Good weekend

tonycondon

tonycondon

Gastons CRO (Chief Dinner Reservation Officer)
Joined
Mar 9, 2005
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15,458
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Wichita, KS
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Display name:
Tony
Friday I left work early and drove up I35 to Gardner, KS. Kim and Phil were hosting a get together at their hangar. Leah was on her way down from Ames to join us. While Leah was looking for the airport, Kim and I went flying the Bird Dog. Had a blast shooting some landings in the grass. Then we ate a whole bunch of yummy brats, Red Tail P51 cookies, and some other good stuff. I suppose there were a few beers in there too. A great time was had by all.

Saturday morning we woke up early, grabbed breakfast, gave Kim a hug, and headed up to Ames. Plan was for me to get the rest of my odds and ends scattered around town, get the glider a condition inspection, and get it ready for the trip to Kansas. Weather was great, and I was hoping to take a tow or two after the inspection. Mechanic (Max Moseby here) and I spent about 3 hrs going through the ship. No big problems were found.

Now for the great "I love being a pilot" section.

My little sister called me about 3 PM and says "Could you fly up for supper?" well, i suppose I could. Hadn't really thought about it. So i delayed plans for flying my glider and getting the trailer ready to go, and booked the 182RG from Hap's for a flight home. After we got the glider boxed up (more about that later), we got cleaned up and ready to go. Took off at 5:00 PM and at 5:50 we touched down, 98 miles to the north. About a 10 knot push at 2500 MSL. We enjoyed some yummy Pizza and visiting with the family. Stopped by my grandparents who were very surprised to see us, especially since i had told them earlier in the day that i wasnt going to be home. We made it back to Ames about 9:45 for a 1.7 hr (hobbs) round trip.

So after the annual we were taking the glider apart. While removing the second wing, I was at the wing root and the fuselage shifted slightly. I "caught" it with my elbow, but unfortunately i caught it on the plexiglass canopy, right on a stop-drilled crack. Well now that little crack is a huge crack. So there is some plexiglass repair work in my immediate future. Oh well, always something to fix.

So Sunday morning we woke up early. Leah woke up at like 4 AM or something because she had a flight to catch out of Des Moines. She left at 6:30 AM bound for Wichita, through Dallas Ft. Worth. I rolled out about 8 AM and headed to the airport to get my trailer ready for the drive. Matt Michael was nice enough to join me, and we spent aobut 3 or 4 hrs messing around with the trailer. We got the trailer lighting working in top shape (no small task) and completely rebuilt the tailwheel attachment. With everything secure I hit the road about 12:30. With the mighty Alero towing the trailer (or maybe the other way around) we trudged along down I35 at a whopping 60 mph. With this blazing speed I was getting the ultra-green economy of 12 mpg average.

Did I mention the wind? 20-30 knot quartering headwind the whole time. Trailer never tracked straight for very long, but for the most part I was never really concerned. Even getting passed by the semi's wasnt too bad. 3 fuel stops later, I was in Wichita by 8:30 PM, got the trailer parked and was into town to meet Leah.
 
That sounds like a busy, but also very fun and productive weekend, Tony. Nothing like getting to spend time with a bunch of great friends and get a lot of fun stuff accomplished in the process.

As I've said before - the Alero really is the world's best tow vehicle. 12 mpg @ 60 mph? That's just awesome. My Ford can barely do that by itself, much less with a trailer.
 
Tony, so glad it's all coming together for you and for Leah- two more worthy souls I cannot imagine.

Something amusing about flying from Iowa to Kansas via DFW...
 
oh another highlight that i miss, but first a little back story.

I have this uncanny ability to meet people that I either know or have some sort of connection with. Often I think that its because i just pay attention to the people around me, but part of it is just plain luck. This particular trait tends to drive Leah nuts.

I stopped at a BP station somewhere SW of Kansas City on the interstate. It had a Subway inside. I got a sandwich and was about to sit down to enjoy it when my Great Uncle walked in. "Loren!" i say just to make sure it was him and sure enough. Him and his wife were headed back to ames after wintering in Arizona for the last 3 months. Neither of us had any idea the other was on the road. Complete chance. I told Leah and her only comment was "only you".
 
tonycondon said:
oh another highlight that i miss, but first a little back story.

I have this uncanny ability to meet people that I either know or have some sort of connection with. Often I think that its because i just pay attention to the people around me, but part of it is just plain luck. This particular trait tends to drive Leah nuts.

I stopped at a BP station somewhere SW of Kansas City on the interstate. It had a Subway inside. I got a sandwich and was about to sit down to enjoy it when my Great Uncle walked in. "Loren!" i say just to make sure it was him and sure enough. Him and his wife were headed back to ames after wintering in Arizona for the last 3 months. Neither of us had any idea the other was on the road. Complete chance. I told Leah and her only comment was "only you".
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...to complete the 7500...

...when I was growing up, I was always amazed at how, wherever we went, someone always knew my dad and hailed him by name (he, by the way, knew them too, but was not always so quick on the name, a frustrating trait which I sometimes share...). So, I was not at all surprised when, in 1968 or so, we took a family trip to Monterey, Mexico (you could drive there safely in those days), and I saw one of my dad's close friends and business acquaintances walking into the lobby at the Hotel Gran Ancira- I simply said, "Hi, Mr. Klein," and he darned near fell over when he realized who I was.

But even better: My mom often told us the same thing- that she always wondered how it was my dad knew so fool many people. So, the year is 1952, they had been married for a couple of years and living in Dallas, and my father accepted a position with the Marshall Plan in Europe, based in Paris. After a long and arduous journey involving a Boeing Stratocruiser, failed engines and a lengthy mechanical stop in Greenland, my folks arrived in Paris, a mighty exotic place for an Ohio farmgirl like my mom.

Though they were exhausted, you don't just land in Paris and go to sleep, so they went out for a long walk, just to scope out the area, and near the end of the stroll, myt mom tells my dad, "Finally, I have you to myself, in a place where no one knows you..."

...and, as if on cue, a hearty voice from across the street and down the block calls out, "Sewall you old bastard, what are you doing in Paris??!!" And there, thousands of miles, an ocean and a continent away from home, was one of my father's old classmates from his college days.

Such a story... but I do believe it completely! It is, betimes, a small world.
 
great story spike. I went on vacation once in Washington DC and one of the first people I saw in Dulles was an insurance agent from my hometown. He was a regular at the pizza place.

Oh and Leah is still not home. Her flight arrived in Des Moines at the same time as a line of pretty nasty thunderstorms. So she is spending the night in O'hare, flight to des moines at 7:30 AM.
 
tonycondon said:
great story spike. I went on vacation once in Washington DC and one of the first people I saw in Dulles was an insurance agent from my hometown. He was a regular at the pizza place.

Oh and Leah is still not home. Her flight arrived in Des Moines at the same time as a line of pretty nasty thunderstorms. So she is spending the night in O'hare, flight to des moines at 7:30 AM.
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Dang, and she didn't call us for lodging! I'd have driven out to pick her up!:mad2:

And I still remember looking at colleges. My Dad and I were doing a tour of Duke in NC (we were in the Chicago area even then) and I hear my name called from behind. It's one of my classmates from high school on the same tour.:rofl:
 
Tony, you really do have a talent for meeting people you know everywhere.

Great stories, Tony and Spike.
 
grant, she didnt call me until a bit after midnight last night, and with her flight being so early this morning, it really didnt make much sense to do much else besides stay at the airport. if i'd have known earlier though, im sure you would've gotten a call!
 
Wow.. Ames to Wichita via Dallas and Chicago. Crazy!

As an 'operations' and 'process' guy, that makes my head explode.
 
CJones said:
Wow.. Ames to Wichita via Dallas and Chicago. Crazy!
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No kidding, isn't it a lot easier to drive? If I have the choice I would rather drive Denver to Wichita than airline and it is non-stop.
 
yep, yay airlines. letsee, only about a 16hr door to door time. or a 7 hr drive. efficient!!
 
Wow, that makes no sense. I would have just driven.

Yet another scenario where GA is the most logical means of transport...
 
continuing the "small world" bunny trail ...

a number of years ago, my wife and I were in Hawaii. Watching the windsurfers in Maui, a little blonde girl walks by and my wife says "That's Amy! And there's her mom and dad." Turns out our neighbors were also in Hawaii that week.

A few years later, we were in Cozumel, Mexico with some friends. Sitting on a tour bus getting ready to head to Chichen Itza (Chicken Pizza :) ), a voice from a few rows back speaks up - "David? Is that you?" ... turns out a couple of my friend's high school classmates from a small town in Missouri were there, as well. Considering this was 20+years since high school, recognizing his voice was quite amazing!
 
I think I passed you on the interstate, lol. I was driving back to KC from ICT and saw a glider trailier heading south. I always keep my eye open for things like that when i'm driving.
 
im sure that was me mike. no one else would be dumb enough to pull a big monster trailer behind a tiny car in wind like that on sunday.
 
tonycondon said:
im sure that was me mike. no one else would be dumb enough to pull a big monster trailer behind a tiny car in wind like that on sunday.
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Not dumb, Tony, frickin' awesome. ;)
 
gkainz said:
continuing the "small world" bunny trail ...

a number of years ago, my wife and I were in Hawaii. Watching the windsurfers in Maui, a little blonde girl walks by and my wife says "That's Amy! And there's her mom and dad." Turns out our neighbors were also in Hawaii that week.

A few years later, we were in Cozumel, Mexico with some friends. Sitting on a tour bus getting ready to head to Chichen Itza (Chicken Pizza :) ), a voice from a few rows back speaks up - "David? Is that you?" ... turns out a couple of my friend's high school classmates from a small town in Missouri were there, as well. Considering this was 20+years since high school, recognizing his voice was quite amazing!
Click to expand...

My dad ran into a friend he hadn't seen in 40+ years last summer on a bike trip.

Maybe these stories aren't as rare as we think! :yes:
 
Perhaps I missed something... Tony, are you relocating to Kansas or just visiting?
 
PJ - I moved to Wichita for a job about a month ago.
 
Wow, I guess I really haven't been keeping up on here... that or I saw it and promptly forgot. Now that you mention it, I do seem to recall reading that somewhere and congratulating you...

Don't mind me - my life is crazy busy these days and my mind is starting to go...
 
Sounds like fun Tony, I will have to add Wichita to my Vacation destination list now! I am glad to see the Cherokee made it ok, a little plexiglass work shouldnt be too bad.
 
akite said:
Sounds like fun Tony, I will have to add Wichita to my Vacation destination list now! I am glad to see the Cherokee made it ok, a little plexiglass work shouldnt be too bad.
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yea I think im going to run down to the plastics place and see if they have the glue that I need. I finally settled on something. Hopefully it'll be ready to fly by next week!
 
Are you skipping work today, or do you get to use POA at work too? I am not allowed to use it at work, unless I am working from the starbucks in Chicago like I am now.
 
tonycondon said:
yea I think im going to run down to the plastics place and see if they have the glue that I need. I finally settled on something. Hopefully it'll be ready to fly by next week!
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I had to order the glue online, but it arrives today. Next week I will have an airworthy canopy! Then on to the instrument panel.
 
tonycondon said:
I had to order the glue online, but it arrives today. Next week I will have an airworthy canopy! Then on to the instrument panel.
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not too bad. One week turned into two, but last night I put the canopy back on the glider. It is crystal clear with new Polycarbonate. I used Weld On #10 glue, and it seems to have bonded fine. I'm going to run some vinyl tape along the seams. That will make it look the way it used to, and will cover up the white glue. Help seal the seams too.
 
Put some really slick wax on the high drag area at the sharp corner at the top of the windscreen.
 
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