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Away We Go!

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Posted (edited)

We are off tomorrow morning at 5 am.

9 airplanes: 3-Kitfoxes, 2-Avids, a Rans, a Champ, a C150 and an Aircoupe.

Two days down, a couple of days there, then two days back. Hope to have pictures to post next week!

Wish me luck!

Edited by Av8r3400

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Posted

We are off tomorrow morning at 5 am.

9 airplanes: 3-Kitfoxes, 2-Avids, a Rans, a Champ, a C150 and an Aircoupe.

Two days down, a couple of days there, then two days back. Hope to have pictures to post next week!

Wish me luck!

Good Luck Mr. Wish I was heading down that way but some of us have to try and keep the oil flowing :lol:

:BC:

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Posted (edited)

Well, I got home Friday morning at about 11 am. Quite a trip.

  1. The Avid with a 912 turned back for home, 3 hours in with an intermittent oil pressure problem. He made it home safe and sound, still has not figured out the problem.
  2. Over north Georgia, the Champ broke it's crankshaft and lost their prop. They went down to a safe landing in a hay-field. We all landed at a nearby airport after watching the safe emergency landing. After a few hour delay, the rest of us continued on to Lakeland. The owners of the Champ stayed there to disassemble the plane and move it to the airport for repairs, which are still under way.
  3. Lakeland was fun. Expensive in the extreme, but still fun. I bought a Garmin Aera 500, the only good deal of the show. Money well spent. One of our party, Avid with a Jabaroo, stayed in Florida to visit with family and planned to make his own way home.
  4. We picked up the owners of the Champ on the way back through Georgia. They left their plane in extremely competent hands of Carlus Gann. In a month or so we will go back down to get it.
  5. The trip home went well until we were almost home. A line of thunderstorms was crossing our path, so the remaining six planes diverted to wait it out. The line went a bit faster than we expected, so I was the last (#4 of 6) to make it to the intended airport. The last two planes diverted again to another near by airport to wait out the squall. The first of those two, a Rans, landed safely. The second, a Subaru powered Kitfox, did not.

In spite of what the news reports read, I do not believe that the wind or the approaching storm was a factor. We had been flying in stronger winds all week than what was here.

I'd have posted earlier, but Friday afternoon we had to go pick up what was left of the plane and didn't get home till well after midnight. Yesterday was the EAA Chapter meeting and post trip briefing. Today had to belong to my wife...

So, if you could please, remember my friend Bill in your thoughts and prayers. He is still very critical, but slowly improving.

I'll post more later.

Edited by Av8r3400

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Posted

Knew something had happened after reading TKF. Bill will be in our prayers. How many hours did you log? Post pics when you can.

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Posted

Holy crap, sounds like one hell of a trip! Hope Bill recovers quickly!

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Posted

I made the trip from SW Fl. to Michigan once (last century) in my old 1948 PA-15 Vagabond. About 24 hrs flight time over 4 days ('cuz of weather). Quite a trip for a flat-lander like myself. Just a pile of maps, an E6B, a watch, and a compass that was off by about 20 degrees. I'm still amazed I made it home.

On the first local flight after I was home, half the exhaust seperated from the engine.

Someone was watching over me I believe.

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Posted

Wow. Very sorry to hear about your friend Bill; we will keep him in our prayers. It is like it happened to one of the family when something like that happens.

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Posted

Okay, update time:

Bill will be released from the University Hospital on Monday to return to his home town to a nursing home/rehab facility. He's not home yet, but he's well on the way, now.

:bday:

I must admit, that I didn't take many pictures on the trip. Sorry.

Here's a few facts about the route we took and my fuel usage:

KRRL-STE-C77-MTO-CUL-APT-LGC-ACJ-CTY-Lakeland

Lakeland-CTY-LGC-APT-CUL-C77-C35-KDLL-KRLL

My fuel stops added to 102.5 Gallons, at 31.7 hours. This averaged to 3.25 GPH.

Total trip time was 35 hours.

post-36-12726875582934_thumb.jpg

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Posted (edited)

more photos...

Parked at Lakeland

The Gulf Coast

post-36-12726885315467_thumb.jpg

post-36-12726886747621_thumb.jpg

Edited by Av8r3400

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Posted (edited)

more...

Lyle's Rans on the way home

Shot of the panel on the way home

Parked after camping overnight and fueling at Jasper, TN

post-36-12726891247245_thumb.jpg

post-36-12726891904911_thumb.jpg

post-36-12726892410243_thumb.jpg

Edited by Av8r3400

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Posted

SWEET! Nice pics! What GPS is that :dunno: I am thinking about upgrading my 295 and yours looks like it has a nice big screen on it! I often envy you guys down south being able to do long cross country's and still have pretty much unlimited fuel stops etc. Up here, there are way too many areas that I want to go but are on the ragged edge of the comfort range in terms of being able to get gas and help if you need it. Guess that is why I always like to do CC trips with another plane. When I go with my brother we will load his plane up with gas (short wing piper death trap) cause we can load 75 gallons in the back of the plane in 5 gallon cans. He gets to be the pack rat and I get to have fun on the short strips :lol:

:BC:

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Posted

SWEET! Nice pics! What GPS is that :dunno: I am thinking about upgrading my 295 and yours looks like it has a nice big screen on it!

It's a Garmin Aera 500. Brand spankin' new. I got it down in Lakeland. This is the new touch-screen replacement for the 39x/49x series.

So far, my review of this GPS is two very enthusiastic thumbs up! Fine holiday fun! :flag:

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