Yesterday was just perfect South Texas spring weather. Winds low, clear skies, moderate temps, CAVU!
Had to to meet a mechanic at SSF in the morning to do some minor glass work on an EZ (my second favorite airplane). Choice: Drive forty minutes or fly 10? No choice.
Drive the half mile to my neighbors hangar, preflight, launch. Air smooth as glass.
Fly 4.3 mile to 28TE, land and taxi to my hangar. Grab the stuff I need.
Launch again! 9.1 miles north to KSSF, setup for runway 27 and grease it on (not!). Sun shining, kid with the tower about the weather.
Park in front of the cafe, go in to score some bacon and eggs and watch the airplanes come and go.
Meet the mechanic, taxi down to the hangar. Oops, need some more tools. Darn, guess I'll just have to fly home and get them.
Launch back to 2TX1 and grab the tools, quick turn and back to KSSF.
We get a good deal done, time for lunch. I invite my mechanic to go along, but he has other commitments. Oh where to go? Spin the roulette wheel in my mind. Llano? A mite too far, Corpus? Dilley? Victoria? All good flights on a day like this, but I decide on the old standby, KBAZ. Get the atis, get my code, taxi to 27 and there's a line waiting to take off. On such a beautiful day, there are lots of planes in the pattern, T6's making passes, fun to watch.
Tower says "immediate departure" and away we go. I have traffic on upwind, so I just keep the nose a little higher than usual and go 500' above it.
Nice little hop to KBAZ, grease it onto 17 in a wheeler and hold the tail up ( I hate taxiing all day). Pull up to the cafe, tie down, go in. Pretty day, lots of planes on the ramp. Get my usual monster bacon-cheeseburger and chat with locals, a transient couple and even one young guy just contemplating taking his first flying lesson.
Finish the food, chat some more, let the nice folks at KBAZ fuel me up and then it's time to head home. Hey, ZEUHL is on the way, think I'll drop in and see my good buddy. Line up straight in on 17 and a nice three pointer. Taxi back and shoot the breeze with a good friend and excellent mechanic, Bob Padgett. He built a beautiful 6 and gave me lots of advice during my build and rebuild.
Time to go home, line up and depart 17 for 2TX1 (19.1 miles). All to quick, I pick up my landmarks, key the virtual approach in the EFIS and line up for runway 30.
Get right on the beam and ride it down, 70 KIAS over the fence, chop the power and flare to a "solid" landing, roll out about 500 ft and make the turn to the hangar.
Taxi in and cut the power, big smile and big sigh. Lots of bugs on the glass and wings, time for some cleanup. About a half hour later, she's shiny and snugged down. Give her one last pat. "Good girl" and the days flying is done.
I can't stop smiling. Just short hopping, puttering around the sky and I am recharged. Just had to share.
Cheers all. Clear skies and tailwinds.
Had to to meet a mechanic at SSF in the morning to do some minor glass work on an EZ (my second favorite airplane). Choice: Drive forty minutes or fly 10? No choice.
Drive the half mile to my neighbors hangar, preflight, launch. Air smooth as glass.
Fly 4.3 mile to 28TE, land and taxi to my hangar. Grab the stuff I need.
Launch again! 9.1 miles north to KSSF, setup for runway 27 and grease it on (not!). Sun shining, kid with the tower about the weather.
Park in front of the cafe, go in to score some bacon and eggs and watch the airplanes come and go.
Meet the mechanic, taxi down to the hangar. Oops, need some more tools. Darn, guess I'll just have to fly home and get them.
Launch back to 2TX1 and grab the tools, quick turn and back to KSSF.
We get a good deal done, time for lunch. I invite my mechanic to go along, but he has other commitments. Oh where to go? Spin the roulette wheel in my mind. Llano? A mite too far, Corpus? Dilley? Victoria? All good flights on a day like this, but I decide on the old standby, KBAZ. Get the atis, get my code, taxi to 27 and there's a line waiting to take off. On such a beautiful day, there are lots of planes in the pattern, T6's making passes, fun to watch.
Tower says "immediate departure" and away we go. I have traffic on upwind, so I just keep the nose a little higher than usual and go 500' above it.
Nice little hop to KBAZ, grease it onto 17 in a wheeler and hold the tail up ( I hate taxiing all day). Pull up to the cafe, tie down, go in. Pretty day, lots of planes on the ramp. Get my usual monster bacon-cheeseburger and chat with locals, a transient couple and even one young guy just contemplating taking his first flying lesson.
Finish the food, chat some more, let the nice folks at KBAZ fuel me up and then it's time to head home. Hey, ZEUHL is on the way, think I'll drop in and see my good buddy. Line up straight in on 17 and a nice three pointer. Taxi back and shoot the breeze with a good friend and excellent mechanic, Bob Padgett. He built a beautiful 6 and gave me lots of advice during my build and rebuild.
Time to go home, line up and depart 17 for 2TX1 (19.1 miles). All to quick, I pick up my landmarks, key the virtual approach in the EFIS and line up for runway 30.
Get right on the beam and ride it down, 70 KIAS over the fence, chop the power and flare to a "solid" landing, roll out about 500 ft and make the turn to the hangar.
Taxi in and cut the power, big smile and big sigh. Lots of bugs on the glass and wings, time for some cleanup. About a half hour later, she's shiny and snugged down. Give her one last pat. "Good girl" and the days flying is done.
I can't stop smiling. Just short hopping, puttering around the sky and I am recharged. Just had to share.
Cheers all. Clear skies and tailwinds.
