We Can Cancel Flight Following If It Helps
You would think that with all the rain and clouds we have had this winter in Southern California that I wouldn’t need to go up with a safety pilot for an IFR currency flight. If I were retired and could fly any day of the week, that would be true. But I am not...
The Wind Giveth and The Wind Taketh Away
It was the best of times; it was the worst of times. Well, that isn’t an entirely accurate statement. I’m talking about a tale of two Thanksgiving trips, and both were in our Mooney, so it wasn’t “the worst of times.” How could it be “the worst of times” when I was...
Art Craft Paint Review
Sometime after seven weeks of not flying I really started feeling the withdrawal. From the time I took my first flight six and a half years ago I think the longest I had been without flying was 3-4 weeks and this felt like an eternity. The total downtime was roughly...
Can You Be Off The Ground In One Minute
A backhand slap from ATC, amazing Russian food, and a one minute “Void if not off by” clearance. What a great evening! How did it all start? In May 2021 another pilot on Mooneyspace was talking about possibly moving from Buffalo, NY to Southern California. I sent him...
Cameras, Mounts, and Cables
So, you want to be a YouTube star? Have you thought that through all the way? Maybe you're like me, no desire for YouTube fame, you just want to watch your flights and do it without breaking the bank. Recording your flights does not have to be an expensive endeavor....
July 4th – Santa Paula – Breakfast and a Bike Ride
We have a couple of folding e-bikes from Citizen Bikes that we purchased specifically to take in the plane and use at our destinations. I am embarrassed to say that while they have been used some since we got them 18 months ago, they had yet to find their way to the...
Part III – Oshkosh Rookie – Getting out of Dodge
“All good things must come to an end,” or so they say. Our plan was to stay for the Wednesday evening airshow and depart Thursday morning. As I had done every morning, I woke up and looked at the weather forecast for the day. Unfortunately, what I saw was...
Part II – Oshkosh Rookie – The Show
“Welcome to the show!” You hear it multiple times on the radio as you are arriving at Oshkosh. I wonder, do the controllers mumble that in their sleep at night? After arriving on the “Green Dot” we followed the marshal’s directions along the taxiways, crossing...
Part I – Oshkosh Rookie – Getting There
The uncertainty, the expectations, the anticipation, and a myriad of other thoughts and emotions combine to make the “First Time” different than all the rest, regardless of the event. Oshkosh, the mother of all air shows, is no exception. 2020 was going to be my...
Because I was Inverted
About five and a half years ago, shortly after getting my private pilot license, one of my sisters asked me, "If you got a Top Gun t-shirt, would you want it to say Goose or Maverick on it?" I responded, "Maverick, of course. Goose died." It's still one of my favorite...