What did you do with your RV this Weekend (2/22-2/23)

Gettin' it started....

No significant adventure, but monumental none the less. I took my new 10 for it's IFR cert on Friday. During this flight, the Hobbs ticked over 40 hours, releasing me from my Phase I limitations. It was exciting to pass the final gate on this long journey. Hope to bring it to it's new home in Schaumburg tomorrow.

Planning a flight next weekend with my wife to visit our son in college in the newly minted RV-10.

Larry

Opened ice season. Somewhere in Wyoming

Went skating

Took my first try at landing on (frozen) water.



Lac La Biche, Alberta Ice Fly-In, February 22, 2020, 1.3 hours north of home.

Strong winds made it a challenge, cross wind twisted me nearly perpendicular when I had to stop on a taxiway before departing. Needed to recruit a couple of wing pushers to set me straight. Takeoff was as tricky as I've ever done, need speed to get directional control and I didn't think slamming the throttle in was going to make it better. Glad they had cleared 100' wide and not added a centerline - I don't think I was very close to the center. Going to need some practice.

not sure it counts since it was on Thursday, i.e. before week-end. One of the problems being retired, no more vacations nor week-ends... life is sooo hard
Still, made a dash for the Stromboli (yes, that's in Italy, ol'Europe), crossing another bucket list item

The WX report was for warmer temps and crystal blue, cloudless skies, so I took the RV for the 600 nautical mile trip to North Myrtle Beach (KCRE) with my bride to see her parents and my favorite in-laws. Other than having to deal with New York ATC (there are none other like them. Helpful yes, but it comes with the New York attitude!), it was uneventful with the exception of billowing smoke over New Jersey on the return trip. I know what you are thinking, this is New Jersey.... Well, Washington Center got reports of several ground fires, so they asked if I saw anything and if I could able to help them identify the location. I did and they came back a short while later and reported the fires as "controlled burns." When I got handed off to New York Center, I quickly got a report of moderate precipice 20 miles ahead. With no clouds in the skies, I asked for a repeat of the advisory, and the controller confirmed moderate recipe 20 miles ahead. Hum. Well, the tops of the smoke clouds were so high and thick that I just cleared them at 7,500ft and I gave a PIREP back to NY center that it was smoke that was showing up on their radar as precip with tops of around 6500ft. Seems a little excessive to me for a controlled burn! This was just west of Atlantic City - ACY.

Smokey thermal

Never trust a glider pilot in the middle of winter with a match

95% of my first condition inspection.... going to leave the engine to the pros to inspect.

Lac La Biche Ice Fly In ?- a big hit

https://www.facebook.com/609611682/posts/10158093889926683/

First flight for my right seater

Well, since the weather was just too good to stay on the ground, my wife and I decided to take the new bird (Still needs a name) to see our daughter in Charlottesville. First flight in the 7 for my right seater. She was a trooper, especially on the 3:30 return with the headwinds. Hopefully the first of many great trips in our new time machine!

I wish was on my RV but...

Flew with a friend to KTTS cleared to a low approach. Was very nice view.

Swapped out my backup alternator and did a few laps around the pattern to verify it's operation at various power settings.

Short trip from Frederick, MD (KFDK) to Warrenton-Fauquier (KHWY) and a crew car ride to a Potomac Consolidated TRACON tour. A great tour and good insights what the folks on the other side of the radio do. Oh, yeah, and return flight
home.

Gave three rides - at least one of which might lead to another pilot. Then took my lamb up for a quick spin.

Hey- don't know if it's just me but when I click on the lamb pic I am getting a spam popup wanting me to install some pretty obvious malware.

That said- very cute pic, but wonder if that is a BAAAd idea

Last Wednesday I flew our family RV-6 from eastern Virginia back home to Tennessee prior to an upcoming deployment. I was scheduled on an FCF at work starting at 0700, but after getting cancelled in the afternoon I made the drive out to Hampton Roads for preflight:


The sunset launch from KPVG was scenic as always:


For a change I stayed relatively low on departure (4500' AGL) until the Great Smokey Mountains National Park which actually yielded a modest tailwind:


The setting sun (and distant storms) made for quite the view..




After making an fuel stop in east Tennessee, I climbed high and headed direct to KTHA:


Landed at home around 2100 CST, just hours before the snow began to fall!

On Friday afternoon the family spent several hours hanging a beautiful new 10x15 American flag in the back of our rental hangar. The job required lots of 3/4" electrical conduit, some rock climbing gear, and a whole lot of patience, but the end result was definitely worth it!


With another beautiful February sunset on the horizon, my brother and I took a quick tour around (and over) the Nashville class Charlie:






No flight is truly complete without some EP training, so on the return we discussed a loss of power on takeoff scenario before flying several engine-out "could you make it" profiles in the pattern:


Finally we grabbed some of that cheap cheap Tullahoma gas before calling it a night!

RV-7 flying

Well done Mitch! Good to see the RV-7 getting some love, keep flying and keep posting

Build Progress: All Ahead SLOW

Kept slogging away at making my custom snorkel and air filter tray. Prototyping is an arduous process; I know there are far more efficient ways of doing this, such as 3-D printing. I don't have that capability here, nor do I want to invest in it; I can't really farm it out either, with the design constantly changing. So I trudge and muddle through the process by hand, learning as I go. Progress has slowed to a crawl... but at least I'm crawling forwards.

Was just looking at AC 90-116, the additional pilot program, and there's lots in it that I wasn't aware of... like the specification of higher risk first part of flight test, and the Observer Pilot qualifications. (AIT, BPML go into ITP -- new acronyms peculiar to the AC).

It's an interesting look at how the FAA is balancing risk in many categories. So even if you're not doing Phase 1 flight test, it's a good read.

P01 KPAY KCHD 88AZ P01

We have trouble knowing when the weekend is. Most day's seem like Saturday. Last week we planned to fly to Payson (KPAN) and camp Wed night, meet Sierra for lunch in Chandler Thursday, then fly to Grapevine (88AZ) to camp. We made plans to meet Rosie in Yuma for Friday BBQ lunch "on his way" to Lake Havasu.



After exploring Payson and Grapevine Valentines weekend we wanted to do some airplane camping. Part of trip prep included getting a Mr. Heater "Little Buddy" to help stay warm in our tent. It was a GOOD purchase. We had a nice flight from Ajo to Payson. Lunch at the Crosswinds Restaurant on the field then we set up camp at the airport campground. GREAT campground with picnic tables, Adirondack chairs, fire rings, grills, fire wood, fire starter, lighter, plus bathroom with shower and hot water.







After a nice evening at Payson, we flew to Chandler and had lunch with Sierra, who was kind enough to bring some supplies we "forgot". Like marshmallows, wine, cheese and crackers. Short flight back over the mountains to the Grapevine airport. Beautiful and peaceful quiet at Grapevine. We elected to park on the pavement at the north end of the runway and not risk getting stuck in the sometime soft ground. We carried firewood from the storage area at the middle of the runway. The clouds Thursday evening provided a canvas for an interesting sunset.











Friday morning we woke to find the right main tire flat. You may have seen my plea for help in the Temp section. Rosie to the rescue - he brought us lunch, tools and a tube "on his way to Lake Havasu" instead of us meeting him in Yuma. THANKS to Rosie.



A small bicycle pump to add to the plane tool kit arrived Tuesday. Two new main tires and three new main gear tubes arrived yesterday and have been installed, main gear tube added to the plane tool kit.*
Regards,

Fantastic Pics Roy!

Just wondering if you desert fliers run slime in your tubes? Is it necessary?