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What did you do with your RV this weekend? (1/16/21 - 1/17/21)

OK I'll go first. I just had my left fuel tank repaired so gave it a test flight to CRQ for a breakfast run yesterday. Today my wife and I flew to CMA for breakfast. Winds were 070 @ 15 G 27 when we left! The -10 handles the wind just fine and the left fuel tank (finally!) is leak free. Thanks for the help Bruce Hill! Next I'll pull the right tank....:rolleyes:

-Marc
 
Took my new RV to Las Vegas and back to pick up an online purchase that was tough to ship due to being an odd size and a little heavy.

Fantastic 1h 20m flight out there with an average headwind of about ten knots. Made the pickup, had lunch with a friend, and then headed back home on a 1h 10m flight. A little bumpy for about thirty seconds over the mountains on the way in and out of Vegas.

I have to say, coming from a 9 to 14, the extra 20 knots of true airspeed that I am seeing does make quite a difference in my perception of speed/flight time. The fuel burn is a bit higher (20%), but so is the comfort and baggage space..
 
Took advantage of a beautiful Saturday morning and flew out to the Red Deer Forestry strip, 59 NM West of home. Not much snow made this amazing spot accessible. The gentleman who maintains the field took the following picture of my departure, a lot better than my lousy iPhone pictures.

Also sent off my transponder for an upgrade to an ADS-B out capable unit. My GPS175 is on its way to me and I should be able to finish my IFR upgrade in the next 5-6 weeks. Today I fixed a nagging little issue and now I have a working COM1 - COM2/NAV selector for my HDX. It's coming together!
 

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Saturday Breakfast Run

Weather clear just enough to make the breakfast run. Flew from Hopkinsville, KY to Mayfield, KY.
EAA chapter 807 presented Ethan O’Neal with a $10,000 Ray Aviation Scholarship.

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Left 52F early (after a 737 max sim that let out after midnight) and flew down to Galveston Island. Made it a nice 3 day weekend. Food and museums were all open and crowds weren't bad at all. Stopped at Ellington on way home to go to the Lone Star Museum.
 
Working on Echelon Turns. Lead, 2 and 3 need some help😀😀
 

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Took a few shots of a buddies Piper (a few heavies in the background of this shot) and then later had a L-39 join up on me for a bit. Good day to bring the nice camera along.
 

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Flew 'around the block' with the A/C on... it was 80F at 2000'. Crazy warm for SoCal in mid-January!
 
My backup SD8 is once again providing power thanks to the fine folks at B&C. I’ve spent several months chasing a user/voltage modification set-point error after a main Alt over voltage brush failure and lithium main battery addition. Sometimes things don’t make as much sense with the blood rushing into your head as your shoes rub the canopy and the spar digs into your upper back.....
 
Found my can bus problem, and fixed that. Got the seat belts and harnesses bolted in. The RV9A is getting ever soooooo close to first flight.:)
 
I drilled holes in my garage floor for the wing stand, while I wait for my wings to arrive.
 
I actually got out and flew on a weekend! I flew out to the local desert area where in many years past we would camp and ride our ATV's and motorcycles on a warm 3 day weekend. The pandemic had much fewer folks out there than usual. We sold off the motorhome and desert toys last year, so no more desert camping. :(

Did a low pass over Ocotillo Wells airport, then a touch and go at Salton City and Borrego Springs, and back to Ramona for 1.3 hours.

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Shell Reef, Ocotillo Wells.

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Arroyo Salada wash. There is an orange plastic fence that surrounds the crash site of the F-35 that recently had the mid air collision with a C-130 while refueling. Full resolution photo.

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Our usual camping location off of S-22. Not very crowded for a 3 day weekend.
 
Lots of depressing distractions so far this month; only managing 1-2 hrs. in shop per day. Yesterday afternoon I carried a beer out to the shop, sat in my "Designated Happy Place" chair and just contemplated the airplane and the build thus far. I reminded myself that she wouldn't always look this forlorn, and found comfort in that thought.
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Installed leading edge landing lights��
Light mounts from Big Sky Robotics with Baja Designs Squadron Pro LEDs.
 

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