N2893Z Annual

Surprisingly another year passed and it was time to bring N2893Z in for annual inspection.  We have now owned this plane for over 2 years and have flown many miles.  We have made multiple trips to Pennsylvania & Michigan to see family, New York City & Charlotte to see friends, Myrtle Beach and Orlando for vacations, and even used the plane to come out to Illinois to look for houses last year.  I also completed my instrument rating in early 2010 in N2893Z.  A quick look at the logbook shows 250 hours and more than 17,000 miles have been traveled!

Last year I took the plane to Cecil Aero Service at 58M for the annual inspection.  I took the week off and worked with Roger and the guys through every step of the process.  I learned so much about the plane and felt very good about being involved with the maintenance on the plane.  One of the things I was concerned about with moving to Illinois was finding another shop that I could trust.  Luckily it didn’t take long as I was referred to Schuler Aircraft Services at Paxton airport (1C1) which is a short hop from Champaign.  Jim Schuler is a mechanic at the University of Illinois Flight School as his day job and does work out of his hangar in Paxton in the evenings and on weekends.  I worked with Jim a few times over the last 6 months or so on miscellaneous items such as oil changes and a starter replacement and I could tell that he was a very knowledgeable mechanic so I scheduled the annual with him.  Jim even agreed to let me be apart of the process again and I even was able to purchase all the items such as oil, filters, and ELT battery prior to the annual to help keep costs down.

I flew the plane up to Paxton on Wednesday 9/28 and Jim and I went to work right away.  We drained the oil and checked compressions right away and all were good.  I went to work opening all the inspection covers, removing the wheel pants and seats.  Upon inspection of the filter we saw a few flakes of metal that were metallic.  I had taken an oil sample so I would send it in the next day.  Even though the cylinders are only 600 hours old it has been about 1930 hours since major overhaul and the engine is starting to show signs that a rebuild is coming.  We decided to increase the frequency and change the oil the next time at 25 hours and continue to monitor.

On Monday we got down to serious business and Jim continued his detailed inspection while I serviced the landing gear.  This is a messy job which entails cleaning and repacking the bearings.  I also turned the tires around as they were showing increased wear towards one side.  By the end of the night we had a list of all the parts I would need to order including brake pads and a capacitor for the alternator to address the whining I hear occasionally.  I also needed to order an exhaust stack for the #2 cylinder as Jim noticed a crack with some evidence of an exhaust leak.  The parts were received by Thursday we started putting everything back together and Jim started addressing some of the smaller items that he noted during the inspection.  He made a repair to the carb heat baffling and the rivets for the air filter enclosure.  I put on the new brakes and put the wheels back on.  Afterwards we set the height of all the wheel struts as the mains were low and the nose gear was high.  On Friday I came up to the shop during the day to vacuum the interior, close up all the inspection covers and reinstall the wheel pants.  Jim would get the exhaust tube and put that in on Friday night.

Saturday morning came and we had almost everything completed.  Jim continued to address some other minor things as I put on the tail cone assemble and cleaned the spark plugs.  By late afternoon everything had been completed and we pushed the plane out of the hangar to start up and do a leak check.  Everything checked out good so we pulled back into the hangar and put the cowling back on.  The only step left was for Jim to complete the documentation which he did on Sunday. Everything was settled up on Monday and I flew N2893Z back to Champaign that afternoon.

It has been another great annual I am glad to have been a part of the process.  My experience from last year helped out quite a bit as I was able to jump in without asking as many questions.  I also learned quite a few things this year as well though.  Jim was very patient and good to work with and I’m glad that I was able to find him.  Here are a couple of snapshots that I took after the annual was completed and when I brought the plane back to KCMI on Monday.

Nashville – September 2011

The original plan was to fly to Nashville, TN for Labor Day weekend and to meet up with Gary and Mary Mascelli for a couple of days.  Unfortunately, N2893Z was brought in for its biennial IFR certification on Thursday for what usually is only a few hour event.  It was still in the shop by midday on Friday so we decided to leave the plane and make the 6 hour drive rather than a 2 hour flight.  We made it to Nashville and checked into the Hampton Inn by Vanderbilt University and still had time to find a Ben & Jerry’s within walking distance of the hotel for a late evening ice cream fix.

The family woke up early on Saturday morning and enjoyed the breakfast at the Hampton.  The schedule was to meet up with the Mascelli’s at the Nashville Zoo.  We left the hotel early as we wanted to explore a little bit and also needed to get our Nashville Total Access passes.  We used these passes to see all the things that we wanted to see and it was really worth the money.  Nashville at 8 AM was pretty quiet and I noticed that we were right near the Hampton Inn in Downtown where the Mascelli’s were staying.  I had just gotten a text from Gary so I thought we’d surprise them by popping in and saying hello to them at breakfast.  After catching up quickly we left for the zoo and let them finish their breakfasts.

The Freys at the Nashville Zoo 09032011

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The Freys at the Nashville Zoo 0903201103-Sep-2011 09:03, Canon Canon PowerShot SD700 IS, 6.3, 7.466mm, 0.004 sec

 

The Nashville Zoo was the first adventure of the day.  Temperatures were forecast to be very hot so we thought we would get through the zoo early before it got too hot.  The zoo was really nice and setup very well.  The natural habitats were large and much of the walking paths were covered.  By lunch time we had seen most of everything and found a local place to eat right across from the zoo and all enjoyed cool drinks and a homestyle lunch.

 

The Freys on the Grand Ole Opry stage in Nashville TN 09032011

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The Freys on the Grand Ole Opry stage in Nashville TN 0903201103-Sep-2011 15:13, Canon Canon PowerShot SD700 IS, 2.8, 5.8mm, 0.02 sec

 

Right after lunch we headed to The Grand Ole Opry.  We bought tickets for the backstage tour and only had to wait about 30 minutes for the tour to start.  This tour was really interesting and we were taken through all the dressing rooms, The Family Room, and even were able to take pictures on stage.  It was a really cool venue and we would love to see a show here some day.  After the tour we made plans to meet up with the Mascelli’s for dinner and each went our own way for a couple of hours.  We drove around the outside of the huge Opryland Hotel and then headed back towards our hotel.  Right near our hotel is Centennial Park.  There was a music festival going on in there but we drove in to see The Parthenon.  We spent about an hour exploring this really interesting attraction and then went back to the hotel where the kids and I went out to the pool for a bit while Lori relaxed in the room.

For dinner we met up with the Mascelli’s at the Wild Horse Saloon.  This was a really fun place that had a big stage and a dance floor where they had line dance lessons.  Lori and Hannah got involved in the line dance lessons and Bryan even went out to show off a bit.  The food was good and by the time we were leaving a band was playing on stage.

Inside the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville TN 09032011d

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Inside the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville TN 09032011d03-Sep-2011 18:34, Canon Canon PowerShot SD700 IS, 4.0, 14.333mm, 0.067 sec

 
Lori and Hannah line dancing in the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville TN 09032011d

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Lori and Hannah line dancing in the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville TN 09032011d03-Sep-2011 18:46, Canon Canon PowerShot SD700 IS, 2.8, 5.8mm, 0.017 sec

 
Bryan dancing in the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville TN 09032011a

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Bryan dancing in the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville TN 09032011a03-Sep-2011 19:16, Canon Canon PowerShot SD700 IS, 2.8, 5.8mm, 0.017 sec

 

After dinner we made a short walk down the street and stopped in at the Hard Rock Cafe gift shop so Lori could add to her rather large collection of Hard Rock bears from all around the world.  Nashville was hopping.  It is a very vibrant town with lots to do.  There were a lot of people around, musicians on the street and all the Honky Tonks had bands playing in them.  Weather was coming in the next day so Gary made the good decision to leave early the following day to beat the storms.  We said our good-byes and walked around a bit before heading back to the hotel.

Inside the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville TN 09042011d

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Inside the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville TN 09042011d04-Sep-2011 10:05, Canon Canon PowerShot SD700 IS, 2.8, 5.8mm, 0.017 sec

 
The Freys on the stage in the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville TN 09042011b

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The Freys on the stage in the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville TN 09042011b04-Sep-2011 14:03, Canon Canon PowerShot SD700 IS, 2.8, 5.8mm, 0.017 sec

 

Sunday morning we got up, ate breakfast and headed into town again.  The first stop was the Country Music Hall of Fame where we spent a few hours viewing all the exhibits.  We finished about lunch time and decided to get a pizza at Sbarro just as the rain started.  The Ryman Auditorium was a short walk and we decided to spend the afternoon there.  The Ryman Auditorium has a rich history and was the original home of the Grand Ole Opry.  It was a rainy afternoon but we made the best of it and headed back to the hotel to rest a bit and decide where we were going to go for dinner.  When we got back to the hotel there was loud renovation work going on so we decided to check out and start the drive back home.  This was a good decision as the rain from Tropical Storm Lee started to come in.  We drove through it for about an hour and then it was dry the rest of the way home.  We were back in Illinois a day early and would have Labor Day to relax and recover from the weekend.

Gary and Mary Mascelli in front of the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville TN 09032011

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Gary and Mary Mascelli in front of the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville TN 0903201103-Sep-2011 13:53, Canon Canon PowerShot SD700 IS, 5.6, 5.8mm, 0.003 sec

 

Even though we ended up driving, we had a fun trip to Nashville.  It was great to see Gary and Mary and we hope to be able to catch up with them again soon.  Both Gary and I commented on just how much we miss being able to fly with each other.  Nashville is an exciting and vibrant town.  There is a lot of history and interesting things to see and I’m sure that we will be back someday!

Click here to see all our album of pictures from our weekend in Nashville.

It’s a Small World!

A couple of months after we moved to Monticello, Lori’s Uncle Bill stopped in for a visit at our new home in Monticello, Illinois.  He told Lori that her Grandfather was from a town called Deland, which is the next town north of us, and he gave us a copy of an article of where her Great-Grandfather had been killed working on the railroad near Springfield.  Here is a link to the story of her Great-Grandfather’s death – Louis Franklin Hassinger – Death.

As you may or may not know Jeff has done quite a bit of the family’s genealogy over the years.  By doing some quick searches Jeff found quite a bit of information about Lori’s family and surprisingly we found many relatives that were from the area where we now live.  These are all descendants of her Grandfather – William Darrell Hassinger.  His father was Louis Franklin Hassinger and both of his parents Samuel Adam Hassinger and Emma Pitts Hassinger are buried in Goose Creek Township Cemetery in Deland.  This is only about a 10 minute drive from our home in Monticello.  We went up there and the Sexton helped us locate the grave and cleaned up the top of the stone.

Even more surprising, we found that her Great-Grandmother’s Parents and Grandparents are buried in Monticello Township Cemetery, which only about a mile from our new house.  William E. Kesler, Ella Troxell Kesler, Salem Kesler and Malinda Stebleton Kesler are all buried in the same plot.  Salem Kesler is Lori’s 3rd Great-Grandfather and he lived from 1830 to 1924.  Here is a picture of him that I found during the search.  The Sexton for the Monticello Cemetery was also very helpful and pointed us in the direction of the plot where all 4 are buried.  All of their names are on the grave stone but they also each have an individual headstone.  Below are pictures of the family plot.

It is quite a coincidence that we moved to this area and have uncovered this about Lori’s family history.  Please leave a comment and if you come across this page and have additional information or are a relative please reach out to us.  If you are interested more in these relationships and to see the family tree click on this link: William Darrel Hassinger Pedigree

Walt Disney World – June 2011

For our 2011 Family Vacation we decided to go to Walt Disney World in Florida again.  Surprisingly it has been almost 3 years since we went in September of 2008.  Hannah is now 7 and Bryan is 5 so we thought that they would really enjoy it at this age.  Lori and I really had a good time a couple of years ago as well so we decided to make our plans.  This time however we planned to fly our airplane down rather than to drive or fly commercially.  A few months ago we looked at schedules and decided to go as soon as Hannah finished school in early June since it wouldn’t be as hot and busy yet.

For the week leading up to the trip the weather was looking good all the way to Florida.  As with most of our flights, we left the house at the crack of dawn.  The weather is usually much better in the early hours of the day as the afternoon heat and humidity brings on bumpy clouds and thunderstorm possibilities.  We were off the ground just before 6 AM and were flying direct to Paulding Executive Airport (KPUJ) which is in the northwest Atlanta area, just under the Class B airspace.  We had excellent tailwinds at 9,000 feet and were getting a ground speed around 150 knots (173 mph).  We were on the ground in the Atlanta area in about 3 hours.  At Paulding Airport we were treated like we flew a corporate jet in.  This airport is less than a year old and the restaurant on the field is not yet open.  L.J. knew we were coming and picked up some breakfast for us – oatmeal, donuts, fruit and juice were waiting when we arrived!  We couldn’t believe how beautiful the facility was and how well we were treated.  Fuel was also reasonable at $4.99/gallon compared to more than $6/gallon at other airports in the area.  After breakfast and filling up we all piled back into the plane for the next hop down to Kissimmee (KISM).  It was hot, humid and hazy as we departed, but still no storms.  We bumped around a bit as we climbed out but it wasn’t too bad.  Soon we were again cruising along in the cooler air at 9,000 feet.  I was getting some erroneous readings on my engine temperature monitor on cylinder #2 exhaust gas temperature.  They were very erratic but there were no other indications of anything wrong so I suspected a bad probe.  I paid close attention, but decided to continue on as all other CHTs, EGTs, RPM, oil temp & pressure were all normal and the engine was running smoothly.  In no time we were descending and getting vectors to our destination.  I noticed that we were getting close to the Disney TFR (Temporary Flight Restriction) but since I was on an IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) flight plan this wouldn’t be an issue.  We were able to get a very good view of Walt Disney World including The Magic Kingdom, Epcot and the All-Star Music Resort where we would be staying.  We were soon on the ground and the crew at Kissimmee Jet Center had us parked and brought the rental car right up to the plane for us to load.  Total flight time down was less than 6.5 hours and we were on the ground by about 2 PM.  Not too bad for over 925 miles!

We were very happy to be in Florida two days earlier than our original plan.  We found a Country Inn & Suites resort that gave us a good rate for the two nights prior to us checking into Disney.  The resort had multiple pools with water slides, a miniature golf course and many other nice amenities.  We found a Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner which has somehow become a tradition for us to eat at when we fly somewhere.  That evening we just enjoyed the resort and spent time in the pool.  The next morning (Saturday) we spent time checking out Walt Disney World and shopping at Downtown Disney.  In the afternoon we again enjoyed the pool at the hotel and then we went out to dinner at the Bonefish Grill.  On Sunday we woke up early, had breakfast at the Country Inn & Suites and then headed over to Disney where we were able to check into the All-Star Music Resort.  Disappointingly the room wasn’t as nice as the Country Inn & Suites and it was more expensive, but it was nice to be staying right on the resort.  We decided to make the best of it and enjoy the trip.  We wouldn’t be spending a ton of time in the room anyway and we were quickly saddled up and heading to the Magic Kingdom for the day.

We all had a great time at the Magic Kingdom and rode many of the rides throughout the day.  Hannah’s favorite was Splash Mountain and Bryan’s was The Haunted Mansion.  We stayed all day until after dark when the Electric Parade completed.  It was a long day and we were all tired but everyone really enjoyed themselves.  Monday we planned on going to Hollywood Studios and George Anthony (Jeff’s step-dad) met us in the morning.  He was down visiting a friend and was able to spend a couple of days with us.  Hollywood Studios was fun but the kids didn’t enjoy it as much because everything was more of a show than a ride.  In the afternoon we went back to the resort and enjoyed the pool for a couple of hours before being treated to dinner at Longhorn Steakhouse.

On Tuesday morning I woke up early and went out to the airport to check on the plane and to troubleshoot the engine temperature issue that I had on the trip down.  George met me out there and I pulled off the cowling and swapped a couple of the probes to see if I could isolate the issue.  I noticed that the wire may have been sitting on an exhaust tube and addressed this.  After a couple of tests I did not see the erroneous indications anymore so I fired up the engine and we did three laps around the pattern.  A short flight but piece of mind as all indications were normal.  We then met the rest of the family and headed off to Epcot for the day.  Epcot had quite a few more things for the kids to do and we went on just about everything that we could.  We had lunch with the Princesses in a Norwegian restaurant in the World Showcase that was very good.  Everyone really enjoyed Test Track and Hannah and Lori even went on the intense Mission Space ride and both loved it.  We stayed for the light show at the end of the day and walked around the whole World Showcase.  We were very tired by the end of the day and returned to the room where we all crashed for the night.

Wednesday was our “off” day.  Instead of going to one of the big parks we decided to go to Blizzard Beach which is one of the water parks.  We had a good time trying out the water slides.  Our favorite was Teamboat Springs which was a family raft ride down a long water slide.  In the afternoon we went to Disney Quest which is an indoor park that has a lot of video games and virtual reality adventures.  We then had a great dinner at The Cheesecake Factory where we were able to sit outside and the weather was beautiful.

 

On Thursday we were back at it and visited Animal Kingdom.  We enjoyed the Safari, the Lion King show and a few other things.  We finished everything we wanted to see around mid-afternoon and headed back to Downtown Disney where we all picked out our souvenirs.  Hannah bought a Rapunzel doll, Bryan bought Phineas & Ferb, Lori a photo album and Jeff got a shot glass.  We returned back to the the resort for dinner and to enjoy the pool for awhile.

Friday was our last full day in Florida.  We woke up in the morning and went to Typhoon Lagoon – Disney’s other waterpark.  Hannah and Bryan both went on some of the larger water slides with Daddy and enjoyed them.  We were all getting a little burnt out by this time so we decided to head back to the hotel to rest for awhile before going out to dinner at The Olive Garden for our last night.  We had an early day planned the next morning so we packed up everything and called it an early night.

It was Saturday morning and the week had flown by.  We had a great time but it was hard to believe that we were heading back to the airport already.  We loaded up the plane and soon were taxiing out for departure.  The leg from Kissimmee to Atlanta was uneventful and smooth sailing.  It was a little more hazy than the trip down.  It was smooth sailing but we were not making as good of time and received some re-routes on the way up to Paulding.  I actually received my first STAR (Standard Terminal Arrival Route) which was the DIFFI ONE.  It was so hazy and visibility wasn’t much more than about 3 miles so I requested the GPS-A approach into Paulding.  We purchased fuel and borrowed the courtesy car to grab a quick lunch in Paulding.  I had been watching the weather radar and I was concerned that we would have to contend with some storms over Kentucky & Illinois.  We departed and it wasn’t long before I was weaving around some buildups that were just starting to grow.  Surprisingly the XM Weather radar showed some yellows and reds just over the mountains by Chattanooga that had suddenly popped up.  At first I was looking for a route around this but it became quickly apparent that I wasn’t going to have any good options.  Bryan had been watching a video and with the addition of the weaving he started getting sick.  It wasn’t a bumpy ride at all as I was remaining clear of clouds.  With limited options I called ATC and asked them for some vectors to the closest field.  I got a quick descent and vectors to Chattanooga (KCHA) which was only a few miles away.  On the way down Hannah also got sick and Lori was quick on the draw with the bowl!  In no time we were on the ground though and we beat the line of storms that came over the area.  After an hour or so it looked like it was starting to clear but the storms I had originally been concerned with looked like they would be more of an issue so we decided to stay in Chattanooga for the night.  We were checked into another Country Inn & Suites which was beautiful and we had dinner at the Cracker Barrel.  We were all tired so it was an early evening.

On Sunday morning we had a quick breakfast at the hotel and were on our way back to the airport in the taxi.  The flight plan was filed direct from Chattanooga (KCHA) to Champaign (KCMI) and we were soon climbing out over the mountains.  It was a very smooth flight.  We were above some clouds but there was no “weather” to contend with.  Ground speeds on the return were around 115 to 120 knots (135 mph) which isn’t bad at all.  It was about a 3 hour flight home from Chattanooga and total flight time for the return trip from Florida was roughly 7.5 hours.  We were on the ground, unpacked and the plane was secured in the hangar by around 10:30 AM.

So that’s the story about our trip to Walt Disney World in Florida.  We all had a wonderful time and it was a great week with the family.  Even with the diversion due to weather it was well worth using the airplane.  The family is getting much more experienced in traveling this way and it is opening up new opportunities the way we had planned it to.  I had never landed in Tennessee, Georgia or Florida and added all of these to my map of states that I’ve landed in.  Now we need to start planning our next family getaway!  Click here to be taken to the photo album with all of the pictures that we took for the week.

2010 Aviation Update

Well, everyone else is doing it so I thought that I would as well.  I noticed both Rob and Gary put similar summaries on their blog so I thought I’d review my data as well.  Here is a summary of my flying experience gained in 2010.

2010 Hours: 136.1 – First time to break 100 hours in a calendar year!

Total Hours: 407

2010 Approximate Mileage: > 11,000 miles

Ratings: Instrument Rating – 3/19/2010

New Airports: 10 – KRDG, KACY, KMFV, KONX, KGWW, KSFQ, KLDJ, KPKB, KCMI, KVTA

Notable flights:  Flew the family to Myrtle Beach for a week vacation over Spring Break, Two trips to MI (Memorial Day and late September), a couple of trips to Champaign, IL to check out new area, flew in twice to Linden, NJ to go to Yankee games, Flew family to Concord, NC to see family friends for Labor Day.

It was a very productive year!  Hopefully now that we have moved to Champaign, IL (KCMI) I will get to explore some new areas!

Happy New Year to all of you!

Flight to Michigan – Memorial Day Weekend 2010

Flights - MI Trip - May 2010 - 23

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Flights – MI Trip – May 2010 – 2327-May-2010 11:05, Canon Canon PowerShot SD700 IS, 5.6, 5.8mm, 0.005 sec

 

We flew the airplane to Michigan for Memorial Day weekend in May 2010.  The trip had been planned for a couple of months and I started looking at the weather earlier in the week.  The outlook was good for the whole weekend.  To reduce the possibility of running into an afternoon thunderstorm we planned to leave early in the morning on Thursday 5/27/2010.  We were at the airplane before 6 AM and the loading and preflight were quickly completed.  Flight plans were filed and weight and balance checked the night before so we were ready to go.  We were off the ground right around 6:30 AM which was the plan.  The air was smooth but a bit hazy and I was glad to be on an IFR flight plan.  I was cleared west directly over Baltimore, MD and climbed up to 10,000 feet.  Luckily we had a slight tailwind even though we were heading west which is unusual.  It wasn’t much, but we were still getting ground speeds around 125 to 130 knots (143-150 MPH).  We settled in for the 2.5 hour flight to our planned fuel stop in Conshocton, OH (Richard Downing Airport – I40).  Lori kept busy by reading a book and listening to music, Hannah played with her toys and Daddy’s iPad, and Bryan watched a DVD and eventually fell asleep for awhile.  We landed in Choshocton on schedule and had a quick stop to take on fuel and use the restrooms.  After a quick snack of popcorn we hopped back in the plane as we were excited to get back in the air and get to Allegan.  I wasn’t able to get Indianapolis Center on the radio so I departed VFR and quickly was able to pickup my IFR clearance in the air.  The leg from Conshocton to Allegan was only about 2 hours and before long we were handed off to Grand Rapids Approach and cleared for the GPS29 approach into Allegan (Padgham Field – 35D).  It isn’t unusual to have good landings when the plane is full and has an aft CG but my landing in Allegan was one of my best ever.  Too bad no one was watching!

Flights - MI Trip - May 2010 - 90 - Baltimore, MD

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Flights – MI Trip – May 2010 – 90 – Baltimore, MD30-May-2010 15:12, Canon Canon PowerShot SD700 IS, 5.0, 18.633mm, 0.002 sec

 

We spent Thursday, Friday & Saturday in Allegan seeing family and friends in the area.  Lori’s family all got together at her parent’s house on Saturday and we had a very nice time.  Lori also was able to see one of her best friends from school that she has not seen in many years.  I didn’t see many of my friends but I did catch up with Troy for one evening who also lives in Allegan.  I had a very busy week planned at work the following week and it looked like weather might affect us if we decided to stay until Monday.  We opted to leave on Sunday morning and were off the ground right around 11 AM.  Again the flights went very well and we stopped in Conshocton for fuel.  They had an outdoor grill open so we decided to sit down and have lunch.  It was very hot and there was hardly a breeze.  After lunch we hopped back into the plane and were off for the final leg of our journey.  There were some scattered clouds that had popped up and we brushed up against a few of them as we climbed up to our assigned altitude of 9,000 feet.  I took quite a few pictures of this as it is a fun experience for me since prior to getting my instrument rating I could not do this.  We also flew into the Washington, DC Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA) and right over Baltimore.  Another great flight and we were on the ground back in Delaware (33N), tied down and unloaded before 5 PM.  It was hot and everyone was tired but it was definitely better than the 13 hour drive or flying commercially.  It is great that we are able to use the airplane for longer trips now with the whole family!

Click this link to view more pictures of the flights

Hannah Dancing at Her Talent Show

Here’s a video of Hannah dancing at her talent show.  She is 6 years old and in kindergarten.

Myrtle Beach Vacation – April 2010

Flight to Myrtle Beach - 040210 - 04

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Flight to Myrtle Beach – 040210 – 0402-Apr-2010 07:59, Canon Canon PowerShot SD700 IS, 5.6, 5.8mm, 0.004 sec

 

Early in the year we were planning a family vacation for Spring Break.  The plan was to fly the airplane to wherever we decided to go.  When we first started making the plans we thought that Disney in Orlando, FL might be the destination.  At the time I was still working on my instrument rating and the goal was to complete it before April so that I could use it and weather wouldn’t be as big of a factor.  After looking into Disney it was obvious that over Spring Break it would be very busy and the prices would be very high because there were no discount specials.  I also wasn’t sure if I would complete the rating in time so we started looking at other destinations up the east coast.  Someplace that was far enough away but not too far in case we ended up having to drive.  After looking at a few destinations and getting recommendations we settled on Myrtle Beach.  My parents (Jeff & Peggy) own a house in Myrtle Beach that they rent out and they stay at a place called Compass Cove when they go to Myrtle Beach to check on the house a couple of times per year.  We looked into it and found out that it has numerous water attractions including pools, hot tubs, lazy rivers, kids pools and even water slides.  The prices were also very reasonable and the rooms were well setup with efficiencies that included a microwave and a refrigerator so that you could eat breakfast and lunch in the room.

On Friday, April 2nd we loaded up early in the morning into N2893Z and departed for Myrtle Beach.  I filed IFR even though the weather was perfect which I plan to do most of the time.  Total flight time was planned to be around 3 hours and 30 minutes due to the headwinds.  This is just a bit too far without a stop for the kids so we decided to find somewhere in North Carolina to stop for fuel and to eat lunch.  We ended up planning a stop in Goldsboro, NC (KGWW) as this was not far off the airway and also had reasonable fuel prices that I found on AirNav.com.  Goldsboro is also where Grandpa Anthony now lives.  We had a very nice flight down and as we got closer the haze started to increase a bit but it was still a beautiful VFR day.  It actually was forecasted to be the hottest day of the year with temperatures in the mid-80s in Goldsboro.  When we landed in Goldsboro Grandpa Anthony was waiting for us.  He had a great picnic lunch all setup for us with lunch meats, peanut butter and jelly, chips, drinks and even ice cream!  It was a great lunch and great to see Grandpa for a short time.  We took on fuel, paid the bill and all hopped back into the plane for the short hop to Myrtle Beach.  It was very warm and I quickly got the engine running to cool us down.

We departed Goldsboro and climbed up back onto the airway down to Myrtle Beach.  The haze had increased significantly and I was glad to be IFR.  This leg of the flight was a little less than an hour and it went by very quickly.  I requested the ILS 18 approach into Myrtle Beach (KMYR).  I’m glad I did because it was very hazy and even at the final approach fix I could barely see the airport.  I flew the approach down to below 1000′ and had a nice landing while 2 commercial jets waited for us.  The line man at Myrtle Beach Aviation was very helpful and helped me tie-down and load everything into a van.  We all piled into the van and the family stayed in the van while I checked in and got the rental car keys.  Then we were driven to the rental car lot and again helped with the bags into the car.  Great service!

Compass Cove - Myrtle Beach - 01

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Compass Cove – Myrtle Beach – 0103-Apr-2010 17:23, Canon Canon PowerShot SD700 IS, 2.8, 5.8mm, 0.002 sec

 

Compass Cove was only a few minute drive from the airport.  We checked in and checked out the facilities.  Everyone was excited to be at the beach and the weather couldn’t have been better!  For the next few days we had a great vacation in Myrtle Beach!  We spent a few hours each day in the pools or on the beach.  Most days we ate breakfast and lunch in the room and then went out on the town in the afternoon.  One afternoon we visited Broadway at the Beach and another day we went to Barefoot Landing.  We also visited a park and a new shopping center called The Market Common.  On our last day we went out for breakfast at a pancake house and then walked on the new boardwalk in downtown Myrtle Beach that is currently being built.   We had a great time as a family and enjoyed many of the sites of Myrtle Beach including a round of miniature golf.  On Monday evening we went back to Barefoot Landing and the family got our picture taken with a white tiger cub at Preservation Station.  Each evening we went to someplace different for dinner including Liberty Taproom, Cici’s Pizza, Outback Steakhouse, Gordon Bierch Brewery, El Cerro Grande.  By the end of the day we were all very worn out from the pools and running around.  We got to sleep in later than normal each day as well.

Pools at Compass Cove in Myrtle Beach - 040410 - 04

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Pools at Compass Cove in Myrtle Beach – 040410 – 0404-Apr-2010 15:41, Canon Canon PowerShot SD700 IS, 5.5, 23.2mm, 0.005 sec

Broadway at the Beach - Myrtle Beach - 040310 - 08

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Broadway at the Beach – Myrtle Beach – 040310 – 0803-Apr-2010 13:29, Canon Canon PowerShot SD700 IS, 2.8, 5.8mm, 0.002 sec

Worn out in Myrtle Beach - 040410

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Worn out in Myrtle Beach – 04041004-Apr-2010 20:07, Canon Canon PowerShot SD700 IS, 2.8, 5.8mm, 0.017 sec

 
Flight - 040810 - KMYR to KILM - 05

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Flight – 040810 – KMYR to KILM – 0508-Apr-2010 07:03, Canon Canon PowerShot SD700 IS, 5.6, 5.8mm, 0.001 sec

 

On Thursday morning we woke up early as we were planning to check out and go up to Wilmington, NC on our way home.  The weather forecast was calling for a very windy day so we got rolling early to beat the weather and wind.  Not long after dawn we got to the airport and loaded up the plane.  I filed IFR to Wilmington the night before and it would only be about a 45 minute flight.  We departed and climbed out to about 5000′.  There was a layer of clouds at about 5500′ so I asked ATC if I could climb to 6000′ which was granted.  This was one of the highlights of the trip for me as it was the first time that I was using my instrument rating.  I took some unbelievable pictures right above the clouds.  We quickly approached Wilmington and I flew the ILS 24 into KILM.  It was already starting to get a little windy and bumpy and I had to fly through some small clouds on the approach which was really fun!  Lori was a bit nervous but I had a nice landing and we taxied to ISO Aero Services on the north ramp.  Interestingly enough I completed my primary flight training at KILM and took my checkride right out of the same ramp where we parked.  I hadn’t been back to KILM since 2004.

We stayed at the Jameson Inn in Wilmington on Thursday and Friday nights.  We spent time driving around Wilmington on Thursday and saw the old neighborhood and house that we built and lived in from 2001 through 2004.  We also drove out to Wrightsville Beach.  We stopped at a vet clinic where a couple of Lori’s friends and past co-workers work (Tammy McCloud and Dr. Audrey Mizrahi).  On Thursday evening we went to Buffalo Wild Wings where we met up with a group of friends that I used to work with at Corning.  It was great to see all of them and catch up.  On Friday we met up with another friend of Jeff’s (Dr. Doug Dixon), saw his office and had lunch together in downtown Wilmington.  We then went downtown by the waterfront for a couple of hours.  The Azalea Festival was getting kicked off and vendors were setting up and a lot of people were around.  There was a tall ship that was docked that we also got to tour.  Grandpa Anthony drove down and met us for dinner that evening and we had a nice dinner and visit at Carrabas.

Lori, Audrey Mizrahi and Tammy McCloud in Wilmington - 040810 - 02

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Lori, Audrey Mizrahi and Tammy McCloud in Wilmington – 040810 – 0208-Apr-2010 12:31, Canon Canon PowerShot SD700 IS, 2.8, 6.63mm, 0.017 sec

Grandpa Anthony and Bryan in Wilmington - 040910 - 02

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Grandpa Anthony and Bryan in Wilmington – 040910 – 0209-Apr-2010 17:26, Canon Canon PowerShot SD700 IS, 2.8, 5.8mm, 0.017 sec

Grandpa Anthony and Hannah in Wilmington - 040910 - 02

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Grandpa Anthony and Hannah in Wilmington – 040910 – 0209-Apr-2010 18:41, Canon Canon PowerShot SD700 IS, 2.8, 5.8mm, 0.017 sec

 

Unbelievably the vacation was almost over.  Saturday morning we woke up and had breakfast at the hotel.  We drove to the airport and got everything loaded into the plane.  Surprisingly the FBO hadn’t filled us up with fuel as I had requested and there was an issue with the truck.  I think the kid working the line could tell I was a bit upset and he went to try to get the truck running.  Within a few minutes the truck was going and he was filling us up.  It was frustrating because the plane had been sitting for two days and could have been serviced much earlier.  I had filed IFR for KILM to 33N.  Unfortunately we were again going to be fighting a headwind back.  It was slow going at 7000′ and only getting about 100-110 knots of ground speed.  About 90 minutes into the flight Bryan had to use the bathroom so I looked at the Garmin 496 for a place to divert to.  I decided on Suffolk, VA (KSFQ).   After a quick pit stop we jumped back into the plane and I departed VFR as there was a lot of traffic and I wanted to get on my way.  Once I got in the air I called up Norfolk Approach and requested a pop-up IFR clearance to 33N and was cleared direct.  This would take us pretty much straight up the Chesapeake Bay which was a very beautiful flight.  Originally I requested 5000′ to try to get a little more ground speed but it was a bit bumpy so I requested 7000′ which smoothed everything out.  I flew the VOR27 Approach into 33N.  It was a bit gusty and turbulent on the approach and I could hear Lori in the back gasping.  She was glad to be back on the ground after a not so good landing in which I bounced a bit due to the winds.

Back home in Delaware - 041010

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Back home in Delaware – 04101010-Apr-2010 13:18, Canon Canon PowerShot SD700 IS, 5.6, 5.8mm, 0.004 sec

 

We had a great trip!  The week went by fast but it was nice to come home.  It gave me great satisfaction to be able to load up my whole family with luggage and take a week long vacation with the airplane.  I was well prepared and we had great weather!  I look forward to many more opportunities to use the airplane and take the family places.  Please check out all of our pictures of the trip by following this link:  Myrtle Beach Vacation Pictures – April 2010

I’m an Instrument Rated Pilot!

When I purchased N2893Z I was given a stipulation from my wife Lori.  She said that she wanted to use the plane to go places and that if I didn’t have my instrument rating within one year that I would have to sell the plane.  She also said that she would support the training and give me the time to do what I needed to do to get it.  I feel that this was a very fair and valid request and I appreciate the kick in the butt as it has been something that I’ve been talking about for years.  I started my formal training in October.  I decided to train with Frank Dorrin who is an experienced pilot and CFII.  Frank is a great instructor who uses an Elite Simulator to supplement the flight and ground instruction.  The Elite Simulator is a great tool that can help build skills that otherwise might not be encountered during the training.  Despite being grounded most of February due to 2 major snowstorms, Frank and I got together at least once per week and I was ready for the checkride in early March.  Finally the big day came on Friday March 19th, 2010.  Here is a detailed recap of my practical exam:

I arrived in Easton around 9:30AM. I was about an hour early but the examiner was there and ready to go. He told me about himself and how he worked for the FAA at one time. He also pulled out some old reference materials like showing an old AIM and Instrument PTS from the 60’s that were only a few pages. He had lots and lots and lots and lots of stories to tell. On any normal day they would be very interesting but on a checkride day some were painful because I just wanted to get on with it.

The first 2 hours were pretty much reviewing qualifications and doing paperwork. The practical test hadn’t actually started yet but I’m sure the DE was evaluating at this time making sure that I knew the requirements. He reviewed the aircraft logs, my licenses, medical, and my SFRA course completion certificate. He told me a story about a guy the day before who hadn’t completed the course so the person had to go online there at the FBO and do it right then. He asked me to show him in my logbook my long cross country and then he added up my dual time to ensure that I had enough to meet the requirements. As previously discussed, Frank was very much by the books and spent a lot of time explaining why he was doing what he was doing. We also reviewed the recent updates to the PTS and he showed me how to look in the FAR/AIM and tell when modifications were made to certain sections. The last part was completing the IACRA information. He entered everything into the computer and then I had to sign it electronically as well.

After that we left for lunch at Applebees. I took my FAR/AIM, sectional and the information that I prepped for the flight from KESN-KCRE. On the way to lunch he started asking me questions. The first were around currency requirements. He used scenario based questions like, “If you were busy on a project with work and didn’t get to fly again until October what would you have to consider.” He was looking for “6 approaches in 6 months, holding & intercepting”. He also asked about what I would have to do if I had only been flying VFR for the next year and then wanted to take a trip next April. Of course he was looking for requirements around an IPC.

At lunch he pulled out some weather scenarios that he had prepared. It was a spreadsheet that showed conditions (temp, dewpoint, ceiling, winds, and the types of approaches available) at 3 airports around KESN and 3 airports around KCRE. He had 4 different scenarios that he only showed me one at a time. The first one was showing good weather around KESN but lower weather around KCRE. On this one he was looking for requirments around filing an alternate. I told him that it was my intention to always file an alternate but that the requirement are the “1-2-3” rule which he asked me to explain. The other two airports had ceilings/vis of 800-2 or 600-2 and we discussed which would be legal alternates. The second scenario was showing low visibility and a close temp/dewpoint spread at KESN. He asked if I could depart and I told him legally yes but that I would not depart an airport that I couldn’t fly an approach back into. The third scenario was showing a possibilty of icing with lower temperatures. We had a lengthy discussion about icing and what to do if it was encoutered. The last scenario showed a large difference in temp/dewpoint spread between the departure and destination. What he was looking for here was to identify that there was a front that would have to be crossed and that thunderstorms would be a hazzard to consider. Then he asked me which of the scenarios was most dangerous. We discussed the thunderstorms we could go around and that icing we could avoid or get out of and both agreed that they could be very dangerous situations. He actually felt that the low visibility close temp/dewpoint spread was the most dangerous because of the fog would make an approach very difficult.

After lunch we returned to the airport. He asked me to file a flightplan from KESN to KSBY. I asked him if it was okay to do on the computer and he was fine with it. I decided to file victor airways which would also take me around R-4006. I filed KESN CHOPS V308 LAFLN V29 KSBY. I think it would have also been okay if I filed direct underneath R-4006. We then sat down and discussed the flight from KESN to KCRE some more. We pulled out the sectional and started at KESN and he asked me about minimum altitudes and what they guaranteed. We discussed a lot of the symbology on the chart and he asked me about mileage markings and crossing altitudes and I was encouraged to use the legend. When we got towards KCRE it led into a discussion of the approaches. We discussed the ILS approach into KCRE and from what points a procedure turn would be required. I briefed the chart for him. We also talked about lost comms and when I could proceed in for the approach.

After all that discussion we packed up and I went outside to pre-flight the airplane. There was a lot of aircraft on the ground and Frank was rushing me a bit to try to pick up my clearance so I could beat another plane out. There were 2 jets getting ready to take off too. I taxied out, did my instrument cockpit check and then had to wait for release for a couple of minutes. When we took off I was cleared getting vectors and then Frank gave me a scenario where there was a TFR over Salisbury that didn’t lift in time and that we would have to divert. I was allowed to use the autopilot and Frank actually suggested it. We diverted to KCGE. I checked the weather and requested the GPS34 approach. Approach was a little slow today and they cleared me for the LOC34 approach and I corrected them right away. Frank then covered up my AI and DG so I turned off the autopilot. I immediately switched the 496 to the artificial 6-pack and he was okay with this. Approach was slow to give me a descent from 3000 so I asked for it. The response I got back was “roger” so they didn’t specifically clear me to descend. Frank took the radio and cancelled with them at that time. I performed the approach very well under partial panel and took it down to MDA and went missed and stayed in the holding pattern for 2 turns. After that we climbed back up to 2700 and Frank took the controls and we did 2 unusual attitudes under partial panel. They weren’t too bad to recover from. After that we contacted Easton tower and negotiated for the ILS04 approach. I was cleared to RIKME and was told to fly straight in without doing the procedure turn. I did well with this approach and when I was just about DA Frank told me he saw the lighting but not the runway. I then descended to 100 feet above TDZE and then he told me he had the runway. I had to quickly drop in the flaps and configure the plane for landing which caused me to land a little bit long but I still made the turnoff at Delta. Not to mention that winds had shifted and I had a slight tailwind. We taxied to RW22 and departed. Frank gave me vectors and we did an abbreviated LOC04 approach from WEGRO with a circle to land. I did well with the approach and was directed to circle to the left. I maintained MDA well but then started to descend when I was turning base and had a good landing. I felt that the maneuver was safe but Frank recommended not descending below MDA until aligned with the runway.

So, that’s about it for the checkride. We went in and signed my logbook and he printed out my certificate. We didn’t finish until about 5 pm so it was a full day. Frank was very thorough and experienced. Even though the checkride was long I feel that it was very fair and wasn’t “hard”. He was very clear about the expectations and followed the PTS explicitly. If you aren’t well prepared for a checkride I believe that you will not pass Frank’s checkride. He told me many stories throughout the day of where people made certain mistakes that he had to stop the checkride. All the discussions actually made me nervous a bit and I was wondering if he ever passed anyone. Also, there was an FAA examiner in the FBO and on the ramp throughout the day with someone else which added to the tension a bit.

I’m now an instrument rated pilot! I’m looking forward to getting more actual time. I received an email from my instructor who said that he had a conversation with the DE and the feedback was that he was impressed that I was well prepared, professional and organized. I still have a lot of experience to gain and I’m looking forward to taking my family on longer trips.

Started my IFR training!

It has been something that I have wanted to do for quite sometime, but I have finally gotten serious about my IFR flight training.  I had plans to start earlier in the year after I had some new panel lights installed in N9526J but that had to be put on hold for awhile after the plane was totalled in an unfortunate accident.  After going through the spring and most of the summer without a good airplane to fly, I finally got the bug again over our family vacation to Michigan in early July.  I rented planes from Dodgen Aircraft in Allegan, MI and got quite a few hours of flight time in West Michigan on the trip.  In August I purchased a 1979 Piper Archer II that is loaded and all setup for IFR flight.   Click on the picture below to see the specs of the new airplane and to see more pictures.

Before I purchased the new plane I received a stipulation from Lori.  She said that she supported the purchase of the new plane as long as I studied and got my IFR within a year.  What an ultimatum!  Lori wants to be able to use the plane to travel places and to see family more often and I totally understand why she is pushing me to get it.  I thought it was a great idea and I immediately started studying again for the IFR written exam.  I’m about ready to take the test within a couple of weeks as I’m taking practice tests and scoring in the low 90% range.

I’ve also started the flight portion of my IFR rating.  Frank Dorrin is an instructor that I met through flying out of Delaware Airpark (33N).  Frank and I have talked a couple of times about the rating and what is required.  He is very much down to business and uses a structured syllabus.  He also owns a simulator which will help in my training.  I’ve decided to start working with Frank and have now completed two flights with him that were both very productive.  So far we have practiced the instrument scan, four fundamentals, constant rate climbs and descents, timed turns and we are currently working on patterns.  We’ve spent some time on the ground as well and he is preparing me for what I need to know by showing the reference materials that I should use.  What I really like about working with Frank as I know what to expect.  He lays out the plans and we execute them.  Both flights have been at night which is also helping me with my night proficiency.  I’ve attached the flight tracks of the two lessons that I’ve completed so far that I downloaded from my Garmin 496.  Technology never ceases to amaze me and this data is a great tool to evaluate the flight performance.  You can also view the speed and altitude information as well as the flight tracks by clicking on these links: IFR Lesson #1 and IFR Lesson #2.