Sport Pilot Talk

rgstubbsjr wrote: Life is great.

It sure is! Glad you're enjoying yours, RG.

I try to fly at least once a week. I usually only post about flying the Cub, rarely about the Cessnas or the Warrior.
Here is a montage from earlier this week I hope this works.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5j8qP_58X8

Beautiful pix, Glenn. Thanks for posting!

I just bought a Sky Ranger, based in Kentucky. I’m trying to plan a cross-country to get it home here to northern California.

But this weather! The tortuous winds and storms across the center of the country seem to be relentless, making it difficult to plan. Am I destined to wait months until I can make the trip?

Frustrating! Any experience with similar weather conditions and trips most welcome.

Hambone wrote: ↑Sat Apr 23, 2022 3:13 pm But this weather! The tortuous winds and storms across the center of the country seem to be relentless, making it difficult to plan. Am I destined to wait months until I can make the trip?

Probably. Last year, my Bristell TDO had to sit for 3 months in a hangar in South Carolina, before wx would allow me to get it home to PA.

I definitely sympathize with your predicament...

I bought my RANS S-6 Coyote II from a broker in Utah just before Covid hit... It was quite a while before I was able to get there to bring it to its new home near Dallas. In New Mexico, which was especially hard-hit by Covid at that time, many airports were totally abandoned, and a couple of them had no way to obtain fuel, even though it was "available". Either the pumps were out of service, or there was no driver for the fuel truck. I was REALLY glad I had a 2.5 gallon header tank installed before I took delivery, as that gave me an extra 1/2 hour of fuel to fly to the next airport.

Most unusual for flying eastbound in that part of the country, I had strong headwinds (40-45 knots) the entire route that slowed my ground speed (averaged only 65 mph for the entire route). But that gave me plenty of time to enjoy the gorgeous New Mexico scenery, and contemplate the relative merits of the various alternatives for forced landings (choosing the "least bad" option). I really wanted to fly a bit higher, but the headwinds got progressively worse the higher I flew.

It was also an issue finding anything to eat and/or drink, since most of the FBO buildings were locked down. No way to get the courtesy car keys, and Uber / Lyft were not operating at the time. Those little towns had no other form of taxi services, and with no one at the airports... I found myself filling my water bottle from outside spigots, and basically fasting from early morning to late evening. Thus arriving at my overnight stay near Albuquerque ravenously hungry.

Unexpected thunderstorms rolled in that evening, and continued all day, so I wound up spending the day in the motel room, going out only to eat at the restaurant next door (the only one in town that was open).

The next morning, I departed right at dawn, and onceI crossed into Texas, I made a game of spotting cattle and sheep among the giant windmill farms, and watching the 18 wheelers passing me, then catching back up and passing them when the highway zig-zagged. There was one truck that paralleled me for almost 2 hours...

Got home that evening bone tired and hot. Still, it was one of the most fun trips I've had in years! It's all in the attitude! I hope your trip is memorable for all the right reasons!

Great story, Jim. Thanks for that!

I think I just need to go, and whatever happens, happens. It’s all part of the experience!

Last fall I had to fly my light sport from Chicago to North Little Rock , AR and back … on my way back , what was supposed to be 4 hour flight, turned out to be 4 day adventure due to not one but 2 consecutive weather fronts but…. hey, you do what you got to do to stay safe - ultimately , what’s the point if you end up wrecking your plane or possibly even much worse …