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WDYDWYRTW? Christmas Weekend 2025

DeltaRomeo

DeltaRomeo

doug reeves: unfluencer
Staff member
….let’s hear what you worked on or flew to. Pics please!!!!! I worked extra part times Sat and Sun so no RV - hopefully this week sometime. Got to land a KA350 gusting 33 mostly down the runway Sunday. Mostly. GREAT fun and challenging, although 20 years of tailwheels kinda made it no sweat. Would have liked to record that yoke movement for my enjoyment.
v/r,dr

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40 degrees and wind 26-35kts in the Texas panhandle. So in the drill rod hanger it was 4-6kts variable. 2 diesel burners kept it tolerable enough to get my wing skin 70% riveted.

Btw if one of y’all was the RV-9 that departed Dumas this morning it was fun to watch. With that headwind y’all were well above pattern altitude before the end of the runway.

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Flew down to my parents’ place in OK from IA for Christmas on Monday. Planned to fly back on Friday, but due to the widespread low IFR conditions covering the entire state, still stuck here. Likely will still be stuck until Tuesday. 🙄
 
I used my Rocket as Santa‘s sleigh to transport me and a bunch of presents to my family about 50 miles away on the afternoon of the 24th. It’s only an hour drive, but the traffic is ridiculous as is the road construction. I very much appreciate being able to fly back-and-forth.

I also flew to breakfast in the Rocket on the 24th before going to my brother’s place in the afternoon. No flying on the 25th, but I flew home on the 26th. Did lunch at a nearby airport on the 27th with the RV 3. Drained the oil when I returned. It has a recurring fuel leak in the left wing so I’ll also address that while I’m working on the oil change, too.

Today, I polished a whole bunch of red on the Rocket. I used a three step process of Maguire’s 105, Maguire’s 210, and finished it off with RejeX. it still takes a whole bunch of time even with my beloved Cyclo polisher, but the results are worth it. I even used the Maguire’s 210 on the canopy followed by an application of RejeX. I can’t believe how much it helped. I didn’t realize how hazy the canopy was until I polished it. It sparkles like new now!

Edited to add:

Apparently the winds we’ve had recently (50+kts) exceeded the maximum allowable wind component of my weathervane. Mayday! Mayday!

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RWoodard said:
I used my Rocket as Santa‘s sleigh to transport me and a bunch of presents to my family about 50 miles away on the afternoon of the 24th. It’s only an hour drive, but the traffic is ridiculous as is the road construction. I very much appreciate being able to fly back-and-forth.
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I feel you buddy. Can’t wait till I can use my RV to transition the front range from Tx to Wy.
 
I took advantage of some clearing weather here in SoCal to fly up to Cable Airport KCCB where I met up with another RV builder who wanted a Tech Counselor visit on this RV-12iS.
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It has been under construction at Harvey Mudd College by students and is getting ready for a DAR visit. I can always find a few things to fix. A couple of missing rivets on the firewall, broken safety wire, unsupported wires, loose turnbuckles, etc... Overall a very nice build and it will soon be flying once the paperwork is finished.
 
Took my RV7 to the coast for its first decent nav since I brought her home. Only 1 hour easy way with a short stop for coffee.

Weather was sensational and the RV performed flawlessly.
 

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pazmanyflyer said:
Is that the all metal one you got from me here in Phoenix? EAA Chapter 538 could use that!
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Yes it is Carlos. I’m finally moving along and can let it go. Welcome to give it to your chapter and I thank you again.

I’m gonna come fly with you guys down there soon. Come up here and I’ll take you guys to breakfast at el cupidos.
 
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Carlos151 said:
Installed a smoke system from the nice folks at Smoke On Aviation. Added four braces to the forward baggage floor with nutplates for some AN525 screws and a quick disconnect to the oil pump outlet hose. Now all I need is some smoke oil.

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Great idea for the baggage floor attachment points, I’m stealing that idea, thanks Karl!!
 

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San Francisco -> Arlington, TX
Since DeltaRomeo usually doesn’t post his “RV map” that includes us Western folks, I decided to travel to Texas to be finally included. That, plus take a year-end ownership in a new company plane and get some barbecue. Of course, the scenery along the way is superb.

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olyolson said:
Great idea for the baggage floor attachment points, I’m stealing that idea, thanks Karl!!
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Hard to tell from the picture but the tank is placed far enough to starboard that the refill cap is accessible without having to remove the tank. Steal away ;)
 
- Poindexter - said:
San Francisco -> Arlington, TX
Since DeltaRomeo usually doesn’t post his “RV map” that includes us Western folks, I decided to travel to Texas to be finally included. That, plus take a year-end ownership in a new company plane and get some barbecue. Of course, the scenery along the way is superb.
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That seems like one heck of a journey just to get yourself painted on the RV map, but I admire your commitment. :D

The photos look great. I knew the Hoover Dam was low but WOW....! That's getting serious. I wonder if that brings problems of its own to the structure of the dam... drying out after almost 100 years of being wet? :unsure:
 
Jjackh10 said:
Btw if one of y’all was the RV-9 that departed Dumas this morning it was fun to watch. With that headwind y’all were well above pattern altitude before the end of the runway.
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I suspect this may have been me (and that departure was at max gross!) — wife and I stayed overnight in Dumas on our way from blizzardy MN to a few days in SoCal. The weather change overnight was like being back home! We did get some good amusement from seeing the tumbleweeds blowing across the highway. And kudos to the young lady at the FBO who helped with fuel in the cold wind.
 
jwyatt said:
I suspect this may have been me (and that departure was at max gross!) — wife and I stayed overnight in Dumas on our way from blizzardy MN to a few days in SoCal. The weather change overnight was like being back home! We did get some good amusement from seeing the tumbleweeds blowing across the highway. And kudos to the young lady at the FBO who helped with fuel in the cold wind.
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It was fun seeing the climb out and how well you handled the conditions. That girl is 5’ nothing but she’s tough lol. She was pretty nervous watching your plane wiggle in the wind before you got there.
 
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