It was a glorious day in the Philly area. I drove in to N99, and when I was about to walk out to the hangar to preflight the R22, it occured to ask the Airport Manager, who is the CFII who taught me to fly helos, if he wanted to come along for a joy ride.
His eyes lit up and he met me down at the Hangar as I was finishing up the preflight. We got the bird outside, and I ran the check list and got her going. The OAT showed 0 C, and I must say that I surprised myself when the helicopter got light on the skids at about 15" MP! It lifted off at 19" when it would have needed 20-21 a couple of weeks ago.
I turned north out of the pattern and John mentioned that he had tried to show one of partners where my house was, but couldn't find it. So I kept flying north and showed him how to find it. I made a pass over the house and then flew west towards Morgantown airport (O03), spotted Struble Lake, and then turned south to try to find the mystery mansion I had flown over a week before. At first I couldn't find it, then looked down and realized I was flying directly over it. I did a couple of 360's so John could have a peek, and then asked him if he wanted to fly the helo. Which he did, of course, so I got to be a passenger for a change.
John flew south towards Chester County (40N) and then intercepted Rt. 322 which he followed towards Downingtown. He did a couple of steep turns to show his old house, and then followed Rt 30 back to N99.
It was a very enjoable joy ride/flight!
When we got the R22 put away, I put the winterization plate into the Cherokee, and fooled around in it for about an hour, retracing some of the morning's route because I was curious to see how different it would look at 2,700' MSL instead of 1,300'. A whole lot different as it turned out, and to be honest I didn't enjoy it as much -- partly because the visibility wasn't quite as good as it was earlier, and partly bacause I love low and slow!
Still it was a nice flight, and, just because nobody was watching, I made a great landing!
No flying tomorrow, though, I guess:
KRDG 081725Z 081818 33005KT P6SM SKC
FM2100 VRB03KT P6SM BKN200
FM0000 VRB03KT P6SM OVC080
FM0700 VRB03KT 1SM -SN BR OVC010
FM0900 36006KT 1/2SM SN FZFG OVC004
FM1300 32009KT 1SM -SN BR OVC020
FM1500 30012G22KT P6SM BKN045=
I found the mystery mansion on Google Earth...
It turns out to be a Catholic old folks home called St. Mary's of Providence, and the Mansion had been built by a descendent of iron magnate John Potts for whom Pottstown, PA is named.
His eyes lit up and he met me down at the Hangar as I was finishing up the preflight. We got the bird outside, and I ran the check list and got her going. The OAT showed 0 C, and I must say that I surprised myself when the helicopter got light on the skids at about 15" MP! It lifted off at 19" when it would have needed 20-21 a couple of weeks ago.
I turned north out of the pattern and John mentioned that he had tried to show one of partners where my house was, but couldn't find it. So I kept flying north and showed him how to find it. I made a pass over the house and then flew west towards Morgantown airport (O03), spotted Struble Lake, and then turned south to try to find the mystery mansion I had flown over a week before. At first I couldn't find it, then looked down and realized I was flying directly over it. I did a couple of 360's so John could have a peek, and then asked him if he wanted to fly the helo. Which he did, of course, so I got to be a passenger for a change.
John flew south towards Chester County (40N) and then intercepted Rt. 322 which he followed towards Downingtown. He did a couple of steep turns to show his old house, and then followed Rt 30 back to N99.
It was a very enjoable joy ride/flight!
When we got the R22 put away, I put the winterization plate into the Cherokee, and fooled around in it for about an hour, retracing some of the morning's route because I was curious to see how different it would look at 2,700' MSL instead of 1,300'. A whole lot different as it turned out, and to be honest I didn't enjoy it as much -- partly because the visibility wasn't quite as good as it was earlier, and partly bacause I love low and slow!
Still it was a nice flight, and, just because nobody was watching, I made a great landing!
No flying tomorrow, though, I guess:
KRDG 081725Z 081818 33005KT P6SM SKC
FM2100 VRB03KT P6SM BKN200
FM0000 VRB03KT P6SM OVC080
FM0700 VRB03KT 1SM -SN BR OVC010
FM0900 36006KT 1/2SM SN FZFG OVC004
FM1300 32009KT 1SM -SN BR OVC020
FM1500 30012G22KT P6SM BKN045=
I found the mystery mansion on Google Earth...
It turns out to be a Catholic old folks home called St. Mary's of Providence, and the Mansion had been built by a descendent of iron magnate John Potts for whom Pottstown, PA is named.
