What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

Alcohol and Flying

N941WR

Legacy Member
In talking with some friends, we wanted to get together for a weekend away from home, without the kids, preferably someplace halfway between us.

We thought Rough River State Park would be good and one of the wives was making a reservation at a local B&B only to be told by the proprietor that there was nothing to do there and if we were looking to do something other than hang out at the B&B, we might look to go somewhere else.

Back to the charts to find a place that was not too far away.

After much studying over my last glass of bourbon my eyes fell upon Frankfort, KY (KKT). Frankfort happens to be the capital of Kentucky and smack dab in the middle of the Bourbon Trail.

With four planes and advance planning completed, the eight of us were ready to go and the wives were busy planning meals, distillery tours, etc.

Friday morning, March 22nd rolled around and there was snow and ice in the Cleveland, OH area but clear throughout the rest of the Southeastern US.

The RV that was to join us from Cleveland dropped their kids off at school and started driving south and would be late getting to FFT.
The V-tail Bonanza that was coming in from Atlanta had to work late and would be late getting to FFT.
The T-tail Lance that was supposed to come from Nashville texted and said they were in Florida and would be late getting to FFT.
Do you see a pattern starting to develop?

With winds expected to pick up later in the day, I did not want to delay or departure more than an hour. So at 8:40 AM AKA 1240 N941WR lifted off of SC86 with KFFT entered and Direct To pushed.

We started a 500 FPM climb, contacted Greer departure and up over the mountains we went, AVL on the right, Snowbird MOA above us, we leveled off at 7500 feet for a very smooth flight.

Only one minor issue, the 5 knot predicted winds were actually 50 knots and were right on the nose! Uggg…

Well, at least the air was smooth up at 7500 feet!

With everyone predicted to be late, I pulled back to around 43% power and saw 140 to 144 TAS on the SkyView, not bad for 5.6 GPH. We were definitely in no hurry.

The thing that got me was looking down at the GS and seeing numbers that ranged between 78 and 99 knots. Again, Uggg…

What should have been an hour and thirty-three minute flight took us over 2.8 hours. Well, at least the air was smooth up there.

We didn’t start hitting bumps until we were going past Lexington and dropped through 3800 feet.
The winds were bouncing around but nothing to worry about and the landing on 25 was uneventful (for me or my RV-9). It was pretty cool seeing the capital building on downwind!

The others weren’t so lucky, except the guy driving, he reported a smooth trip. Both the V and T-tails said their flights were extremely bumpy down low and apparently the winds up high had increased to around 90 knots. So, they elected to stay low and ride the bumps.

Friday afternoon, after a few hours of talking with the local airport bums at FFT, the two driving down from Ohio were going to head directly to Woodford Reserve, so we took a taxi over there with all of our “stuff” and pulled in the parking lot less than five minutes before they did.

With the driver paid off, our “stuff” stuffed in their car, we took a great tour and tested some of the Woodford Reserve product.

After the tour, the T-tail made it on the ground, safe and sound, after an eventful two approaches, one of which resulted in a full stop landing.

Now there were six.

We found a local restaurant that wasn’t a chain, had a great dinner and were finishing up as the V-tail texted to say they were on the ground.

Now there were eight.

After a fun evening catching up and draining some of my souvenir, it was time for everyone to head to their rooms.

Saturday morning dawned beautiful and clear with the guy who drove down from Ohio complaining that he had to drive. Much fun was made of him, poor guy!

The first distillery of the day was Buffalo Trace, which is another large, high volume producer, much like Woodford Reserve. After that we went on to Castle and Key, followed by Glenns Creek Distilling.

Castle and Key was great and the staff was outstanding! They are a new distiller who are in the process of restoring a derelict distillery from the 1800’s. The main building is built like a Castle and the water spring is shaped like a keyhole, thus Castle and Key. With botanical gardens to walk around, while waiting for the tour to start, it was a great visit! This distiller is so new you will have to wait another two years for to taste bourbon out of a barrel; however, they do sell gin, very good gin! We want to go back in two years, when they can serve and sell their bourbon.

Glenns Creek Distilling was described to us as a couple of moonshiners who got a license. With only two barrels +/- filled a week, they were VERY small! They are located in the Old Crow distillery building. Their bourbon was probably the best we tasted on this trip and I bought a bottle of OCD #5 from them. (Don’t ask about the name.)

After all the tours we ate at The Stave, which was an amazingly good restaurant. Just don't let the outside appearance deceive you!

Sunday morning the eight of us gathered at the Kentucky Coffeetree Café for a fantastic breakfast, just another surprise Frankfort has to offer.

The winds were still blowing for the flight home but this time it was a direct crosswind and we had to go up to 9500 feet over the mountains to get a smooth ride. (I just love how well these RV’s climb!)

Again, I was throttle back because I didn’t want the weekend to end but 1.7 after departure we were shutting down in front of the hangar with a baggage compartment full of “product”. I probably should have done a W&B before I loaded the plane!

Addition:
When my wife packed, she put together some food to bring with us. One of the things she packed was a bag of potato chips. When I realized what she had done, I asked her to put the chips inside a plastic grocery back and made it clear I didn't want her eating them in plane because they will attract mice.

The chips and 90% of the snacks she brought up there were with us on the return trip. Only on the return trip we had to climb to 9500 feet, as I mentioned. By this time I had forgotten about the bag of chips. Passing through 9100 feet I hear a pop and what I thought was a crack. I was sure it was the canopy and didn't want to look as there was no additional noise or turbulence.

When we landed and started pulling things out of the baggage compartment I noticed that the canopy was fine. Then when we started putting things away, inside that grocery bag was that bag of chips, which had blown open. I had heard of bags blowing open but this was the first time I had every experienced it myself.
 
Last edited:
Stop #1: Woodford Reserve ? Friday afternoon
53 gallons of ?product?
fasjdu.jpg


Pot Stills; the ?product? would move from one still to the next. Up the hill they had a new high volume column still, which we did not see.
zlelj.jpg


One of many barrel storage buildings
21l7shs.jpg


Bottling plant. Those two ladies were moving fast and I never saw a bottle hit the floor.
w2j8s8.jpg


At the end of the tour, they took us to a tasting room where we learned the proper method to evaluate bourbon. It was a good education but, like wine, it all comes down to what you like and not what someone else likes. (Sounds kind of like building.)
2epiyhx.jpg


Stop #2: Buffalo Trace ? Saturday morning
33ky9mq.jpg


A little history
ojntog.jpg


One of the older Buffalo Trace Barrel Houses. You can?t imagine how many of these barrel houses the large distillers have!
11ukjnt.jpg
 
Last edited:
Stop #3: Castle and Key – Saturday afternoon
What a great restoration project. The distillery was built in the 1800’s and abandoned in the early 1970’s. The Castle and Key owners repaired the buildings and grounds. (There is a botanical garden along side Glenns Creek.)

This distillery is so new their bourbon is still aging. To help pay the bills they make and sell some pretty darn good gin, which does not need to be aged.
w82mo3.jpg


It is called “Castle and Key” because the building looks like a castle and the spring they use was built in the shape of a keyhole in the 1800’s because, as legend has it, the key to good bourbon is good water.
nd7cj4.jpg


This is their small column still. It is used for small custom and test batches.
2q1te35.jpg


Their vats. Look at all that bubbling mash!
2962pmf.jpg
 
Last edited:
Stop #4: Glenns Creek Distillery – Late Saturday afternoon
2cxj1u9.jpg


This is a very small distillery, located in the remains of the Old Crow distillery building. This is their “large” mash cooker. Notice the hand drill used for mixing it.
a37gw.jpg


Their still could fit in the back of my pickup.
23sc6xy.jpg


All the bottling is done by hand. A far cry from the larger distillers.
fc8dwp.jpg


They fill something like two barrels a week. In this case, they gave us all a partially filled jar and let us help fill a barrel and then sign it. All of us geeky pilot types signed with our N-numbers.
2yki8o6.jpg


Time to go home. This would be T & V Tail brotherhood! Man, say what you want about a T-tail Lance but that thing can lift a BUNCH of “stuff”!
alnejk.jpg


This picture was taken from 7500’ MSL as we were approaching the Application Mountains heading south. As soon as we crossed that ridge, we started getting our teeth knocked out and climbed up to 9500 feet and smooth air.
2m47xjb.jpg


This is our haul, less a bottle that found its way to Ohio with Paul and Kristi. We hope to have a reunion with them and the bottle at OSH this summer!
6ispdl.jpg
 
Last edited:
Great writeup, Bill. Man, the Appalachians are always problematic, aren't they? I can't wait to see the photos!
 
Bill,

Despite having to leave the -6 home and drive, Kristi and I had a great time in Frankfort. The distilleries were both interesting and informative. Looking forward to doing this trip again!

Paul
RV-6
 
Bill,
My wife and I drive to Nashville from Cincinnati frequently, but usually drive - because of grandkid duty and the need for our SUV with car seats. We have therefore done a lot of the bourbon tour, which makes the trip..... better. We usually overnight in Bardstown or Louisville. I have to say, flying to a couple distilleries would be a whole lot more fun.
 
Bill,

Despite having to leave the -6 home and drive, Kristi and I had a great time in Frankfort. The distilleries were both interesting and informative. Looking forward to doing this trip again!

Paul
RV-6

Paul,

We had so much fun hanging out with you and Kristi as well as the others. What a great weekend and we too look forward to getting together again!

Thank you for joining us, even if you had to take the low route!
 
Bill it looks like we crossed each other path over the weekend. I was checking on my bourbon stash in KY. A good quarter inch was missing in that bottle. The keeper said it's likely evaporated :D



 
Vlad,

Those angles seem to drink a LOT!

Where and when was this picture taken?
I was flying off the wing of the V-tail Bonanza when we left and saw a bunch of guys flying formation but they were too far away tell if they were military, RV's, or whatever.
 
Great write-up, Bill.

Now we need to get to the REAL meat of the matter. TASTING notes! :)

I'd love to know how each of those taste, especially the differences between the "big" distillers and that small-batch OCD.

While I'm a proud Canadian from the land where rye whiskey reigns supreme, I can enjoy good bourbon and scotch, and have a real weakness for dark rum. I'm a "sipper" rather than a "drinker" so would very much appreciate learning your impressions of those different whiskeys.
 
Great write-up, Bill.

Now we need to get to the REAL meat of the matter. TASTING notes! :)

I'd love to know how each of those taste, especially the differences between the "big" distillers and that small-batch OCD.

While I'm a proud Canadian from the land where rye whiskey reigns supreme, I can enjoy good bourbon and scotch, and have a real weakness for dark rum. I'm a "sipper" rather than a "drinker" so would very much appreciate learning your impressions of those different whiskeys.

Thanks!

My go to whiskey is VO Gold! It is a great every day sipping whiskey!

Unfortunately, none of us took notes. However, I did buy a bottle of Rye at Buffalo Trace, which was really good!

The OCD 5 was by far the best of all them.

I'm not a big gin drinker but did enjoy the gin drinks we tasted at Castle and Key. Enough so that I want to go back when they start serving their bourbon in two years!
 
Love the trip write-up. IMHO the best of brand at Buffalo Trace is called Blanton's. Give it a try if you can find a bottle. You won't be disappointed.
 
Last edited:
Love the trip write-up. IHMO the best of brand at Buffalo Trace is called Blanton's. Give it a try if you can find a bottle. You won't be disappointed.

I agree, Blanton's is very good. Unfortunately, they were out of bottles at the distillery, so I didn't come home with one. However, we did get to taste it.
 
Nice write-up! I was in those same winds Friday afternoon crossing the Appalachians, and they certainly weren't smooth. Fortunately, I was flying with them rather than against them!
 
Back
Top