Wow, it seems likes it's been so long since I last flew the plane. So, when my youngest daughter, Dawn, tells me that she wants me to come get her for Spring Break, who can resist. Only problem is my right tip tank has had some major cosmetic issues since I bought the plane and my mechanic, Bob at Crewdawg Aviation has finally taken it off and given it to a fellow who does unbelieveable fiberglass work. Wednesday the tip tank arrives, but Bob is deeply rooted in working on an Archer that is having an electrical problem. Thursday comes and goes and nothing gets done. Friday the weather is looking great for Saturday, but Bob is still working on the Archer. 6:30 PM on Friday night and still N926GZ is sitting outside. I go back over at 9:00 PM and Bob and Pat have the tip tank on and they are aligning it. By 11:00 PM the trip is on and I head home to get some rest. Bob is there until 2:00 AM to connect the fuel lines and change a tire that he is not happy with. NOW that's a mechanic that every Pilot wants. The results are fantastic.
They even painted the tip temporarily with a can of spray paint that Bob had that matched beautifully. Finish paint job will come later.
So, 11:00 AM Saturday, my brother and I are off the ground and flying for Lynchburg, VA. A little windy down low, but when we hit 6500' the air is smooth as silk and the tail wind pushes us along at 145 knots. Not bad for a 235. We sail over Patuxent and head west for Lynchburg. About 22 miles out I begin our descent and prep for landing. Lynchburg is using Runway 4 and I gently bring her down on the numbers and taxi over to Falwell Aviation. Now I get the picture of a life time when 926GZ goes one on one with the big boys. "GO AHEAD, MAKE MY DAY".
Well, after a nice lunch with Dawn, we load up and prep for departure. The winds aloft don't favor us on the way home, but once again the air is smooth at 7500'. Somewhere just below Washington, DC we loose the jeppesen card on the 530W. So it's flying VOR's on the way home. After turning north from Patuxent, we ask to move to 5500'. Not much different, but at least our ground speed was in the 3 digits again. Over the Delaware Bay we begin our descent down for South Jersey Airport. A nice turn and we were on the 45 for runway 8. A nice landing on runway 8 takes us right back to Crewdawg Aviation. Five hours of flying, down to Lynchburg, VA and back! All in all it was a fantastic day to be a Pilot! Safe flying everyone!!
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