and scramble into the cockpit to get my feet on the brakes. Fully moderate turbulence as forecast but it slackened a bit west of Winston (INT) which reduced the workload for about 15 minutes. It started picking back up as I approached the mountains. The Mt. Mitchell complex looked down right menacing. Dark. Rocks all the way into the shredded cloud overcast. I hedged south of my normal route to distance myself from them. I've been severely banged around by that set of mountains before. Landed with little fanfare. The AVL valley really guides the wind straight down the runway. Parked and plugged in the heater. This morning, on the commute out I matched my highest groundspeed at 230 kts with a glass smooth tailwind. Not nearly as high as others have done but it did make me smile. |
Can’t you get some space in that big hangar to get your baby in
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Quick flight to the OR coast to see the king tides from the air
During a break in the clouds on Sunday AM I got a quick flight out the coast to see the surf. Density altitude was reporting at -2300ft, the Dirty Bird lept off the ground.
![]() ![]() ![]() King tides were in and the ocean did not disappoint. |
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