First time on a ferry permit

[Anthony]

I've never flown on a ferry permit, but today is the day! My annual expired yesterday and I couldn't get to the shop at another airport to do my annual inspection due to weather. Its been uncharacteristically crummy here lately. No biggie, I new I was looking at getting the ferry permit anyway, my maintenance shop got if for me and I notified my insurance carrier. At least I get to fly a little today, it is beautiful here in CO! The Tiger get's one more patrol of the Front Range, and then so long for several days or a few weeks. Keep your fingers crossed!

 

[Gary]

Good Luck Tony!

How far do you need to go to the shop? Doesn't Front Range have a mechanic on-site or is this just a preference for someone else?

Gary

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

The airplane won't know Anthony, it'll fly just the same (although you might be a little apprehensive). Have fun and good luck on the annual (I missed why the local shop was not your choice for the annual).
PS I am so leary of ins co's now I require them to write me an approval before I go on such a flight... no taking word over the phone.

 

[Anthony]

Gary/Dave,

Thanks. It will be kind of like flying over water. The plane doesn't know, but I will. Actually, I'm covered and the plane is covered, so it should be just like a normal flight. Its been a few weeks since I flew, so I'm feeling a little rusty.

Front Range has several good shops from what I hear. None of them know Grummans from what I can tell. I took the Tiger in for an oil change and plug replacement to a shop there. The mech was fine and new the flightschool's Cessnas and Pipers well, but when I see someone trying to push on a Grummans wings to back it into the shop, I get the willies. Grummans have wet wings and too much pushing on them can cause leaks and fixing it can be a hassle. Then I had to tell the guy not to push on the prop spinner. As Dr. Bruce says, "Sigh". Please push only on the prop, near the spinner, puhlease?

A shop at Erie 48V, Aero Systems was recommended to me by other Grumman owners. Its only about 25 nm away, but I have to go around/under the Denver Class B, unless I can get vectors that are more direct which I sometimes do.

I'll report when I get back!

 

[gkainz]

It's a gloriously beautiful morning for your flight! Need a ride home from 48V?

 

[Anthony]

It's a gloriously beautiful morning for your flight! Need a ride home from 48V?

Actually I do! My plan is/was:

A. Beg ride to bus stop in Lafayette from FBO at Erie.

B. Bus to Boulder

C. Bus to DEN

D. Taxi to FTG.

Wanna do a rental in the 172RG and do some flying? I'll spring for the first hour. My cell is 610-308-3728 if you're interested.

 

[Anthony]

Woohoo! Thanks to Greg and POA looks like I'll be saved from public transportation. Thanks Greg!

 

[gkainz]

Looking forward to it! Ok, what did I do with my flight bag? Where's my charts? Hmmm, hope there's a plane available? Just called and the only rental available is an old(er) 172...oh well, no leather, no gps...just a prop and yoke!!!

 

[Anthony]

Looking forward to it! Ok, what did I do with my flight bag? Where's my charts? Hmmm, hope there's a plane available? Just called and the only rental available is an old(er) 172...oh well, no leather, no gps...just a prop and yoke!!!

Hey, it was great! GPS, leather? Who needs 'em. Thanks again Greg! What a beautiful day to fly and I had a super time. We'll have to go up in the Tiger when it comes back from annual. Hopefully no surpirses.

And the good news, the flight there was uneventful. No "rough" running engines, or funny noises. Just purred like the normal cat it is. However, I think the mechanics were glad when I left as I tended to me the mother hen with the airplane and just had to go through the AD's, SB's and idiosyncricies of the Tiger that I'm sure they already knew.

 

[gkainz]

My pleasure, Anthony! Thanks for the company and for lunch! It was a beautiful, clear day and a great day to be flying!

Did your pictures turn out?

Hope that gal behind us in the pattern at FTG got home ok! First time I've ever been asked if I can make the first available turnoff by someone in the pattern behind me! Geez, I hope we didn't cut her off - kind of hard to tell by her traffic calls "Uh, downwind for 8, uh, no, uh 26, no uh, oh heck, where am I?"

 

[Anthony]

My pleasure, Anthony! Thanks for the company and for lunch! It was a beautiful, clear day and a great day to be flying!

Did your pictures turn out?

Hope that gal behind us in the pattern at FTG got home ok! First time I've ever been asked if I can make the first available turnoff by someone in the pattern behind me! Geez, I hope we didn't cut her off - kind of hard to tell by her traffic calls "Uh, downwind for 8, uh, no, uh 26, no uh, oh heck, where am I?"

I have to upload the pics and see how they are, then if I can figure out how to post them I will!

Greg. You did a nice job landing and getting off the runway at the first turnoff, so she could land. Hey, base, downwind, final...its all the same.

 

[gkainz]

Thanks! It was kind of an interesting flight, actually.
First incident:
(Note - 18M was NOT us... )
"xxx18M, Denver Center, you DO know you're in class Bravo airspace, right?"
"Uh...." (hesitant, lost-sounding voice)
further instructions from Center about needing explicit clearance into Class Bravo airspace follows and then more "Uh...." responses from 18M
"xxx18M, Denver Center, do you have an instructor on board?"
"Yes" (oh, crap! sounding voice)
further vectors followed for poor old 18M, but I didn't hear the dreaded "I have a phone number for you to call, advise when ready to copy." call from Center.

Second was the gal behind us in the pattern who couldn't figure out where she was in the pattern, what runway she was in the pattern for, and when and where she was going to turn. Her last call was a request for us to clear the runway as quickly as we could because she was "not doing well here", if I recall her words correctly, and then "Thanks, HX, I'll buy you a beer for that." I wondered later about the "not doing well" comment - everyone can have a mind-mouth disconnect every once in a while, but I wonder if there was something else going on? High CO in the cockpit, maybe?

Oh yeah, leaving FTG the battery on HX was too weak to turn it over...ended up getting a jump from maintenance. But, an uneventful trip back to 48V and got treated to 3 birds departing Platte Valley in close formation with smoke trails. They turned the smoke on as they lifted off, got separation as each made a wider turn from upwind to crosswind and then downwind, turned the smoke off about midfield downwind, and then all 3 made normal approaches. I was tempted to land and see what was going on, but had to get home to see my wife off for her weekend retreat with the ladies group from church.

 

[Anthony]

Thanks! It was kind of an interesting flight, actually.

Oh yeah, leaving FTG the battery on HX was too weak to turn it over...ended up getting a jump from maintenance. But, an uneventful trip back to 48V and got treated to 3 birds departing Platte Valley in close formation with smoke trails. They turned the smoke on as they lifted off, got separation as each made a wider turn from upwind to crosswind and then downwind, turned the smoke off about midfield downwind, and then all 3 made normal approaches. I was tempted to land and see what was going on, but had to get home to see my wife off for her weekend retreat with the ladies group from church.

Greg. I should have stuck around to see you crank it up! I forgot how slow it started at Erie. Glad you got it sorted out and had a good flight back. I'll let you know when the Tiger's out of annual.