jmaynard
Cleared for Takeoff
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2008
- Messages
- 1,487
- Location
- Fairmont, Minnesota
- Display Name
Display name:
Jay Maynard
Well, it got to be time to leave beautiful downtown Eastman, Georgia to take N55ZC home. All of the squawks that were going to get fixed got fixed, the planning was done, the paperwork was signed, the keys were handed over.
I launched into a sky with scattered clouds that stayed with me the whole way. I left later than I thought; I'd been planning to leave about 10, but it was actually 10:54 when I broke ground for the last time (at least, that's how it's planned) at EZM. I climbed up to 7500, and then decided to go on up to 9500 to make sure I was above the clouds. Got pointed on course, got trimmed up, got the engine set up, leaned back, and listened to Stevie Ray Vaughn on the XM radio. Bliss.
The direct route from EZM to 14A would have taken me across the corner of the BULLDOG A and BULLDOG D MOAs; flight service told me they were active, so I detoured slightly via the HIT NDB to stay clear. Worked fine, and the GNS 430W and the Digiflight IIVSG worked together to make the course change smoothly and painlessly.
I wound up working with Macon Approach, Augusta Approach, Greer Approach, and Charlotte Approach on the trip. They were all easy to deal with; Charlotte Approach cleared me into the class B "just in case you get close". Had no trouble finding the Lake Norman airport, but got turned around with respect to the pattern - and wound up having to say that I was entering the pattern from the 45 twice, once when I thought I was and once at the correct time. The landing wasn't fantastic, but it failed to suck. I taxied in to the fuel island, then had to apologize to the ground crew guy because I hadn't told him I needed parking when he asked me on the radio. He found me a spot anyway. My boss and the guy who owns the company I work for were there; they helped me push the aircraft into the last parking spot on the field.
2.5 hours, 15.7 gallons, EZM-HIT-14A. Whew. I'm more tired than I remember being after flying cross country. At this rate, I may cut short tomorrow's trip and stop in El Dorado rather than pushing on to Texas; have to see how I feel when I get there.
I launched into a sky with scattered clouds that stayed with me the whole way. I left later than I thought; I'd been planning to leave about 10, but it was actually 10:54 when I broke ground for the last time (at least, that's how it's planned) at EZM. I climbed up to 7500, and then decided to go on up to 9500 to make sure I was above the clouds. Got pointed on course, got trimmed up, got the engine set up, leaned back, and listened to Stevie Ray Vaughn on the XM radio. Bliss.
The direct route from EZM to 14A would have taken me across the corner of the BULLDOG A and BULLDOG D MOAs; flight service told me they were active, so I detoured slightly via the HIT NDB to stay clear. Worked fine, and the GNS 430W and the Digiflight IIVSG worked together to make the course change smoothly and painlessly.
I wound up working with Macon Approach, Augusta Approach, Greer Approach, and Charlotte Approach on the trip. They were all easy to deal with; Charlotte Approach cleared me into the class B "just in case you get close". Had no trouble finding the Lake Norman airport, but got turned around with respect to the pattern - and wound up having to say that I was entering the pattern from the 45 twice, once when I thought I was and once at the correct time. The landing wasn't fantastic, but it failed to suck. I taxied in to the fuel island, then had to apologize to the ground crew guy because I hadn't told him I needed parking when he asked me on the radio. He found me a spot anyway. My boss and the guy who owns the company I work for were there; they helped me push the aircraft into the last parking spot on the field.
2.5 hours, 15.7 gallons, EZM-HIT-14A. Whew. I'm more tired than I remember being after flying cross country. At this rate, I may cut short tomorrow's trip and stop in El Dorado rather than pushing on to Texas; have to see how I feel when I get there.