It's a new year and another on-line logbook. As always, each entry shows the duration for the flight and my trotal accumulated hours in the air.
Flight
195/March
11, 2004-These lunchtime flights are getting to be a habit.
Hopefully
the days will get a little longer or the weather will improve on the
weekends.
Mikey meets me just before noon. He has the doors open and the headsets
in. All I need is a quick pre-flight. We pull her out, get in, fire up
the engine, turn on the radios, and I hear an ELT. Is it mine? I fumble
with the switch, but still hear it. I turn off the avionics master and
turn it back on. No ELT. Hmmm. We taxi to 3 Right, run up the engine,
and
take flight. It's just a quick zip over the Valley and Coeur d'Alene
and
back. We have fairly smooth air with only a few bumps as we pass
through
what looks like the inversion layer at about 4,000 feet. A right
downwind
approach to 3 Right and an OK touchdown with just a little side
loading.
I did forget to check the sock. Darn. (0.8/187.6)
Flight
196/March
21, 2004-A Sunny Sunday and Shawn and I are airborne. Our
destination
today is Davenport 34 nm to the west. Why? We aren't sure. I get flight
following and get set up to go west. I hear Departure talking to a
skydiving
operation. I call and discover they are operating out of Davenport.
We'll
keep an eye out for this. Departure dumps us just after Reardan so we
change
frequencies and call the drop plane. He is still climbing to 15,000
feet
so we will sneak in before they jump. I set up a left downwind for
runway
5. It's a little bumpy and I'm sloppy. On final approach, I have to add
power to make the runway due to the wind. I slow down, cross the
threshold,
touch down, bounce, and touch down again. WE park by the skydiver
hanger
and walk over to Safeway for some cold drinks. When we come back, we go
over to chat with the jumpers. One of them is Jim Lennox, a guy I
worked
with at Cox Cable in the early 1980's. Shawn and I depart, get flight
following
and climb to 5,000. The Approach guy does not seem happy today. I call
him over the stadium and advise I have the field in sight. He just says
OK. I call him again and ask for a frequency change and now he gets it.
Tower advises a "modified" base for 3 right. That's the first time I
have
ever heard thet so I ask for a clarification. He says that since I am
already
approaching in an angled base, that's what he meant. OK. Another bumpy
approach. I'm high and steep but make and OK touch down. (1.2/188.8)
Flight 197/March 28, 2004-A historical aviation event! After having my certificate for three and a half years and owning a plane for over two years, the most incredible event happened today. My wife joined me in the air (and in something smaller than a B-737) for the very first time. OK, it was only for about 20 minutes in the air, but hey, that's a start. It was shaping up to be a nice day in Spokane and I was waiting for the little fog patches to clear. The did, but we got a few cumulous clouds here and there. Still, I thought it might be OK to get around them and it was clear just to the west. I did a long pre-flight, explaining everything as I went. I did the same with all of the checklists. By the time we got airborne, the clouds had multiplied so I knew it might be a little bumpy. We up from the field and it smoothed out, but when I gained a little more altitude, the bumps came. Still, she was OK. As we progressed over the town the bumps increased to a more constant chop. That was enough. I turned around at Five-Mile Prarie and returned to Felts via Abrams field and a right base to 21 Right. It took us about 10 minutes to get back to the runway with a nice greaser. She was impressed. All in all she said she enjoyed it and would like to go again...on a little smoother day. In retrospect, since what we flew in today was about as rough a day as I like to fly in when I'm just out wandering around, I'd say it turned out just right. She wan't screaming to "get this thing back down" or grabbing at the yoke to hold on. She even told my best friend/neighbor/camping buddy, and yes...he was also my flight instructor, that she enjoyed it and would go again. I'm thrilled to finally have her as a passenger. (0.4/189.2)
Flight 198/April 2, 2004-A short jaunt to the north practice area with Mikey. A beautiful, clear day. The blue skies were hiding some really stinky wind patterns. Once we got to about 4,000 feet, the wind came from left. right, below, and above. Then we would bank right or left. We gave up after about a half hour. A nice steep, screaming, dive bomber landing. (0.6/189.8)
Flight 199/April 6, 2004-Another flight with Nancy on board. I arrived home, took care of a few problems regarding the new shed, and asked Nancy if she'd like to try it again? She agreed and we were off to the field. I pre-flighted and added 10 gallons of gas and we were off. My intent was to complete the flight over the family farm that we tried last week. After just a few thermal bumps over the city and the river valley, we were in smooth air. It was hazy with some smoke and a little inversion but she could see just fine. I banked to the south of her hometown so she could see the town of Reardan, then I turned around the family farm. Bill was on the tractor plowing the fields and Nancy took some photos. I got a couple good ones of her with the ground below in the background to prove that she was really there. A nice view of downtown as we came in over the city with a downwind entry to runway 21 right. I missed the centerline (just to the left again) and had a little sideload on the landing, but she was impressed. (0.9/190.7)
Flight 200/April 10, 2004-My 200th flight!-Ted and I had originally planned to fly up to Priest Lake. I checked the online DUATS briefing and all looked good. Then, for some reason I decided to call Flight Service. All was OK except that Cavanaugh Bay airport was listed as closed. I guess we shouldn't go there. New plan: Bonner's Ferry. We lift off at about 8:30 a.m. after a long wait on the tarmac. We can't get a word in edgewise between all the inbound and outbound traffic. I am in the left seat and we climb to 7,500 msl. The climb rate is a little low and I mention it to Ted. He pulls the mixture out a tad. Doh! I spaced that out. A perfectly smooth ride. I get a little lost because of the haze and can't seem to see Sandpoint, but we finally figure it out. We lose flight following from Seattle Center just north of Sandpoint as I start to descend to Boundary County airport. I enter a left downwind for runway 20. The pattern altitude is only 800 feet above the runway and since we normally fly at 1,000 at SFF, this seems really low. A reasonable touchdown, back taxi, and park. We walk to the restaurant about 2 blocks away for coffee. On our return to the field, Ted pre-flights the plane, I buy a T-shirt from the FBO, and Ted drives as we rocket back home. (1.1/191.8)
Flight 201/April 22, 2004-A quick jaunt with Shawn from Felts Field over the City of Coeur d'Alene and back. A nice smooth run after work and before the sun went down. There was another plane on the ground that was heading for Wenatchee. They were waiting for their clearance instructions but got off frequency. The tower guy called them for about 5 minutes before they finally realized the problem. We were up and long gone and they were still "holding short of 21 right" waiting for there go ahead. (0.7/192.5)
Flight 202/April 25, 2004-On a beautiful Sunday morning it was time to take my father-in-law for a ride. We arrived at about 10 a.m. with the whole gang. I did a slow pre-flight and explained as I went. Then I put in about 10 gallons of fuel. The field was very busy with aircraft taxiing every which way. Harold was intrigued by the goings on. I called for flight following and we took off of runway 21 right and flew over the city up to about 4,500 feet MSL. The air was smooth over the city and just north of Spokane International-then the bumps started. It got a little choppy but Harold said he was fine and seemed to be enjoying the ride. We flew out to Reardan and did a slow turn over the farms. He had never seen the area from a low-level flight so his eyes were glued to the ground. My usual approach over the stadium and into a right downwind for 21 right. A little fast on the touchdown with a slight balloon but on the ground smoothly and made the first turnoff. Good Flight and the passenger enjoyed it. He wants to go again. (1.0/193.5)
Flight 203/April 29, 2004-A lunchtime quickee. Ted joined me for three horrendus touch and go's. Sloppy pattern work and blah landings. The first landing was almost one of my worst! On top of that, it was bumpy. (0.4/193.9)
Flight 204/April 30, 2004-After yesterday's crap, it was time for remedial training. I kidnapped Tommy and forced him to put me through my paces on steep turns, stalls, slow flight, etc. It was bumpy. A great day for flying in crappy conditions and doing rudimentary manuevers. I need to do this more often. It was good. On our way back the SFF tower guy was having radio trouble and we were nixed on touch and go's. )1.0/194.9)
Flight 205/May 14, 2004-To the south practice area with Mikey. We do some 20-30 degree turns then swing over Tekoa and Rosalia airports for some photo ops. Fairly smooth on a clear day with just a few clouds building. Good approach and a reasonable landing. I needed a good flight for m y confidence level. (1.1/196.0)
Flight 206/June 2, 2004-After work a flight to Coeur d'Alene, St. Maries, and Tekoa areas. No extra landings but relatively smooth air for this flight. My guest pilot is Ron Kole, the public affairs guy at Spokane County Public Works and a private pilot to boot. He's not current, but takes the yoke for a good portion of the flight. (1.4/197.4)
Flight 207/June 12, 2004-About a year ago, as a 50th birthday gift, I gave my friend Paul a certificate good for one round trip anywhere I fly. Today he collected with a trip to Wenatchee. He had a hockey group meeting he wanted to go to at 9am and be back in Spokane for a golf tournament by 1pm. It's over 3 hours to Wenatchee by car-so we flew. The weather was supposed to be clear in the morning with increasing clouds and lower ceilings in the afternoon. This might work. We departed Spokane at about 7:10 a.m. scooted around a few clouds over north Spokane and climbed to 6,500 feet. The air was smooth over the central basin with clear skies. I steered a little to the south and we got into the Columbia River canyon over Rock Island Dam. I called for a straight-in approach to runway 30, the wind was calm, and I touched down at 8:30 a.m. We grabbed the Wings of Wenatchee "courtesy" Ford Ranger pickup and zipped into town. Paul walked into his meeting at 8:55 a.m. I read the Seattle P.I. He was done at 9:45. He grabbed a bite at McDonalds, we put $1.75 into the Ranger and we were back at Pangborn Field. I call for a briefing and get the scoop on the weather, pre-flight the plane, take a few pictures, and we are wheels up at 10:47 a.m. I climb out of the canyon to 5,500 feet and head east. We have a few more bumps and fluffy clouds to work under, plus I see "dust devils" out in the farm fields. It's a bumpy ride. As we fly further east, the clouds get lower so I drop to 3,500. We're rockin and rollin. Not bad, but I have to hold on to the plane the whole time. As we pass Reardan, Spokane Approach vectors us to the north around touch and go traffic at Fairchild AFB. I do my usual 'over the stadium" approach to Felts Field, enter a right downwind for 21 Right and succesfully execute a perfect "dive-bomber" landing at exactly noon. With this flight completed, I pass the 200 hour mark! (3.0/200.4)
Flight 208/June 16, 2004-An after work flight with Shawn. I am not on the top of my game. First, I almost taxi to the runway without a clearance. I do my runup and am ready to go on 21 left, but I have taxied to 3 right. My brain said 21 but my fingers and feet did the walking to runway 3. The tower guy is not amused (but they are probably laughing at the idiot in the Cessna). The rest of the flight is uneventful. We cruise down around Tekoa and back. Nice weather, smooth air. (0.9/201.3)
Flight 209/June 27, 2004-I had to redeem myself and see if I could still fly a mistake-free flight. Yep...can do. I go to the south practice area with Mikey and do some steep turns and just wander around on a sunny day. Good for me! (0.7/202.0)
Flight 210/July 14, 2004-A flight in the evening with Chris. Smooth air over Coeur d'Alene Lake and St. Maries. (1.1/203.1)
Flight 211/July 22, 2004-Went out with Tommy at lunch. We flew over to Two Rivers to see if there were any beaches for our camping weekend. A nice day but it was BuMpY. (1.2/204.3)
Flight 212/July 31, 2004-Back in the 1980's I worked in radio with a guy named Ed. We were the funniest duo in the history of Spokane broadcasting. Luckily, no recordings exist. Of course, it means that I have to take Mr. Ed on a aerial adventure. His young son, Kale came along for the ride. We ware off the ground at about 7:45 on an early Saturday morning and turn to the north. Our goal: a three lake tour of the region. The plan was to go fly over Priest Lake, Pend Oreille Lake, and Coeur d'Alene Lake. Well.....two out of three ain't bad. Due to the forest fires near Chelan, the air was very smokey but smooth. I cruised up to the VFR cruise altitude of 5,500 feet for the northeasterly trek and the haze was fairly pronounced. Looking toward the lake, the valley was very obscured. My option was to drop altitude and we would have been able to see, however there were a series of aircraft behind me with the same destination and a Cessna 172 fly-in today at Cavanaugh Bay. For me: too many planes going to the same place with poor visibility. We would be coming back down the valley with those people coming at us. Nope. Not gonna happen. I scap Priest Lake and turn toward Pen Oreille Lake. I advise Ed that we would not fly down the l3ength of Pend Oreille because the steep canyon walls do not provide for any emergency landing plans. We fly over the city of Sandpoint and do a circle over the north end of the lake. I here some planes doing touch and go's at Sandpoint airport, and the active runway changes to 19. This affords an easy approach to landing from the east so I do a 360 degree turn and line up for a left downwind approach and landing. A nice touchdown and a quick comfort stop for the pilot and young passenger. We lift off and turn south following US 95 toward Coeur d'Alene at 4,500 feet. I fly over Silverwood theme park, the City of Coeur d'Alene, and down the length of Coeur d'Alene lake. We are now getting about a 7 knot headwind. At the end I turn over to the east and fly over the town of Harrison. Back to the west and over the wheat fields south of the lake and Spokane. We get a few bumps and the weather report indicates winds at Felts Field are increasing as predicted. We will have an 8 knot wind about 30 degrees off the nose at landing. Through Mica Gap, over my house, the usual radio interference from the broadcast stations, and a left base approach to runway 21 left. As usual, I touch down just to the left of the centerline and make the mid field taxiway. Great flight and no injuries! Now into the hanger and take the plane apart...it's oil change day for 3082U. (2.0/206.3)
Flight 213/August 20, 2004-A long flight for today. Ted, his son, Tony and I are off for McMinnville, Oregon to visit the Spruce Goose. I get to the field first a get all preflighted. I'm in the left seat for the flight down. We lift off and climb. It's a little smoky. This is where I discover that I'm really a VFR pilot. I need to have a landmark in the distance to aim for. I am zig-zagging all over the sky. We finally cross over the Tri-cities and it clears up. I follow the Columbia River into the Gorge over the Dalles, Hood River, and past Mt. Hood. It is a great view. We take photos of Mt. Hood, Mt St. Helens, and Mt. Rainer. As we enter the Portland area, PDX Approach advises us to stay at 6,500 to avoid landing traffic at Portland International runway 28. There is a line of airliners passing under us. Cool. Approach drops us just after we pass Oregon City with a warning that there is a lot of traffic near McMinnville. Here we go. We are aiming to enter a left downwind for runway 22. I do the announcing and get to about 5 miles out when a Beech King Air announces he is 15 miles out. When I am 2 miles out from entering the downwind, so is he. I am following about 4 other planes. Then I discover that the King-Air twerp is right below me and has decided that he is bigger, faster, and is going to land. I look around at all of the planes and decide that this is not for me. I turn left and bail out of the pattern. I head south for a few miles to re-group and re-enter the pattern behind three other planes-two of which are not talking. I just follow along, announce my intentions and finally get into a final approach. Nice landing. Then I taxi by the King Air. The twerp pilot, with his nifty pilot uniform just looks over at me with a smile. I'm a nice guy and don't turn a give him a prop blast. We park it, arrange for fuel, cruise the grounds, and do the museum. I buy a t-shirt. Ted flies back. It's just a little bumpy here and there. (3.6/209.9)
Flight 214/August 28, 2004-I go to the field with the air tank. Just thought I'd check the tire pressure. While on floor airing up the tires that I notice that the belly of the plane is filthy with oil, so I clean the bottom. After that I decide that I might as well top off the fuel tanks and taxi the plane over to the gas dock. I wait for the crowd to thin at the pump at pour in 24 gallons. With all that effort, I decide I should at least see if the things still works. I do a couple touch and go's. (0.3/210.2)
Flight 215/August 29, 2004-It's a beautiful day. I load up an old college roomie, Rob, for a wandering flight. He wants to fly over Coeur d'Alene so I head east. We do the town and the lake then turn towards St. Maries. That valley is a little smokey from the sawmill so I start up the Coeur d'Alene River from Harrison. When I get up about 5 miles the valley gets bumpy so I turn around and we head south. I fly over Plummer (where Rob used to live) and decide it's a nice day, let's go to Pullman. It takes about 20 minutes to get there. I follow a Lear 55 into the field. We tuck 3082U into a slot behind the jet and wander to the FBO for a Pepsi and potty. There's a few people milling around the jet and a limo loading luggage. After their passengers depart in the limo we strike up a conversation with the flight crew, tour the jet, and take a few photos. Nobody famous, just some folks who came up from Denver to cruise the Snake & Columbia Rivers from Lewiston to Portland on a bigwigs 70 foot yacht. They had to land at Pullman because the long runway at LWS was closed. the jet departs and so do we. It's a smooth 40 minute flight back to the field. Wow! There's a lot of traffic at home with a few confused pilots coming in from the north and the Stearman guys doing low passes. We are the only traffic on the south so the tower guy blows the biplanes off to the east, argues with the pilots who are lost on the north, directs a 7-plane traffic jam on the taxiways at the runway 21 end, and squeezes us into an arrival on runway 21 left. Rob is impressed and had a good time. I think I had more fun. (2.0/212.2)
Flight 216/September 10, 2004-The weather is supposed to turn rainy so I needed to make a flight. At my Friday lunch group, I ask for volunteers to go flying. Mike Shea raises his hand and I have a winner. We just do short flight through the north pracitce area to Eloika Lake and back. It's bumpy, but he enjoys the ride. Me too, although my hands get tired holding on to the plane in the bumps. (0.8/213.0)
Flight 217/September 21, 2004-Three lunchtime touch and go's with Ted in the right seat. Kind of breezy as I was on the downwind above the ridge. Landings were reasonable. (0.4/213.4)
Flight 218/September 24, 2004-I spent a foggy morning cleaning 3082U. I scrubbed the exhaust soot off of the fuselage and the oil off the belly. After the fog lifted at about 11:00 a.m., my friend Billy-Rob joined me for a turn around Mt. Spokane. When we returned, Shawn was there and he helped me wash the plane. She cleans up nice! (1.0/214.4)
Flight 219/September 25, 2004-We helped Chris move his stuff to his new house in NW Spokane. Shawn and I got done early so we decided that we needed some aerial pix. We took 3082U up on this perfect day, cheacked in with Spokane Approach, and did four, 360 degree turns around the house. I spotted my truck and the house first but Shawn had the camera and a hard time picking it out. Then, my truck went down the street and we couldn;t tell which one it was. Shawn took a buch of shots in hopes that one will turn out. (0.5/214.9)
Flight 220/September 26, 2004-We return from the Wenatchee Mountain Flying Clinic. Ted flew over this morning and took the class on the Sugarloaf course. I'm in the left seat for the trip home on a perfectly clear day. A little bit of haze and some bumps at 5,500 feet. I crawl up to 7,500 and it smooths out. A floaty landing and I miss the first turn off. (1.4/216.3)
Flight 221/October 3, 2004-Shawn and I fly off to Priest Lake, Idaho on a great day. Smooth air and no clouds. We land at Cavanaugh Bay airport and wander over to the restaurant for a Pepsi. After that we wander around and discover the airport courtesy car. After a couple minutes of discussion, we hop into the car and drive the nine miles up to Indian Creek campground-one of our favorite places. It's an early 80's Plymouth Reliant. Probably last washed in the mid 1990's. The AM only radio doesn't work, something rubs when you turn, and the trannie slips wierd in second gear. After a walk-around and a few photos we zip back to the filed and pump $4 in gas into the State of Idaho-owned vehicle. A few photos of the bird on the ground and we are off. we fly up the lake to see Upper Priest Lake then turn south for home. A great flight. By the way, this is the 41st anniversary of 3082U's airworthiness certificate. Looking good for an old bird! (1.9/218.2)
Flight 222/October 7, 2004-I stop by at the hanger at lunch to try some WD-40 on the primer. It's been getting sticky. Since I have to pull out the primer, I'll have to push it back in, putting fuel into the cylinder. Then I'd have to start it to get the fuel out. So I pull the plane out of the hanger and close the doors. I lube it up and it works smooth. In fact, it's better than ever. Since I now have the plane out of the hangfer and have started the engine, I might as well take it up. Tommy hops it for a couple touch and go's. The first landfing is good. The second time, it's bumpy on the downwind. I should nevber let Tom in my plane. He pulls the power off and decides I need to make an emergency landing. Not so good. I need power to make it. We would have ended up in a pile on aluminum about a hundred feet short of the runway. Bummer. Oh, well. Back to the office. (0.4/218.6)
Flight 223/October 25, 2004-Nice day. I did two touch and go landings during my lunch break. Average landings with no fatalities. (0.4/219.0)
Flight 224/October 28, 2004-I was wandering at lunch and decided to fill the plane with gas. After I topped it off I figured that it wasn't good for the plane to just start it and go to and from the gas pump. Lou Sherry from the hanger across the way wandered by so I took him aboard for a couple touch and go's. Lou survived. (0.4/219.4)
Flight 225/November 11, 2004-Too nice of a day to pass up, plus I have the day off. Ted was going to take the plane to Yakima but there was too much fog in the morning so it was just sitting in the hanger. I grabbed Mikey and we lifted off at 1:15 p.m. Our destination: Davenport. Why? Why not. A clear sky with just a little haze and no bumps. It takes about 25 minutes to get there and we touch down on runway 5. I taxi to parking and we hop out to stretch our legs for a couple minutes. Hmmm. I formulate a plan. A couple of checks in the books and it's time for a new adventure. We're off for Spokane International Airport. I'd landed there once during my night training. We lift off and climb to about 4,500 feet and pick up the Spokane weather, then over Reardan I call in to Approach control for a clearance. I get a right downwind entry to runway 21. There is a 4 knot tailwind, but with 9,000 feet of runway, I think we'll make it. This is probably one of the few places where a little airplane can fly directly over the flight line at an air force base It's only 5 miles from GEG so we have to go over it to enter the pattern. We wonder if they are watching us. I get cleared to land and do a nice approach. We touch down with about 1 1/2 miles of runway to spare. Whew! I pull off at taxiway Foxtrot and head for parking at Spokane Airways. Mikey and I drop in to the executive terminal to see how the rich people live. While we are there we grab a few freebie magazines. Back to the plane. I call Clearance Delivery and get my transponder code, then ground control to taxi. We roll over to runway 21 and do a quick run up and are ready to go in a flash. I wanted to beat the King Air, Cessna Citation jet, and the Alaska 737 to 5the runway so we didn't have to wait. As it turns out, the King Air has to wait for us. Tee Hee. Itr's a 10 minute flight over to Felts Field. This is one of the few times when you can fly right over downtown. Mikey likes it. A downwind approach to runway 21 right and we are home. (1.4/220.8)
Flight 256/November 20, 2004-A repeat of my flight last week only this time, Chris and Shawn are in the aircraft. The weather is perfect. We do the usual flight over Spokane abd Reardan. Then, I proceed to make an incredibly crappy approach to runway 5 at Davenport. I am way wide, low, and slow. I swing back to the runway for a perfect touchdown but I am not impressed. I decide to repeat the GEG trip with the kids, look up the frequencies and we are off. The guys are impressed with flying over Fairchild Air Force Base. We land at Spokane International and hop out for a few. Then we do an intersection takeoff on Runway three at the Dela taxiway. It's a quick 15 minute flight back home on a very busy day. Lots of other traffic in the air. (1.4/222.2)
Flight 257/November 25, 2004-It's supposed to start snowing tomorrow. I got the Xmas lights up on the house and did all my chores by 9:30 a.m. Then my friend Marc and I could go for a flight. We took off of runway 21L and headed east then north. The goal was to take a few aerial photos of Spirit Lake and the nearby town. We got over the area and were a little low for a good shot, so I did a 360 and climbed about 1,000 feet for a better view. He was satisfied with his pix. then we cruised over a farm he wanted photos of. I couldn't pick out where he wanted to shoot, but after a few turns, he found his target. We headed back toward Coeur d'Alene and managed to avoid a couple of Gulfstreams going into COE (Two at once! Who are these people?) A turn over Liberty Lake for a few more shots and we head for the barn. A floaty landing and touch down. (1.1/223.3)
Flight 258/November 27, 2004-I tried a couple of folks (Dale B. and Byron) to see if they wanted to ride along today. Dale just got back from a cruise and no answer at Byron's. Maybe Mikey wants to go! Sure enough. We are off at about 11:50 am and turn north. I go as far as Loon Lake then come down south over Springdale and Long Lake Dam before turning towards NW Spokane. A perfect flight on a cool, clear day. (0.8/224.1)
Flight 259/December 12, 2004-Chris and I lift off at about 12:30 on a sunny Sunday with the thought of flying over Coeur d'Alene Lake. We turn south over the lake and it's a nice day so we aim for the southeast and St. Marie's Idaho. As we pass over the Coeur d'Alene River I turn north toward Kellogg. We have a few bumps and a 10 knot headwind so I climb from 5,000 to 6,500. It's smoother. The headwind is now 30 knots, but it's smoother-really. I turn around at Cataldo and we get home really fast with a 30 knot tailwind. (1.2/225.3)
Flight 260/December 26, 2004-Tommy put a new engine in his Cessna 172, a Penn-Yann Aero 180 hp conversion. It's time for me to test it out. I get the left seat as we roll out for takeoff at about 9:15am. Tom is handling the throttle because there are some specific break-in limits. I lift off at 65mph and the plane climbs at about 1,000 fpm. We head south at 3,500 feet for Lower Granite Dam. Smooth air and we are cruising at 145mph. This is about 20 mph faster than usual. Nice. I turn over the dam and we check out our summer haunt, the Boyer Park campground. No campers. I turn north for home. As we come into the pattern, Tom is calling the throttle and flap settings. Subsequently, I end up a little high on the flare. Oops. No broken parts, though. We're back. (1.5/226.8)
Flight 261/December 26, 2004-It's still nice at 2:30pm so Shawn and I head out for a flight. It's a busy day and we wait for three Stearmans to take off and a landing Cessna before we can go. It's a quick run over Coeur d'Alene and back. We spot three aircraft around us on our way back. Another high flare but we're back safe. (0.6/227.4)
Flight 262/December 27, 2004-Ted swiped the plane at 10:30 a.m. before I could grab it for a lunchtime quickie. So I decide to wander out to the pilot supply store to check for sale stuff. They are closed for lunch, so I wander toward the hangers to look for Tommy. Hey! There's Ted coming back down the taxiway. He must be done. I zip over and sure enough, he's back. A quick pre-flight and off to the south practice area and back. Sloppy approach, reasonable landing. (0.5/227.9)
Flight 263/December 28, 2004-Third flight in three days. I stopped by to look at the tire size and decided to do a couple of touch and go landings. As usual....sloppy pattern work but two acceptable landings. (0.3/228.2)
Flight 197/March 28, 2004-A historical aviation event! After having my certificate for three and a half years and owning a plane for over two years, the most incredible event happened today. My wife joined me in the air (and in something smaller than a B-737) for the very first time. OK, it was only for about 20 minutes in the air, but hey, that's a start. It was shaping up to be a nice day in Spokane and I was waiting for the little fog patches to clear. The did, but we got a few cumulous clouds here and there. Still, I thought it might be OK to get around them and it was clear just to the west. I did a long pre-flight, explaining everything as I went. I did the same with all of the checklists. By the time we got airborne, the clouds had multiplied so I knew it might be a little bumpy. We up from the field and it smoothed out, but when I gained a little more altitude, the bumps came. Still, she was OK. As we progressed over the town the bumps increased to a more constant chop. That was enough. I turned around at Five-Mile Prarie and returned to Felts via Abrams field and a right base to 21 Right. It took us about 10 minutes to get back to the runway with a nice greaser. She was impressed. All in all she said she enjoyed it and would like to go again...on a little smoother day. In retrospect, since what we flew in today was about as rough a day as I like to fly in when I'm just out wandering around, I'd say it turned out just right. She wan't screaming to "get this thing back down" or grabbing at the yoke to hold on. She even told my best friend/neighbor/camping buddy, and yes...he was also my flight instructor, that she enjoyed it and would go again. I'm thrilled to finally have her as a passenger. (0.4/189.2)
Flight 198/April 2, 2004-A short jaunt to the north practice area with Mikey. A beautiful, clear day. The blue skies were hiding some really stinky wind patterns. Once we got to about 4,000 feet, the wind came from left. right, below, and above. Then we would bank right or left. We gave up after about a half hour. A nice steep, screaming, dive bomber landing. (0.6/189.8)
Flight 199/April 6, 2004-Another flight with Nancy on board. I arrived home, took care of a few problems regarding the new shed, and asked Nancy if she'd like to try it again? She agreed and we were off to the field. I pre-flighted and added 10 gallons of gas and we were off. My intent was to complete the flight over the family farm that we tried last week. After just a few thermal bumps over the city and the river valley, we were in smooth air. It was hazy with some smoke and a little inversion but she could see just fine. I banked to the south of her hometown so she could see the town of Reardan, then I turned around the family farm. Bill was on the tractor plowing the fields and Nancy took some photos. I got a couple good ones of her with the ground below in the background to prove that she was really there. A nice view of downtown as we came in over the city with a downwind entry to runway 21 right. I missed the centerline (just to the left again) and had a little sideload on the landing, but she was impressed. (0.9/190.7)
Flight 200/April 10, 2004-My 200th flight!-Ted and I had originally planned to fly up to Priest Lake. I checked the online DUATS briefing and all looked good. Then, for some reason I decided to call Flight Service. All was OK except that Cavanaugh Bay airport was listed as closed. I guess we shouldn't go there. New plan: Bonner's Ferry. We lift off at about 8:30 a.m. after a long wait on the tarmac. We can't get a word in edgewise between all the inbound and outbound traffic. I am in the left seat and we climb to 7,500 msl. The climb rate is a little low and I mention it to Ted. He pulls the mixture out a tad. Doh! I spaced that out. A perfectly smooth ride. I get a little lost because of the haze and can't seem to see Sandpoint, but we finally figure it out. We lose flight following from Seattle Center just north of Sandpoint as I start to descend to Boundary County airport. I enter a left downwind for runway 20. The pattern altitude is only 800 feet above the runway and since we normally fly at 1,000 at SFF, this seems really low. A reasonable touchdown, back taxi, and park. We walk to the restaurant about 2 blocks away for coffee. On our return to the field, Ted pre-flights the plane, I buy a T-shirt from the FBO, and Ted drives as we rocket back home. (1.1/191.8)
Flight 201/April 22, 2004-A quick jaunt with Shawn from Felts Field over the City of Coeur d'Alene and back. A nice smooth run after work and before the sun went down. There was another plane on the ground that was heading for Wenatchee. They were waiting for their clearance instructions but got off frequency. The tower guy called them for about 5 minutes before they finally realized the problem. We were up and long gone and they were still "holding short of 21 right" waiting for there go ahead. (0.7/192.5)
Flight 202/April 25, 2004-On a beautiful Sunday morning it was time to take my father-in-law for a ride. We arrived at about 10 a.m. with the whole gang. I did a slow pre-flight and explained as I went. Then I put in about 10 gallons of fuel. The field was very busy with aircraft taxiing every which way. Harold was intrigued by the goings on. I called for flight following and we took off of runway 21 right and flew over the city up to about 4,500 feet MSL. The air was smooth over the city and just north of Spokane International-then the bumps started. It got a little choppy but Harold said he was fine and seemed to be enjoying the ride. We flew out to Reardan and did a slow turn over the farms. He had never seen the area from a low-level flight so his eyes were glued to the ground. My usual approach over the stadium and into a right downwind for 21 right. A little fast on the touchdown with a slight balloon but on the ground smoothly and made the first turnoff. Good Flight and the passenger enjoyed it. He wants to go again. (1.0/193.5)
Flight 203/April 29, 2004-A lunchtime quickee. Ted joined me for three horrendus touch and go's. Sloppy pattern work and blah landings. The first landing was almost one of my worst! On top of that, it was bumpy. (0.4/193.9)
Flight 204/April 30, 2004-After yesterday's crap, it was time for remedial training. I kidnapped Tommy and forced him to put me through my paces on steep turns, stalls, slow flight, etc. It was bumpy. A great day for flying in crappy conditions and doing rudimentary manuevers. I need to do this more often. It was good. On our way back the SFF tower guy was having radio trouble and we were nixed on touch and go's. )1.0/194.9)
Flight 205/May 14, 2004-To the south practice area with Mikey. We do some 20-30 degree turns then swing over Tekoa and Rosalia airports for some photo ops. Fairly smooth on a clear day with just a few clouds building. Good approach and a reasonable landing. I needed a good flight for m y confidence level. (1.1/196.0)
Flight 206/June 2, 2004-After work a flight to Coeur d'Alene, St. Maries, and Tekoa areas. No extra landings but relatively smooth air for this flight. My guest pilot is Ron Kole, the public affairs guy at Spokane County Public Works and a private pilot to boot. He's not current, but takes the yoke for a good portion of the flight. (1.4/197.4)
Flight 207/June 12, 2004-About a year ago, as a 50th birthday gift, I gave my friend Paul a certificate good for one round trip anywhere I fly. Today he collected with a trip to Wenatchee. He had a hockey group meeting he wanted to go to at 9am and be back in Spokane for a golf tournament by 1pm. It's over 3 hours to Wenatchee by car-so we flew. The weather was supposed to be clear in the morning with increasing clouds and lower ceilings in the afternoon. This might work. We departed Spokane at about 7:10 a.m. scooted around a few clouds over north Spokane and climbed to 6,500 feet. The air was smooth over the central basin with clear skies. I steered a little to the south and we got into the Columbia River canyon over Rock Island Dam. I called for a straight-in approach to runway 30, the wind was calm, and I touched down at 8:30 a.m. We grabbed the Wings of Wenatchee "courtesy" Ford Ranger pickup and zipped into town. Paul walked into his meeting at 8:55 a.m. I read the Seattle P.I. He was done at 9:45. He grabbed a bite at McDonalds, we put $1.75 into the Ranger and we were back at Pangborn Field. I call for a briefing and get the scoop on the weather, pre-flight the plane, take a few pictures, and we are wheels up at 10:47 a.m. I climb out of the canyon to 5,500 feet and head east. We have a few more bumps and fluffy clouds to work under, plus I see "dust devils" out in the farm fields. It's a bumpy ride. As we fly further east, the clouds get lower so I drop to 3,500. We're rockin and rollin. Not bad, but I have to hold on to the plane the whole time. As we pass Reardan, Spokane Approach vectors us to the north around touch and go traffic at Fairchild AFB. I do my usual 'over the stadium" approach to Felts Field, enter a right downwind for 21 Right and succesfully execute a perfect "dive-bomber" landing at exactly noon. With this flight completed, I pass the 200 hour mark! (3.0/200.4)
Flight 208/June 16, 2004-An after work flight with Shawn. I am not on the top of my game. First, I almost taxi to the runway without a clearance. I do my runup and am ready to go on 21 left, but I have taxied to 3 right. My brain said 21 but my fingers and feet did the walking to runway 3. The tower guy is not amused (but they are probably laughing at the idiot in the Cessna). The rest of the flight is uneventful. We cruise down around Tekoa and back. Nice weather, smooth air. (0.9/201.3)
Flight 209/June 27, 2004-I had to redeem myself and see if I could still fly a mistake-free flight. Yep...can do. I go to the south practice area with Mikey and do some steep turns and just wander around on a sunny day. Good for me! (0.7/202.0)
Flight 210/July 14, 2004-A flight in the evening with Chris. Smooth air over Coeur d'Alene Lake and St. Maries. (1.1/203.1)
Flight 211/July 22, 2004-Went out with Tommy at lunch. We flew over to Two Rivers to see if there were any beaches for our camping weekend. A nice day but it was BuMpY. (1.2/204.3)
Flight 212/July 31, 2004-Back in the 1980's I worked in radio with a guy named Ed. We were the funniest duo in the history of Spokane broadcasting. Luckily, no recordings exist. Of course, it means that I have to take Mr. Ed on a aerial adventure. His young son, Kale came along for the ride. We ware off the ground at about 7:45 on an early Saturday morning and turn to the north. Our goal: a three lake tour of the region. The plan was to go fly over Priest Lake, Pend Oreille Lake, and Coeur d'Alene Lake. Well.....two out of three ain't bad. Due to the forest fires near Chelan, the air was very smokey but smooth. I cruised up to the VFR cruise altitude of 5,500 feet for the northeasterly trek and the haze was fairly pronounced. Looking toward the lake, the valley was very obscured. My option was to drop altitude and we would have been able to see, however there were a series of aircraft behind me with the same destination and a Cessna 172 fly-in today at Cavanaugh Bay. For me: too many planes going to the same place with poor visibility. We would be coming back down the valley with those people coming at us. Nope. Not gonna happen. I scap Priest Lake and turn toward Pen Oreille Lake. I advise Ed that we would not fly down the l3ength of Pend Oreille because the steep canyon walls do not provide for any emergency landing plans. We fly over the city of Sandpoint and do a circle over the north end of the lake. I here some planes doing touch and go's at Sandpoint airport, and the active runway changes to 19. This affords an easy approach to landing from the east so I do a 360 degree turn and line up for a left downwind approach and landing. A nice touchdown and a quick comfort stop for the pilot and young passenger. We lift off and turn south following US 95 toward Coeur d'Alene at 4,500 feet. I fly over Silverwood theme park, the City of Coeur d'Alene, and down the length of Coeur d'Alene lake. We are now getting about a 7 knot headwind. At the end I turn over to the east and fly over the town of Harrison. Back to the west and over the wheat fields south of the lake and Spokane. We get a few bumps and the weather report indicates winds at Felts Field are increasing as predicted. We will have an 8 knot wind about 30 degrees off the nose at landing. Through Mica Gap, over my house, the usual radio interference from the broadcast stations, and a left base approach to runway 21 left. As usual, I touch down just to the left of the centerline and make the mid field taxiway. Great flight and no injuries! Now into the hanger and take the plane apart...it's oil change day for 3082U. (2.0/206.3)
Flight 213/August 20, 2004-A long flight for today. Ted, his son, Tony and I are off for McMinnville, Oregon to visit the Spruce Goose. I get to the field first a get all preflighted. I'm in the left seat for the flight down. We lift off and climb. It's a little smoky. This is where I discover that I'm really a VFR pilot. I need to have a landmark in the distance to aim for. I am zig-zagging all over the sky. We finally cross over the Tri-cities and it clears up. I follow the Columbia River into the Gorge over the Dalles, Hood River, and past Mt. Hood. It is a great view. We take photos of Mt. Hood, Mt St. Helens, and Mt. Rainer. As we enter the Portland area, PDX Approach advises us to stay at 6,500 to avoid landing traffic at Portland International runway 28. There is a line of airliners passing under us. Cool. Approach drops us just after we pass Oregon City with a warning that there is a lot of traffic near McMinnville. Here we go. We are aiming to enter a left downwind for runway 22. I do the announcing and get to about 5 miles out when a Beech King Air announces he is 15 miles out. When I am 2 miles out from entering the downwind, so is he. I am following about 4 other planes. Then I discover that the King-Air twerp is right below me and has decided that he is bigger, faster, and is going to land. I look around at all of the planes and decide that this is not for me. I turn left and bail out of the pattern. I head south for a few miles to re-group and re-enter the pattern behind three other planes-two of which are not talking. I just follow along, announce my intentions and finally get into a final approach. Nice landing. Then I taxi by the King Air. The twerp pilot, with his nifty pilot uniform just looks over at me with a smile. I'm a nice guy and don't turn a give him a prop blast. We park it, arrange for fuel, cruise the grounds, and do the museum. I buy a t-shirt. Ted flies back. It's just a little bumpy here and there. (3.6/209.9)
Flight 214/August 28, 2004-I go to the field with the air tank. Just thought I'd check the tire pressure. While on floor airing up the tires that I notice that the belly of the plane is filthy with oil, so I clean the bottom. After that I decide that I might as well top off the fuel tanks and taxi the plane over to the gas dock. I wait for the crowd to thin at the pump at pour in 24 gallons. With all that effort, I decide I should at least see if the things still works. I do a couple touch and go's. (0.3/210.2)
Flight 215/August 29, 2004-It's a beautiful day. I load up an old college roomie, Rob, for a wandering flight. He wants to fly over Coeur d'Alene so I head east. We do the town and the lake then turn towards St. Maries. That valley is a little smokey from the sawmill so I start up the Coeur d'Alene River from Harrison. When I get up about 5 miles the valley gets bumpy so I turn around and we head south. I fly over Plummer (where Rob used to live) and decide it's a nice day, let's go to Pullman. It takes about 20 minutes to get there. I follow a Lear 55 into the field. We tuck 3082U into a slot behind the jet and wander to the FBO for a Pepsi and potty. There's a few people milling around the jet and a limo loading luggage. After their passengers depart in the limo we strike up a conversation with the flight crew, tour the jet, and take a few photos. Nobody famous, just some folks who came up from Denver to cruise the Snake & Columbia Rivers from Lewiston to Portland on a bigwigs 70 foot yacht. They had to land at Pullman because the long runway at LWS was closed. the jet departs and so do we. It's a smooth 40 minute flight back to the field. Wow! There's a lot of traffic at home with a few confused pilots coming in from the north and the Stearman guys doing low passes. We are the only traffic on the south so the tower guy blows the biplanes off to the east, argues with the pilots who are lost on the north, directs a 7-plane traffic jam on the taxiways at the runway 21 end, and squeezes us into an arrival on runway 21 left. Rob is impressed and had a good time. I think I had more fun. (2.0/212.2)
Flight 216/September 10, 2004-The weather is supposed to turn rainy so I needed to make a flight. At my Friday lunch group, I ask for volunteers to go flying. Mike Shea raises his hand and I have a winner. We just do short flight through the north pracitce area to Eloika Lake and back. It's bumpy, but he enjoys the ride. Me too, although my hands get tired holding on to the plane in the bumps. (0.8/213.0)
Flight 217/September 21, 2004-Three lunchtime touch and go's with Ted in the right seat. Kind of breezy as I was on the downwind above the ridge. Landings were reasonable. (0.4/213.4)
Flight 218/September 24, 2004-I spent a foggy morning cleaning 3082U. I scrubbed the exhaust soot off of the fuselage and the oil off the belly. After the fog lifted at about 11:00 a.m., my friend Billy-Rob joined me for a turn around Mt. Spokane. When we returned, Shawn was there and he helped me wash the plane. She cleans up nice! (1.0/214.4)
Flight 219/September 25, 2004-We helped Chris move his stuff to his new house in NW Spokane. Shawn and I got done early so we decided that we needed some aerial pix. We took 3082U up on this perfect day, cheacked in with Spokane Approach, and did four, 360 degree turns around the house. I spotted my truck and the house first but Shawn had the camera and a hard time picking it out. Then, my truck went down the street and we couldn;t tell which one it was. Shawn took a buch of shots in hopes that one will turn out. (0.5/214.9)
Flight 220/September 26, 2004-We return from the Wenatchee Mountain Flying Clinic. Ted flew over this morning and took the class on the Sugarloaf course. I'm in the left seat for the trip home on a perfectly clear day. A little bit of haze and some bumps at 5,500 feet. I crawl up to 7,500 and it smooths out. A floaty landing and I miss the first turn off. (1.4/216.3)
Flight 221/October 3, 2004-Shawn and I fly off to Priest Lake, Idaho on a great day. Smooth air and no clouds. We land at Cavanaugh Bay airport and wander over to the restaurant for a Pepsi. After that we wander around and discover the airport courtesy car. After a couple minutes of discussion, we hop into the car and drive the nine miles up to Indian Creek campground-one of our favorite places. It's an early 80's Plymouth Reliant. Probably last washed in the mid 1990's. The AM only radio doesn't work, something rubs when you turn, and the trannie slips wierd in second gear. After a walk-around and a few photos we zip back to the filed and pump $4 in gas into the State of Idaho-owned vehicle. A few photos of the bird on the ground and we are off. we fly up the lake to see Upper Priest Lake then turn south for home. A great flight. By the way, this is the 41st anniversary of 3082U's airworthiness certificate. Looking good for an old bird! (1.9/218.2)
Flight 222/October 7, 2004-I stop by at the hanger at lunch to try some WD-40 on the primer. It's been getting sticky. Since I have to pull out the primer, I'll have to push it back in, putting fuel into the cylinder. Then I'd have to start it to get the fuel out. So I pull the plane out of the hanger and close the doors. I lube it up and it works smooth. In fact, it's better than ever. Since I now have the plane out of the hangfer and have started the engine, I might as well take it up. Tommy hops it for a couple touch and go's. The first landfing is good. The second time, it's bumpy on the downwind. I should nevber let Tom in my plane. He pulls the power off and decides I need to make an emergency landing. Not so good. I need power to make it. We would have ended up in a pile on aluminum about a hundred feet short of the runway. Bummer. Oh, well. Back to the office. (0.4/218.6)
Flight 223/October 25, 2004-Nice day. I did two touch and go landings during my lunch break. Average landings with no fatalities. (0.4/219.0)
Flight 224/October 28, 2004-I was wandering at lunch and decided to fill the plane with gas. After I topped it off I figured that it wasn't good for the plane to just start it and go to and from the gas pump. Lou Sherry from the hanger across the way wandered by so I took him aboard for a couple touch and go's. Lou survived. (0.4/219.4)
Flight 225/November 11, 2004-Too nice of a day to pass up, plus I have the day off. Ted was going to take the plane to Yakima but there was too much fog in the morning so it was just sitting in the hanger. I grabbed Mikey and we lifted off at 1:15 p.m. Our destination: Davenport. Why? Why not. A clear sky with just a little haze and no bumps. It takes about 25 minutes to get there and we touch down on runway 5. I taxi to parking and we hop out to stretch our legs for a couple minutes. Hmmm. I formulate a plan. A couple of checks in the books and it's time for a new adventure. We're off for Spokane International Airport. I'd landed there once during my night training. We lift off and climb to about 4,500 feet and pick up the Spokane weather, then over Reardan I call in to Approach control for a clearance. I get a right downwind entry to runway 21. There is a 4 knot tailwind, but with 9,000 feet of runway, I think we'll make it. This is probably one of the few places where a little airplane can fly directly over the flight line at an air force base It's only 5 miles from GEG so we have to go over it to enter the pattern. We wonder if they are watching us. I get cleared to land and do a nice approach. We touch down with about 1 1/2 miles of runway to spare. Whew! I pull off at taxiway Foxtrot and head for parking at Spokane Airways. Mikey and I drop in to the executive terminal to see how the rich people live. While we are there we grab a few freebie magazines. Back to the plane. I call Clearance Delivery and get my transponder code, then ground control to taxi. We roll over to runway 21 and do a quick run up and are ready to go in a flash. I wanted to beat the King Air, Cessna Citation jet, and the Alaska 737 to 5the runway so we didn't have to wait. As it turns out, the King Air has to wait for us. Tee Hee. Itr's a 10 minute flight over to Felts Field. This is one of the few times when you can fly right over downtown. Mikey likes it. A downwind approach to runway 21 right and we are home. (1.4/220.8)
Flight 256/November 20, 2004-A repeat of my flight last week only this time, Chris and Shawn are in the aircraft. The weather is perfect. We do the usual flight over Spokane abd Reardan. Then, I proceed to make an incredibly crappy approach to runway 5 at Davenport. I am way wide, low, and slow. I swing back to the runway for a perfect touchdown but I am not impressed. I decide to repeat the GEG trip with the kids, look up the frequencies and we are off. The guys are impressed with flying over Fairchild Air Force Base. We land at Spokane International and hop out for a few. Then we do an intersection takeoff on Runway three at the Dela taxiway. It's a quick 15 minute flight back home on a very busy day. Lots of other traffic in the air. (1.4/222.2)
Flight 257/November 25, 2004-It's supposed to start snowing tomorrow. I got the Xmas lights up on the house and did all my chores by 9:30 a.m. Then my friend Marc and I could go for a flight. We took off of runway 21L and headed east then north. The goal was to take a few aerial photos of Spirit Lake and the nearby town. We got over the area and were a little low for a good shot, so I did a 360 and climbed about 1,000 feet for a better view. He was satisfied with his pix. then we cruised over a farm he wanted photos of. I couldn't pick out where he wanted to shoot, but after a few turns, he found his target. We headed back toward Coeur d'Alene and managed to avoid a couple of Gulfstreams going into COE (Two at once! Who are these people?) A turn over Liberty Lake for a few more shots and we head for the barn. A floaty landing and touch down. (1.1/223.3)
Flight 258/November 27, 2004-I tried a couple of folks (Dale B. and Byron) to see if they wanted to ride along today. Dale just got back from a cruise and no answer at Byron's. Maybe Mikey wants to go! Sure enough. We are off at about 11:50 am and turn north. I go as far as Loon Lake then come down south over Springdale and Long Lake Dam before turning towards NW Spokane. A perfect flight on a cool, clear day. (0.8/224.1)
Flight 259/December 12, 2004-Chris and I lift off at about 12:30 on a sunny Sunday with the thought of flying over Coeur d'Alene Lake. We turn south over the lake and it's a nice day so we aim for the southeast and St. Marie's Idaho. As we pass over the Coeur d'Alene River I turn north toward Kellogg. We have a few bumps and a 10 knot headwind so I climb from 5,000 to 6,500. It's smoother. The headwind is now 30 knots, but it's smoother-really. I turn around at Cataldo and we get home really fast with a 30 knot tailwind. (1.2/225.3)
Flight 260/December 26, 2004-Tommy put a new engine in his Cessna 172, a Penn-Yann Aero 180 hp conversion. It's time for me to test it out. I get the left seat as we roll out for takeoff at about 9:15am. Tom is handling the throttle because there are some specific break-in limits. I lift off at 65mph and the plane climbs at about 1,000 fpm. We head south at 3,500 feet for Lower Granite Dam. Smooth air and we are cruising at 145mph. This is about 20 mph faster than usual. Nice. I turn over the dam and we check out our summer haunt, the Boyer Park campground. No campers. I turn north for home. As we come into the pattern, Tom is calling the throttle and flap settings. Subsequently, I end up a little high on the flare. Oops. No broken parts, though. We're back. (1.5/226.8)
Flight 261/December 26, 2004-It's still nice at 2:30pm so Shawn and I head out for a flight. It's a busy day and we wait for three Stearmans to take off and a landing Cessna before we can go. It's a quick run over Coeur d'Alene and back. We spot three aircraft around us on our way back. Another high flare but we're back safe. (0.6/227.4)
Flight 262/December 27, 2004-Ted swiped the plane at 10:30 a.m. before I could grab it for a lunchtime quickie. So I decide to wander out to the pilot supply store to check for sale stuff. They are closed for lunch, so I wander toward the hangers to look for Tommy. Hey! There's Ted coming back down the taxiway. He must be done. I zip over and sure enough, he's back. A quick pre-flight and off to the south practice area and back. Sloppy approach, reasonable landing. (0.5/227.9)
Flight 263/December 28, 2004-Third flight in three days. I stopped by to look at the tire size and decided to do a couple of touch and go landings. As usual....sloppy pattern work but two acceptable landings. (0.3/228.2)
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