My trip to Brenham was fun, but unfortunately they had topped off the tanks before my rental plane's morning flight, so I couldn't bring my better half with us due to w/b issues.
Mom and I departed SGR at about 11:45am after that loooong taxi to the end of 35 (the FBO is at the approach end of 17), with another plane from my flight school trailing us who was also heading to Brenham. I opened our flight plan as we were climbing, then I leveled off at 2500' and called Departure for flight following. They gave us a squawk code and told me to let them know when Brenham was in sight.
We were fighting a 15 kt headwind on the way up there, so it took us a little while, but finally I had it in sight and told approach. My company plane behind me was not talking to approach, but a Golden Eagle that took off from SGR long after us was and they passed over my head at 4500' about 15nm before Brenham. They advised me of his presence and told me to squawk VFR and cleared me to change to the advisory frequency. When I did, there were about 8 planes in the pattern or approaching the airport. I went north for a bit so that I can approach the airport directly from the east in order to let the twin go by me and get in first.
There was a good bit of traffic approaching from the east down low, so I stayed at 2300' as I crossed over mid-field (announcing everything, of course), then as I got about 1-2 miles west of the aiport, I "chopped and dropped" as I spiraled around in a teardrop to join the downwind for runway 34. I followed a Cardinal around base and final, with my company plane right on my tail.
I set her down and cleared the runway at the first taxiway, then taxied in to the ramp. There were so many planes there that the owner was out on the ramp pointing out where different planes should park. He parked me where there wasn't even a tie-down spot. I shut down the engines and he chocked my nosewheel, then mom and I went inside for our 40 minute wait for a table.
We had a great lunch, then went back out to depart at about 1:45p. There was a DA20 going to park in the place next to me, but there wasn't enough space and he didn't want us to overlap wings. I was about to shut my doorwhen I asked him if he needed some help. Instead, he and his copilot offered to push me out of my spot so that they can then push themselves into theirs. They pushed me out, I started up, and taxied to the runway. I held short while waiting for a 182RG to land, then I held in position after they passed overhead until they had cleared the runway.
I took off and turned east before heading south, climbed to 3500', and called Approach for flight following back to SGR. It was so clear that I could see the buildings of downtown Houston through the light haze as soon as I took off from Brenham. That 15kt headwind that I was fighting on the way up there turned into a 15kt tailwind helping me on the way back, so the return trip was much shorter.
Approach handed me off to SGR tower and they had me make left traffic for runway 35. I did a touch & go since I had some extra time and I wanted to knock out my 3 takeoffs and landings to make me current for the next 90 days. I made right traffic the next time around, and tower had me extend downwind for other traffic. They didn't turn me back to the airport until I was about 7 nm south! They offered another company plane on downwind the opportunity to cut me off and make a shorter approach, but they declined. As I came on final I heard my company plane that followed me to Brenham call midfield on downwind. I touched down and kept my speed up to the first taxiway, but tower had to send the plane behind me around (the one that declined cutting me off).
All in all, it was a fun 1.8 hours that let me finish off another page in my logbook. I wish that the better half could have gone with me, but that just gives me more motivation to start exercising and lose more weight (or just get checked out in a bigger airplane
). Mom had a good time, and it was a gorgeous day to go flying!
