First flight of 2020

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taildrags
Posts: 637
Joined: Tue Mar 07, 2017 10:39 pm

First flight of 2020

Post by taildrags »

Since it's so awfully quiet on this list, I thought I'd throw down the gauntlet to any who might be interested in making their first flight of the new year on Wednesday this week. It's forecast to be rainy and cold here in my neck of the woods so I don't know if I'll even make the attempt, but if it's at least not raining sometime during the day, I might taxi around the airport to get the oil warmed up or something. I have a new Sporty's PJ2 handheld COM that I want to try out anyway. On Wednesday there will be 157 days left until the West Coast Piet Fly-In (which I've never attended but every year I keep saying I'm going to try to). I'm going for my BasicMed on January 7 and then will line up a CFI to get my flight review done, then 41CC needs an annual (but I always enjoy that anyway), so after that there won't be anything but excuses left to chock my tires with and keep me from going to the fly-in.

Well, there's the subject line ready and waiting, so anyone who makes their first flight of 2020, please post to the list whenever that happens to be. If you want to be extra dashing, take a photo of the airplane with your flight helmet, goggles, and scarf resting on the turtledeck while the engine is still tick-tick-ticking as it cools down after the flight.

Oscar Zuniga
Medford, OR
Air Camper NX41CC, A75 power
Tools
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Joined: Wed Feb 22, 2017 9:22 pm

Re: First flight of 2020

Post by Tools »

Got lucky in GA, needed a jacket, but great flying weather otherwise! A New Year’s Day flight has been on the list of things to do for some time!

Tools
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taildrags
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Re: First flight of 2020

Post by taildrags »

Well, good on ya, Tools! Thanks for breaking the ice! Many more enjoyable flights in '20 to you, sir.

Oscar Zuniga
Medford, OR
Air Camper NX41CC, A75 power
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Pat Weeden
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Re: First flight of 2020

Post by Pat Weeden »

I made a New Year's Day flight, but not in a Piet. Just a plain Jane Cessna over semi-frozen Brodhead, but I still flew!
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Pat Weeden, Site Admin
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taildrags
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Re: First flight of 2020

Post by taildrags »

My BasicMed exam today went unbelievably smooth. Quick and easy, done and done! Now to line up that flight review... and I'm thinking that since I'm going to be pulling the wheels to repack the bearings for the annual on my airplane anyway, I might as well swap out my 6.00x6 Aero Trainer tires & tubes for the 8" tires and tubes that I bought last year but haven't installed yet. They should give me just a little more nose-up angle at touchdown in 3-point, plus even a bit more rough terrain capability than I already have. A quick session at my digital scales with a 6" tire and tube compared to the new 8" tires and tubes, adjust the weight & balance spreadsheet (and of course any change in weight for those falls right on the axle location), and my new annual will all be up to date.

Oscar Zuniga
Medford, OR
Air Camper NX41CC, A75 power
Tools
Posts: 32
Joined: Wed Feb 22, 2017 9:22 pm

Re: First flight of 2020

Post by Tools »

Thanks! It was a relatively short flight filled with anticipation... my most recent flight was a month or more ago and I was basically forced down due to a rough running engine. No real problem, very near a friends field.

Making a long story short I’m nearly certain at this point it was merely carb ice... kinda scary though. It did clear up prior to landing, but having never experienced that, I was kinda freaked!

New Year’s Day flight was as smooth as could be, and while I’m certain I’ve troubleshot the issue, I fly a little higher and nearer big open fields!!

Tools
tom kreiner
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Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2017 9:49 am

Re: First flight of 2020

Post by tom kreiner »

Well... like the Weeden’s, my first flight of the year wasn’t in a Piet, rather it was in an RV12.

It was not only my first flight of the year, it was my first flight towards both the commercial rating and the CFIS! Since it was here in Conroe, The weather was CAVU, Blue skies 70°

Still need that Tailwheel endorsement, though...
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