The 2018 Flights

The 2018 Flights

Another anti-gravity year.

Flight 663/January 20, 2018- My instructor and neighbor Tommy joined me for a Saturday flight in the rocket. As always, I wing over to Spokane International for a couple of touch and go landings. Tom doesn't like the first one...too flat. On my second try, I need to stay high to avoid the Airbus wake, then I dive-bomb the runway. After some friendly advice on my flare, the stall horn squeaks and the instructor is happier. We turn south into the practice area and Tom shows me his son Tony's new acerage and home site of of US 195 and Paradise Road. Tom has never flown over our cabin so I turn east. On the way, he decides that he needs to see some slow flight and a stall. I comply with his wishes. We fly over to the cabin and I do a 360 over the bay, then back to the barn. (1.2/633)

Flight 664/March 10, 2018- It's too nice to stay ground bound. I hop into the Rocket and zip over to the big airport for my standard 2 landings. Usually I am able to beat the airliners at their own game. There's flow control into Sea-Tac so I think my odds are good. NOT! Alaska Skywest beats me to the puch so I gotta extend my downwind leg. Then Southwest follows that guy. Sheesh! Then I gotta stay high to avoid his wake. Can do. A good landing and takeoff so I head around for another one. Crap! Here comes an American Airlines Airbus! Dang! Now a gotta do a 360 degree turn for spacing. I finally get the OK to turn to the runway..."Caution Wake Turbulence." BUT...then he lets an Alaksa/Hrizon Q-400 take off before I get there! So now I get to plan my landing after the Airbus touchdown point and the Q-400 takeoff point. Then he calls a United 737 cleared to land behind me! I plop the Rocket onto the runway with a nice landing then firewall the engine to get off theground quick before I get run over. I'm outta here! Off the the south practice area for some lazy flying on this sunny day, then back to Felts Field. (1.1/634.1)

Flight 665/March 30, 2018- The "Rocket" is due for her annual inspection. I agree to ferry her up to Deer Park for her owner, Morgan. The wind is supposed to pick up this afternoon, so I zip to the airport at 7:30 a.m. I do the pre-flight and pull her out. Morgan gets to the field and we chat for a minute, then I decide to hit the sky. It's a bumpy, but short flight but the wind isn't gusting like it's predicted to do later. I do a left downwind for runway 16 with the wind at 11 knots right down the runway. I squeak her down and wander down the runway with my nosewheel of the pavement, thanks to the headwind. I pull off, find a tie-down, and secure her for the day. Morgan sows up and we drive back to town. After I get back, I hit the sky with instructor Tommy in the Super-Plane, now equipped with ADS-B and auto-pilot. We take a very bumpy half-hour flight to test the new gizmos. Totals for my flight are: (0.4/634.5)

Flight 667/May 6, 2018- It's time for my biennial flight review with Tommy the instructor. I pilot the SuperPlane N457BC to the south practice area for the usual stalls, slow flight, turns, etc. I do a short field landing at Tekoa (73S). I put the plane down in less than half of the 2,200 foot runway. I was even able to avoid the dog poop on the pavement when I turned the plane around. I get a thumbs up for the flight and a signature in my logbook. (1.1/635.6)

Flight 668/June 1, 2018- I took an old college buddy, Kevin Anderson and his wife Debbie for a flight in 738BS from NW Flight Service. A nice loop around Coeur d'Alene Lake. (1.0/636.6)

Flight 669/July 6, 2018- In Arlington at the annual fly-in. I score a demo flight in the new Vashon Ranger light sport aircraft. after a few photos with marketing manager, amy bellesheim, I climb into the right seat. I allow her to do the taxi work. I don't want to drop into a hole and strike the prop on a $100,000 aircraft. We get to the runway and I handle the run-up and swing out for takeoff. Up we go. I turn to the east and climb. It's bumpy! Climb some more. It's still bumpy. I turn towards Whidbey Island. Still bumpy and really windy. Finally, out over the water, the bumps subside. Ahh, much better. But, smart pilots decide to take the plane to Paine Field where it needs to be at 3pm. Instead of dragging back to Arlington to drop me. I turn south a head for Everett. we have a heck of a cross-wind. My smartest decision of the day, is to let Amy land this puppy. I don't want to trash a $100,000 airplane. (0.5/637.1)

Flight 670/July 9, 2018- It's a Monday evening and Tommy wants to fly. He pilots 457BC to Wilbur to fill up with cheaper AvGas. I climb into the right seat for the trip home. I try to start the plane, and it has vapor lock from the Mogas that was in it before. drat. Then I flood it. We wait. Try it again. Battery getting low. Then, Tom decides to hand-prop the engine. Vroom! Uneventful trip back playing with the full autopilot system. (0.7/637.8)

Flight 671/July 12, 2018- Just me on a Monday with N3082U. Gotta stay current. Off to Tekoa for a landing. there's another plane headed there, as well. He tips me off to the active runway so I teardrop into a left downwind for runway 22. I land nicely and taxi back for takeoff. I roll down the runway and lift-off. Drat! I left the window open! Stupid pilot trick! I fiddle with it on climb out. Another stupid pilot trick! Watch the angle of attack...don't stall it. Argh. I finally get it closed and slap myself for missing that. I turn my bruised ego toward St. Marie's for another landing. I spot the F-100 jet wind indicator and do a left downwind to runway 28 and do a touch and go. Back to Felts Fiel by skirting over the Mica Peak foothills and onto runway 22 left. (1.5/639.3)

Flight 672/August 7, 2018 - Another flight in the Rocket on a Tuesday. My plan is to do a flight around Priest Lake. After trying to get some fuel in the plane (the MoGas truck won't start and the FBO guy takes forever to bring AvGas), I finally get into the air. After about 15 minutes in the smokey skies, I decide I've reached the "no-fun anymore" level and turn back home. (0.6/639.9)

Flight 673/September 14, 2018- It's a month later and the forest fire smoke has finally subsided. I cram my buddy Byron into the right seat of the Rocket and we do a sightseeing trip to north Idaho and Priest Lake. Nice ride. Smooth. I do drop over to Deer Park and do a couple of touch and go landing to keep currency. I did not scare Byron. (1.8/641.7)

Flight 674/October 23, 2018- Another Rocket ride with just me. South practice area and a photo tour over the cabin. Smooth. (1.2/642.9)

Flight 675/November 8, 2018- On eof the greatest things is that the current owner of my beloved "Rocket" allows me to continue to fly her on occasion. Today, the fog lifted, the wind went away, and the sun was out. It was still a little hazy. Apparently, it was logger slash-pile burning day in north idaho. There was a brown haze hanging in the air and little smoke columns everywhere. It was a day for a new adventure. A new airport in my logbook. today, we try Priest River Municipal (1S6). I've flown over it a zillion times, but never dropped in. today is the day. I get all the info, look at the satellite photos and it seems to be any easy place to get in to. There's just a short note about 110 foot trees in the vicinity of the runway 1 and 19 thresholds. A smooth flight through the haze and I see the field. I'm planning for a left downwind approach to runway 19. As I get into the downwind leg, I discover that the "110 foot tree" to avoid about 1,000 feet from the runway is on a hill a couple hundred feet about the runway. And, there's a river valley between the hill/tree and the runway. This could be interesting. (So that's why the fine print said something about a 7 degree approach slope.) Luckily, there's no wind to create a bump/updraft/downdraft on short final (I hope). I clear the trees/hill with room to spare and activate the Rocket's secret weapon: The 40 degree flaps! Down we go to the threshold and a nice smooth landing with plenty of room to spare. I back taxi on 19 and take off. Oh, did I mention the 110-foot tree off the departure end? At least it's not on another 200-foot hill. A steeper climb-out with a little side-step to the left and we're outta here! And uneventful flight back to Felts Field but, it's busy and I think we have a new controller in the tower. it's a bit confusing. he finally here's my call after I get switched over from Approach and gives my a 3-mile final straight in to runway 22-right. First he clears a guy on the downwind to land in front of me...then he clears me numbere one to land with the other guy as number 2. I keep my eyes open on this one. I'm a little high, but employ the secret weapon again. Float...float...oops...still high...slow...drop and.....a perfect "smack-o" landing. Not one of my best. Back to the hangar. So...the final tally: 675 flights since August 1999, 644 hours, I bagged my 60th airport, with 1,070 survivable landings. (1.1/644.0)

Flight 676/November 18, 2018- On a Sunday morning, there's nothing better than some anti-gravity therapy. My pilot and podcast buddt, Jim is up for the challenge. he's been a flight companion in the rocket on numerous occasions. I was his mentor when he was just a puppy student pilot. He knows my weaknesses and can keep an eye on me. After some consultation, we decide to go to a little strip in Ione (I-Own), Washington. it's a sleepy little spot along the Pend Oreille (Pond-der-ray) River just south of the Canadian border. I check the fuel and we have about 3 hours in the tanks. We launch and turn to the north with just some high cirrus clouds in view. Jimmy and I banter back and forth, just like old times. There's lots of laughs as we scan for other airplanes, birds, alien spacecraft, etc. About 15 minutes into the flight and a couple thoudsand feet higher, we see our destination area off in the distance. There seems to be a huge fog layer covering the entire river valley. Hmmm, we may need to adjust our plan. I ask Jimmy if he's been to Chewelah. He says yes...but it was back in his helicopter support days...and then he mumbles something about a fire hydrant. I don't ask. I swing the plane around a small mountain range north of Deer Park then turn up the next valley. We fly over Loon Lake, Deer lake, and Jump Off Joe Lake and a small casino. I make a call about 7 miles out and hear, "Chewelah radio, no traffic in the pattern, wind is calm." That's a good thing becasue Chewelah/Sand Canyon is in a canyon. There's not a lot of room to fly over and look for the sock. I decide to be a bad pilot and do a straight-in approach to runway 35. The runway is on a plateau with a steep drop-off just before the threshold. Sometimes there can be a little down or up draft here. Nothing today and I slide in for a greaser. We park by the lounge and are greeted by a little sign on the door, "closed for the season." What? flying is a 12-month season. Apparently, it has to do with the plumbing. Jim finds a tree, then he tells me about the fire hydrant. Apparently, a long time ago, he managed to high-center the helicopter company fuel truck on the fire hydrant at the south end of the tie-down area. We take a photo, then jump back into the Rocket and scream for home. I make a nice landing. Jim heads for home, and I fill up the Rocket for the next adventure. (1.5/645.5)

Flight 677/December 5, 2018- The sun came out and I decide I need a short flight. I'm going to try and fly at least 2 hours a month. I just wander into the south practice area and fly over all of the little towns. There's about a million other planes out today and the approach controller is talking non-stop. I decide to get out of the way and wander home. My errors on this flight: I can't seem to get the right frequency on the radios today. (0.9/656.4)

Flight 678/December 9, 2018- Another Sunday flight, this time with my buddy Mikey. It's been a couple years since he's been in the bird. We wander over to Coeur d'alene, then cruise down the lake. I fly over the cabin and the nudie colony (prettty quiet in December), then around Tekoa Mountain. Back to the hangar. Good day.(1.1/657.5) That's a total of 25.7 hours for the year. Not Bad. Now, on to 2019.

17th PIC Logbook (2017 Flights)

16th PIC Logbook (2016 Flights)

15th Pilot In Command Logbook (2015 Flights)

14^th Pilot In Command Logbook (2014 Flights)

13^th Pilot In Command Logbook (2013 Flights)

12^th Pilot In Command Logbook (2012 Flights)

11th Pilot In Command Logbook (2011 Flights)

Tenth Pilot In Command Logbook (2010 Flights)

Ninth Pilot In Command Logbook (2009 Flights)

Eighth Pilot In Command Logbook (2008 Flights)

Seventh Pilot In Command Logbook (2007 Flights)

Sixth Pilot In Command Logbook (2006 Flights)