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What did you do with your RV this weekend (2/8 - 2/9'ish)

SPX

Well Known Member
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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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Couldn?t do much. County brought heavy artillery and did a great job clearing airport road. Took two days. Runway in good shape but taxiway and aircraft parking are still buried. Time for oil change I guess :)





 
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:

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Clear and smooth over the Carolina's at 4,500, a far cry from the day before:

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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:

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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.
 
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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
 
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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.
 
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.

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King tides were in and the ocean did not disappoint.
 
Feb 8 - flew a leisurely 1/2 hr to CYHS (Hanover) from CNC3 (Brampton) with some of the guys for the $100+ lunch. Sunny, clear, smooth and -15C at 3000'. Cabin was very comfortable with the sun, seat heater and dual heat muffs all in action. Nice hour and change scenic route home. Great winter flying day here in the Great White North! Oil change after that while the oil is hot.
 
I've been to that lighthouse!

Great pics.

I think the Oregon coast, though well known, is still wildly underrated--to me it's hands-down in the conversation for the most beautiful place in the country.

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.

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IMG_20200209_094222-M.jpg


IMG_20200209_093036-M.jpg


King tides were in and the ocean did not disappoint.
 
Sierra visited us in Ajp for the first time. Friday, when asked if she would like to fly over the mine to see it she said SURE! First time Sandy or I can remember her going for a flight "for fun" rather than to get somewhere.

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Saturday I flew to Copperstate and had a nice time. The dirt parking lot was dusty, not rough. It was nice to say HI to Shane from uAvionics and Kevin from Tosten Manufacturing (aircraft stick grips). Nice low key show.


Regards,
 
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