Official Gastons "I'm off" Thread

SkyHog

SkyHog

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Everything Offends Me
Heh - this has to be the last Gastons thread for me! I'm loading up my stuff, and heading to the airport today. Planning on stopping at Jefferson City, Missouri for the night. Mark - if you're reading this, I'll call you from K88, which is Allen Something, Kansas.

If anyone wants to try to track me, I'll ne N8816J (FF sometimes shows, but so far, never from ZAB). http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N8816J

See most of y'all tomorrow. Except Anthony :D
 
Well, I spoke a bit too soon. Dryer has a different timeframe in mind. Shoes keep kicking the door open.

But soon....I really mean it. :D
 
Ok - clothes done, piper in truck, I'm off like a herd of turtles. Catch y'all tomorrow.
 
I'm NOT OFF.

After working on gathering up until 1 AM, I was *soooooooo close* this morning. I had all of the WAY TOO MANY BAGS mostly packed at the door getting ready for the fourth round of "move yer stuff" with one more pending of trying to fit it all into the plane.

I was only 3 hours behind schedule hacking out the flight plan on DUATS and I would still have needed to do my usual research into all of the frequencies enroute when Jann came in screaming she was sick. Today is scrubbed.

The good news is I have today and tonight to prepare some more. The amazing thing is TODAY is going rapidly and I still have a lot to do.

We're going to launch BEFORE sunrise tomorrow, meaning as per my usual we should make it by dinner...or maybe by sunset..or by Monday if the weather gets into the act.

It should not take 5 times as long to prepare as the actual flying time, should it?
 
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That's all part of the fun, Mike.

I've got things pretty much down to a science - I spend more time figuring out where I can get the lowest cost, or see fun stuff along the way. But I don't usually have anybody traveling with me.

Then again I do that for every trip (private or commercial) because the whole trip is part of the adventure. Trip=adventure is a great way to deal with extensive business travel.

30-45 minutes to pack a suitcase, 30 or so minutes on the flight planner (45-60 if the printer is recalcitrant), review DUAT briefing over breakfast, out the door. I can spend several hours looking at alternatives, better stops, etc. but once I choose the route, it goes pretty quickly.
 
Leg 1 is complete, I'm in Indiana. Easy flight, but I had to shoot an approach that I wasn't expecting. Was suppose to be in the clouds over WV, and clear the rest of the way. Well, it was clear until it was time to land.....ended up having to shoot an approach. But it's all clear now.:dunno:

See y'all tomorrow !!!!!!

Kaye
 
Well, legs 1, 2 and 3 are done, I'm in Jefferson City, MO with Mark Bell. He's graciously hosting me and Piper.

Piper did well, he threw up once because of the turbulence, and then had a bit of an accident in the plane (the stinky kind). I guess a 3 hour leg was a bit too much for him. Live and lean, and then get some good cleaning materials.
 
Driving to the airport now.

Off by 10:45AM

Arriving at IA24 (some hick airport in iowa) to pickup tony at 12:00

Be at Gastons around 4 PM...Weather / Winds / Airplane Engine Blowing Up dependant.
 
lets hope its just the weather and winds we have to deal with.
and IA24 is the best airport in iowa, not a hick airport in iowa. No airport in the state compares to the sense of community and general fun had at this little runway.

I think Jesse is just scared of all the trees :)
 
We're launching anon, meaning about Noon the way it's going.
 
Jesse is out of Minnesotaland, supposed to be here around 1220, then top off, me and Leah jump in and off to Gastons.
 
tonycondon said:
Jesse is out of Minnesotaland, supposed to be here around 1220, then top off, me and Leah jump in and off to Gastons.
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Ugh. I have a 7:00 p.m. case tonight. See you all Saturday AM.

Sigh.
 
Nick took off from Jefferson city (JEF) at 12:25 pm. Should be there in an hour or so.

Mark B.
 
I should be launching around 7:30 this AM but it doesn't look like Scott is going to make it. He had some problems at work that might keep him here.

-lance
 
We got airborne at 2PM. Landed with one fuel stop at Cuba at 6.

SORRY STEVE! It was my first landing at Gaston's. My brain refused to grok the layout so I had some trouble getting oriented to a runway I couldn't see.:redface:
 
No problem. One guy with his teenage daughter landed earlier in a 172 after making a go-around. When he got out of the plane he starting excitedly making comments about first time there, first time on grass, first time between trees. Hey, he made it with no flashing lights.

His daughter said, "I didn't see the runway until we touched down!"

Gaston's is great for ego calibration (up or down...) :)

mikea said:
We got airborne at 2PM. Landed with one fuel stop at Cuba at 6.

SORRY STEVE! It was my first landing at Gaston's. My brain refused to grok the layout so I had some trouble getting oriented to a runway I couldn't see.:redface:
Click to expand...
 
Steve said:
His daughter said, "I didn't see the runway until we touched down!"

Gaston's is great for ego calibration (up or down...) :)
Click to expand...

Its funny, as I was flying in the nasty haze, I had a lot of time to think. We have numerous videos of the aproach to Gastons (and one coming from me soon now), but I've never seen a video of the takeoff. Until I did it a few times, it was a bit nerve wracking to see the hill right there, and I can see why people call them mountains now that I see them.

They're just short mountains.
 
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