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1/1/21 New Years Flights - add your flight

Dvalcik

Well Known Member
Sponsor
Thought I would start off a thread for first flights for 2021. Hope weather is better where you are but I did get to sneak off for a 50 min flight. 29 degrees and gloomy in the Philly area.

https://youtu.be/M-k0rYmIoT8

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North Oregon coast

Cheating... this was yesterday December 31 2020 peering through gaps in the clouds over Cannon Beach Oregon.
Today the rain is blowing sideways here on the north Oregon coast, not a day for flying!

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Yesterday was clear in SoCal, but very bumpy, with numerous severe turbulence PIREPS, so I was hoping that today would be better..

Woke up to an AIRMET 50 miles to the north of us for moderate turbulence below 16,000' but no PIREPS for turbulence in that area, and not even an AIRMET along the route line of L18 - HII, so off to Lake Havasu we went.

Took off around 10 AM and headed up to 9,500' for the 1 hour 20 minute flight, with a headwind. Had a nice lunch at the Hangar 24 restaurant, and topped off on fuel, and then headed back to L18, this time with a flight time of 1 hour 6 minutes with the help of a tailwind.

Beautiful day here, and mostly just occasional light chop to/from, with one quick bump of moderate chop over the mountains.. not entirely unexpected.

Obligatory photo taken between L18 & HII attached.

Happy new year to all!
 

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No pics, but the airplane flew twice today with two different pilots. Both testing products for 2021.
I had a rocket ship for my flight with none of the usual "support equipment" aboard. Only 12gal and me and the cool air. Just 10min and my hair was on fire with the test cards complete. Back to the bench.
 
No pics here either, and I didn’t take the RV, but... I did get in a practice formation hop this afternoon with me in a CAF AT-6 and a buddy in a T-28. Was a nice day in Houston to do some monkeying around with some airwork, a coupla rejoins, plus a few landings. No groundloops, sweeeeet.
 
Sunrise Jan 1/2021

Woke up early (jet lag) and couldn’t resist. When the sun had come up I did 20 minutes of aerobatics and headed home. I was home before the family even woke up!

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No pics, but the airplane flew twice today with two different pilots. Both testing products for 2021.

I had a rocket ship for my flight with none of the usual "support equipment" aboard. Only 12gal and me and the cool air. Just 10min and my hair was on fire with the test cards complete. Back to the bench.

Correction - one picture. I had the pleasure of taking up a coworker while doing my CQ1 testing.

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Winds calm on ground but 30 knots at 3000

Flying straight and level and hit turbulence off the foothills. Hit my head hard enough to remind me that 2021 is here.
 

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Warm day at the airport

It was 61° Jan1st in Hopkinsville, KY so I just had to get 2020 grease out of the main wheel bearings and replace it with 2021 grease. Replaced the brake pads also. I had to warm up the new brake pads so I had to fly to cool them off :)

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Tour de Wyo Ming

Last minutes of previous year...

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The New Year started perfect. Off work early, short preheat at 30F and onward and upward as Scott said...

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The weather was perfect and the master plan of the tour was to find a local Alton Bay with solid ice to land on. Northbound from Dutch John UT 33U.

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Just past UT/WY state line. Never knew an abandoned was hiding in the mountains. Will come on foot in the summertime to investigate.

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Passed Rock Springs KRKS to Rawlings.

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Quick stop at Rawlings a deserted locked place.

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From Rawlings I headed toward Miracle Mile, a backcountry airstrip near North Platte River.

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Frozen snow on the Mile I did a pass then searched reservoir north of it. Ice was very rough with sharp ridges. Don't even think of landing...

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Very cool rock formations nearby.

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Riverton WY had some operations. A Comanche tracking a DME arc, a Cessna putting around and a Citabria inbound. Cool place this Central Wyoming field.

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After a quick stop there I passed Lander my shopping place (nice thick bacon in the store)

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hopped over South Pass and headed toward Fontebelle Reservoir.

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The ice there was of a decent surface but wind was too strong for a full stop. So it would be a touch and go.

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See you next time guys.

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Sorry birdies you are totally blending in I couldn't see you.

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Kemmerer WY the place was howling. Plenty of wide runway for a cross wind rodeo. Solid 20 kts from the west.

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Nice clean terminal with coffee, water and a crew car. Good place to relax.

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Almost 4 hours in the air already. I talked to people at this breakfast place where can I land they pointed to an auxiliary road. Niet too many wires.

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Heading home.

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Can't miss my favorite canyon. Arrival below airport level.

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It was a great beginning of a great year. The way you start your new year the way you live it a Russian proverb says. Happy New Year!

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Los Angeles KWHP to Dallas T31

Loaded up the family and a few bags (the RV-10 is a bottom less pit when loading bags) to start the trek home from Grandma's house.

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Los Angeles (KWHP) before departing with Grandpa's '53 on the ramp.

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Christmas presents and other essential gear the wife and kids brought.

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Angeles National Forest (NE of LA)

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Victorville, CA had big steel sitting on the ramp, taxiways, and shut down runway like cordwood.

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Sedona, AZ had a busy pattern. This picture does not do justice to the scenery.

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Welcome to Dallas.

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Runway 35 at T31. A welcome sight.
 
New year's day 2021

Glad to have flown this first day of 2021.
Nice weather around Paris (France) :)

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