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Living the Dream - An RV Weekend...

pmccoy

Well Known Member
Here we go again...

Six flights, three passengers and 4.2 hours logged makes for a great weekend in the RV!

#1 - Flew the wife and our family dog up to Big Bear (L35).
#2 - Flew down from Big Bear to Ramona, CA (KRNM)
#3 - Motivational flight for fellow 9A builder, Bruce Hill. Nothing better then paying it forward by taking up a fellow builder who is still pounding rivets.
#4 - Back up to Big Bear to spend the night at our cabin.
#5 - Early morning sight seeing flight for my friend Mark Rosenfeld. What an awesome morning to fly around Big Bear. Cool temps and no wind. Amazing.
#6 - The wife and I flew home to Chino. Moved my plane from Cable to Chino a couple of weeks back.


Flying from Big Bear to Ramona. This is just past the Banning pass area.
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Diamond Valley Lake, just past Hemet, CA
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Flying around Ramona, CA with Bruce Hill. When I was building I had RV flights form Gary Sobek, John Raush, Jim Paynter and Robert Scott. Anytime I could get some stick time well I was building was a great thing. Now that I am flying, I plan to pay it forward and take up fellow builders when I can.
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A shot of Bruce after the flight. We had lunch and then took a tour of his project. Awesome job Bruce. Your plane looks great!
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Leaving Ramona...
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Sunday morning I took an early flight with a friend for some sight seeing around Big Bear. It was the most amazing mountain flight I have ever had. No wind, and cool temps. We couldn't find a bump in the air. We flew low over mountain ridges and explored valleys I don't normally fly in. It was great!
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This shot is North of Big Bear in Holcomb valley.
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My friend Mark flying for the first time. I think he wants to talk to an instructor after this flight.
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After circling around Big Bear, we headed back into the valley to land.
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Landing at Big Bear (L35). Awesome morning to fly. One more short hop down to Chino closed out the weekend.
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Yep, living the dream. Keep pounding those rivets. Flying an RV is a great experience
 
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Great trip!

Great write up Peter.

Flying around SOCAL is awesome especially this time of year. I also took Bruce for a motivation flight a year or so ago before touring his project. He is gonna have a good time paying these flights forward! ;)

If you ever get a little further south to Gillespie, give me a shout.

Dan
 
Thanks Pete!

The flight was a lot of fun, and I can hardly wait to get my -9A done. A few more months and it should be flying. Not sure if I'm ready, but the airplane will be. :D
 
paying it forward.

I know what you mean, giving rides to those on the way.
Yesterday I went out to the airport (7S9) to fly and bumped into a mini celebration for a young man who just passed his check ride earlier that day.
His flight instructor caught me over cake and said, "I'd really like to get his in something a bit more sporty than the old 172 he trained in, but he leaves for college this week....
Half hour later he was with me in the right seat of my 9A climbing out at an angle that made his eyes go wide.
He now has the RV grin as one of his memories for the day he became a pilot.
Better than chocolate cake? For me or for him?
Jim Frisbie
N571DF RV-9A
 
Tips for Big Bear?

Peter:

It looks like you have a lot of experience with Big Bear. I have a friend down there that I'd love to visit in my RV-9A. Any tips would be appreciated. I'd be coming down from RHV via the Palmdale area probably. PM me.

Thanks.
 
I saw you guys

Pete, Bruce:

I saw you fly in, taxi, and park at Ramona's transient line; I was contorted around the engine compartment, in the hangar facing the line,
working on a p-mag installation when you landed. (If Paul Dye set a record for fastest installation, I'm headed for another type of record...)

From the pictures, you had a great time!
 
Pete, Bruce:

I saw you fly in, taxi, and park at Ramona's transient line; I was contorted around the engine compartment, in the hangar facing the line,
working on a p-mag installation when you landed. (If Paul Dye set a record for fastest installation, I'm headed for another type of record...)

From the pictures, you had a great time!

Ron, I poked my head in your hangar when Pete left, but you were down in the depths of your airplane. I didn't know you were here in Ramona with your RV-9A. We will have to get together some time.
 
I owe you one, or two...

Bruce:

Sorry I wasn't more attentive to guests; I was very focused on the installation.

I'll give you a shout once I get the ignition finished, tested, and I'm satisfied with the performance; after all, one of the reasons I have a 9a, and keep it at Ramona, is because of all your answers to my questions.

Sedona is a bit far, but it has a great on-airport restaurant; how about Hemet, Corona, or somewhere in SoCal?
 
Ron-

Once you get the plane back online, you and Bruce should fly up to Chino or Big Bear. Great little restaurants at both.
 
Very Nice!!!!!!!!

... great write-up and photos of our beautiful Southern California.
I must compliment you on those very stylish, high quality hats.
Soon everyone will want one of those. Thanks, Allan...:D:D
 
I'm jealous

Ok ok ok, I'm jealous now. I think I need one of those motivational flights:). Next time your bored around San Diego please look me up.

I've been building my 9A for almost two years, working on wiring & baffles right now. I've never flown in an RV, never sat in an RV, never even talked to another RV pilot except on here. The only other RV I've seen in person is Bruce Hills. Jeez, I hope I like this thing, I'm almost ready for final assembly. Gotta be done by March! 2nd kid (a boy this time) due on st pattys day. No kids when I started, need a 10 by the time I finish. Hope to get a few 9A grins.

I've enjoyed your posts, familiar areas. Thanks for sharing!
 
Alan.... Alan saw me on the Big Bear ramp on Saturday and swapped out my hat for one of his. I like it. Thank you.

Derek... Paying it forward with motivational flights is a great excuse for me to get up in the air and go fly. Yes, I would be happy to get you up in the 9A. Everybody should get some stick time in the type of RV they are building. The 9A flies great. But then again, so do all the other RV's. You can't go wrong in any of them. If you can get a ride, jump in and go. It's a great motivator to get you through the build.
 
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