Go west

[60av8tor]

With 6 months to go until retiring from the military, I’ve been attempting to get my ducks in a row for the civilian Pt. II of my life – on the list has been getting my ATP-H prior to dishing out resumes. Off to a military friendly 141 operation in Denton, Tx.

I waffled between driving and flying (largely due to the summer convective activity over pretty much my entire flight path. Watching the long-range closely, it was looking promising for flying – 6 hours vs. 2 days… The point of no return – 2 days before my start date – the forecast looked good. Sunday AM, the morning of departure, was a slightly different story. Beautiful at home base, but shortly west – around Montgomery – fairly socked in. My VFR fuel stop in Louisiana was looking good for my ETA. I decided to file an IFR leg from Montgomery forward to an IFR gas stop as back up if needed.

Hard to get a better morning for departure:


Almost on cue, the weather begins coming down over Montgomery, so I pick up my IFR over MGM VOR:


Pretty soon I’m over a solid overcast:


Closer to my fuel stop, it begins to break up and build up with the mid-day heat:


I decide to cancel my IFR (VFR fuel stop much cheaper), descend, and land at my VFR location. Getting low beneath the scattered layer – bumpy and hot!!


Can’t miss my field, it’s just past this little landmark on the Louisiana side:


Welcome to Oak Grove, La. and $3.85 100LL:


I decide to file IFR for the second leg and have to use FSS. Been a LONG time since I filed with a briefer – no WIFI is sometimes the price of cheap fuel in the middle of nowhere - it was almost nostalgic in some sense. Also a price of cheap fuel is not being able to reach ATC at a reasonable altitude.

Luckily I was able to continue my climb VFR until able to get Memphis center and receive my clearance. I initially filed 6000’ but asked for 8000’ in the climb to clear tops. Looks just about right:

[60av8tor]

I filed a V airway route that kept me fairly north of DFW – my destination being NW of DFW. Probably due to approach corridors, perhaps, I was fairly quickly given the DODJE4 arrival. Only issue with this is that the route took me in a slightly southwesterly direction – the direction that most of the CB were coming from. A look ahead was no Bueno:


Just like icing in the winter, embedded TS is a real concern for summer time IMC. A cancellation of IFR once again brought low, hot, bumpy flight zig zagging around these the rest of the way:


I LOVE anything related to flying, but with all the course deviations due to cells and looking out for the other traffic doing the same, I was glad to land and call it an evening. The RV in good company – I think that may handle the bumps a bit better:


First stop was the grocery store. Mmmm – must be in Texas:


Can’t say I was too choked up about leaving the southeast – ugggghhhhhh:


Got one day of training in before a guy named Bill came for a visit. Timing has never been my thing. More importantly, I was really hoping for no more hardship for the citizens of this fine republic. Can I get some training wheels? A little bit different than the 20,000 lbs and 3500 SHP I’ve been flying for a decade:


The next couple of days were filled with this:


Which was actually a blessing as it gave me the time to focus on some of this (much needed):


Another kink in the plan was the Denton airshow altering the training schedule. But hey, free airshow and some free Tex-Mex courtesy of the FBO:


Unfortunately I had to depart prior to Falcon Flight, but did catch some RV-8 aerobatics.

A couple days and Bill moved on and I was greeted with fair weather for another couple days of training:

[60av8tor]

I was always taught no hats at the table – I wish I knew about the Texas exception when I was a kid:


I entered the restaurant with a friendly sky and left looking at this:


Ugggghhhh – more delay. Another night in the hotel, another day paying for a hangar and rental car… Finally, albeit a bit longer than planned, the morning came for the check ride. I’ve taken a bunch of check rides, and would like to say they don’t bother me, but to this day, I still get ‘check ride itis’ – and pretty bad, too! Happy to say I kept it under control and got to snap a victory pic with CFII on left and DPE on right:


I’ve eaten plenty of sandwiches in my RV, but this one was especially satisfying heading back home after a successful mission:


Still hours away, but home isn’t looking so hot – or maybe I should say it’s looking too hot:


Think the area has seen rain recently?


Speaking of hot…back in Oak Grove, La:


I’ll buy the feels like 100, but only 66% humidity… Good gosh was it miserable on the ground:


Fuel up and climb as quickly as I can:


Looking much better at 9500. Even though I gained no GS advantage, the cool air and silky smooth ride was well worth the climb:

[60av8tor]

Carefully watching my 11:00:


Give these guys a wide berth:


I absolutely love it up here. I tell people, “Every time is like the first time”. Some get what I’m saying, some look at me like I’m an idiot…


A better view of Montgomery on the return trip:


So thinking back to this picture – 4 hours previously –


The no wind was great for the flight, not so great for movement of a weather system. All the way from Texas and stopped :30 out. Nothing to do but sit on the FBO porch and enjoy the evening heat and humidity. Hazelhurst, GA:


I was really considering spending the night – been a while since I’ve flown at night, so I did not want to add rain, night, lack of night recency, fitfull sleep the night prior (check ride), and a long day all together. Sounds just like something someone would be reading in a magazine in a couple months Radar was looking good to give me a window to land without rain just at dark. Taking off for the final :30.


Got the RV tucked away and arrived home around 2200. A LONG day, but great day, cause I came home with this:

[crabandy]

Awesome, Congrats!!

[Infidel]

Thanks for taking us along on the adventure!

[Mike H]

Mission accomplished! Good job.

[erikpmort]

Nice. What a panel.

[Ed_Wischmeyer]

Welcome back and congrats! Now you need to get ATP/ASEL in the RV-7A. (I'm looking to upgrade to ATP/ASELS and might do half of that in the -9A). I bet you could pass that ATP check ride right now but they might make you do the commercial maneuvers.

[Dave12]

Check your PM's.