"Back in the Saddle again...."

Here we are winging our way over northern St Charles County and its flooded farmland. This area is just south of the Mississippi River. The rivers and streams are extremely high and the rain this weekend didn't help matters any.

$5.47 a gallon for Avfuel

Before flying the airplane, I had to get fuel. I knew it was high, and this was going to hurt. I only filled one tank as I was just flying locally. Roughly 12.5 gallons @ $5.47 a gallon equals $62. I need a Cub...

Back in the air: On final to Creve Coeur.

Finally...

I took the Fairchild up for 45 minutes tonight. First time we had flown since november of last year. We had storms, low-ceilings and rain this weekend, but it cleared off enough to go up.

We went out sightseeing, looked at the flooded areas south of the Mississippi, flew over the house and then returned for 3 full-stop landings to get current.

"Back in the saddle again..."

Cleaning the Belly

Me and Sky went out to the airport for lunch and a belly cleaning session. Sky was a trooper and did the whole belly of the plane.

Down to the Pima Air Museum.

We drove down from Phoenix on Thursday. My friend and I had both been to the Museum before, but had never taken the AMARG Tour.

AMARG aka "The Boneyard" is Davis-Monthan AFB and is the place where they store/dispose of most all of our Military Aviation Hardware. Here a couple looks out on "celebrity row" at a F-106 Delta Dagger.

You wondered where all the F-4 Phantoms went. They're in storage here. Many are being converted to drones for missile testing and fighter pilot training.

Driving home, it rained in Phoenix for the first time that I've been there and we drove thru a couple dust storms. We're just coming out of one above.

Changing the ELT's batteries.

This is where the back seat usually is in the Fairchild. I had to take it out to get to the ELT to change the batteries. Taking the seat back out was easy. Taking the seat out was hard. Your typical 10 pounds of *stuff in a 5 pound bag. Now I have to get it back in...

A Twin V-Tail Bonanza

I visited the Beechcraft Heritage Museum in Tullahoma, TN this morning and found this interesting flying machine. It is one of 9 1947 Model 35 Bonanza's converted to a multiengine configuration. This one was done in the winter of 1961. I'd like to have this one in my logbook.

Looking for birdies

I had some free time this morning, so I worked on the plane. First time since Nov. 2, 2007. I pulled the cowlings to look for leaks and bird nests. I put the battery back in and checked for little critters in the fuselage. I checked the oil and brake fluid levels. I took out the rear seat to get to the ELT (its battery needs replaced this month.)

My Fairchild 24

Here is my 1946 Temco-built Fairchild 24. Sky and I enjoy flying her on a nice evening or weekend and she works out as a great photo-plane with her high wing and roll-down windows. Her performance isn't anything outstanding, but her art deco looks are. She empties the FBO at every airport I take her to.

I put a new exhaust on her right before heading to Oshkosh last year. We're currently fixing the left main wheel pant, but I hope to take her up next Tuesday.

Lots going on in Glenn's Hangar

Glenn has been working up a storm this week. He's taken off the Zenith engine as it needs it's thrust line altered. John Murray is welding up a new motor mout to do that.

He took it down to a museum hangar and brought the Dh-4 down. The dh has a hot-starting problem and the last time it was running (on the ground) it just quit. He is going to fix those and give it a good twice-over before he flies it this spring.

The Canuck is good to go and is sitting in the office hangar just awaiting a nice Saturday to go flying.

He's probably the only person alive to fly a Zenith, Canuck and a Dh-4. I'm jealous.