Colin McG
Member
It was looking like we might actually get to Lakeland in one day and although we hoped this might be possible we?d assumed that we might to have to land short and fly in the next day. We elected to carry on and Matt would get the busy leg into KLAL. We departed KBQK and routed around Jacksonville and almost due south to Lakeland. Eyes peeled, we approached Lake Parker looking for other aircraft and it wasn?t long before we were number four in trail for landing. The approach controllers were great and despite what seemed like way to little space and some pretty turbulent air we were soon down and taxiing with our ?HBC? sign in the cockpit window. Now, despite reading the NOTAM about fifty times we hadn?t actually noticed that the south side closed at 7.30pm. We landed at 7.28 and as we turned south side the marshallers closed the taxiway behind us.
We taxied to our parking space, shut down and both grinned from ear to ear. We?d made it.
Matt had found it really quite funny that during our flight down I?d realised I?d forgotten to pack my air mattress. Now we knew the first reason for the excess space in the back of the RV. It was even funnier when Matt called home to report our arrival and his wife asked if he?d meant to leave his own air mattress at home.
We struggled assembling the world?s simplest tents but it wasn?t too long before we went in search of pilot refreshment. We?d been flying all day and eaten little other than a couple of free hot dogs and granola bars. Although we couldn?t hear the music and laughter it had to be somewhere so we took a guess on direction and stumbled through the blackness. After walking around what appeared to be most of the airport we finally found some signs of life. Unfortunately the band and security guards at the Sunset Grill outnumbered the patrons. We managed to order a cold beer and an even colder hamburger and trudged back to our tents. We weren?t expecting it to be like Lindbergh?s arrival in Paris but we?d just had the flight of our lives and we wanted to share the moment.
Thankfully we remembered the tents
Sleep came reasonably quickly despite no pillow, another reason for the available space in the back of the RV, the chill and the sun baked ground. I?m just glad no one mentioned the fire ants until the following day. I can?t say I fell in love with camping but there was something magical about being woken, well before any sane person is awake, by the sound of radial engine. I must also mention Mary and her family and what a wonderful job they do, looking look after the HB campers. What fantastic hospitality.
This is about our journey so I won?t dwell on Sun N Fun other that to say it was a great show. Parked next to fellow RV?s, many of which we?d admired on-line, was a blast. I think there may have even been some other aircraft types there! I must admit to falling in love with the Titan T-51 and that night, asleep in my tent, I shot down at least three 109?s.
Titan T51 - It's not an RV but I do look good in it!
It was George Bernard Shaw who said that England and America are two countries separated by a common language and this was aptly demonstrated when an English RV-9 builder and his friend stopped by our tent as we watched the airshow. As I caught up on news from dear old blighty and we talked about how ?brilliant? RVs are I caught the puzzled expression on Matt?s face. ?Get any of that?? I asked. ?Not a single word? he replied.
Thursday was my birthday so we went in search of a restaurant off the airfield. Little did we know that getting off the airfield was like appearing in an episode of Lost. Eventually we spotted a lady who wasn?t driving and looked like she had more idea of where to go that us. Turned out she was waiting for the bus and so we waited with her and got dropped off at a nearby mall where we managed to buy a pillow and soap, also forgotten, before a very pleasant dinner (thanks Matt), at the Longhorn.
We taxied to our parking space, shut down and both grinned from ear to ear. We?d made it.
Matt had found it really quite funny that during our flight down I?d realised I?d forgotten to pack my air mattress. Now we knew the first reason for the excess space in the back of the RV. It was even funnier when Matt called home to report our arrival and his wife asked if he?d meant to leave his own air mattress at home.
We struggled assembling the world?s simplest tents but it wasn?t too long before we went in search of pilot refreshment. We?d been flying all day and eaten little other than a couple of free hot dogs and granola bars. Although we couldn?t hear the music and laughter it had to be somewhere so we took a guess on direction and stumbled through the blackness. After walking around what appeared to be most of the airport we finally found some signs of life. Unfortunately the band and security guards at the Sunset Grill outnumbered the patrons. We managed to order a cold beer and an even colder hamburger and trudged back to our tents. We weren?t expecting it to be like Lindbergh?s arrival in Paris but we?d just had the flight of our lives and we wanted to share the moment.
Thankfully we remembered the tents
Sleep came reasonably quickly despite no pillow, another reason for the available space in the back of the RV, the chill and the sun baked ground. I?m just glad no one mentioned the fire ants until the following day. I can?t say I fell in love with camping but there was something magical about being woken, well before any sane person is awake, by the sound of radial engine. I must also mention Mary and her family and what a wonderful job they do, looking look after the HB campers. What fantastic hospitality.
This is about our journey so I won?t dwell on Sun N Fun other that to say it was a great show. Parked next to fellow RV?s, many of which we?d admired on-line, was a blast. I think there may have even been some other aircraft types there! I must admit to falling in love with the Titan T-51 and that night, asleep in my tent, I shot down at least three 109?s.
Titan T51 - It's not an RV but I do look good in it!
It was George Bernard Shaw who said that England and America are two countries separated by a common language and this was aptly demonstrated when an English RV-9 builder and his friend stopped by our tent as we watched the airshow. As I caught up on news from dear old blighty and we talked about how ?brilliant? RVs are I caught the puzzled expression on Matt?s face. ?Get any of that?? I asked. ?Not a single word? he replied.
Thursday was my birthday so we went in search of a restaurant off the airfield. Little did we know that getting off the airfield was like appearing in an episode of Lost. Eventually we spotted a lady who wasn?t driving and looked like she had more idea of where to go that us. Turned out she was waiting for the bus and so we waited with her and got dropped off at a nearby mall where we managed to buy a pillow and soap, also forgotten, before a very pleasant dinner (thanks Matt), at the Longhorn.
