Just thought I'd share with my pals here that I successfully passed my commercial helicopter checkride today. It seemed to take forever to fly 55 little hours but I prevailed. And you know those things are freakin' fun as hell. Just expensive as hell too!
If that wasn't cool enough my long hard shop is over. I settled on a 1973 180J (comes with a set of 2960's). I'm leaving tomorrow afternoon to get it. Hopefully be home by Saturday with it. Then it's time for Elk and Steelhead!
Anyway, good times here in the G3 household for a bit so I hope everyone else is gettin' some goodness as well.

jmtgt wrote:George that is great.

Superdave and I took the Maule down and had some BC flying with N6ea! We had blast.

Look forward to going to Mile High with you next summer.
J

OK you been into Mile High John? Always wanted to but it just isn't Tripacer friendly. Gonna give it a good looking over again in the Maule next time I'm up there. Nothing to do there but be able to say you were there I guess. Sort of like Dewey Moore without the fishing.

Congrats George!! on both counts...

George, way to go man! Sounds like a blast. Whom did you do the training through? Boise or Caldwell? Anyway good job.

Good news about the 180, with floats even. Show us some pictures when you can.

Fly safe, See ya, Bub

jmtgt wrote:George said I was capable last year but I was having an off flying week coming off a week in the Piaggio and back in to the Maule. Wup kept telling me I need to slow down. I was approaching to fast. lol I have been flying some similar strips and landing up hill. Not as steep. I am ready for it. I have all winter to keep landing on up hill slopes. I am gonna give it a go if I am having a good flying week when I am there next June for the BCP fly in.

J

Oh is the date set for the fly in..... I watched that dvd of the guy with the 185 on fly idaho where he goes into about 7 or 8 strips ending with Dewey Moore and lastly Mile Hi. Mile Hi seems like all technique, as it seems long enough but you can't touch down too far down the hill and too far up the hill could be disastrous. He does Dewey and takes a very deep breath after roll out there and says "Welcome to Dewey Moore" like he's thankful to be in one piece.

Waking up in Seattle this morning, eager to get the deal done so I can hopefully get out of town before the weather goes back down hill on Sunday. Hopefully we'll get the airplane moved over to Renton today.
John, Mile Hi would be fun. I didn't get that far the last time I was up there. As I was circling it to land some people called me on the radio and said I needed to come back and land at Vines! For some strange reason. I can't remember, now what was that all about............
Now I'm a cheatin' bastard though, if it looks too scary I'll let you do all the sweatin' and then just come slidin' right in to the top meadow like butta. In a helicopter!

Hey G3,

Just tuned in to this thread. Congrats on both accounts! When are you adding a blender to the ag fleet?

Take care, Rob

Finally after a weekend of slowed closing and two days of bad weather I got my new sled home today!
Hopped the 11:20 S.W. jet out of BOI to SEA. Was on the ground in Washington no longer than 40 minutes. Met curbside, straight to Renton to an already fueled airplane. Off VFR @ 12:40 p.m. down past Auburn and Thun. Hopped over the little hills around Chehalis, heavy rain and a grand Toledo to Kelso. Opened up a bit at Goheen to Troutdale. 167kts. through the gorge with a few showers up to 2k though! Dalles to Baker City direct....NOT. Heavy snow showers @28 degrees at the Blues, needed north turn to get up more in line with I-84 to dodge between a few lines. Jumped over at La Grande then direct BKE, but arriving at BKE it was about to become engulfed in a huge snowshower complex. Sooooooo I kept going. And going. Until I got to Nampa. Stopped for QUICK fuel as the large rain (warmer here, a bit) shower that was at Caldwell when I landed was now kicking up wind and threatening me at Nampa. No pee but Managed to stroke it just in time with the mid-field turn awaaaay from it. Finally 30 minutes later I was turning final into a 25 mph wind and put the first landing at home in the dirt of course, even though she still has little sneakers (800's, eeeeewwww)....for now.

Nice job George!
looking forward to some pictures. Now you've got some legs. Come on up and play for awhile. You'll be right at home.
Kurt

Hi George,

I was going to say "pretty slick", but "Potato Salad" is "pretty sweet"...

Don't think I will be having a 180 in my stable for quite some time... with my current "paltry salary" and all....

10-4 Rob,
Keeeeep truckin'. Come on up for a shred. Are you coming to the convention in Reno in December?