Mon.5-12-08 kttd-s33. Fbo punched a 3" hole in my M7 flight time 1 hr.
Tue. S33-krno. Flight time 2.75
Wed. krno-lake taho-M45-Carson city-krno-S33 flight time 4.75 hr.
Thur. S33-kbno
Fri. Kbno-owyhee fl time 1 hr.
Sat. Owyhee-kttd fl time 2.?
pictures to come. On the IPhone now.
Rob

GumpAir wrote:

Durango Rebel wrote: next time I'll get brave enough to land on some lake beds in NV.

That 1/4 inch dry crust can look real inviting from the air, and be a bottomless mud pit underneath.

Gump

I flew around in circles one day last February at salton Sea California while watching a jeep trying to dig out of mud that covered his entire front tires. Less than a half mile down the beach there were quads running around like crazy kicking up dust.

I landed where the quads were and had lunch, went for a hike, came back and when I took off two hours later, the jeep driver had tracks about 25 feet long trying to back the thing out. He was still stuck pretty bad.

Point of the story is obvoius. Your first beach landing could be your last one. Be careful.

John Cortesy

We just flew to Juneau and back the other day, mostly went down to see the newest Indianna Jones movie with the AN2-Colt in it. Great movie but needed more airplane scenes in it.

Not too common to have CAVU weather here but down and back I could have slept the whole way, no wind, no clouds, no fog.

I am sure we will pay for this another time

Over the Memorial Day weekend (and I share the sentiments about the veterans, because I am one, too) I took the Stinson on a 11.5 hour Texas fly-about to Kingsbury Aerodrome, Lampasas, Ozona, San Marcos, and to Nome. Wish that had been the more northern Nome! Ive been to Houston, Alaska and to Nome, Texas. Great air show at Kingsbury and I just posted a few pics. Kingsbury and Nome were on grass strips - not the back country, but they made the Stinson feel at home. Thought I would see Indiana Jones flying the An-2 but they didn't have a movie theater in Lampasas when I stopped on Saturday. The Stinson is eagerly waiting for us to move to Montana next year. Adios, amigos.

RobBurson wrote:Mon.5-12-08 kttd-s33. Fbo punched a 3" hole in my M7 flight time 1 hr.
Tue. S33-krno. Flight time 2.75
Wed. krno-lake taho-M45-Carson city-krno-S33 flight time 4.75 hr.
Thur. S33-kbno
Fri. Kbno-owyhee fl time 1 hr.
Sat. Owyhee-kttd fl time 2.?
pictures to come. On the IPhone now.
Rob

Here's some pics





See all the pics here. http://picasaweb.google.com/robburson/RenoTrip08

Troutdale to local. Slow flight, Power on and off stalls, landings. My best short was 370 feet, really 426 feet from the threshold.



Cheers...Rob

Did a bunch of T&G's for about 45 minutes with short approaches and then got bored and cruised the SD back country. Renewed my enthusiasm for canyon flying since it's been a long time. Starting to feel comfortable again.

Great pix Rob!!! See you at the fly in....Butch

Butch, thanks. Look forward to meeting you at JC.

Take care...Rob

Went to one of our favorite places. The farm where I grew up on, north of Bowman, ND.

Friday night we circumnavigated three huge thunderstorm cells from Bismarck to Bowman. We hangered our M5-210C in Bowman that night. Early the next morning I flew it 12 miles north to the Farm in Slope county. I landed on the road and taxied into the yard. My project for the morning was to disc and drag the old runway we had in the seventies. We had a 90 hp 7DC champ then. We also have an old hanger that we dismanteled from the neighbors and reconstructed in 1977. A little work and we have a place for "pearl" to be when we go to the farm to visit and work.



The afternoon was busy helping the neighbors brand.


Branding is a social event and airplanes have frequently been a part of them. Saturday was no exception.

See the spot link.

Truckee to Stead for fuel $5.07 Flipped a bitch went to Beckwourth $5.75 Flipped another bitch after a short BS with the boys at Nervino Aero...Then to my frends little grass strip nearby, then back to Truckee$4.92(bargain)Time to start burning car gas.............. besides the sticker shock on the fuel it was an awesome AM doing what I love more than anything

This is a story of my day today. Keep in mind, I fly big iron now and spend a couple mins of my day below 10,000 feet looking out the front crack that is a windshield. Please read it through my eyes...the eyes of someone who is (re)discovering a whole new area of aviation...my life. I'm awfully excited about how today went! I have to write and share it. I hope you enjoy the ramblings from this grass and tailwheel newbie!

Got up this morning at 0530 after tossing and turning all night. Took the trains to Midway from my crashpad condo in Chicago. Got a cup of coffee before boarding first train. Transfer trains. Discover shortly thereafter that coffee has not engaged brain yet. Different color trains = different routes in the great metropolis of Chicago. Get off the train, get on the one going the other way. Get back off and transfer to proper train to Midway.

Running late. Run through terminal like OJ Simpson in an old rental car ad. Get to pilot lounge, grab Bose ANR headset from brain bag and run towards other end of terminal. No line at McDonalds....yeah I got time. Get me a McGriddle and LARGE cup of coffee. Keep running, I'm going to make it. Plane is full but get a ride in the jumpseat up front. Fly to MCI (Kansas City).

My new found friend that I flew my last trip with is a partner in a Bellanca 8KCAB. He picks me up and we drive to KMKC (KC Downtown). Stop at local FBO to see if the hot flight attendant taking flying lessons is there. She is. Stay and flirt for a few. Man those eyes can drill holes into your soul.
Get to T-hangar and pulls out a 79 Decathalon. Get me first ride in one and first ride in a tandem plane since my primary pilot training in the Navy 15-sum years ago. I sit in the back for this leg. Power up and we are running down the runway. He pushes the stick forward and I feel like the nose is going to dive into the pavement...but it doesn't. Stop grinning and making fun of me all you taildragger guys! We are off the ground and into 20 kt winds gusting to 25, straight down the runway so it doesn't matter.

YEEEHAAAWWWWW!!!

We head over to K51 Cedar Airpark for a couple touch and goes and my first ever grass landing. Yeah, I lost my grass-cherry today! It was like nothing I've done yet. What a total gas in the pants...and you know how us guys like to rip a good one!

Then over to K34 Gardner for a couple more T&G's. AFter that, up to "altitude." My last aerobatics work had a hard deck of 6000 feet min... and we had to be 8000' to spin. We go all the way up to the nosebleeding height of 4000' and commence aileron rolls, barrel rolls, loops, Cuban 8's, and the mother of all that is sacred and holy (in my world now) a Hammer-F-ing-heading stall! I about pee my pants, soil myself, and lose all control from fear and laughter! I haven't had that much fun in an age in a plane. And it was all done with half the horsepower of my old boat! After a time we are off to K81 Miami City for some barbeque.

After eating and drinking to our fill, it's back to the plane. We put in 15 gallons and I take the front seat. Then it happens, I do my first taxi and take off in a taildragger. A voice in my ear says to push the stick forward after I walk in power. I will my right hand to push. It does, about and inch. I hear the voice again....hmmm, right hand and brain say, "Hell NO! I'm not gonna push the dang prop into the grass!" The I feel the stick go far forward and the tail come up. I feel like I'm looking right down at the grass as we build speed. I get my wits back, come on the controls, and fly her off the deck.

Damn what a feeling. Climb out at 80 kts, turn downwind, come in and grease, or rather slide it onto the soft, swooshy grass! Man I swear I can feel the wheels brush the grass before the weight builds on them. What a cool sound. What a cool feeling. Take her back up and do 3 more.

Dang, time to go. Climb out and head back to KMKC. He's got hunney-do's to do and I gotta jump back to MDW. Enroute...yeah we got time. More loops and a victory roll! Land and my feet still haven't touched the ground.

Soooo how much does a Super Decathalon run??? Hmmm, Is that a good compromise between short field, acro, cross country and hauling a (little) camping gear? Options options...decisions decisions! Ahh what life. We are all so damn lucky my friends. I'm flying as many as I can. I love each one in it's own way. Can I have one of each...please?

That was a fun story, Arn. Super D's are great planes if you can live without flaps.

Arn, you know what the toughest part of flying off grass is?

Getting the grass stains off the seat of your pants!

Nice story!

Great story! Boy I wish my M7 could do basic aerobatics.

Rob

I bet you heavy iron guys get bored real quick with the "fly by the numbers" thing. Flights like you described in your great story are a breath of fresh air. I am kinda amazed you didn't have to do any grass landing in primary training though..

Welcome to the world of "do it if it feels good" flying... Heck,, we can't even speel published approach in here...

Ben

Just went for a fun fligt yesterday, took a good friend up and went critter spotting. found our first moose within two minutes. In about 1 hr. flight time we found 1 brownie, about 25 moose, maybe a dozen goats and lots of trumpeter swans.

All in all a very nice way to blow some gas money, even made a decent landing on the return.

My Brother asked me to come down Saturday morning and help them move cattle.


We did just that. Kitty and I flew down early Saturday and had a wonderful day with family.


I alway love going to the family farm. It brings back so many great memories including flying around in the Champ that my brother and I bought when I was seventeen.


Can you Find the Deer in this Picture?[/img]

Should've been a Cowboy!