I just got back from another trip in the airplane and got a chance to try some new things that I thought I would share with you. First and probably the most exciting is I got a chance to take the airplane up to 17,500' for the first time. On the trip to Oshkosh I got it up to 15,500' but I didn't stay up there very long. This time I was alone, had oxygen on and the winds looked a little better up there so I took it on up. All I can say is WOW! That wing loves the altitude. I was doing 155 knots TAS burning 6.2 gallons per hour and had a 50 knot tailwind! I took a picture of it which you will find below. You will also see a pretty spectacular picture I took on descent from that trip....
I also got a chance to do a few family member flights and I also got to land in the town where I was born. That doesn't sound too exciting on its own but to me it was a big deal because I also met up with a childhood friend who was part of the reason I love to fly so much. I remember sitting in class (grade school) drawing airplanes with my friend Bob whose dad would occasionally fly his bright orange nosed Cessna overhead.
Oh, I also got the rest of the interior installed in the airplane. I am getting very close to calling it done, interior wise anyway. :-)
Finally I have to say that this summer has been a summer of dreams. I've got almost 200 hours on the airplane at this time which is a ridiculously large number. I've checked many items off of my bucket list and now I need to add a few more. I am very close to getting my IFR rating which will allow me to safely fly in the clouds. So many exciting events, but it's now coming to point where I am ready to shift gears a little. I'm officially unemployed now and ready to start on my next big adventure. I've seen a few interesting possibilities and am really excited about getting back into a more normal groove of life.
Anyway, on with the show....
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| Here is the interior after I finished the pilot side panels. I really like the look and the added storage pockets is really nice. |
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| I took this picture as I was headed East to Ekalaka. Beautiful day to fly above the clouds. |
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| Ok, this is the picture I mentioned above. I was near Helena Montana headed east. 203 knots ground speed is awesome but wait until the next picture... |
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| 225 knots Ground speed!!! Obviously I was in a descent at this time and I actually had to be careful not to go too fast as you can see by the red markings on my airspeed tape. I actually did go a little faster but didn't get a picture of it. This is pretty darn awesome at 225 knots though! Look at the wind speed! 60 knots of tailwind! |
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| Here she is, all tied down and unpacked in Ekalaka. |
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| I took this picture on the return flight home for my Aunt who packed me a lunch. :-) |
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| The fires in the area were causing a lot of haze as you can see from this picture taken on my return trip near the Montana Idaho border. |
