Gastons did NOT make it home safe thread.

[EdFred]

Well, not everyone made it home safe.
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Gotcha!
But I did make it to Pensacola with no issues. Other than I got to play "Maze" in 3-D with all the buildups around here. Up to 11,500 - nope, they are higher than that. And the solid wall ahead of me did not help. So it was down to 3500 for the last 100nm or so. It was scuzzy coming out of Gastons, but Adam and Dave, and myself flew in loose formation over to CVK for cheap fuel, and to get weather updates from FSS. From there it was a touch and go at VTR (scratch Lousiana off the list of states not landed in.) and then on to M43. Steve left before us and was washing his plane at his home field, so I called him up from 11,500 and let him know all was well.
Stopped in Prentiss for fuel, and had one of those "just nod and say yep" moments, because I could not understand one word that the guy at the field was saying to me when I was fueling up. ("You like to see homos naked? Yeah, that's cool man." - Joe Dirt) Called up Mobile Approach about 25 out, and let them manuever me to PNS through all the A, R, W spaces along the coast. Their instuctions: Deviate as necessary for the weather ahead. Had a couple of lightning bolt blast down less than 1/4 mile off the wing. Hmmmmm, I think I'll deviate a liiiiiiitle more. Then I got put in a hold at Saufley (while VFR) to hold for a Baron. No big deal it was only one circuit and then straigh in for runway 8.
And now I have to figure out where to eat dinner here tonight in Pensacola.

 

[markb5900]

Your killing me Ed.
Thanks for taking those kids up, they seem to REALLY love it. And their Grandparents did nothing but ask questions about how they could get flight training and ages required while you were up. Sounded like Grandpa wanted at least one of them to take lessons.

Mark B.

 

[EdFred]

Your killing me Ed.
Thanks for taking those kids up, they seem to REALLY love it. And their Grandparents did nothing but ask questions about how they could get flight training and ages required while you were up. Sounded like Grandpa wanted at least one of them to take lessons.

Mark B.

Who were those people anyway? The little girl LOVED it. Chip's comment before getting in the plane was the best though.

 

[SkyHog]

Who were those people anyway? The little girl LOVED it. Chip's comment before getting in the plane was the best though.

I missed Chip's comment and I was standing right there....

Those people were people there to either fish or eat, but had NOTHING to do with aviation. You made 2 kids day that had no intention of seeing airplanes, methinks.

 

[EdFred]

I'm about 1/2 - 2/3 of the way to my plane with the two kids walking with me, and Chip yells out, "Hey Ed, isn't that a violation of your parole?"

 

[gibbons]

I'm about 1/2 - 2/3 of the way to my plane with the two kids walking with me, and Chip yells out, "Hey Ed, isn't that a violation of your parole?"

I'm pretty sure it is.

You did a nice thing taking those two flying. I know someone also took one of the Gaston's staff for a ride, but I've forgotten who. Thanks for doing that.

Chip

 

[EdFred]

I tried to get one more in this morning. I was checking out, and this old guy - had to be at least 80, was asking the guy at ths desk in a real gruff voice:
"Do you control the planes here?"
I'm thinking oh great, all of our passes and t/o and landings got someone riled up. The guy behind the desk says no, it was a group and they were corrdinating everything and they old guy just sort of goes, hmmmmph.
So I asked if there was a problem with the planes or if he had a question. He has this dejected look at simply says, "I just wanted to go for a ride yesterday."
I offered to take him up this morning, but he was checking out, so I think he needed to get on the road. I tried.

 

[Steve]

Actually it was 2 Gaston's staffers. Mary had struck up a conversation with the "head waiter" during lunch and offered him a ride (it's really her plane, ya know) when he got off shift. Needless to say he showed up, along with another employee (room maid) armed with a 35mm camera.

She started taking pictures as soon as we broke ground and only had 5 frames left which shot when we finally found her house in "downtown" Lakeview.

On the ground= "It's just 3 miles that way."

In the air= "I just don't recognize anything..ooh ooh wait...there's the mini-storage where I keep my stuff! And there's the baby trees in my front yard. I can't see my house for all the trees!"

The waiter confessed on the return over the lake that "this was the highlight of his life to this point" and that he had bought a full set of Cessna private pilot training CDs and books 6 years ago...but life got in the way.

Thanks for the shout, Ed. The timing couldn't have been better. I heard the last "21 Romeo" on the Unicom just as I came in the door of the FBO to cool off for a few minutes from cleaning the bugs off the wings (no outside speaker). Mary and I didn't finish cleaning until around 5pm. I spent some extra time cleaning the oil/dust off the landing gear. And I know the guy you're talking about at Prentiss...lol!.

I'm pretty sure it is.

You did a nice thing taking those two flying. I know someone also took one of the Gaston's staff for a ride, but I've forgotten who. Thanks for doing that.

Chip

 

[gprellwitz]

The waiter was Clinton, believe it or not. In Arkansas. I'm so glad he got up. I was going to take him, but then found myself in Mark's truck in Mountain Home at about the time he was suppoesed to get off work.

 

[Ken Ibold]

When I arrived there on Friday, all of the socializing got in the way of me calling home to say I'd made it OK. And Cathy is a worrier. So she called the front desk looking for info (but of course I'd not checked in yet) and in the background she heard people inside talking about some pilot "rolling his airplane over" and she pictured me dead in the grass in a pile of flaming debris. I have no idea who they people inside were talking about.

 

[EdFred]

LOL Ken. That was Spike and I. Sorry!

Note to others: Do not let Spike and I control any communications without supervision in the future.

 

[Ken Ibold]

LOL Ken. That was Spike and I. Sorry!

Note to others: Do not let Spike and I control any communications without supervision in the future.

Catherine replies: tell them i said thanks for offering to pay the therapist's bill and for buying your airplane at 20% over value.