JimParker256
New member
McKinney, TX
- Aircraft Year
- 1965 Champion 7ECA
- Aircraft Type
- Other
- Reg Number
- N9502S
- Serial Number
- 243
This weekend, the weather here in N Texas has been absolutely glorious. I spent Saturday morning with my EAA buddies learning all about a member's GlaStar project. Then I spend the afternoon in my hangar, cleaning the belly of N5842N, getting the last traces of the swarm of bugs I failed to dodge the last time I went up, and generally sprucing up the hangar. It was a lot of hard work, but very rewarding when completed.
Today, after church, I took my 30 year-old son flying. It was his first time in the Commander, although he flew with me quite a bit in the old Grumman. We've been trying to get together, but life conspired to keep it from happening.
But today, it was severe clear and warm - a beautiful day for flying. So we flew to KSEP (Stephenville, TX) to eat lunch at Hard-8 BBQ - one of the better places in the state.
For the flight down, we circumvented the DFW Class Bravo airspace to the north and west sides. Got to fly over several lakes that were almost dry last time I flew that route, but are now full to almost bursting... And got to see some "new" lakes that were formerly cattle fields and golf courses. IT's absolutely amazing how much rain we got during May (the wettest month on record in Texas).
Arriving at KSEP, we found a group of pilots in the FBO, chatting about their training. One was a new light sport pilot, roughtly 40-45 years old, taking his "pre-checkride" flight with the school's chief pilot, and very excited about joining the pilot fraternity. Another was a cute young lady in her early to mid twenties, flying a very early "straight-tail" Cessna 150 with her instructor. She's working on her Instrument Rating, having earned her Private just before the "May deluge" began. Yesterday, they flew to a grass field and she got 2 hours in a Piper Cub. Very excited and enthusiastic, and her CFI said she's a "good stick" - which I took as high praise.
The folks from Hard-8 BBQ picked us up in a courtesy car, and we had a great lunch: brisket, ribs, a little bit of sausage, some corn on the cob, and charro beans, along with a nice cold drink. One of the best BBQ joints in Texas.
Then we headed back to the airport, refueled the plane ($4.40/gal), and flew back to McKinney at 9,500 ft, where the air was a little cooler. Cleared through the Bravo this time, straight over the top of DFW, but had to descend to 3,500 feet to stay out of the airliners' way. Very cool seeing them coming in 3 abreast to the three parallel runways (thanks to ADS-B), and seeing how they orchestrate the whole thing. It's absolutely amazing to watch!
Arriving back at home, the tower cleared us to enter extended right downwind for 18, so I didn't have to fly the long way around. They told me the only traffic in the pattern was a C182 on 5-mile straight-in instrument approach, and that I was #2 behind him. About the time I got to the south end of the runway, she suggested I might want to slow down as much as I could, so I dropped the gear, flaps, and my son stuck his hand out the vent window (more drag, he said - even at 30, they never completely grow up).
We slowed way down to 80 KIAS, and abeam the north end of the runway (still 1000' AGL) the tower called to ask if I could accept a very tight short approach. I said I could, and she cleared me to expedite the approach and land ahead of the C182, who was still 4 miles out. Here's where my recent practice paid off, as I was able to not only slip that baby down to a nice short final lined up dead in the middle of the VASI lights, but we had a nice one-chirp landing (thank you, trailing-link landing gear!), and made the first turn-off without heavy braking. As I turned off, the tower lady said "Great job on the expedited pattern, and a great landing!" I thanked her, and looked over at my son, who acted suitably impressed.
All in all, just about as good a day as one can have!
Then I got home, and learned that one of our well pumps is not working, and in the middle of my daughter's shower, the pressure pump also quit working. You know what? I don't even care! I'll worry about those things tomorrow, since we've got plenty of bottled water to get us through the night...
We are truly blessed in life!
Today, after church, I took my 30 year-old son flying. It was his first time in the Commander, although he flew with me quite a bit in the old Grumman. We've been trying to get together, but life conspired to keep it from happening.
But today, it was severe clear and warm - a beautiful day for flying. So we flew to KSEP (Stephenville, TX) to eat lunch at Hard-8 BBQ - one of the better places in the state.
For the flight down, we circumvented the DFW Class Bravo airspace to the north and west sides. Got to fly over several lakes that were almost dry last time I flew that route, but are now full to almost bursting... And got to see some "new" lakes that were formerly cattle fields and golf courses. IT's absolutely amazing how much rain we got during May (the wettest month on record in Texas).
Arriving at KSEP, we found a group of pilots in the FBO, chatting about their training. One was a new light sport pilot, roughtly 40-45 years old, taking his "pre-checkride" flight with the school's chief pilot, and very excited about joining the pilot fraternity. Another was a cute young lady in her early to mid twenties, flying a very early "straight-tail" Cessna 150 with her instructor. She's working on her Instrument Rating, having earned her Private just before the "May deluge" began. Yesterday, they flew to a grass field and she got 2 hours in a Piper Cub. Very excited and enthusiastic, and her CFI said she's a "good stick" - which I took as high praise.
The folks from Hard-8 BBQ picked us up in a courtesy car, and we had a great lunch: brisket, ribs, a little bit of sausage, some corn on the cob, and charro beans, along with a nice cold drink. One of the best BBQ joints in Texas.
Then we headed back to the airport, refueled the plane ($4.40/gal), and flew back to McKinney at 9,500 ft, where the air was a little cooler. Cleared through the Bravo this time, straight over the top of DFW, but had to descend to 3,500 feet to stay out of the airliners' way. Very cool seeing them coming in 3 abreast to the three parallel runways (thanks to ADS-B), and seeing how they orchestrate the whole thing. It's absolutely amazing to watch!
Arriving back at home, the tower cleared us to enter extended right downwind for 18, so I didn't have to fly the long way around. They told me the only traffic in the pattern was a C182 on 5-mile straight-in instrument approach, and that I was #2 behind him. About the time I got to the south end of the runway, she suggested I might want to slow down as much as I could, so I dropped the gear, flaps, and my son stuck his hand out the vent window (more drag, he said - even at 30, they never completely grow up).
We slowed way down to 80 KIAS, and abeam the north end of the runway (still 1000' AGL) the tower called to ask if I could accept a very tight short approach. I said I could, and she cleared me to expedite the approach and land ahead of the C182, who was still 4 miles out. Here's where my recent practice paid off, as I was able to not only slip that baby down to a nice short final lined up dead in the middle of the VASI lights, but we had a nice one-chirp landing (thank you, trailing-link landing gear!), and made the first turn-off without heavy braking. As I turned off, the tower lady said "Great job on the expedited pattern, and a great landing!" I thanked her, and looked over at my son, who acted suitably impressed.
All in all, just about as good a day as one can have!
Then I got home, and learned that one of our well pumps is not working, and in the middle of my daughter's shower, the pressure pump also quit working. You know what? I don't even care! I'll worry about those things tomorrow, since we've got plenty of bottled water to get us through the night...
We are truly blessed in life!
