One thousand and one

Plane: Cessna 182 RG 
Route: MGY, Local 
Weather: Clear, 80 degrees, wind 340 degrees at 5 knots

Time moves quickly. After a couple busy weeks that included my little sister's wedding and a work trip to San Antonio, I was itching to get back in the air. We're planning a nice little day trip for Father's Day this coming weekend but I wanted to get in a little air time first. Especially so I could have an opportunity to give the new avionics a trial run.

The club just installed a nice Appareo ESG transponder so the plane meets the ADS-B mandate. It includes a hard-wired Stratus 2i so we now have ADS-B In on aircraft power. For the non-pilots, that basically means we have a little device permanently mounted in the plane that allows me to see real-time traffic, weather, NOTAMs, and such on my iPad in the cockpit... so I don't have to worry about bringing my own when flying 7YG anymore. Quite convenient.

It was too nice a night not to fly

I got to the airport about 7:45 and had the propeller spinning just before 8:00. I taxied down to the end of Runway 2, completed did my run-up, and taxied onto the runway. With quarter-full fuel tanks (which is still 1.5+ hours of flight time in this plane) and only myself on board, the plane leapt into the air in no time.

In the pattern at Wright Brothers

The air was remarkably clear for a reasonably warm summer evening. Visibility was truly unrestricted. Had I climbed up to 3,500 or 4,000 feet I have no doubt I'd have seen the Columbus skyline 65-70 miles away. Instead I stayed in the pattern and brought the plane in for a smooth landing in the nearly still evening air. I taxied back and launched into the sky again, this time really trying to let the plane fly itself off the runway when it was ready to cheat gravity.

Looking south towards MGY over I-675 and Yankee St

Dayton Mall and the I-675 / I-75 interchange

My next landing was a bit of an aviation milestone - my 1000th, if I've managed to log them all correctly over the years. Thankfully it was very smooth. Wouldn't want to ruin the moment.

I taxied back one more time but, after takeoff, turned east and climbed up out of the pattern for a very short scenic flight around the area. Even with the power reduced to 15" of MP my ground speed was over 120 knots; I do continue to enjoy this plane's ability to go places. I flew a gentle circle east of Wright Brothers then flew west along I-675 while descending, gently turning again west of the field over Miamisburg to re-enter the pattern.

My final approach and landing (which, full disclosure, I thought was my 1000th) were the best of the night. I didn't need to touch the power from the time I reduced it abeam the numbers and everything was stabilized all the way through to the flare, where I reduced the power to idle and gently touched the mains with the stall horn blaring. A fitting end to a fine evening flight.

Flight Track: Google Earth KMZ File 
Today's Flight: 0.6 hours
Total Time: 397.1 hours

Ten years later

Plane: Cub, 65 hp 
Route: 40I, Local 
Weather: Clear, 79 degrees, wind 060 degrees at 4 knots

Compared to the past couple years, I've been on a downright tear in 2018. Less than six months in, my hours are already more than double what I flew last year! And I'm actually on track to fly more than I did in 2016, 2015, or 2014. Life isn't much less crazy for me these days, but I think I've finally managed to strike a balance that ensures I get to spend enough time in the cockpit.

Prior Years: 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017

This is also quite the milestone. I've now been writing this blog for a decade, which is honestly a bit hard to even wrap my head around. Of course, that also means I've now been flying for a decade. My first lesson was on May 20, 2008 in N98686 - the same plane I flew this evening.

Now for technicalities. I did actually fly on my birthday a few days ago, and I suppose that should be the official "ten years later" flight. But the tradition has really always been about flying the Cub on or soon after my birthday, so I'm counting tonight's flight. Deal with it. :)

So what was particularly special from this most recent trip around the sun?

• Our daughter has grown from a newborn to a walking, talking, generally super happy and incredibly lovable little toddler that we love more than anything in the world (bonus points for her loving to fly so far)
• I joined a flying club with a Cessna 182 RG, which has led to most of my recent uptick in flight time - and has added Complex and High Performance sign-offs to my logbook
• Gina and I took a wonderful trip to Barcelona (where we got engaged, if you recall) over the holidays and celebrated New Year's Eve there
• Back in December, I started a new job after a decade at Kodak - it's a great opportunity to do something new and I'm enjoying it thus far

Despite all the recent flying, my grass field vintage airplane stick time has been nil since last summer. But with the Skylane checkout complete, I wanted to get current in the Cub again ASAP. In my opinion, there's still no better way to experience the pure joy of flying, especially over the summer months.

There's just something special about a Cub in an old hangar...

There's also just something special about a Cub on grass

Tommy was kind enough to squeeze me in before his first student tonight. I got to the airport early, pre-flighted the plane, and topped it off with 100LL so I was ready to go the second he arrived. He propped the now-65 horse engine to life (they had to replace 98286's engine and they didn't have another 85 hp available, so the Big Cub is now Big in name only) and I taxied down to the end of Runway 8.

Similar to last year's flight after a long hiatus, it seems you really don't forget how to fly a Cub. I was a little worried about re-calibrating my sight picture after 15 straight hours in the 182 but it all just sort of came right back to me. My first takeoff and landing weren't great; I trimmed too far forward on takeoff and I didn't get the stick all the way back on landing, so we bounced a little. But the second time around was much better. Tommy was satisfied, so he hopped out and I taxied back for one final solo lap around the pattern.

Flying over the very green farmland on downwind for Runway 8

Pointing south on a left base for Runway 8

Takeoff was smooth and I reached pattern altitude much quicker sans Tommy. I did take a couple moments to just look around to enjoy the view and the warm evening air blowing in my face through the open door. Abeam the numbers, I reduced the throttle and began a gradual descent from 1,800 feet.

I intentionally held in some power to land a little long for a shorter taxi. Moving along in ground effect about halfway down the runway, I reduced the throttle to idle and gently touched down on the green grass. Everything felt right back at home.

So I'm officially Cub current again. Still, considering how little I've flown them over the past couple years, I'm going to try to go up on my own again soon to practice takeoffs and landings, stalls, slow flight, steep turns, etc. I think once I've done that it'll finally feel like I'm permitted back in the camp of truly current pilots.

Flight Track: Google Earth KMZ File 
Today's Flight: 0.5 hours
Total Time: 395.3 hours

It's my birthday and I'll fly if I want to

Plane: Cessna 182 RG 
Route: BFA-MGY
Weather - BFA: Broken clouds, 47 degrees, wind variable at 5 knots
Weather - MGY: Few clouds, 77 degrees, wind variable at 3 knots

Today was one of those days in the sky where you make some tough decisions and learn a few things. After a great weekend in Boyne golfing with my future brother-in-law, it was time to head home. I'd been checking the forecasts all weekend and I knew the weather wouldn't be perfect. The question was whether it would be good enough to get out and get home.

It was overcast when I woke up, so obviously I wasn't going anywhere right away. But the ceiling and visibility forecasts looked flyable by lunchtime. There was also a line of storms crossing Lake Michigan that would be over the middle of the state by early afternoon. Thus we arrive at my main conundrum - could I safely depart Boyne in time to fly the length of Michigan in VFR conditions ahead of the incoming line of storms?

On the ground in Boyne waiting for the clouds to break

I was at the plane around 8:30 so I loaded my golf clubs and suitcase and did my pre-flight. Then I waited and kept checking the weather. The clouds began breaking and there were many holes forming with plenty of space to safely take off and climb through them. PIREPs reported the clouds were less than 1,500 feet thick and it was clear above.

Aerovie's Vertical Weather Profile for my route

Here's where I must mention a wonderful resource - Aerovie. I think it has perhaps the best weather planning tools of any aviation app. Their Vertical Weather Profile is especially stellar. Basically, it uses the weather balloon soundings that are used to create Skew-T diagrams to overlay and visualize forecast conditions along your route. For under $50/year (if you're an EAA member) it truly is a great tool.

In conjunction with the standard ceiling/visibility forecasts, general weather prog charts, and radar, it was a great help this morning. Essentially it showed that there would be a sizeable vertical chunk of space between the low overcast and high altitude clouds over my entire route. In order to beat the weather moving across the lake I would have fly VFR on top for a portion of the flight, which is not without its risks. But I knew I'd be flying in VFR conditions towards improving weather in Ohio.

So where did that leave me decision-wise?

1. Get in the air soon, climb well above the overcast settled over much of lower Michigan, beat the storms moving in from the west, and make it home
2. Wait it out for VFR conditions along the majority of my route - which would likely mean staying another night

I did know it was totally clear just south of Dayton and was forecast to remain that way all day, so my backup plan was to fly to Lunken or Clermont County (or somewhere in northern Kentucky if needed) if the weather in Dayton wasn't good enough by the time I arrived.

It would be ~2.5 hours home and I had over 5 hours of fuel onboard so I was comfortable with remaining airborne even if I had to divert south. The real tough decision was the 100% legal but still potentially dicey plan to fly VFR on top as a non-instrument rated pilot. I'd be lying if I didn't say having an autopilot, multiple navigation sources, and a Stormscope on board gave me a bit of extra comfort in making the "go" decision.

It was a long trip home, made quick by the Skylane RG

Once I decided I was going to fly home, I quickly got settled in the left seat, started the engine, and completed my pre-takeoff checks. As I finished up at the end of the runway, a King Air called in four miles out on final and I quickly spotted him well under the cloud deck. That meant the cloud bases had risen higher. Good news.

After he landed I asked the pilot over the radio what the cloud tops were and he said they were around 4,000 feet. I thanked him for the information and turned on to Runway 35. Within seconds I was off the ground, quickly climbing into the crisp, clear morning sky. The clouds remained broken with much blue sky visible above; I turned southwest and climbed through a large hole then turned on course while climbing up to 5,500 feet.

Climbing out with Boyne Mountain off the left wing

Deer Lake and the golf clubhouse and driving range

The Alpine and Monument golf courses

The clouds were scattered over the area just after takeoff

Overflying Grayling Army Airfield

For the first 30-35 minutes of the flight, the clouds below remained broken and I could still see the ground. Then the holes began to close up as forecast; before long, I was flying over a solid layer. Although the tops were still well below me, I elected to climb up to 7,500 feet for a little added margin of safety.

I called Saginaw Approach for flight following. As you may expect, the frequency was rather quiet. Not too much VFR traffic on an overcast Sunday morning.

You could clearly see darker areas in the sky to the west where the storms were moving in from across Lake Michigan. While they were many, many miles away I elected to deviate east towards Saginaw. From there, I could basically fly due south all the way home. At 155+ knots, I knew I'd be well south of the weather before it made it this far across the state.

Closer to Bay City, the sky below turned to solid overcast

Avoiding some weather moving in from the west

Patches of broken clouds over mid-Michigan, near Owosso

Saginaw handed me off to Lansing Approach. That sector was just as quiet. For a brief period between Flint and Lansing, the clouds broke up a bit and I could see the ground again. I made a mental note and figured I would turn back and make it through one of the large openings in the clouds to land at the airport in Owosso should something happen.

Around this time I also encountered a small rain shower. Visibility decreased, though it remained at least 10 miles, and I again turned slightly to track towards a brighter spot on the horizon. A few minutes later, the rain stopped and blue sky and sunlight filled the windshield.

The clouds began to slowly break southwest of Toledo

My ground speed remained good and it wasn't long before I crossed into Ohio. As I passed over the Maumee River between Toledo and Fort Wayne, I again started to see the ground - except this time it would remain visible for the remainder of the flight. The clouds went from broken to scattered to few to essentially nonexistent by the time I was within 30 minutes of home.

It was nearly clear by the time I reached Lima

Flying over I-75 south of Wapakoneta (home of Neil Armstrong!)

One of the most interesting things was seeing the stationary front that has been hanging out north of Dayton for much of the past week. As I approached the area, a haze seemed to suddenly appear in every direction. Visibility decreased from 30+ miles to 10 at best and I felt the warmth and humidity increase. It may have been in the 40s in northern Michigan just 90 minutes earlier but now it was in the 70s and muggy!

It became quite hazy as I approached Dayton Int'l

Downtown Dayton was also somewhat obscured by haze

By this time, I was talking to Columbus Approach. They instructed me to descend to 6,500 and then 4,500 feet. Just west of downtown Dayton they cut me loose and I tuned in the CTAF at Wright Brothers. It really was hazy - I didn't spot the airport until I was maybe 8 miles away.

Still descending, my ground speed was close to 175 knots so I reduced throttle to slow a bit. Leveling off, I dropped below 140 knots and lowered the gear to help me slow down some more. I entered the pattern in a long 45 to a left downwind for Runway 2. My approach was smooth but the rising air over the hot asphalt caused me to float more than anticipated in the flare; I added a touch of power as the plane rose slightly at the last moment to prevent a carrier landing. The mains squeaked onto the runway reasonably softly and I taxied back to the hangar.

It was way warmer and more humid than where I was just a couple hours prior. Add that to the "lessons learned from a fast new airplane" list - always dress for weather and temperature changes! I pulled off my sweatshirt as soon as I climbed out of the plane; by the time I finished loading my car I was still nearly soaked through my t-shirt.

Debriefing the trip here now with myself, I returned home safely without any issues, so it obviously worked out just fine. At no point do I feel today's trip was as dicey as what I still look back on as my diciest flight weather-wise. Still... this is yet another superb exhibit as to why I need to get my instrument rating ASAP!

With the added speed, range, and overall capability of the Skylane RG comes the added chance of encountering adverse conditions along the (extended) route. I feel reasonably good about my decision-making today but I also certainly felt a little lonely and uneasy by myself on top of a sea of white. There's no doubt additional training and ratings are the clear next step for me.

Flight Track: Google Earth KMZ File 
Today's Flight: 2.5 hours
Total Time: 394.8 hours

A beautiful morning to fly up north

Plane: Cessna 182 RG 
Route: OZW-BFA 
Weather - OZW: Clear, 63 degrees, wind 070 degrees at 11 knots gusting to 14
Weather - BFA: Clear, 60 degrees, wind 110 degrees at 10 knots gusting to 17

After getting out of Dayton ahead of some weather last night, I awoke to a beautiful morning in Michigan. I had breakfast and talked with my dad for a bit, took a shower, and then he drove me down the road to the airport. Once the plane was loaded and I completed my pre-flight, we said goodbye and I taxied over to the fuel pumps.

First learning of the day. It's seemingly obvious, but I didn't actually think about how much longer it takes to fill up the Skylane! For the most part, I've flown the 172 and have never had to pump more than about 30 gallons. Well the 182 holds 88 gallons and I took off half-full last night; she took 61 gallons this morning.

It was a little windy and gusty on the field as I taxied to the end of Runway 13. I did my runup and the final pre-takeoff checks, then taxied onto the runway. Full throttle applied and I was quickly accelerating down the concrete at 10:23.

Second learning of the day. I raised the nose into the sky and was gaining altitude when all of a sudden I noticed the airspeed indicator was precipitously slow and going lower. But I was still gaining altitude quickly and the engine gauges looked normal. Fly the airplane. I did lower the nose a bit (out of instinct, I'd say) as I tried to figure out what was going on. Within about 15 seconds I realized the alternate static source knob didn't lock in position when I checked it before takeoff; I closed and secured it and the airspeed indicator immediately jumped back up over 100 knots, about 15-20 knots faster than my normal climb speed. With everything back to normal, I raised the gear and flaps and turned on course.

Comfortably cruising up north at 155 knots

A big wind farm just west of Midland

I leveled at 4,500 feet as the winds were less favorable any higher. On course for Boyne, I contacted Detroit Approach for flight following. They almost immediately handed me off to Flint, who later handed me off to Saginaw. Instead of passing me along to Minneapolis Center, the controller just cut me loose somewhere north of Midland / Bay City.

Houghton Lake - Roscommon County Airport (HTL) is on the east side

Higgins Lake had incredible color today

It didn't take long to cover the ~160 nautical miles to Boyne. The winds were even gustier up north but thankfully they weren't a direct crosswind. As I descended and approached the airport, the only other traffic in the pattern was a Chinook, presumably from the nearby Camp Grayling.

In the pattern at Boyne - you can see the whole resort behind the runway

As I turned final, the plane was getting tossed around a bit. That increased more on short final due to, I assume, the wind blowing over the mountain next to the airport. I wrestled the plane down just fine, however, and touched down smoothly on Runway 17 around 11:30.

It only took a minute to taxi to the corner of the tarmac, shut the plane down, and secure it for the next couple nights. Scott's friend Paul, who organized the bachelor party, picked me up right at the airplane, we loaded my clubs into his car, and we were on the golf course by noon.

Once again, GA turned an otherwise long trip into a quick, enjoyable flight. Slightly over an hour in the air compared to 3 1/2 by road. Sure, I left a day early and stayed overnight on the way, but I still maintain it's a great way to travel!

Flight Track: Google Earth KMZ File 
Today's Flight: 1.2 hours
Total Time: 392.3 hours

Bugging out of Dayton to beat the weather

Plane: Cessna 182 RG 
Route: MGY-OZW
Weather - MGY: Broken clouds, 80 degrees, wind 070 degrees at 8 knots
Weather - OZW: Clear, 70 degrees, wind 040 degrees at 9 knots gusting to 16

I'm heading up to Boyne Mountain, MI this weekend for my future brother-in-law's bachelor party. The plan had been to fly up tomorrow in one simple straight shot. But I made the very last-minute call to bug out this afternoon, and I'm glad I did.

All week I've been watching the weather remain strange and somewhat uncooperative - a weak front has hung in the region for days, with regular scattered storms and hot, humid air. This weekend more moisture is pushing in and, over the past day, the forecast visibilities and ceilings have seriously deteriorated for tomorrow. Then I saw storms forming late this afternoon and decided at about 15:30 that I needed to leave right away if I wanted to fly at all.

So I finished packing, headed to the airport, loaded the plane, gave it a thorough pre-flight, pulled it out of the hangar, parked my car in the hangar, closed up the hanger, and started the engine. I was in the air off Runway 2 by 16:45. A thunderstorm was over the airport by 17:15.

Flying over Dayton Int'l - note the storms I was avoiding to the southeast

I called Columbus Approach for flight following right away so I could enter Dayton's airspace. I initially leveled at 4,500 feet to stay below the clouds (and that's the altitude the controller gave me) and the air was reasonably smooth considering thunderstorms were in the area. I hit a few good bumps, but all in all had no issues. Originally I flew a bit west of course to stay behind a cell that was moving west and remain far in front of the larger cell moving in from the east. By the time I was over DAY all the significant weather was behind me; I climbed up to my cruise altitude of 5,500 feet and turned back on course to OZW.

Nothing but clear, storm-free skies ahead!

Looking back towards the nasty weather I beat out of town

The line of storms I successfully beat out of town

Still learning the new plane, I decided to experiment with a few different power settings that are in the POH. I settled on 2100 RPM and 23" of manifold pressure this evening as a pretty good balance between speed, noise, and fuel burn. Despite a 20+ knot headwind for much of the trip, I was still seeing 140-145 knots over the ground.

Making 141 knots at 2100 RPM and 23" MP

Passing about 10 miles east of Grand Lake St. Marys

The sky was totally clear after about Lima, just a little haze in the distance but that was well beyond 25 miles in any direction. Columbus handed me off to Toledo Approach. He didn't sound too busy so I have him a PIREP at one point, mostly because I thought it would be nice to confirm the winds aloft as calculated by the Garmin 430 were pretty close to the forecast I was seeing in ForeFlight via ADS-B. And, well, I know that meteorologists like to receive every data point they can!

My first winds aloft calculation, west of Findlay

 These were about the strongest I calculated, southwest of Toledo

The winds began to subside (just as forecast) after I crossed into MI

Toledo Approach handed me off to Detroit Approach, which was a little busier but still relatively quiet on this Thursday evening. I passed over the Chrysler Proving Grounds near Chelsea and began my descent down to 2,000 feet. About 10 miles away from Livingston County I let Detroit know I had the airport in sight and they cut me loose.

There was one other plane, a Diamond, in the pattern when I approached, and he was using Runway 13. Had he not been there, I probably would have picked Runway 31 as I was already positioned to enter the left downwind; instead I crossed midfield to follow the Diamond. The winds were directly across the runway and gusty, certainly the strongest crosswind I've landed the Skylane in to date.

I'm happy to report all the training has paid off - controlling the plane through a few good bumps and burbles on short final, I touched down softly just past 18:00 on the left main, then the right, and then the nose wheel. It was honestly one of my better landings in the plane so far, period. After a quick taxi I pulled into a tiedown and shut down the engine. It was only 1.5 clock hours after I pulled the plane out of the hangar and started the engine at Wright Brothers.

Safely parked and tied down at Livingston County Airport in Howell, MI

My dad picked me up and we grabbed a sandwich for dinner. He lives nearby - you may recall my last couple flights to OZW were to see him. It's certainly handy to have a free place to stay near an airport that doubles as a good mid-trip stopover!

Flight Track: Google Earth KMZ File 
Today's Flight: 1.5 hours
Total Time: 391.1 hours

Currency, Part 2: Cub time is the best time

Plane: Cub, 65 hp 
Route: 40I, Local 
Weather: Scattered clouds 76 degrees, wind 270 degrees at 8 knots

After running myself through the ringer with takeoffs and landings in the 172, I opted for a bit more fun in the venerable Cub. With time to spare there was no reason to skip some fun in the air. She'd flown earlier so, after pulling the plane out of the hangar and completing my preflight, it only took one pull of the blade to hand-prop the old Continental to life.

I first headed off over the lake for a little practice. My steep turns were better than when I did them with Jamie last month; I think I even caught my wake once. Then I slowed down, pulled on the carb heat, and did a bit of slow flight to see how slow I could move across the ground. It's been too long since I did any stalls solo, so I brought the throttle to idle, pointed the nose higher, and held back on the stick as the nose broke earthward. I was actually a bit surprised how well the stalls went after such a long break; I must've been well-coordinated as the nose didn't roll at all.

You don't need much more than this to have a good time

Feeling comfortably current in my stick and rudder skills, it was time to put them to use attacking everyone's favorite sanitary substrate (old yet requisite disclaimer here). I climbed up to 5,500 feet, slowed down, tossed the roll out the door, and set up to begin my series of passes. At first, I was quite effective and cut the white streamer with ease. Then I somehow completely lost track of it; it took 45-60 seconds and a series of wide turns before I finally spotted it again. I pulled the throttle to idle, pointed the nose down, and clipped it again as my airspeed built up. With the target acquired, I made a couple more passes and caught the shortening streamer once more before I had to call it off due to altitude.

By this point, I'd been flying for about 30 minutes and I wanted to get in some takeoffs and landings before my time with the plane was up. It took roughly 10 minutes to get back into the pattern at Stewart. My plan, as usual, was to make three laps around the pattern to extend my tailwheel currency.

I made five laps.

My first, second, and fifth landings were great. However, I had to add power on the third after I flared too high. The next time around I pulled the stick back a touch too far in the flare and the tailwheel hit the ground before the mains. Neither landing was terrible but I really hate ending a practice flight on a bad note, so I kept going and nailed it on the fifth.

So, for the first time in essentially a year, I'm decently competent at flying both the Cub and the Skyhawk again. One can of course always practice and improve but I think I've removed most of the rust acquired over the past twelve months. Now I've just got to get the little one up for her first airplane ride!

Flight Track: Google Earth KMZ File 
Today's Flight: 1.2 hours
Total Time: 377.6 hours

Currency, Part 1: Taking the 172 all over town

Plane: Cessna 172
Route: 40I-I73-I44-3I7-I62-MGY-40I
Weather: Scattered clouds, 75 degrees, wind 260 degrees at 8-12 knots

What do you do when mom and baby are out of town for the day? You fly, of course. Couple that with a list of local airports you've never landed at despite being a pilot for over eight years and you've got yourself a mission!

It's already been over a month since I last flew. Much better than earlier this year, but still more of a gap than I'd like. So this seemed like a good way break up the takeoff ans landing practice with a (tiny) bit of pilotage and navigation.

I popped into about half the airports around Dayton today

I departed Stewart and first landed at Moraine Airpark (I73) for the first time since 2009. Coming over the levee on very short final, the rising air caused me to briefly float down the runway before touching down relatively softly. Takeoff was smooth and I climbed straight out to 1,700 feet (per the A/FD and sign at the end of the runway) before turning north.

The first new airport was Dahio Trotwood (I44), a notably run down strip that's so desolate it's a tad hard to spot from the air at first. The runway is so cracked that I deemed it smart to first do a low approach and check for any obvious problems or obstructions. I didn't see anything that would preclude a landing so I circled back around and landed on Runway 22. It's an interesting place - corn rises up on both sides so you can't see much of anything once settled on the as-bumpy-as-expected runway. I back-taxied and departed on the same runway without ever seeing any signs of life.

Next up was Phillipsburg (3I7), which was acquired by a local business owner a few years ago to prevent closure of the airport. It's not the busiest place but here there were clear signs of life; a Cherokee called in 10 miles away when I was in the pattern and landed after me. The runway is pretty narrow (reminds me a little of 45G in Brighton, MI) and the shifting winds during my roundout led to probably the worst landing of the day. Again, I back-taxied after the Cherokee was clear and took off again on the shortest leg of the day.

My final new airport was Brookville Air-Park (I62) and it's only a very short 3.4 nm flight from Phillipsburg. This is another unique, lightly used local strip. The runway and airport are actually separated by a road; to cross you pull up to a gate that opens and there are stop signs to remind you to yield to the cars driving by. You also pass quite close to some tall trees off your left wing when landing on Runway 27. The pavement is somewhat bumpy but my touchdown was reasonably smooth; again, I back-taxied down the runway and took off to continue my little local adventure.

Since I'd be passing right by Wright Brothers (MGY) and haven't landed there in nearly a year, I planned it as my final stop on the way home. It's 19 nm from Brookville so I had a few minutes of level cruise to just enjoy the view and relax. The pattern was busy as usual; I crossed midfield behind two other planes in the pattern to land on Runway 20. I landed a tad firm in the slight crosswind. Seeing two or three other planes lined up on the taxiway while I was in the pattern, I'd decided not to wait in line. As soon as the flaps were raised up, I pushed full throttle back in and was soon flying the final leg back to Stewart.

Before long, I was back in Waynesville. I spotted one of the jump planes quickly descending and called him on the radio to say I had him in sight and would follow him in - they have a way of zooming thru the pattern like rockets. I turned slightly right, then circled back to enter a 45 for a left downwind to Runway 26. With the wind almost directly down the runway, my final approach was stable and smooth and I touched down smoothly a few hundred feet past the threshold.

This was a lot of fun. I've been meaning to pop into some of these airports for years and I'm glad to finally have done so. I still want to try out the road-crossing at Brookville so I'll have to land there again some day. Just as exciting and important, I could feel the rust coming off the more I threw myself into both new and familiar situations. I think I'm now current enough in the 172 that Mariella's first flight will soon be in the cards...

Flight Track: Google Earth KMZ File 
Today's Flight: 1.4 hours
Total Time: 376.4 hours

Nine years (and one month) later

Plane: Cub, 65 hp 
Route: 40I, Local 
Weather: Scattered clouds, 81 degrees, wind 260 degrees at 8 knots

When it comes to the overarching purpose behind this blog - flying - this past year has clearly been underwhelming. But life - and, alas, flying - is nothing if not a constant struggle to find and maintain equilibrium between opposing forces. So it's in that vein that this past year has also been overwhelmingly joyful and momentous on a personal level with the birth of our first child.

Prior Years: 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016

So what did the past year thirteen months entail?

• As is often the case, a bunch of travel - mostly for work, but also a few vacations with Gina (to Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, and the Dominican Republic)
• Getting to go flying with a coworker in Germany on the aforementioned trip last summer
• Work has generally been quite fulfilling as I've taken on some new projects with more responsibilities, interacting with more customers and partners all over the world
• Flying up to meet the in-laws for lunch (and to tell them we were pregnant)
• Our only - but large - real flying trip, when we flew the 172 to Boston and back to meet our first nephew last Labor Day weekend
• A very belated but welcomed first flight in pilot and blogger friend Chris' beautiful Warrior late last summer
• Still managing to squeeze in one Young Eagles flight; it's always rewarding to be able to take kids up in a small airplane for the first time

Given my extreme lack of currency that I only recently remedied, this is the first year I've truly missed my annual birthday flight. And with an infant at home, it's also the first time I've ever flown it solo. However, I'll be damned if I completely break the tradition, so getting up in the Cub one month late this evening absolutely kept it alive in my book.

You couldn't have scripted much better weather

Door wide open, enjoying the lush scenery in every direction

The winds decided to get gusty (to 15-16 knots) just as I arrived at Stewart around 6 pm. So I ended up hanging around on the ground for a little while until they calmed back down. In an unusual move for the 65 hp Cub, it did not want to start this evening. However, after probably ten minutes of hand-propping and cycling through a combination of settings, it finally fired up without a care in the world. These old engines certainly have minds of their own at times.

With a still-decent wind blowing almost directly down the runway, my takeoff roll was short and I was quickly climbing westward. Between the light plane and good headwind aloft, I was at pattern altitude (800 feet AGL) before I was even able to turn crosswind on all but one takeoff. I threw in one short field takeoff for fun good practice and was airborne in less than the distance between one set of runway cones.

I know it sounds improbably full of horse manure, but my landings were darn near perfect every time around the pattern. Honestly. Other than the one time I made a simulated engine-out and bounced slightly, every touchdown was a true three-point greaser. Maybe the headwind helped but my stick and rudder skills in the roundout and flare were on point tonight.

Turning towards Caesar Creek Lake

After four takeoffs and landings, I flew north of the airport and passed over a friends' house. Unlike most times I pass over, I saw someone outside, so I circled around and heartily waved the wings before I flew away. Texting them later to ask if they saw me they said yes, their daughter saw the airplane and ran inside to get them to come out and wave. It's the small things... :)

The shadows were getting longer as the sun was getting lower

More lush greenery along the Little Miami River

Before what seemed like very long, it was time to get back to the airport as my reserved block of time was almost up. I'd been flying just about an hour as I entered the pattern for the final time. Keeping with the prior performance, the wheels softly touched down on the green grass; a short rollout and taxi later, I was pushing the plane back into the hangar.

If I didn't have to work for a living, this would be the perfect life

Tradition-keeping and flying practice aside, tonight was a very nice and much-needed mental reprieve. Work has been kind of insane and, while we're lucky that Mariella's truly a very calm and easy baby as babies go, any parent who doesn't admit to needing a little "me time" on occasion is probably lying. Getting up in the sky solo is perhaps still the only way for me to cut everything out and completely focus on something I love for an hour or two.

I did of course rush right home afterwards to see the adorable little girl waiting for her daddy.

Mariella Margaret is already looking skyward, it seems

Next up is getting current in the 172 so we can take this future aviatrix on her first flight. While I do plan on introducing her to the venerable Piper Cub when she's ready, I'd prefer we start out in the safety of a car seat. This new father certainly wants to protect his precious little girl!

Flight Track: Google Earth KMZ File 
Today's Flight: 1.0 hours
Total Time: 373.9 hours

Cubs with the door open are the best air conditioners

Plane: Cub, 65 hp 
Route: 40I, Local 
Weather: Few clouds, 85 degrees, wind 180 degrees at 11 knots

After reminding myself why so much time off is not good for one's skills in the Skyhawk, I figured I might as well get in a little Cub practice while already at the airport. I was honestly a tad nervous considering the J-3 can be a little less forgiving if you misjudge your flare height by a foot or two. On the other hand, I had just done ten laps in the biggun' so it couldn't be that bad, right?

Turns out I was right! While they certainly weren't all greased-in three-pointers, even the first was respectable. I had to add a little power one time around but the Cub's truly awesome stall indicator (that's the bottom half of the open door, which floats up into a horizontal position just above stall speed) does help you visualize when you've got the right attitude in the flare.

More importantly, Cubbin' is still a bunch of fun. It was great to get in a little stick and rudder even though I never left the pattern. All in all, I definitely arrived home this afternoon much more aeronautically current than I departed.

Flight Track: Google Earth KMZ File 
Today's Flight: 0.5 hours
Total Time: 352.0 hours

Bouncing the 172 back into currency

Plane: Cessna 172
Route: 40I, Local 
Weather: Few clouds, 83 degrees, wind 200 degrees at 7 knots

When you haven't flown in months, a bit of rust is to be expected. This year has been even worse than normal on my logbook; those of you who still visit this blog and its resident cobwebs undoubtedly realize that! So it came as no surprise that I needed more than a few laps around the pattern to get my sight picture back into a semblance of shape.

It had been about five months since I last flew the 172. That sort of gap meant Tommy went up with me for the first two takeoffs and landings. The initial plan was one lap but he decided to make it two after my first landing, if that's any indication of the oxidation.

Much-needed circles around the familiar grass strip

Basically, as best as I can determine, my eyeballs needed a serious recalibration after spending so little time in the left seat. On the first landing I flared a good foot or two too high, brought the yoke back just as one should, and... bam! Thanks again for the hardy landing gear, Clyde. The second was far from perfect but Tommy seemed satisfied I wouldn't break the airplane, so he hopped out and I continued going in circles for about another hour.

Somewhere along the way everything came back together; I even greased a couple landings. My general smoothness and flow in flight and in moving through the pattern to landing weren't up to the usual standards - that sort of thing definitely comes with frequent flying - but all were safe.

I decided to make the final landing of the power-off variety and proceeded to essentially repeat my first of the afternoon. Tommy had just landed with a student in the Cub and was treated to a nice view. Of course. Not satisfied to end on that note, I went around one last time and managed a much better power-off approach and landing. Didn't grease it, but at least it didn't feel rusty.

Flight Track: Google Earth KMZ File 
Today's Flight: 1.6 hours
Total Time: 351.5 hours