The Perfect Winter Night

[N4843W]

After a torrid 275 hours last year through about Dec 1, between lousy WX and west coast travel, I have flown about 10 hours since! A Wings of Mercy opportunity came up and I realized, I was not current on IFR approaches or night landings, something I have not given a thought to the past few years. Didn't need to. So I left the office at 5:35, arrived for the 6:17 twilight ... off the ground about 6:45. Flew an ILS and two different GPS approaches, all at night. The moon was 100% full and huge, air perfectly stable, not a cloud anywhere, fresh coating of snow ... visibility was incredible. Just an absolutely perfect night for flying. Had YIP Tower all to myself and Detroit Approach was very quite as well. So I got both my IFR and night landings in, and just had a delightful time flying for 1:15. Driving home I was thinking, "what a country." Yeah, there are a lot of things to bitch about, and there is always pressure to restrict our flying in various ways, but the reality is, we can still fly when and where we want about 99% of the time and we don't have to ask anyone in advance. Try that in about 95% of the world. Relatively speaking, we've got it made here in the USA. It was a great night.

 

[wab003]

So who did you corral as a safety pilot for this beautiful evening? ;-)

 

[Airotto370]

Re: The Perfect Winter Night

So who did you corral as a safety pilot for this beautiful evening? ;-)

My question too...

 

[N4843W]

Re: The Perfect Winter Night

Better to leave that a mystery?

 

[atjudge]

Re: The Perfect Winter Night

"Ask me no questions I'l tell you no lies"

 

[wab003]

It is a great country. Now, if we could just convince some competent, responsible, and collaborative leaders to run for election... So frustrating.

 

[N4843W]

Re: The Perfect Winter Night

How about you, Bill. I would vote for you in a heartbeat!

 

[Pat]

Re: The Perfect Winter Night

Bill,
You got my vote
Of course, it I lived in a big city, you have two or three of my votes.

 

[milojevicp]

Re: The Perfect Winter Night

Surely Scott has logged the safety pilot in his log book!

 

[ksandrew]

Re: The Perfect Winter Night

Scott,

I have just been checking the FARs pertaining to safety pilots,

There was no information disqualifying the blow up sex dolls.

Life is a barrel of fun.

Ken Andrew

 

[wab003]

Bill,
You got my vote
Of course, it I lived in a big city, you have two or three of my votes.

At least in the Chicago area...

 

[Lonnie Steverson]

Enjoy it now while we still have a country way things are going right now we will be lucky if they don't try to tax us for lift on our wings. But that's politics and not what this was designed for. Yes we have a great country and a lot of great people gave their lives for us to be here and to be free but lot of people don't even give that a single thought. God Bless the US!!!!!

 

[Richard Lerma]

Re: The Perfect Winter Night

Gentlemen, Scott hit it on the head! I hope to have the opportunity to meet a lot of you in person at a fly-in.

 

[nruzic]

Re: The Perfect Winter Night

Enjoy it now while we still have a country way things are going right now we will be lucky if they don't try to tax us for lift on our wings.

Hey Lonnie a thought get the aviation lawyers out and lets tie them up in a debate on what is lift and does the upper surface suction contribute more lift or does lower surface pressure create more lift. This would be important for teh Tax computation formula.