Dec 10 2009

Taking Great Friends Flying for the First Time

Category: Ramblingsdgandor @ 5:47 am

This past weekend I had the opportunity to take three of my really good friends flying.  This was the first time for all of them in a small airplane, and my first time taking them up!  The stars aligned perfectly to make this day happen…  1)  My friend Scott and his girlfriend Angie happened to be in my general neck of the woods due to a race earlier in the day (they are basically semi-professional triathletes).  2)  Another flying club member was able to move his booking to another plane to open up the schedule for me to fly that afternoon.  3)  The weather was nice – even though the day before brought some of the first snow of the season.  4)  My friend Mark who has 2 kids and a very busy December was able to find a few hours free on a Saturday, which is rare.

Flying with Three Great FriendsScott, Angie, and I started from Westosha (5K6) and flew southbound to DuPage (DPA) airport.  Mark met us there since he only lives about 5 miles away from DPA.  Timing worked out well as I was able to text him right before we departed.  We hung out and chatted at DuPage for a few minutes, then jumped back in plane to head westward.  We did a quick landing and takeoff at DeKalb Regional (DKB) then a traveled a bit further west to just putz around in the sky.  We had great views of Northern Illinois University and, upon request, performed a brief “zero-g” moment to let them feel what a very steep dive feels like.  After that, we headed back to DuPage to let Mark get back to his family and then the remaining three of us flew back home to Westosha.

All three of my friends got to ride in the front and all three seemed to really enjoy it.  It was definitely a blast for me to share my hobby and passion for flying with all of them.  We are already talking about other times we can get together and go somewhere with a more set destination in mind.  All-in-all, it was an awesome day and I can’t wait to fly again with them!  You can see pictures from the day on my friend Scott’s Picasa Page here.  It was also my first time to DeKalb airport, another airport down on my list!

This flight I logged 2.1 hours of flight time and 4 landings.

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Jun 05 2009

200th Landing and First Flight to DuPage Airport!

Category: Solo Flightsdgandor @ 1:49 pm

$100 Club SandwichToday marked my 200th landing as a pilot and my first flight to DuPage Airport (KDPA).  After getting back in the air yesterday after almost 50 days without flying, today I wanted to fly somewhere new and different for me.  I decided upon DuPage Airport because I wanted more practice at a towered airport as well to try the Kittyhawk Cafe there – which I heard is pretty good.

The flight down to DuPage went great as I had both the plane’s (1981 Cessna 172P) old GPS system as well as my new trusy Mio C320 with NavGPS Pro software on it to get me there.  Both systems worked great and had perfectly consistent data between the two.  The southerly winds today lent to a straight-in approach to runway 20R at DuPage.  That runway was absolutely huge and I felt like I landed literally in the first TENTH of it!  After taxiing to the ramp I had lunch at the Kittyhawk Cafe.  I felt like lighter fare, and in homage to the $100 Hamburger, I had what I’ll call a “$100 Club Sandwich”…even took a pic, what you see pictured here (what was left of it halfway through lunch, anyway).  It was great food and the flight center is very modern and posh.  I felt like a high roller.

The flight back to Westosha I just enjoyed the gorgeously clear skies and the view.  The flight went quickly as those southerly winds helped push me back north a little more swiftly.  The landing back at 5K6 marked my 200th as a pilot.  It’s hard to believe that less than 1.5 years ago I had never landed a plane, now I have 200 landings under my belt!  Time certainly does “fly”!

This flight I logged 1.2 hours of flight time and my 200th landing.

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Jun 04 2009

Back in the Air…Finally!

Category: Ramblings,Solo Flightsdgandor @ 8:29 pm

I finally found some time this evening to get back in the air!  Almost 49 days since my last flight and I was worried I was going to be rusty.  Tonight’s flight was just to get up in the air again and practice takeoffs and landings.  I did two quick loops of the pattern at Westosha.  I have to admit the first landing was a little snarky but I had everything dialed in by the second.  After that greaser, I flew up to Burlington (BUU) for a change of scenery.  Apparently a lot of other pilots around there had the same idea I did, because there was a lot of traffic up there (especially for Thursday dusk).  Ultimately I was happy for the challenge and the radio work, though…since it had been so long.  I did three landings and takeoffs at Burlington (all nice in my opinion) and flew back to Westosha to end my flight.

Man, it was great to be flying again!  I know 49 days days isn’t THAT much, but I was itchin’ to fly.  I actually have a plane booked for tomorrow as well.  I think I’ll fly to DuPage Airport and the Kittyhawk Cafe for lunch.

I logged 0.9 of Pilot-in-Command flight time this flight and 6 landings.

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