RoadTrips

The Aerostar is finally here!

Bud flew commercial from SAT to SJC to get a few things we left at the house, check in with the office and then bring the Aerostar here. It has had such a 'journey' with the never-ending annual, AD's, defective turbos, and what is beginning to seem to me as the 'usual ham-handed mechanics'. But finally it seems it is in great shape, only missing the low frequency radio. I had gone into town and was on my back through the gates when I saw him on downwind, lovely! I was speeding a little bit so I could watch him land, and was just able to see the Aerostar on final just before touchdown. It is a beautiful thing to behold.

We are having to keep it in the large hangar at the other end of the runway since we have not been able to get our hangar modified to be able to hold the Aerostar. But we have visited her several times and she seems to be settling in pretty well.

In addition, I am finally taking lessons to be able to finish getting my Private Pilot's license. I have my old log book now, seems I solo'd with just less than 10 hours in an Aeronca Champ in September of 1980 with Orville Fleming as my instructor. No wonder I am so rusty. I am flying with Justin Warren in a Cessna 150 [alas, not a taildragger and now having to deal with flaps, radios, real altimeters, artificial horizons, lots more instruments than the Champ had, but lots less than the Aerostar]. Bud is wonderful, helping with cross country flight planning and is getting a simulator to load on his computer to help with instruments. I now have about 5 hours in the 150. I plan to get the license finalized before we go back to CA. I'll have to find something at South County [E16] to keep my hand in as I am not likely to be able to manage the Aerostar quite yet. I'll post images of my little cutie, N23EB soon [that's 'two-three echo bravo', not 'twenty three echo bravo' as I keep saying, to Justin's dismay]. But he is excellent and hasn't seemed too alarmed by my flying so far. At least the landings have allowed the plane to be flown again without repair - success in any pilot's view. You know the saying, 'there I was, upside down...' heh

posted by pdf Tex @ 7:16 PM