EdFred
Taxi to Parking
...and learned about Boyle's law in the process.
So yesterday was a bee-yoo-tah-full day in Michigan. Clear sky, visibilty galore and about 35 on the ground. I needed to get out of the pattern which had been 3 out of my past 4 flights, with the 4th flight not even counting as a cross country if I wanted it to be counted towards a rating. The problem is, running off for a burger alone isn't much fun, and all my buddies need to go through 16 levels of bureaucractic negotiation and approval go to anywhere besides the local store to by tampax. So, I decided to give my mom a call, since she hadn't been up with me since the day after brought home my plane in May 2004. She asked where I wanted to go, and I suggested Burlington, WI. Now there is nothing on the field or nearby at BUU, but we have friends that live there, and after a phone call they were all for us coming over.
I saw some clouds just inland from the shore of Lake Michigan on the satellites, but knew that was just the evporation off the Lake like we have pretty much year round, and the METARs along the lake shore showed OVC at 2500. Coupled with high pressure dominating the area, I know it's just the one thin layer which is going to be a non issue. So after preflighting the plane and putting in an hour of fuel, mom and I hop in the plane.
I treat it like an intro flight, and narrate the entire process of what I am doing. She loves the GPS, and reading the sectional chart, so I got them out even though I could fly to BUU and back with...well...nothing. There was about a 16 knot headwind at 10,500 when crossing Lake Michigan, but it was a very smooth flight. Listened to 121.5 on the way over, in lieu of getting flight following over the lake. (I know, I know) There were no clouds anywhere other than the few along the east shore. I let mom hadn;e the controls while I looked up some more info in the "green book" on BUU since I hadn't been in there for 2 years. After getting over the Wisconsin shoreline, I rolled in some forward trim, and pulled the power a little.
The pattern was BUSY at BUU as we were approaching, but we slipped right into a gap behind a 150 who was flying a 747 pattern, so I felt like I had to get out the MLS approach the shuttle uses ito go into Kennedy to fly this pattern. Come on people, you should all know the power off 180! The landing was smooth, as all mine are *cough* and we our friends know we were down. We get in their Escape, and head to...Lake Geneva. I could have landed there! Well, not really, because BUU has Avgas at $2.99, so that was the place to top off.
Ok, if you ever have transportation around Lake Geneva, go to Popeye's. No, it's not the chicken chain. This place as great food. And this is where Boyle's Law came into play. Chips and artichoke dip, a cup of cheesy broccoli soup with a roll. Followed by a massive steak sandwich and seasoned waffle fries, washed down with 2 Coca-Colas. We went back to out friends house to see their new addition, but the time spent there, nor the Tums did anything to help what was going on in my stomach.
Back to the airport for a smooth night flight back over the lake with a 13 knot tailwind at 9,500. Yes, the pressure change over 9,000 feet does make a difference. The visibilty was outstanding and we could see the lights of Chicago, Gary, and a trickle of lights all the way up the Michigan shoreline. We could see the lights of bLansing and Kalamazoo from out over Lake Michigan. Mom was worried about us flying at night, and I said not to worry. Finding hastings at night is easy. There are four huge radio towers well west of the field, so just look for the vertical red lights, and look almost directly east for the beacon. I adjusted the lights on the runway, and put it down and stopped within 1000'. Rolled around to the hangar, and shut down for the night.
It was good to go somewhere, even with the chemistry lesson.
So yesterday was a bee-yoo-tah-full day in Michigan. Clear sky, visibilty galore and about 35 on the ground. I needed to get out of the pattern which had been 3 out of my past 4 flights, with the 4th flight not even counting as a cross country if I wanted it to be counted towards a rating. The problem is, running off for a burger alone isn't much fun, and all my buddies need to go through 16 levels of bureaucractic negotiation and approval go to anywhere besides the local store to by tampax. So, I decided to give my mom a call, since she hadn't been up with me since the day after brought home my plane in May 2004. She asked where I wanted to go, and I suggested Burlington, WI. Now there is nothing on the field or nearby at BUU, but we have friends that live there, and after a phone call they were all for us coming over.
I saw some clouds just inland from the shore of Lake Michigan on the satellites, but knew that was just the evporation off the Lake like we have pretty much year round, and the METARs along the lake shore showed OVC at 2500. Coupled with high pressure dominating the area, I know it's just the one thin layer which is going to be a non issue. So after preflighting the plane and putting in an hour of fuel, mom and I hop in the plane.
I treat it like an intro flight, and narrate the entire process of what I am doing. She loves the GPS, and reading the sectional chart, so I got them out even though I could fly to BUU and back with...well...nothing. There was about a 16 knot headwind at 10,500 when crossing Lake Michigan, but it was a very smooth flight. Listened to 121.5 on the way over, in lieu of getting flight following over the lake. (I know, I know) There were no clouds anywhere other than the few along the east shore. I let mom hadn;e the controls while I looked up some more info in the "green book" on BUU since I hadn't been in there for 2 years. After getting over the Wisconsin shoreline, I rolled in some forward trim, and pulled the power a little.
The pattern was BUSY at BUU as we were approaching, but we slipped right into a gap behind a 150 who was flying a 747 pattern, so I felt like I had to get out the MLS approach the shuttle uses ito go into Kennedy to fly this pattern. Come on people, you should all know the power off 180! The landing was smooth, as all mine are *cough* and we our friends know we were down. We get in their Escape, and head to...Lake Geneva. I could have landed there! Well, not really, because BUU has Avgas at $2.99, so that was the place to top off.
Ok, if you ever have transportation around Lake Geneva, go to Popeye's. No, it's not the chicken chain. This place as great food. And this is where Boyle's Law came into play. Chips and artichoke dip, a cup of cheesy broccoli soup with a roll. Followed by a massive steak sandwich and seasoned waffle fries, washed down with 2 Coca-Colas. We went back to out friends house to see their new addition, but the time spent there, nor the Tums did anything to help what was going on in my stomach.
Back to the airport for a smooth night flight back over the lake with a 13 knot tailwind at 9,500. Yes, the pressure change over 9,000 feet does make a difference. The visibilty was outstanding and we could see the lights of Chicago, Gary, and a trickle of lights all the way up the Michigan shoreline. We could see the lights of bLansing and Kalamazoo from out over Lake Michigan. Mom was worried about us flying at night, and I said not to worry. Finding hastings at night is easy. There are four huge radio towers well west of the field, so just look for the vertical red lights, and look almost directly east for the beacon. I adjusted the lights on the runway, and put it down and stopped within 1000'. Rolled around to the hangar, and shut down for the night.
It was good to go somewhere, even with the chemistry lesson.
If your with her by choise then having lunch with a female pilot friend shouldn't be any sort of threat. I just don't understand women like that. Why would you(her) want someone who you(she) can't trust? Oh well guess I'm just strange. 
