tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-156874782024-03-07T04:09:38.625-05:00Powered by LycomingAbout 80% of general aviation aircraft fly using Lycoming engines. Clearing the trees at the end of the runway. Leaving 4500ft for 6500ft. Maintaining airflow and generating lift across the wings. All are impossible without a reliable engine. Lycoming powers my training aircraft and so fuels my quest for a private pilot certificate. This blog is a record of my thoughts and experiences on life, flight, and learning.Delta Whiskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08940166602933874964noreply@blogger.comBlogger201125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687478.post-48250652406488121022010-03-13T09:26:00.006-05:002010-03-13T15:45:45.629-05:00Grumman Goose!<div style="text-align: left;">I recently got to take a flight on a real live 1942 G-21 Grumman Goose with radial engines. We flew from Dutch Harbor, AK and landed on water at Akutan, AK. It was pretty sweet!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6x-gIU6U-BBDDpZx4GXSsmYcv0t7On6KFTe6UXxw1OHkRkNZgTV3cT4NLqjU1LC_f63EHfpRTs4M7q0CBMkygdIN0yD4mitByuQxDOgXHrI7UsikpOclobjuzMCvH0FKY_qzLKQ/s400/G21-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448221469576597586" /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaaY5Wwwy4viWcGqE8bFaGKddLv345NIzgsh7idGcBoOOREQwC0IX9sgZNlyfWn_ejIh3JqMT5p_euBsxmxpT3SF3VJM6YtDPulK-Nmk5ZRzo1-s4oG3wBZZ2WK-iljhXYismWkg/s1600-h/G21-Landing+PADU.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaaY5Wwwy4viWcGqE8bFaGKddLv345NIzgsh7idGcBoOOREQwC0IX9sgZNlyfWn_ejIh3JqMT5p_euBsxmxpT3SF3VJM6YtDPulK-Nmk5ZRzo1-s4oG3wBZZ2WK-iljhXYismWkg/s400/G21-Landing+PADU.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448221481345849410" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px; " /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkbYGBPSVn_nzbWYgLx2l5mLIm0hrwYvEnH5C0azGwU3JV4v6vlkX2FKq4ndCdlaDoAmBhIFe4OZcFbp57O9cRVx5Svv5ooSWteWhszm5IlwVTHAORPLoKYJg28mVLw1QPjeFCfg/s1600-h/Unalaska.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkbYGBPSVn_nzbWYgLx2l5mLIm0hrwYvEnH5C0azGwU3JV4v6vlkX2FKq4ndCdlaDoAmBhIFe4OZcFbp57O9cRVx5Svv5ooSWteWhszm5IlwVTHAORPLoKYJg28mVLw1QPjeFCfg/s400/Unalaska.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448221479920560018" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px; " /></a><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoa73FriondHWOB-PRhGO_CRRamRtDrJQFfEDL9HpCR51VqEODVHSOpr5SA2yw_WI3w8CoPA9NAR3LTvmPpBX4QEh9ERdD-2CQ2IjgGQiQbYnWwYQPWUJyrssDveeT8MvDQAXOqg/s400/Akutan.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448222155500557906" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px; " /></span><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-_4DHJuITxJugKIpNvX2bAkL3ZHjYf8vU6IKPIdR63OnW5FoTdQmTHKasZ4fNRY1AzZkGFDrVsajez-5F5MMvNSq2yR3t7HFhbyAJMy0Tja3YxQI6N83r-MYEwEh-YyvM-qc73Q/s400/G21.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448171584810128850" /></div>Delta Whiskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08940166602933874964noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687478.post-85003681612119062802010-03-13T08:22:00.003-05:002010-03-13T09:11:02.519-05:00Back under the Hood<div style="text-align: left;">So, it's been a busy year with a lot going on since my last post in August. However, it hasn't been that busy on the flying front until this month. I've picked up my IFR training again for the last final push. I've got about 15 hours left under the hood, still have to pass my written test, and just need to get lots of practice.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I filed, which was cool (and stressful) again. Did a round robin from Newark to Rickenbacker to Lancaster, and back to Newark. So, that was two ILS's and two LOC approaches. The controllers at Rickenbacker were cool, and the guy on Columbus approach was helpful until the 5PM crowd started rolling in to CMH and he switched on Auctioneer mode and my radio transmissions "Uh...785SP...is....uh....procedure turn inbound.....Lancaster.....uh....5SP...." started crowding the airwaves. It was a good flight, but I have too try to stay ahead of the airplane more. You can see how disparate my approach into Lancaster was. I was all over the place! Well, I'll do better next time.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 262px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilM3RY1DPRwlzHJ_o14Hn0CLW5Rr4WGjHGD15vzymnN_i25mFQB0T6hJ55vgfpQYWF6VjT-xXgDc81nayurl2VRhQaUd_4oCAiaUb7QyRhuhzo35FXWBrVrlkxSYaM9kV_-m7Rqg/s400/Mar11+IFR+Flight.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448119541423497090" />Delta Whiskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08940166602933874964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687478.post-63558368264110929942009-08-10T23:42:00.006-04:002009-08-10T23:58:07.962-04:00Flying Update<div style="text-align: left;">It's been pretty hectic at work recently, so I haven't had the time to update the ol' blog recently. I've been really busy at work, which is a good thing - business is picking up and we've got some good opportunities, despite the government's best efforts to squelch new ideas and free enterprise. So, I haven't been flying as much....so I'll try to update my few flights here in a jiffy:</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Greenville, SC</b> - not much to look at in the way of many photos during this trip, but I did get one of the building clouds over the Appalachians that was pretty cool. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXH-7NOq8P_Gey1odcNwZ_UO2bC2USxIOxQw6CVXlM0U-I7nbMFNmAl2lNfzG8PazFKPDwigqDxR5W_f5Jygg95twfa71fvj4BFXCJDip2yEIYv8gNGC4fMX2hDokq4xyRGVaGPg/s400/Clouds.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368547561858504850" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj76kx4wMDBHwoCeGhCreUrKtigT46o5Qgl8MP_uFIBCINot0egbCQlEUscdT1bcxd1ZQ3gxaXqoC6t0UuHOGuauwO5J2WDDxQ7iTkovedsBhu8Jcbl9njiDIEenjvdpTQCH8ieOw/s400/Clouds.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368550429174099202" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Traverse City, MI </b>- I actually flew up to TVC twice in a week's time. I was on vacation, but needed to travel back quickly for a meeting, and it was just plain nice to have an aircraft to tour all the beautiful lakes from the air. Unfortunately, the weather did not co-operate well, and I was not able to do much flying. Let's just say that 470DS got several redneck airplane washes from the passing rainstorms while sitting idle on the tarmac. Here's a few photos of the cool rainstorms during one of my trips up.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg6Kj34TVxt2TfNDWEWRSZ_4JBzNWfxt_F5Q_tVsxA0hL6ABFNEj4jWF91jxiwvoMqQYWpxBv725cSWlACevfF3YSK-6709Cw2FkdvzGSH1GInvCtBCBcWdcK43Awb00XKTvmJfg/s1600-h/MaumeeRiver.jpg"></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFg_A2mqKXYhNr9fHfUdC1TBcb6zu2CLxO8KyG-dLL84TPkGcjIfYPiVhtG6QZj9vL4C20yAZHdy9XDe5Edg7vYPts02ljTmt8XCplD4osrpS9e7Q_0qg7D_7IVjSOCEGbZFiopA/s1600-h/Rain.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFg_A2mqKXYhNr9fHfUdC1TBcb6zu2CLxO8KyG-dLL84TPkGcjIfYPiVhtG6QZj9vL4C20yAZHdy9XDe5Edg7vYPts02ljTmt8XCplD4osrpS9e7Q_0qg7D_7IVjSOCEGbZFiopA/s400/Rain.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368548633573135314" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px; " /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTXf2GQkOiErUWkgycK-HxMCbG1a3faY3Ru69_9uM2-5Xk9vraWngJLJTX_Yr3KALytgOfGhw6PWxWG9cg1_1s2rZDUAun_xmA7eFf00bMp6FmM0RvtHYH9B7H_8ZOIDpHPll9Nw/s1600-h/Clouds+over+Findlay.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTXf2GQkOiErUWkgycK-HxMCbG1a3faY3Ru69_9uM2-5Xk9vraWngJLJTX_Yr3KALytgOfGhw6PWxWG9cg1_1s2rZDUAun_xmA7eFf00bMp6FmM0RvtHYH9B7H_8ZOIDpHPll9Nw/s400/Clouds+over+Findlay.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368548633236797618" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I also snapped a photo of the Maumee River south of Toledo as I flew over at 4500ft MSL.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg6Kj34TVxt2TfNDWEWRSZ_4JBzNWfxt_F5Q_tVsxA0hL6ABFNEj4jWF91jxiwvoMqQYWpxBv725cSWlACevfF3YSK-6709Cw2FkdvzGSH1GInvCtBCBcWdcK43Awb00XKTvmJfg/s400/MaumeeRiver.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368548635336629042" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Hopefully, things will slow down this fall, and I can get back into my IFR training. I'd really like to get that completed by the end of the year, but it's about 16 more hours of hood time and passing the written test before I'm ready to take that checkride. </div>Delta Whiskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08940166602933874964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687478.post-4813171494141813602009-08-10T23:37:00.003-04:002009-08-10T23:41:25.017-04:00223,056<div style="text-align: left;">Changed my timing belt for the 2nd time. The ATQ/AHQ engine on this 2000 B5 Passat V6 is definitely showing its age, because I replaced a lot of bolts that I didn't replace the last time around. Here's to hoping that the Green Stickermobile makes it another 80,000miles! Back off, Obama! This is one clunker that's going to keep on clunking!</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA7FtCKBA4yx5DqLxr9brxIl6IIEsS2NUIM_2bGKeFeIV1N5qEQu3Og2YFueHJ-hoRShe91AqfM-6VTGO7lAcrS_ngkaCp5bbtxlpMB9kCtmFAEwhaehIrON6CxYTg0t2kBhrltQ/s400/DSC_9251.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368545890183007666" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA7FtCKBA4yx5DqLxr9brxIl6IIEsS2NUIM_2bGKeFeIV1N5qEQu3Og2YFueHJ-hoRShe91AqfM-6VTGO7lAcrS_ngkaCp5bbtxlpMB9kCtmFAEwhaehIrON6CxYTg0t2kBhrltQ/s1600-h/DSC_9251.jpg"></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA7FtCKBA4yx5DqLxr9brxIl6IIEsS2NUIM_2bGKeFeIV1N5qEQu3Og2YFueHJ-hoRShe91AqfM-6VTGO7lAcrS_ngkaCp5bbtxlpMB9kCtmFAEwhaehIrON6CxYTg0t2kBhrltQ/s1600-h/DSC_9251.jpg"></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA7FtCKBA4yx5DqLxr9brxIl6IIEsS2NUIM_2bGKeFeIV1N5qEQu3Og2YFueHJ-hoRShe91AqfM-6VTGO7lAcrS_ngkaCp5bbtxlpMB9kCtmFAEwhaehIrON6CxYTg0t2kBhrltQ/s1600-h/DSC_9251.jpg"></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHu7uu82himnz8r0RWeJjrvypIKHFOn9omJfBwzfF6sySIoZknrv6KhDJSB_InX-qewbiViNOkDUUv-1bo6FvYFB_0gL8xsL_8API9Creov1-KknsgNMafANyVmbfpScaBw5_ckg/s1600-h/DSC_9253.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHu7uu82himnz8r0RWeJjrvypIKHFOn9omJfBwzfF6sySIoZknrv6KhDJSB_InX-qewbiViNOkDUUv-1bo6FvYFB_0gL8xsL_8API9Creov1-KknsgNMafANyVmbfpScaBw5_ckg/s400/DSC_9253.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368545895545773378" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px; " /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA7FtCKBA4yx5DqLxr9brxIl6IIEsS2NUIM_2bGKeFeIV1N5qEQu3Og2YFueHJ-hoRShe91AqfM-6VTGO7lAcrS_ngkaCp5bbtxlpMB9kCtmFAEwhaehIrON6CxYTg0t2kBhrltQ/s1600-h/DSC_9251.jpg"></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA7FtCKBA4yx5DqLxr9brxIl6IIEsS2NUIM_2bGKeFeIV1N5qEQu3Og2YFueHJ-hoRShe91AqfM-6VTGO7lAcrS_ngkaCp5bbtxlpMB9kCtmFAEwhaehIrON6CxYTg0t2kBhrltQ/s1600-h/DSC_9251.jpg"></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA7FtCKBA4yx5DqLxr9brxIl6IIEsS2NUIM_2bGKeFeIV1N5qEQu3Og2YFueHJ-hoRShe91AqfM-6VTGO7lAcrS_ngkaCp5bbtxlpMB9kCtmFAEwhaehIrON6CxYTg0t2kBhrltQ/s1600-h/DSC_9251.jpg"></a></div>Delta Whiskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08940166602933874964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687478.post-47715039970108314692009-08-10T23:35:00.000-04:002009-08-10T23:36:56.129-04:00222,222<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHQcCof5lsCeOfRQsr5qovhpd1CBb2uE0SK3gEdiHDNngZr-ryrDb5FG1iiyZ6HjpcqZvQmug5LC4RZpZm93HfCDOrCYwqjksYNsmv1DVihv5Ofvujgs4phO7z_uyEfX51k4A_4w/s1600-h/222222.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHQcCof5lsCeOfRQsr5qovhpd1CBb2uE0SK3gEdiHDNngZr-ryrDb5FG1iiyZ6HjpcqZvQmug5LC4RZpZm93HfCDOrCYwqjksYNsmv1DVihv5Ofvujgs4phO7z_uyEfX51k4A_4w/s400/222222.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368544951011509186" /></a>Only one time you will ever see all '2's on your odometer.....glad I made it this far!<br /><div><br /></div>Delta Whiskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08940166602933874964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687478.post-76887064524266318622009-05-10T21:50:00.002-04:002009-05-10T22:13:32.381-04:00IFR Cross-CountryLast Monday, I finally had the opportunity to take my IFR Cross-Country. I was actually lucky enough to have TWO (2) experienced CFII's on my flight with me. My flight instructor, and her husband, who presumably was trying to escape lawn work yet claimed to want to sightsee, flew with me. We flew from Newark, Ohio up to Toledo, where we woke up the controllers on a beautiful VFR day to do a radar surveillance approach. It took them about 15 minutes, but they found a controller. I didn't do really great on the approach, winds were strong and shifty...but I would've been able to hit the runway...all 10,000ft of it. We then headed direct to the Sandusky (SKY) VOR for an approach into Burke Lakefront. I'd never flown into Burke Lakefront airport before, and it's pretty cool to fly that close to downtown Cleveland, and almost right over Browns stadium on the final approach for 6. I had a controller that vectored me into the initial approach fix and I really flubbed that approach, busting my altitudes and having some serious deflection, but I'm going to blame the 25kt tailwind on the ILS 24 approach down to circle around to 6. It was a very difficult and stressful approach, made more so, because I had two CFII's onboard evaluating my performance:). After a touch-n-go at BKL, I climbed out and headed south for home. On the way back at 7000ft, I managed to pick up a little actual time as well, popping in-and-out of clouds! It was fun, but I could also see how the quick transitions in and out would be disorienting. The final approach into GPS 27 at newark went pretty well, but I wasn't rushed and slowed down significantly. <br /><br />According to the FAR, this flight had to be:<br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><br />(iii) For an instrument—airplane rating, instrument training on cross- country flight procedures specific to airplanes that includes at least one cross-country flight in an airplane that is performed under IFR, and consists of—<br /><br /> (A) A distance of at least 250 nautical miles along airways or ATC-directed routing;<br /> (B) An instrument approach at each airport; and<br /> (C) Three different kinds of approaches with the use of navigation systems;</span><br /><br />So, let's see...how did I do? I logged about 330 miles and about 3.3hours in the air. Aside from getting my written test done, I'm nearly ready for my check ride! However, I still need about 16hrs of simulated and actual instrument time, so I'm going to see if someone wants to be a safety pilot for me to fly under the hood with:). Dad? Paul?......anyone?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij5qMM0Y9vUaD8ujd6cORdH0n0mQwPQFJA_0NKn3N_eF1F742mBa_9Tw5phcyYsKhS5zp8UzX_YH79Pv6acGhdETj9a7qyLKwPVoQkOXRalj4_0RljKWzD3A_RIsCBKWgUgadZHA/s1600-h/IFR+Cross-Country.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij5qMM0Y9vUaD8ujd6cORdH0n0mQwPQFJA_0NKn3N_eF1F742mBa_9Tw5phcyYsKhS5zp8UzX_YH79Pv6acGhdETj9a7qyLKwPVoQkOXRalj4_0RljKWzD3A_RIsCBKWgUgadZHA/s400/IFR+Cross-Country.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334378225277802610" border="0" /></a>Delta Whiskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08940166602933874964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687478.post-41945654354224543292009-05-10T21:41:00.003-04:002009-05-10T21:46:45.173-04:00Hovercraft<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEpimmUnL7nT2MDU1LXmh5IiPOVXq46VT0bUd_ZUhAPRY46M3-1kIunFQd5BzaY7I-Tct7iHsxZp6TMDxtsNdtQgfiBaOpwf9bXvU1NZvkxZnyEoYzO87hTbfBhhDndxcCTyJLIg/s1600-h/12Kt(big).jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEpimmUnL7nT2MDU1LXmh5IiPOVXq46VT0bUd_ZUhAPRY46M3-1kIunFQd5BzaY7I-Tct7iHsxZp6TMDxtsNdtQgfiBaOpwf9bXvU1NZvkxZnyEoYzO87hTbfBhhDndxcCTyJLIg/s400/12Kt(big).jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334375714846784210" border="0" /></a>So, I was out doing a little photo shoot with my cousin James the other weekend, and it was pretty windy. It was so windy and bouncy during our photo shoot that James almost christened the Diamond with a little up-chuck du jour, but fortunately, the DA40 has a great climb rate and we were up in the smooth whistling air before any catastrophes occurred. I noted that the winds on the GPS were showing 50kts at about 4500ft MSL....and I thought - SWEET! I need to get that ground speed to zero and convert the Diamond into a hovercraft! Unfortunately, you can't control the winds. As soon as we got down to stall speed, the winds slacked off to only 44kts. Still, 12 kts indicated groundspeeed at 4500ft is still pretty cool. Now to get a photo of that elusive 200kt club....<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOxeMw0Z7TZE6RcRaurKNKBV6UR9jCTP08j6SBCHlClpMpuycdDGIigI8BuxrZQaDszl6Q5u5nYa-XDAz11bzoBl7-Spx68Ys6AXcYlkAV2YhD-8weMrLq_p8k07kTW2higLuI9w/s1600-h/12Kt.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOxeMw0Z7TZE6RcRaurKNKBV6UR9jCTP08j6SBCHlClpMpuycdDGIigI8BuxrZQaDszl6Q5u5nYa-XDAz11bzoBl7-Spx68Ys6AXcYlkAV2YhD-8weMrLq_p8k07kTW2higLuI9w/s400/12Kt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334375713928210242" border="0" /></a>Delta Whiskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08940166602933874964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687478.post-11799698628203908692009-05-10T20:58:00.002-04:002009-05-10T21:00:23.085-04:00Water Beads<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM8chkZzh-RuZqBh5ve9mdIbG8CRFK4jetRKrc4kzLiYiS04ArZxmteVYe-ZbahpKAlajIKWewKBT_nT-kkNz69qebCoC-xxs5xqOy-ZxmeGytvYFDziVezz0UOVNAHNNaNLanhQ/s1600-h/Beads.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM8chkZzh-RuZqBh5ve9mdIbG8CRFK4jetRKrc4kzLiYiS04ArZxmteVYe-ZbahpKAlajIKWewKBT_nT-kkNz69qebCoC-xxs5xqOy-ZxmeGytvYFDziVezz0UOVNAHNNaNLanhQ/s400/Beads.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334364662260306354" border="0" /></a>Beth & I applied a stain/deck sealer to our deck a week or so ago. Now, the water beads up like it has been rubbed with Carnauba Wax. I think that I'll see how it works on the ol' Passat!Delta Whiskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08940166602933874964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687478.post-90987031839531378222009-04-22T21:34:00.003-04:002009-04-22T21:59:36.370-04:00Actual!Today, I got about 0.5hrs of actual IFR! It was my ninth IFR lesson, and we went flying through a blustery spring afternoon. Winds were pretty gusty and brisk today, winds at 280@9 gusting to 18 as I left Coshocton. The ceiling was fairly high, with an overcast layer at around 4000ft, but it was gusty. Since I wanted to do a little longer training flight to really get some different approaches under my belt, we planned a flight from Newark to Delaware, OH (KDLZ), then to Marion, OH (KMNN), then to Mansfield (KMFD), and finally back to Newark. We took off and headed towards Delaware, and immediately ran into some rainstorms. We vectored around the worst of it, but we were definitely NOT VFR, which was pretty cool. It was a very challenging day to fly, perhaps the most challenging that I have ever flown. There was a lot of windshear and updrafts/downdrafts, so I was constantly battling the altitude. Once I found a power setting that seemed to hold 3000ft fairly well, I'd hit an updraft and before I knew it, I was up at 3200ft, in a 10degree descent, struggling to get 250FPM down to get my altitude centered. I feel like I did pretty well with the communications, but the altitude holding and course headings with all of the wind changes were really giving me a hard time. It was definitely challenging. We did the GPS-28 and the GPS-10 approach into Delaware, and decided to scrap Marion, because of the poor weather. Instead, we headed straight to Mansfield for a couple of approaches there. On our way, at 4000ft, we headed directly into a cloud bank, where the snow was falling, BIG FLAKES, and started to pick up some ice on the leading edge. Not only was this my first actual, but it was also my first encounter with icing! Very exciting! Here's a depiction of a part of my ground track from Delaware, OH to Mansfield, and some of the weather that I flew around.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwh9cBU-VMkfefwSgwZ38pNONbs0nHAWVCqXS-zwpf1vtDmd-rmW6bla0DY_8Kjwik1W7LiS2ly2GNT23EhEZ5K2hw1MpsUeCuOSuSDADTL58JXQaC3XitzaSa1daaP_uucDPJNg/s1600-h/flight_track_map.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwh9cBU-VMkfefwSgwZ38pNONbs0nHAWVCqXS-zwpf1vtDmd-rmW6bla0DY_8Kjwik1W7LiS2ly2GNT23EhEZ5K2hw1MpsUeCuOSuSDADTL58JXQaC3XitzaSa1daaP_uucDPJNg/s400/flight_track_map.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327694450610696178" border="0" /></a>Delta Whiskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08940166602933874964noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687478.post-52660059801116432802009-04-11T09:05:00.013-04:002009-04-12T08:15:33.168-04:00Smoky Mountains!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7zE16dOse11btdWToq95HnfP-w4U5QOeUysVqloxNmeNrmZU3oJvPDtd8AOyLOX2b0wqRotsSVDF4xpDCuq6KF6L3lvpNJHm9uzq_EMNq9aQtnZyQ8Ep_EacPFK8UktcDrHwzgQ/s1600-h/Smokies.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7zE16dOse11btdWToq95HnfP-w4U5QOeUysVqloxNmeNrmZU3oJvPDtd8AOyLOX2b0wqRotsSVDF4xpDCuq6KF6L3lvpNJHm9uzq_EMNq9aQtnZyQ8Ep_EacPFK8UktcDrHwzgQ/s200/Smokies.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323420667824314082" border="0" /></a>Last week, Beth and I made the drive down to Gatlinburg, TN, home of 1000 go-kart tracks, pancake houses, and wedding chapels. Unfortunately, we didn't even have one single pancake when we were down there, because our goal was to HIKE! The Great Smoky Mountains holds a special place in my heart, mainly because it was where my parents led us on many a forced march as a child. It was where I first learned about water management on hikes and the importance of carrying your own food. On a typical hike as kids, we would race to the top of the climb, only to wait around starving for a half hour while Mom & Dad would saunter up with the food. While I had been to the Smokies a number of times, I hadn't been for several years, really since 2002, so my visit was long-overdue. Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg are just as crazy as ever, a monument to miniature golf and salt-water taffy and fudge shops galore! But the mountains are familiar, well-worn like an old pair of underwear. Beth & I headed to the Elkmont campground, which is a very nice campground, surrounded by streams and the sound of rushing water. The rushing water sounds are very important to help drown out my snoring (at least for Beth).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk22spql0aPCUThp7oynACRLLMNMkISEAKa_8V1YRno1Ua46wAKj3_ODHZJ99vXc3c1-aVqfDR-mafwnqNalhCcRHoCTzlJU_FMlK3tfDi9heDgRV7vso98ZNeSrIckGlOnB0JPA/s1600-h/Fire.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk22spql0aPCUThp7oynACRLLMNMkISEAKa_8V1YRno1Ua46wAKj3_ODHZJ99vXc3c1-aVqfDR-mafwnqNalhCcRHoCTzlJU_FMlK3tfDi9heDgRV7vso98ZNeSrIckGlOnB0JPA/s400/Fire.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323767946234565890" border="0" /></a>Here's our sad little fire that we built. I understand that because of the emerald ash borer, that it's not a good idea to bring your own rotting wood into the park, but to make me pay $3/bundle for soaked wood? Outrageous! If the wood was free, I wouldn't say a peep - not me. But to fork out $9/night for a fire that never acheives steady combustion? Unacceptable! BTW - the flames that you in the picture there are from the firestarter that I had just crammed into the fire. I would've been better off getting those giant fire starter logs instead...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWbTWfySbZ4A7zwGAQGBufYzHeUASDHXbOrk4tO4EuNRs8j54O5YdbpG99b2-Bn8gYPfVrSRuLPj0vFB7twXwwCWvIbVF6aRl1ejW7hJs39LJbR8KmRM0wT3UBgc4ne5XtzcnCw/s1600-h/RushingStream.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWbTWfySbZ4A7zwGAQGBufYzHeUASDHXbOrk4tO4EuNRs8j54O5YdbpG99b2-Bn8gYPfVrSRuLPj0vFB7twXwwCWvIbVF6aRl1ejW7hJs39LJbR8KmRM0wT3UBgc4ne5XtzcnCw/s400/RushingStream.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323769411220633010" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><span>Our first hike was to Ramsey Cascades, and here's a view of the rushing water along the Little Pigeon River. Ramsey Cascades is a short, but fairly challenging hike. You climb about 2100 feet in four short miles, and most of that elevation gain is in the last two miles. The streams and scenery are definitely worth it, but it's not for the sunday stroller. </span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiIFPLfgKa_jbqizuhxAfRpbdyeraNSvXavZCY2ROzx2fIpbohbWQQuSJZQle5q7icfgBO8v1CsvYcRpljn1ThfwIFFemP5eaG9XAUhUeUiY0Cmfcmf1h5535wfjfPNoiZFBxSFg/s1600-h/Stream.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiIFPLfgKa_jbqizuhxAfRpbdyeraNSvXavZCY2ROzx2fIpbohbWQQuSJZQle5q7icfgBO8v1CsvYcRpljn1ThfwIFFemP5eaG9XAUhUeUiY0Cmfcmf1h5535wfjfPNoiZFBxSFg/s400/Stream.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323769841543788210" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">A mossy cove along the Ramsey Prong of the Little Pigeon River.</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4LJIWDhDw2m9u-V8AGUFrp2JQfcYbDgcnGECKuUR9dLGohs9Rt0sYwZSwCR1-RSIhDqQ1PXCWegfx_sfNg7XNjhokiAWPJarpwpRhj-SaEU7eRMy-r7KKla2t00d5RUdMtJqH1A/s1600-h/RamseyProng.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4LJIWDhDw2m9u-V8AGUFrp2JQfcYbDgcnGECKuUR9dLGohs9Rt0sYwZSwCR1-RSIhDqQ1PXCWegfx_sfNg7XNjhokiAWPJarpwpRhj-SaEU7eRMy-r7KKla2t00d5RUdMtJqH1A/s400/RamseyProng.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323770704449984642" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">One of two bridges crossing the Ramsey Prong on the hike up.</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtV3siOEtJP0x6CfGyWKYE8EU8hU_EKvX1qNLXt4ru0Df7ozQzarn8WdbYCMfsyH6Nc-QexeplrnnRll9Z2OxCqyjgCO6LsSgSiU2aKN_pd5UbRkD-9TYEi0Nhu7uTPd3t60XDwQ/s1600-h/RamseyCascades.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtV3siOEtJP0x6CfGyWKYE8EU8hU_EKvX1qNLXt4ru0Df7ozQzarn8WdbYCMfsyH6Nc-QexeplrnnRll9Z2OxCqyjgCO6LsSgSiU2aKN_pd5UbRkD-9TYEi0Nhu7uTPd3t60XDwQ/s400/RamseyCascades.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323769414583838162" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The 80ft cascade of water at the end! It's definitely worth the hike!</span></span><br /></div><br />I recall when I took one of my friends from Malaysia on this hike, promising a large waterfall at the end, and when we got to the top, he was a little disgusted with the puny falls. "You call this a big fall? I take you to Malaysia and show you a big falls!" It's still big for the East Coast of the US - most of our fresh water is contained in lazy rivers.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPJ4oj36GF3wcQXLs0hbTuUpmPmWQMgJqoXiqsG-Gtqvp_32bAvHGTA41afN_hPZCQXi6M3mflguZC9KFHNIWaKRkGhSuBhD86RnznlZaNvqUVBqCj3bMx_5LV5b-LlzzGZx_1_w/s1600-h/SlimShady.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPJ4oj36GF3wcQXLs0hbTuUpmPmWQMgJqoXiqsG-Gtqvp_32bAvHGTA41afN_hPZCQXi6M3mflguZC9KFHNIWaKRkGhSuBhD86RnznlZaNvqUVBqCj3bMx_5LV5b-LlzzGZx_1_w/s400/SlimShady.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323773482276316258" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">I also ran into a Slim Shady look-alike on the trail, hoarding her fruit snacks.....</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj13UqZA0JmxnH28_hS3CrsyolNY6adTKsf2Vq9HqGWc-g0i_RqYW0wJS0Unw331IvOx8mEM8mjEcTII92vgKplIuwUtSggmh1LeVwmGQlER-TSUQeqUKWT9_TtER3i_pANLsmmwg/s1600-h/GiantTree.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj13UqZA0JmxnH28_hS3CrsyolNY6adTKsf2Vq9HqGWc-g0i_RqYW0wJS0Unw331IvOx8mEM8mjEcTII92vgKplIuwUtSggmh1LeVwmGQlER-TSUQeqUKWT9_TtER3i_pANLsmmwg/s400/GiantTree.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323773840429986258" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">And, I tried to measure the diameter of one of the large trees along the trail, but I think that I need a little larger wingspan.</span></span><br /></div><br />The next day was absolutely miserable, it was 40-45°F and spitting rain in Gatlinburg, and I suspected that at a typical lapse rate of 4.4°F for every 1000ft, we would be in a blowing snowstorm on any hike above 3600ft (Gatlinburg is only at about 1600ft elevation). So, we applied our hiking energies to the Tangier outlet malls, and found some great deals....however, I was little perturbed at the 9.5% sales tax. I guess they gotta bilk those tourists somehow. The following day, however, was an absolutely perfect day for hiking, clear, sunny, and just some wispy cirrus clouds high in the sky. We decided to hike one of my favorite trails, the Alum Cave Bluffs trail to Mt. LeConte. I've hiked this trail many a time, and really enjoy the views and the memories of racing Joshua to the top. I wasn't in racing mode today, though, because there was a lot of residual ice and snow from the previous day covering some of the more challenging parts of the trail.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqJdUY6d5APeILJzhEzpmW2K9Aee421LRJh-FCU_VdbeO5ld0YDSVQ_rRLpu_rWU6MliZAYbfsg1SSYPhOThtxUWrkRu_qGD7YFrMiadzBUVl9KQKO5z4apysxzYnBMWU8JyDPoQ/s1600-h/Ice.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqJdUY6d5APeILJzhEzpmW2K9Aee421LRJh-FCU_VdbeO5ld0YDSVQ_rRLpu_rWU6MliZAYbfsg1SSYPhOThtxUWrkRu_qGD7YFrMiadzBUVl9KQKO5z4apysxzYnBMWU8JyDPoQ/s400/Ice.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323775723238816018" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Icicles along the trail!</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6jrqC6xm_58U6H1eNQVni0sKXUODNctMm-TwjG7WGebRbHEGM1PUWerH_D-pyfU5JCIX0s9IRu6D3q4zqEdT_hUGfckKnbI7aJslT7YjazuFZmTXiTT-2jAhyphenhyphenL_n2nbNNGyog2Q/s1600-h/Dan.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6jrqC6xm_58U6H1eNQVni0sKXUODNctMm-TwjG7WGebRbHEGM1PUWerH_D-pyfU5JCIX0s9IRu6D3q4zqEdT_hUGfckKnbI7aJslT7YjazuFZmTXiTT-2jAhyphenhyphenL_n2nbNNGyog2Q/s400/Dan.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323775722909593394" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >Standing on Heath Bald, just below Alum Cave Bluffs</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiihFD6UzY9tnV2RFMaKf7yvZqC-9WC5iuLYv_ZXBMUPihcpDvLjA1YkU3FOF333VO1ogb9uD04Kqu5LlY-4EbFtiUaQM5GbO7D4WKjpnkHVIg5JwaVpqAeHN4QT0hyHJi59TOsvQ/s1600-h/Moss.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiihFD6UzY9tnV2RFMaKf7yvZqC-9WC5iuLYv_ZXBMUPihcpDvLjA1YkU3FOF333VO1ogb9uD04Kqu5LlY-4EbFtiUaQM5GbO7D4WKjpnkHVIg5JwaVpqAeHN4QT0hyHJi59TOsvQ/s400/Moss.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323775729859578466" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">A random fuzzy green moss bank along the trail - after a long Ohio Winter, I'm fascinated with green!</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqXZKl6civjRoRHw0xxdMfsvhAq3RfTSzHime27qazj6phsIwuGLWKDe8p13dqjcWMFNiUltTp5oTUt3CZbkGBKGN26cHb7nBuuJapwQ1MAm3XFaTBG8YKtqj-twct59e1lspMAw/s1600-h/Trail.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqXZKl6civjRoRHw0xxdMfsvhAq3RfTSzHime27qazj6phsIwuGLWKDe8p13dqjcWMFNiUltTp5oTUt3CZbkGBKGN26cHb7nBuuJapwQ1MAm3XFaTBG8YKtqj-twct59e1lspMAw/s400/Trail.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323776910002604114" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">One of the many overlooks along the Alum Cave Bluffs trail.</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrIqvWbKDNBi4NTqZFHWffptgP2NvXT3rSjDdZQNcjSrCCaUYH9sgp1xt-sSYMIOrkJ0Ec2keBW1e-hWDvTAX75bQaliIi1DD16nTitz7lTLbHZ1QXTfRP7c2LYvakaH60PA-C7A/s1600-h/NewfounGap.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrIqvWbKDNBi4NTqZFHWffptgP2NvXT3rSjDdZQNcjSrCCaUYH9sgp1xt-sSYMIOrkJ0Ec2keBW1e-hWDvTAX75bQaliIi1DD16nTitz7lTLbHZ1QXTfRP7c2LYvakaH60PA-C7A/s400/NewfounGap.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323775734172170946" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Looking towards Newfound Gap from Cliff Tops on Mt. LeConte.</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM7r5kda00671ErND28S5SI_Bzeme9s_hZlTNE5x8NFRqml8Z-fslBepilPvO4inYNnNb0my7dzdDLyzvArYzTKxbq-ZtjuEXAJCts44V8_oObFEVXA2UNLl9Z2EDvqu22K9nJjg/s1600-h/SnowonCliffTops.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM7r5kda00671ErND28S5SI_Bzeme9s_hZlTNE5x8NFRqml8Z-fslBepilPvO4inYNnNb0my7dzdDLyzvArYzTKxbq-ZtjuEXAJCts44V8_oObFEVXA2UNLl9Z2EDvqu22K9nJjg/s400/SnowonCliffTops.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323775728223396514" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Snow and ice clogging the pine trees on top of Mt. LeConte - it was chilly up there yesterday!</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP9XrDQrZFF2IOlL-1Lg-55Q5NCh62mVoFzo7Mv8cpAmQwxojOXb2WY5yV1h-MS48CfYmJn_eeQgUD1RKjI8ZRhXz5-feb9gxSVyZrtt9S-YPs8Gh2kumeUiULbKcTVugx56nBxQ/s1600-h/Cliff+Tops.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP9XrDQrZFF2IOlL-1Lg-55Q5NCh62mVoFzo7Mv8cpAmQwxojOXb2WY5yV1h-MS48CfYmJn_eeQgUD1RKjI8ZRhXz5-feb9gxSVyZrtt9S-YPs8Gh2kumeUiULbKcTVugx56nBxQ/s400/Cliff+Tops.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323777269878092946" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Hanging out at the top of Mt. LeConte.</span></span><br /></div>Delta Whiskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08940166602933874964noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687478.post-10541372700423764142009-03-31T21:08:00.006-04:002009-03-31T21:27:08.493-04:00VFR Flying!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimXq6Z61kt4BE-WvDAIyER3auchLBmQ6CAqBCTCc8tWLOEvPHtvzoa9YOSXGQ08ThXvOCCAD6CqlJTOE7Qz4bZvmotxW25otFMsrNaAxXGrPvvZWwe89kFfIi3ogX8Euqd7AGong/s1600-h/DSC_8317.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimXq6Z61kt4BE-WvDAIyER3auchLBmQ6CAqBCTCc8tWLOEvPHtvzoa9YOSXGQ08ThXvOCCAD6CqlJTOE7Qz4bZvmotxW25otFMsrNaAxXGrPvvZWwe89kFfIi3ogX8Euqd7AGong/s200/DSC_8317.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319525769613101170" border="0" /></a>Well, after having 14 of the last 16hrs behind the stick be under the hood, it was really nice to take in the scenery of a VFR flight! I flew with Dad down to Blue Ash, OH (KISZ) today for an early morning meeting and some breakfast. It wasn't an overly spectactular day, but one that you could tell was just waiting to have Spring come bursting out. Down in Cincinnati, I could definitely tell that Spring was about 1-2 weeks ahead of Coshocton. Pears were blooming, sprigs of green were out, and LOTS of yard has mower tracks on them. Definitely Spring....it's almost Opening Day!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3GIpos6NEBQutjIz2EQEW7BWfS2_BFzJ617pUnDQl6YK0l96EhYLwUTsp0o-s0IW-U7Qi4YdmHlVkuwLFZSfkCRZKIS7ATEa4iptG18gO8P3fqlc-hTi4tOMVtlW83w4CAmQUgA/s1600-h/DSC_8330.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3GIpos6NEBQutjIz2EQEW7BWfS2_BFzJ617pUnDQl6YK0l96EhYLwUTsp0o-s0IW-U7Qi4YdmHlVkuwLFZSfkCRZKIS7ATEa4iptG18gO8P3fqlc-hTi4tOMVtlW83w4CAmQUgA/s400/DSC_8330.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319525993654478402" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Looking down Main Street towards downtown Columbus, OH - I swear, if I hear "Main Street to Wall Street one more time....."</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-A-0WikL7SCv4ZbyR1N05MaQMZa6ybigaF7SuqAo0Lehb9TQsaVTK5Aiw1s_2BVuCPZtl4V6nXT0lQrBU1r_ZZzmPw2EixgRbRRnGf4pdEATDjTBk2nEqUM-hH6xQBw0zB0PtXQ/s1600-h/DSC_8334.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-A-0WikL7SCv4ZbyR1N05MaQMZa6ybigaF7SuqAo0Lehb9TQsaVTK5Aiw1s_2BVuCPZtl4V6nXT0lQrBU1r_ZZzmPw2EixgRbRRnGf4pdEATDjTBk2nEqUM-hH6xQBw0zB0PtXQ/s400/DSC_8334.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319526001005779522" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Downtown Columbus in the early morning light</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUqiQmGlOrXo092blce47Nj0uxQkZhRhSgiDxYgriSeVvfuN-xmMd-UrXS3IE1TqGyrCws0FFeXKK8yyc8wtIrTL2FzweFkxAGBqjmfvAmfxSwXyIhfAroklcMVcPHVr2e2aml_g/s1600-h/DSC_8333.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUqiQmGlOrXo092blce47Nj0uxQkZhRhSgiDxYgriSeVvfuN-xmMd-UrXS3IE1TqGyrCws0FFeXKK8yyc8wtIrTL2FzweFkxAGBqjmfvAmfxSwXyIhfAroklcMVcPHVr2e2aml_g/s400/DSC_8333.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319525997947737490" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Blacklick Woods Golf Course - Blacklick, OH</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTDNnolG59qABFgNo7zrQgX8m2Ida6TVmsLj6xfWRzYe8p_S3bTOfJQTLYaRxBgYZV1Pal0sUcNNSNqnPU8R0uP0yZaSHaYlnEPXd4K0jhJzJ6PvKVc5WE1fKQQsk2Xa0bgsVRWg/s1600-h/DSC_8341.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTDNnolG59qABFgNo7zrQgX8m2Ida6TVmsLj6xfWRzYe8p_S3bTOfJQTLYaRxBgYZV1Pal0sUcNNSNqnPU8R0uP0yZaSHaYlnEPXd4K0jhJzJ6PvKVc5WE1fKQQsk2Xa0bgsVRWg/s400/DSC_8341.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319526000230988978" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Making the turn for final into Blue Ash, OH (KISZ) - there were 35kt winds about 500ft AGL, dropping to 7-8 at the surface - crazy!</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUehdI_MP0PIazyBw3D2b2ibcqTADCoqyxIfFDkxUSj8qABR4d1PctwnZF6NkpcpCK4LFpmnMkif_rvfXQ2TYztg1b79TBWJZ2SBehvtdSszC-jNBAp0bh_yuGMylDJQxb1mzaUg/s1600-h/DSC_8348.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUehdI_MP0PIazyBw3D2b2ibcqTADCoqyxIfFDkxUSj8qABR4d1PctwnZF6NkpcpCK4LFpmnMkif_rvfXQ2TYztg1b79TBWJZ2SBehvtdSszC-jNBAp0bh_yuGMylDJQxb1mzaUg/s400/DSC_8348.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319527547225283586" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Upon our arrival back in Coshocton, a rare sight - a jet on final for 22!</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8H8t1RH68XBv-4Hs__vDUp-OoPyh004vN_H3V90h3rabVl0GAmj-ZmBEDHloQgDIfL2Zx9lKdAYVvaj-Bm-m-QMpjGKzYPdllHieNF0OnlhvyTXQUx82wveRtT6Y6q0azLkzykg/s1600-h/DSC_8354.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8H8t1RH68XBv-4Hs__vDUp-OoPyh004vN_H3V90h3rabVl0GAmj-ZmBEDHloQgDIfL2Zx9lKdAYVvaj-Bm-m-QMpjGKzYPdllHieNF0OnlhvyTXQUx82wveRtT6Y6q0azLkzykg/s400/DSC_8354.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319527546769137922" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">FULL AUTOBRAKE, FULL AFT T/R, check!</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKKCKmtRf_CIhrlbsXs-vHUSbEE0oW9lr7W7fi5azM7UHRq39jwduw0O_Bk2SLypmOtBYsgD9yAnoQwRwcnWxzDlocpA9sJl__KDmg6p8rS6971G_5nIE7R3phAV8fkFZu4uAPOA/s1600-h/DSC_8366.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKKCKmtRf_CIhrlbsXs-vHUSbEE0oW9lr7W7fi5azM7UHRq39jwduw0O_Bk2SLypmOtBYsgD9yAnoQwRwcnWxzDlocpA9sJl__KDmg6p8rS6971G_5nIE7R3phAV8fkFZu4uAPOA/s400/DSC_8366.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319527547495558786" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">A shiny gleaming visitor to Coshocton, OH - we're getting 5000ft in a couple of months or so!<br /></span></span></div>Delta Whiskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08940166602933874964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687478.post-9901453788552235832009-03-31T20:36:00.003-04:002009-03-31T20:39:59.440-04:00Omelette!We have a new addition to our household - a bird (an American Robin, I believe) has set up a nest in the wreath in our front door and has begun every one of the last few mornings singing very cheerily! I'm counting three eggs so far...I'm waiting until there's at least a half-dozen before I make an omelette!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZXTHzvnjzfkY8ta7P9eG_Ks3WpgSI7xqFDLlA_0CYFYqCM8hJpFjJLYehL_cEyk52uB83JZiBilmbTrYcLQL4sWZ7_Pts1-yTAxb5fcmx4v609LwgLhxWfsbbVs_5w79NBQ-YfA/s1600-h/DSC_8313.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZXTHzvnjzfkY8ta7P9eG_Ks3WpgSI7xqFDLlA_0CYFYqCM8hJpFjJLYehL_cEyk52uB83JZiBilmbTrYcLQL4sWZ7_Pts1-yTAxb5fcmx4v609LwgLhxWfsbbVs_5w79NBQ-YfA/s400/DSC_8313.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319515938617301922" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9LLDoPHjGBNREosGpRwkJM-gKmjMxxRAdvtd5WeJqzfdAZjCEhji5pMnr4dzELVZ0APGRSix7MVwuQ3iy0P5KJd1y2pbV6ubXu6bd2Fv652xJ2baRfXAQbPPtBFhfDJso5fE0pg/s1600-h/DSC_8309.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9LLDoPHjGBNREosGpRwkJM-gKmjMxxRAdvtd5WeJqzfdAZjCEhji5pMnr4dzELVZ0APGRSix7MVwuQ3iy0P5KJd1y2pbV6ubXu6bd2Fv652xJ2baRfXAQbPPtBFhfDJso5fE0pg/s400/DSC_8309.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319515938312335970" border="0" /></a>Delta Whiskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08940166602933874964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687478.post-80540489777481922792009-03-15T10:29:00.002-04:002009-03-15T10:51:44.656-04:00IFR Training Update 2As I mentioned in the previous post, I've been pretty busy at work, but have really tried to stay up with some sort of IFR training. Fortunately, the weather has cooperated, and I've been able to get a few lessons in. I've also passed the 250hr total time landmark, so that's something significant!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BFR/IFR Lesson #5</span><br />My biennial flight review was due the end of December 2008, but over the holidays and with all my traveling, it was just to difficult for me and my instructor to get together to do some flying. So, first chance that we got, I had to bust out a BFR first. It was really no problem, and we managed to squeeze in a couple of approaches at Newark to practice.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">IFR Lesson #6 - Enter the Meatgrinder!</span><br />This was my first lesson flying into Class C airspace and doing multiple approaches to KOSU (Ohio State Don Scott Airport). Fortunately, this is a university airport, so I think that the tower and approach controllers are use to a bunch of slow operators on the radio and the zig-zag needle-chaser student pilots. It was a whole new level to focus on the approach and talk to approach controllers at the same time - YIKES! It was just sheer overload. I managed to execute 3 progressively better GPS-27 approaches into KOSU and didn't irritate the controllers too much, so that was good. My instructor said that I did pretty good, when I wasn't chasing the needle...which wasn't very often. Must. Do. Better.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">IFR Lesson #7 - First File</span><br />This lesson was my first flight conducted solely under Instrument Flight Rules. It was a learning experience, and actually didn't go too bad. I had filed for a flight into Circleville, OH (KCYO), then an approach into Rickenbacker (KLCK), and finally to end up in Newark, OH (KVTA). It was a whole new level of pressure and intense focus to keep my heading, not chase the needle, and to hold that altitude. I did fairly well (at least my instructor said so!), and it really boosted my confidence level. Flying under instrument wasn't really that bad....<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">IFR Lesson #8 - VOR Tracking & Holding Patterns, DME Arcs</span><br />For this lesson, we were going to go through a couple of procedural items. Tracking and holding at VORs was first on the bill. Since the majority of my flying had been in the luxurious cockpit of a G1000-equipped aircraft, I really haven't used VORs for navigation very much. the training aircraft that I was using (N785SP) was a 172SP with two VORs and a Bendix/King KLN94 GPS, which is definitely NOT as cool as the Garmin product. So, it's been a real reverse learning curve as I've had to re-learn what the heck a VOR does, anyways?:) Add into that the fact that the DG on this particular Cessna has the tendency to precess about 20-30 degrees per hour, and it is a real challenge to make nice oval donuts in the sky. I also did a DME arc...honestly not too bad at all. You just have to know which direction the winds are coming from and you're go to go!<br /><br />That's all for now - I hope to have a couple more lessons, and maybe a nice long IFR cross-country here soon. Stay tuned!Delta Whiskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08940166602933874964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687478.post-13992392165416558882009-03-15T09:22:00.013-04:002009-03-15T10:29:56.230-04:00Seattle & San Francisco<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihPOJJ4xUTzg3u6wJ4RbuInr4yVdKjZyev8Xw8a_V_wdjcSSn-s0GYS_zZ3znvGQm8QbmWlseGbLAeI_UGLWzmOhkGkTKgqubq9g5LPYrENOZF9XlSCGecBcdoAx6GfzY_61bCTw/s1600-h/SWA+737NG.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihPOJJ4xUTzg3u6wJ4RbuInr4yVdKjZyev8Xw8a_V_wdjcSSn-s0GYS_zZ3znvGQm8QbmWlseGbLAeI_UGLWzmOhkGkTKgqubq9g5LPYrENOZF9XlSCGecBcdoAx6GfzY_61bCTw/s200/SWA+737NG.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313413036093897026" border="0" /></a>It's been a very busy February, so I haven't posted much recently. I've been continuing my flying, but mostly in a Southwest 737 cattle car type of flying, instead of logging PIC time. My travels at the end of January took me to the west coast for a welcome escape from the cold and snow of Ohio. I think that it's fairly common opinion that Seattle, WA is much more cloudy and rainy than any Ohio city, and after my few trips to Seattle, I'd have to say that it's about the same as Coshocton, OH. If you look at a comparison of total <a href="http://www.weathertoday.net/weatherfacts/cloudy_desc.php">average cloudy</a> and <a href="http://www.weathertoday.net/weatherfacts/numbersunny_city_desc.php">sunny days</a> per year, we're really not that different. I think that those giant bodies of fresh water have something to do with the constant scud blowing across Ohio....I'll let you look at the data and see if the day I was in Seattle was 1 or those 58 days - it was just absolutely beautiful!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitFTYNuZ4EGs5G6G0sZVRjeVIsRMGMJoVpePPdHSPYORIF4CFPOMd7vYzM5CRAW7Sw5koa0xUcdM4BMqeTD5hq_L7eFxh1O3yWeYkFkgazUx6oJY0kM_j5wAr8inZp4_O4pmJyOg/s1600-h/SpaceNeedle.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitFTYNuZ4EGs5G6G0sZVRjeVIsRMGMJoVpePPdHSPYORIF4CFPOMd7vYzM5CRAW7Sw5koa0xUcdM4BMqeTD5hq_L7eFxh1O3yWeYkFkgazUx6oJY0kM_j5wAr8inZp4_O4pmJyOg/s200/SpaceNeedle.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313420066762401474" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cloudy Days per Year</span><br />Seattle, WA - 226 average<br />Pittsburgh, PA - 203 average<br />Cleveland, OH - 202 average<br />Columbus, OH - 190 average<br />Yuma, AZ - 52 average<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sunny Days per Year</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNLIuq5Mzv_ZT8BKN3M0SFGxV0_XEGG2P58ICN-IGN5fXaIeVBjAKBgnHV6qHxpIch3E_JYJqo5WfXQg-jHI5Wljdpe22ApTTaADLCdkqlqa_DBIgln1icAgRi8h5S8bAPf_o5MQ/s1600-h/Ballard.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNLIuq5Mzv_ZT8BKN3M0SFGxV0_XEGG2P58ICN-IGN5fXaIeVBjAKBgnHV6qHxpIch3E_JYJqo5WfXQg-jHI5Wljdpe22ApTTaADLCdkqlqa_DBIgln1icAgRi8h5S8bAPf_o5MQ/s200/Ballard.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313420588975275010" border="0" /></a><br />Seattle, WA - 58 average<br />Pittsburgh, PA - 59 average<br />Cleveland, OH - 66 average<br />Columbus, OH - 72 average<br />Yuma, AZ - 242 average<br /><br />We had a couple of meetings in the morning, but took some time to take a ferry across the Puget Sound towards Bainbridge Island. and headed towards the Olympics. It was fairly warm (45°F or so) and just so brilliantly sunny.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpC2uODC6dw3PZ7HUycqiM8hyE3HOrhZv7FSC3MtrG4wW-9GSAF1ywR-8tOYoM1BfwuOUwtDh5H1f73vADjEYaK1y74EMlXp1sszfCCbqBrJGLKq1m5_URgPrQkz5h7ELjThNpjQ/s1600-h/Rainier.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpC2uODC6dw3PZ7HUycqiM8hyE3HOrhZv7FSC3MtrG4wW-9GSAF1ywR-8tOYoM1BfwuOUwtDh5H1f73vADjEYaK1y74EMlXp1sszfCCbqBrJGLKq1m5_URgPrQkz5h7ELjThNpjQ/s320/Rainier.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313414376900770210" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Mt. Rainer was out for the sun too!</span></span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwoNOYnioNd1L534cLt56qh3edS62Nchi8FSm0AOmqsX6A_K6sYNgoYhiubrWnHTQZZxbLu8s7TiHzgTrcpiZRB3OgQTgtnkrq9FWvixrnMtbpx06zlVFpFkoqjKu2wblTRsnpmg/s1600-h/Bainbridge.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwoNOYnioNd1L534cLt56qh3edS62Nchi8FSm0AOmqsX6A_K6sYNgoYhiubrWnHTQZZxbLu8s7TiHzgTrcpiZRB3OgQTgtnkrq9FWvixrnMtbpx06zlVFpFkoqjKu2wblTRsnpmg/s320/Bainbridge.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313414575695110434" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtKJpnzHNg4xFzVYRE-fpnD06pKjqScyv-fSuuQVcr0josPNaMFy4WkNh2KQkxLkDtRar3_224ac_zQJs-1XvheRYjVlwNRl0e-nOE0Uw1HA4AFwKCThEYSCjYxINF_xMfo34eKQ/s1600-h/Flying.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtKJpnzHNg4xFzVYRE-fpnD06pKjqScyv-fSuuQVcr0josPNaMFy4WkNh2KQkxLkDtRar3_224ac_zQJs-1XvheRYjVlwNRl0e-nOE0Uw1HA4AFwKCThEYSCjYxINF_xMfo34eKQ/s320/Flying.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313414724615740498" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">A seagull enjoying a little VFR conditions (and the free ride from the bow wave from the ferry)</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvaFagABRiNfI5JdthP5DoUQGEP6HxvKd4Z-j7HpoyoL4faKdljxejVlk_vQDr0wL1SH7FrymGNIBa0aIEDiWY3UVadp5XKDSqK-HzPcoJttOC6Qz1OfwVLcGO3C1k1Es3GVBJbg/s1600-h/Dan.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvaFagABRiNfI5JdthP5DoUQGEP6HxvKd4Z-j7HpoyoL4faKdljxejVlk_vQDr0wL1SH7FrymGNIBa0aIEDiWY3UVadp5XKDSqK-HzPcoJttOC6Qz1OfwVLcGO3C1k1Es3GVBJbg/s320/Dan.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313414715851179010" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Enjoying the sunshine - Ohio had about 6-10 inches of snow falling as this photo was taken. See ya, Suckers!</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9OlioswkaiBnCeabSUKLok935ozTbau_34Cj_88kjnO_x8IHhIqGb_vBzwQTbMaYS5EvU1Ry9bKAnckpIUnFZTco-JX6Ge6VDzNsv9st5VJyeGsErHxqgN-aTQtoGAhpl-atkMA/s1600-h/Bellingham+Inlet.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9OlioswkaiBnCeabSUKLok935ozTbau_34Cj_88kjnO_x8IHhIqGb_vBzwQTbMaYS5EvU1Ry9bKAnckpIUnFZTco-JX6Ge6VDzNsv9st5VJyeGsErHxqgN-aTQtoGAhpl-atkMA/s320/Bellingham+Inlet.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313415961683815970" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Here's the typical clouds, taken on Neptune's Beach overlooking the Strait of Georgia, near Bellingham, WA</span></span><br /></div><br />After all that fun in Seattle, I headed south to San Francisco for a trade show for the rest of the week. I had the opportunity to fly on Alaska Airlines for the very first time, and I have to say that I was pleasantly impressed. Service was great, the newer 737NGs are comfortable, and they serve a real microbrew (Alaskan Amber) in a real glass bottle on board the flight. Awesome! On the ground in SF, I met up with my brother Sam, who joined us for the tradeshow appearance, and to escape the clouds of southern Michigan.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2WOL2GYm9zBl5opX76v7_I4Wbsoa6I1EXv5exaQrvTgG77hdtK76P3_JOUL3Hq8EE7Alw4rZ87cPjt-upD-YPExx8aWXGnbmIhcIw-CDx34bJF6gFEF1Kx8X_MW0lKlzvIYsGtw/s1600-h/YerbaBuena.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2WOL2GYm9zBl5opX76v7_I4Wbsoa6I1EXv5exaQrvTgG77hdtK76P3_JOUL3Hq8EE7Alw4rZ87cPjt-upD-YPExx8aWXGnbmIhcIw-CDx34bJF6gFEF1Kx8X_MW0lKlzvIYsGtw/s320/YerbaBuena.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313417272502957810" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Here we are overlooking the Yerba Buena Gardens in SF, just north of the Moscone Center</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWOuHnl3NGOQDpysG6CzJq7KUGu4LVXLy6sLmeNnqSqFs5CvOqd25e3xfN0VU2pkD0q2to8c2Hd58Tl4n0ZBfPRxvWDfRK7z7H3ApdT-jaz2LZE8EiMDgPHzAO_cpABA2YVw-Krg/s1600-h/Sailboat.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWOuHnl3NGOQDpysG6CzJq7KUGu4LVXLy6sLmeNnqSqFs5CvOqd25e3xfN0VU2pkD0q2to8c2Hd58Tl4n0ZBfPRxvWDfRK7z7H3ApdT-jaz2LZE8EiMDgPHzAO_cpABA2YVw-Krg/s320/Sailboat.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313418017128833602" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Sailboat on the Bay - catching the wind and the sun</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCkxXObfVLAlIPygikB0aRkujLLjkg94cQ_yiiJKTHpyRyzuouBA_GE8bsNrzO2NygfKl2jI6DyJBBC6BQAOmBEq8FUi35cSBOLtWNS7vERb1AKllqqrTZoWZCAP8JU-csd6hXLA/s1600-h/JeremiahOBrien.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCkxXObfVLAlIPygikB0aRkujLLjkg94cQ_yiiJKTHpyRyzuouBA_GE8bsNrzO2NygfKl2jI6DyJBBC6BQAOmBEq8FUi35cSBOLtWNS7vERb1AKllqqrTZoWZCAP8JU-csd6hXLA/s320/JeremiahOBrien.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313418015987322706" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">SS Jeremiah O'Brien - Last time, I <a href="http://poweredbylycoming.blogspot.com/2007/03/ss-jeremiah-obrien.html">took the tour </a>and had a great time</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmWIevISRr5wMAsNUACq2oBaY-LgyCTzbTmnvbr8DW2MUFi-oKBmOodJyuWo9k60Iy-ZcGX_F8C6MW5gDJvEj9cju-akFGTm56Y9KF_W0Ovpck1fhLHRcVzzD1YqppsmX9QtaNiw/s1600-h/CableCars.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmWIevISRr5wMAsNUACq2oBaY-LgyCTzbTmnvbr8DW2MUFi-oKBmOodJyuWo9k60Iy-ZcGX_F8C6MW5gDJvEj9cju-akFGTm56Y9KF_W0Ovpck1fhLHRcVzzD1YqppsmX9QtaNiw/s320/CableCars.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313418017071232418" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Cable Cars are Excepted down at Fisherman's Wharf</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjldd-sXziWBa314paB2MHvUMZl0mdEuvhc6tWQTx-0lZ_AhVsSXQywzcD_mmG7Ak6lJlTbxWUNOb6RtU3TAk4X2OXcP4WJXe_otVRF84NAxpuKm4lig7F6VrL8c2ZRM6H5obvLFA/s1600-h/Alcatraz.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjldd-sXziWBa314paB2MHvUMZl0mdEuvhc6tWQTx-0lZ_AhVsSXQywzcD_mmG7Ak6lJlTbxWUNOb6RtU3TAk4X2OXcP4WJXe_otVRF84NAxpuKm4lig7F6VrL8c2ZRM6H5obvLFA/s320/Alcatraz.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313418012240691986" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Heading down the hill to Fisherman's Wharf - the classic San Francisco Cable Car photo.</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0EUjKFEt7Mx1HmeEVec1L4axzrTE6ULtn7lSjPCxkYn2QURMBCBBvGwbbs8zdQkVmzV2Kc74-Ytx1zMID1CPI1LUjNvTxepAZziV_aEyadLypQUFR0-onxvW9s3Z6SMSeZuy5bA/s1600-h/RawBar.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0EUjKFEt7Mx1HmeEVec1L4axzrTE6ULtn7lSjPCxkYn2QURMBCBBvGwbbs8zdQkVmzV2Kc74-Ytx1zMID1CPI1LUjNvTxepAZziV_aEyadLypQUFR0-onxvW9s3Z6SMSeZuy5bA/s320/RawBar.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313418010714836946" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Dungeness Crab & Oysters at the Raw Bar at the Farallon. Yum!</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOsUXaH96GBElfvkS46OpGKbp_DXe02xc8ow0Li0QoaJ523jTK1iSAplG6fYXkPsDwuuEV9wouiIR_PljeZYmyRPJdLi9zXdgQaZ1DOvI2roPxNm0cucq5Czix7Mmp4IdvV097UA/s1600-h/Goldengate.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOsUXaH96GBElfvkS46OpGKbp_DXe02xc8ow0Li0QoaJ523jTK1iSAplG6fYXkPsDwuuEV9wouiIR_PljeZYmyRPJdLi9zXdgQaZ1DOvI2roPxNm0cucq5Czix7Mmp4IdvV097UA/s320/Goldengate.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313418996682617730" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Heading under the Golden Gate Bridge - this photo was taken from the Extra300 that I rented for the afternoon.</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ5QFmuZo588n-jZHe1r8Ww2dQTHiN9oMwTqd1Sonc0EUTdqZHG4CzE3RdGTvcVeBHEf3yqRwtZbO2J2TKxhg-85ed3UeAcH7Ud6k_DP7rx_d0NbeYkTpGXR4wXUVJIIFhBdTTCA/s1600-h/Goldengate(long).jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ5QFmuZo588n-jZHe1r8Ww2dQTHiN9oMwTqd1Sonc0EUTdqZHG4CzE3RdGTvcVeBHEf3yqRwtZbO2J2TKxhg-85ed3UeAcH7Ud6k_DP7rx_d0NbeYkTpGXR4wXUVJIIFhBdTTCA/s320/Goldengate(long).jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313418996504855970" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Look at all that beautiful cross-bracing! Again, taken from an Extra 300, cruising at about 20ft above the waves.</span> </span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRykh6LwjdoIBkkoQ9KOdATc0BqocV7VsVJh89DSIdAxcORpDgRs1q06fAKrP_mrDNO7kLrRZZKZ-5vECw7sFYAPyyipUOHVHA4_MXzmsL7ukUYQHwFMOSV4HpmZr6sicdeg-O0Q/s1600-h/SFFerry.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRykh6LwjdoIBkkoQ9KOdATc0BqocV7VsVJh89DSIdAxcORpDgRs1q06fAKrP_mrDNO7kLrRZZKZ-5vECw7sFYAPyyipUOHVHA4_MXzmsL7ukUYQHwFMOSV4HpmZr6sicdeg-O0Q/s320/SFFerry.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313419574877868994" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">What a nice-looking group of people...Uhm...on...an Extra300 Ferry Boat...<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKFaOruEUDQXsYd48Q0cQsX2JlLBiPZP2Gh0-cCiNr88Bed3PdRFQHs9UKZmLRnqH-UCgtuKehjNh5Be2Q9ESLncwIXIiapycSHppdxmmt5zCbB2in49XWstL7AWA2mSnT4D9gkQ/s1600-h/Passat.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKFaOruEUDQXsYd48Q0cQsX2JlLBiPZP2Gh0-cCiNr88Bed3PdRFQHs9UKZmLRnqH-UCgtuKehjNh5Be2Q9ESLncwIXIiapycSHppdxmmt5zCbB2in49XWstL7AWA2mSnT4D9gkQ/s320/Passat.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313421190259371874" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">8 inches of alternating snow and ice layers on the Passat when I got back - a week of what I missed in the warm California sun. It took me about 30 minutes to chisel my way into that frigid car!</span></span><br /></div>Delta Whiskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08940166602933874964noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687478.post-21844894429732630042009-01-18T16:21:00.002-05:002009-01-18T16:24:58.215-05:00Cold<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEvgPr-W6Jv66h_Nvs3X6_PkpTCfVpjy8_CXQ8pw_YzaZeAh1zcnTT9fBJtKKl0QkjYy8bBnjRt9rOaFOZHlJqN7E49tn4OgYIvkKA9DTMYzmfxAg4kWfMkp-KnpZi-Nqf5mwzPA/s1600-h/COld.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEvgPr-W6Jv66h_Nvs3X6_PkpTCfVpjy8_CXQ8pw_YzaZeAh1zcnTT9fBJtKKl0QkjYy8bBnjRt9rOaFOZHlJqN7E49tn4OgYIvkKA9DTMYzmfxAg4kWfMkp-KnpZi-Nqf5mwzPA/s320/COld.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292747729239675266" border="0" /></a>Like most of the midwest, it's been pretty cold lately. We hit -14°F on Friday, which is a new record temperature since 1890 or something like that in Coshocton. I haven't been flying much recently....translation....AT ALL.....but I am still admiring clouds from the ground. Here's a photo of some truly impressive mounds of water vapor emanating forth from the Conesville AEP power station. That's a lot of heat going up in in the air!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirC2NoSxYFzmckMsKwv9YDfIaCpk-OIWjKF6Ev27s5wZ30G7MjhSt8JBft0rk4KzUpgpS7fVXC7HjKGc1Uu-Oprjxq-ocgO-oBxHO8jRf0-w45_-p2Y8wONxpRrflcyIuCuF1c7g/s1600-h/AEP.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirC2NoSxYFzmckMsKwv9YDfIaCpk-OIWjKF6Ev27s5wZ30G7MjhSt8JBft0rk4KzUpgpS7fVXC7HjKGc1Uu-Oprjxq-ocgO-oBxHO8jRf0-w45_-p2Y8wONxpRrflcyIuCuF1c7g/s320/AEP.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292747733531340946" border="0" /></a>Delta Whiskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08940166602933874964noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687478.post-7221321070651036422008-11-29T10:10:00.003-05:002008-11-29T10:38:20.979-05:00Clark Griswold is an AmateurBeth and I went on a quest to find the perfect Christmas tree yesterday. We managed to pick up a modest 13ft tall Serbian Spruce at Sheetz's Christmas Tree Farm in Coshocton, OH. Beth is still in recovery, but I love the huge tree! Go big....or go home! <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TYlOTajXGg">Clark Griswold</a> is an amateur!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLjdTc1PX8Bj-sbuNbRr2nKNGbgqIQXm4gUHZBdlOuiMR4Rtz3PrtwqqcL9kVCTdc81bTu7wr8HgSqU-_NjcHDM65fr349qn5t5jvm8PfOJ_kienSm9lJCRmbJ9hUoM7LCGWmHvw/s1600-h/DSC_7241.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLjdTc1PX8Bj-sbuNbRr2nKNGbgqIQXm4gUHZBdlOuiMR4Rtz3PrtwqqcL9kVCTdc81bTu7wr8HgSqU-_NjcHDM65fr349qn5t5jvm8PfOJ_kienSm9lJCRmbJ9hUoM7LCGWmHvw/s320/DSC_7241.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274101649437522786" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmgCXXWE2_6eT30RCvYbwsIdrU1lLN933GLqL3csvfHVK8mk72JCrswI2CUTeZBepNvmLLVIYWL7Xv6lkQ4uvr2m24V9TwucH0EngGfbOcy3mnrcEcw21Xz2E18R3OpGNJRWbQBg/s1600-h/DSC_7242.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmgCXXWE2_6eT30RCvYbwsIdrU1lLN933GLqL3csvfHVK8mk72JCrswI2CUTeZBepNvmLLVIYWL7Xv6lkQ4uvr2m24V9TwucH0EngGfbOcy3mnrcEcw21Xz2E18R3OpGNJRWbQBg/s320/DSC_7242.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274101647388746258" border="0" /></a>Delta Whiskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08940166602933874964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687478.post-21725355148543178892008-11-01T23:45:00.015-04:002008-11-09T17:50:56.519-05:00Vegas, Baby, Vegas!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX54hR6FZ9PQpBAQ1VdPh7B-BG931k4kpvu1Z2ox5ODOnhzKMjbw1afE-Fz38MArjmltxcQl2z0B0qSRUCsr1FuvLulf5hNolOOah4w9B-sWRUMOLTz3IxLq-jqjH7gMOhwMLsfg/s1600-h/Bellagio.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX54hR6FZ9PQpBAQ1VdPh7B-BG931k4kpvu1Z2ox5ODOnhzKMjbw1afE-Fz38MArjmltxcQl2z0B0qSRUCsr1FuvLulf5hNolOOah4w9B-sWRUMOLTz3IxLq-jqjH7gMOhwMLsfg/s200/Bellagio.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266783634107651522" border="0" /></a>It's been a little while since I have blogged, but that's mostly because I've been busy at work and doing other stuff! Well, last week was a busy week. I flew on Monday and spent the rest of the week in Las Vegas for a tradeshow. It was a pretty h<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63QDIXFreoEab4fEihj2wbag3SRVclxDnsos2rY2tIHmREg53kvxvOnp_29EgzzKnDArIutKZevTvLFIpfxuR1BLK653kk2Wo2rNT6qkvPGDNfj4J4VuWFDYsoDXAfTmoSdtsmA/s1600-h/Palazzo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63QDIXFreoEab4fEihj2wbag3SRVclxDnsos2rY2tIHmREg53kvxvOnp_29EgzzKnDArIutKZevTvLFIpfxuR1BLK653kk2Wo2rNT6qkvPGDNfj4J4VuWFDYsoDXAfTmoSdtsmA/s200/Palazzo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266786862177005698" border="0" /></a>ectic week, with all of the customer meetings and frantic schedule, but there were some bright spots. We stayed in the quite new, and quite opulent Palazzo Casino/Hotel. It was over-the-top, just like everything in Vegas, but most importantly, it was only a short walk away from the tradeshow.<br /><br />Bright Spot #1 - Playing golf (and conducting business) at the Revere Golf Club in Henderson, NV. I played in a scramble, so I don't really know what my score was, but I probably would've shot about 100, the way I was playing. It was a beautiful course, but really surreal to be standing on lush green grass in the middle of the Mojave Desert. I can't imagine what the water bill is for this course! It was a little different to play golf where you were pretty limited as to your choices for shots....as in, there was a clearly defined landing area, and the rough...well, it was rough! I wish that my camera battery didn't die half-way through the course, because it was beautiful. Oh well, I managed to get some decent photos before it all went south.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN-2mKicYRWx-Z3Mkq4Y-cj-kB182mUSJjhuiH0JtmG-HAigFjtL0ACLnK7ZcjuNI0-PNNpGpvgEMaEED2tJ5tqQdgQ7oGyj8ydOd5sZNOiAHpJHbmvOob_2ZsEXBWLYRFtVoyvw/s1600-h/REvere2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN-2mKicYRWx-Z3Mkq4Y-cj-kB182mUSJjhuiH0JtmG-HAigFjtL0ACLnK7ZcjuNI0-PNNpGpvgEMaEED2tJ5tqQdgQ7oGyj8ydOd5sZNOiAHpJHbmvOob_2ZsEXBWLYRFtVoyvw/s320/REvere2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266786360351672418" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Teeing off, getting ready for my 300+yd drive</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR5xMQOuPNUKI0dSvXRmX8bOu7g93SZv5Q7LmoGE8IMY9YY6-d78eDQAPYGEhFVXMPXxlOp19T7w4Z30xXYetgvaa4ljKz9n6LJHoA8_J_NslxE9t3NgLIQL35FgRSTBHeHduMJg/s1600-h/Lexington18th.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR5xMQOuPNUKI0dSvXRmX8bOu7g93SZv5Q7LmoGE8IMY9YY6-d78eDQAPYGEhFVXMPXxlOp19T7w4Z30xXYetgvaa4ljKz9n6LJHoA8_J_NslxE9t3NgLIQL35FgRSTBHeHduMJg/s320/Lexington18th.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266784264518543778" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Looking down the 18th fairway of the Lexington Course</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOOjrXwJVbCGT2viqGqckEiwl8JJmppg20OZo_lh6ZZZ7lPwZ7TUBqji6wh9v4l9H_jH4f4a8KtIdi7vq7fFdYAchgQDx8bcUvNMESFfOGp2YmBj5ncSv8-ZLaPiT5zITN6WF-KA/s1600-h/Lexington12th.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOOjrXwJVbCGT2viqGqckEiwl8JJmppg20OZo_lh6ZZZ7lPwZ7TUBqji6wh9v4l9H_jH4f4a8KtIdi7vq7fFdYAchgQDx8bcUvNMESFfOGp2YmBj5ncSv8-ZLaPiT5zITN6WF-KA/s320/Lexington12th.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266784260522817586" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The picturesque 12th hole at the Lexington, with Mt. Charleston in the background</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></div><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5qsBcKsQ3LhgT1iVEP4Yo_-Xbto8jFXQ6YW93Veh0OsCdkbDl3dR2HMxsI_Tp2OjR5KxJX5L9buk4ZoSh2yVZ91x9xw5H_svxuZzibPfKGYxOrnw6CarZsi5REcWEht3snIwGog/s1600-h/Lexington7th.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5qsBcKsQ3LhgT1iVEP4Yo_-Xbto8jFXQ6YW93Veh0OsCdkbDl3dR2HMxsI_Tp2OjR5KxJX5L9buk4ZoSh2yVZ91x9xw5H_svxuZzibPfKGYxOrnw6CarZsi5REcWEht3snIwGog/s320/Lexington7th.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266784254790220034" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The bunker-rich 7th hole, complete with waterfall at the end!</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></div><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span><br />Bright Spot #2 - Tasting the succulent wholesome goodness of a Double-Double, Animal Style at In-N-Out Burger. Yum. Oh, and a very good spicy Octopus Roll at Japonais at the Mirage was pretty nice too!<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh183kLleBF-ocmHhHPLB0sW7x-Z-VIWuGOOlEQAqPIurrzSlATCQdszRl2ixfKM2b9xzaYwD94sGSUPIuf3Osy3MvwdXZXTbR0FHM9DDcTHGc6O7zlVtQGj7qQTDkhrNnAxyBG8g/s1600-h/InNOut.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh183kLleBF-ocmHhHPLB0sW7x-Z-VIWuGOOlEQAqPIurrzSlATCQdszRl2ixfKM2b9xzaYwD94sGSUPIuf3Osy3MvwdXZXTbR0FHM9DDcTHGc6O7zlVtQGj7qQTDkhrNnAxyBG8g/s320/InNOut.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266785498693920898" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">In-N-Out! Best Burger in the Land!</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA8XluOn_iHjx19H6b8KxO80y8RED4Tn0NI2mvZlxY8okpsUEKgYaBERaYwLPmnopGf05blDEBWELyq0mUdzzNmFXJR6VOa6E2izdWqGqaQsRcRIolriCEj6KTaWB-cMOD0ZvGkg/s1600-h/Sushi.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA8XluOn_iHjx19H6b8KxO80y8RED4Tn0NI2mvZlxY8okpsUEKgYaBERaYwLPmnopGf05blDEBWELyq0mUdzzNmFXJR6VOa6E2izdWqGqaQsRcRIolriCEj6KTaWB-cMOD0ZvGkg/s320/Sushi.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266785487753421650" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Spicy Octopus Roll at Japonais. Very tasty!</span> </span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgjjq0wyUcsOaAadp41vEB6ps6CbJxXHakhQOjZSLxaj1rGa-1HpMr5SAqAXj3d-ODhynEWdVPq8SI5NUV7rvWoF6_kHwpDrfhbaAcm3xxIlEy1EgpL_Vge25w9NXJzIzSmtVr9Q/s1600-h/Orchid+Martini.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgjjq0wyUcsOaAadp41vEB6ps6CbJxXHakhQOjZSLxaj1rGa-1HpMr5SAqAXj3d-ODhynEWdVPq8SI5NUV7rvWoF6_kHwpDrfhbaAcm3xxIlEy1EgpL_Vge25w9NXJzIzSmtVr9Q/s320/Orchid+Martini.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266785968766327954" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Mom enjoying her Orchid Martini - pretty tasty</span></span><br /></div><br />Bright Spot #3 - Hanging out with my big brother, Mr. JNW and hiking in Death Valley. The last time I was in Death Valley, I was recovering from a $220 speeding ticket (87 in a 55), no A/C in my car, and not much money in my pocket.. Things have changed over the last 10 years, but I still don't have any money in my pocket!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjccM9qmRySWHyJiSrtOBMDK5M89tYGB0FMkUMuJ5hOQLZ25T5QtYKXuksMjxAaNiHP8kDTAC9o59Na_B6DG8Qigco8CVhCol7rphnfJoiLkjyes62-1ovEX-foJVNmX-wcanSSkQ/s1600-h/DeathValey.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjccM9qmRySWHyJiSrtOBMDK5M89tYGB0FMkUMuJ5hOQLZ25T5QtYKXuksMjxAaNiHP8kDTAC9o59Na_B6DG8Qigco8CVhCol7rphnfJoiLkjyes62-1ovEX-foJVNmX-wcanSSkQ/s320/DeathValey.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266792193027149858" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Death Valley National Park. They even had a handicapped parking space out here!</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh845Ow47zoryYfB0H9HZorn1JOBLqSiQSWrHiOg_AOLGP1pZ4nojcQ1EKVwaryyBIa62WjmvTO40WcUUcClSCYyVNVXaoeGj_PVvN60F5h9d6d2fg-p89v5UX7482OWZQBeBKteQ/s1600-h/DAW&JNWZabriskie.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh845Ow47zoryYfB0H9HZorn1JOBLqSiQSWrHiOg_AOLGP1pZ4nojcQ1EKVwaryyBIa62WjmvTO40WcUUcClSCYyVNVXaoeGj_PVvN60F5h9d6d2fg-p89v5UX7482OWZQBeBKteQ/s320/DAW&JNWZabriskie.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266788464657354050" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">A couple of German tourists at Zabriskie Point</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqOAdqPikCivYVhwY7N3pj8Eu-0mkYVsPv5pvOWJNAGCvVxkm2dyQJUGNLXRhv-MNluQzlzc5v6xXXx_GhOp4bYg4cDcF-YEn2__RTyqKa42KWCwbgLbeTKk7089ZkfV2WudXjEg/s1600-h/ZabriskiePoint.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqOAdqPikCivYVhwY7N3pj8Eu-0mkYVsPv5pvOWJNAGCvVxkm2dyQJUGNLXRhv-MNluQzlzc5v6xXXx_GhOp4bYg4cDcF-YEn2__RTyqKa42KWCwbgLbeTKk7089ZkfV2WudXjEg/s320/ZabriskiePoint.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266788486954608594" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >Zabriskie Point....my feeble attempt to copy the great Ansel Adams</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5y5HkSMSxqlC7AR827LU3sHN9Naxqcy4C9a6bg65qriK6L18x54CzNb9uCUpVIzUveQ4p0dEmSV4ggvpgQJjfCNERjOfZ-i7eZwJvXdIrQT3WPkLEiUPVPps4NBf1SJMyxf_36Q/s1600-h/Sitting+on+the+Line.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5y5HkSMSxqlC7AR827LU3sHN9Naxqcy4C9a6bg65qriK6L18x54CzNb9uCUpVIzUveQ4p0dEmSV4ggvpgQJjfCNERjOfZ-i7eZwJvXdIrQT3WPkLEiUPVPps4NBf1SJMyxf_36Q/s320/Sitting+on+the+Line.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266788479703841330" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Sitting on the fence...or the California State Line. Almost in Governator territory!</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9NrcVT3p6T-UelkjfNK3Bqck7T-oIMlC7Elc7QZXQ-uB5bGr4ANEdXPCMJ67xjysPh29_QtAh8kRSIgE5FSE87OjQcuS8j4FSgU4qp_9hvmwmVBF90KKUnrGsp0LWCYqrgj30Aw/s1600-h/SeaLevel.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9NrcVT3p6T-UelkjfNK3Bqck7T-oIMlC7Elc7QZXQ-uB5bGr4ANEdXPCMJ67xjysPh29_QtAh8kRSIgE5FSE87OjQcuS8j4FSgU4qp_9hvmwmVBF90KKUnrGsp0LWCYqrgj30Aw/s320/SeaLevel.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266788468747900930" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The famous sea level sign near Furnace Creek in Death Valley</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3JHd0EHxxXG-Nwlxb1n6y8-dV3XlxC3A7O7O7R5wIgBzUhjlV3JuxatpJYNWdNf0wnoI-7f1uBBnNZBdLB6RPm2Jfeac3QPkt-uLpxFbUX0Dfm1M4BrY_sjluxP9wM8zeiUY6wQ/s1600-h/ArtistsPalette.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3JHd0EHxxXG-Nwlxb1n6y8-dV3XlxC3A7O7O7R5wIgBzUhjlV3JuxatpJYNWdNf0wnoI-7f1uBBnNZBdLB6RPm2Jfeac3QPkt-uLpxFbUX0Dfm1M4BrY_sjluxP9wM8zeiUY6wQ/s320/ArtistsPalette.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266788469838220578" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">A couple of artists, hanging out at the Artist's Palette</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji7xXUGSPyOGtd9A8n8cuh7mYotI-GO4RNXfxUDjGVtSxfR0oPc4EMbDcxAuKTi1vUj6i68NcV1HyT_nKirMH0mt7iV2_Y-boGxNL06YP1jEVgVhig-9XEAl8wJclQ7v5hKDPL-A/s1600-h/DeathValley.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji7xXUGSPyOGtd9A8n8cuh7mYotI-GO4RNXfxUDjGVtSxfR0oPc4EMbDcxAuKTi1vUj6i68NcV1HyT_nKirMH0mt7iV2_Y-boGxNL06YP1jEVgVhig-9XEAl8wJclQ7v5hKDPL-A/s320/DeathValley.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266790177862325314" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The long, lonely road to Badwater</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioB7QqMChs5YaPPJRs2wnCaWbtVlufwN8MH9RVTQaUJhzwIL8iM-6jXxVCxdEIlAfLw0IByNetfOV27M4AXN5w1m68IrSVBDuBCTFPXMdV8Olk_l4wWzitWeRopLWk4xmETQtzaA/s1600-h/Badwater.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioB7QqMChs5YaPPJRs2wnCaWbtVlufwN8MH9RVTQaUJhzwIL8iM-6jXxVCxdEIlAfLw0IByNetfOV27M4AXN5w1m68IrSVBDuBCTFPXMdV8Olk_l4wWzitWeRopLWk4xmETQtzaA/s320/Badwater.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266790166937426210" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Yes, there is water in Death Valley. It's pretty salty, though...with bugs and crap floating in it. Yuck.</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuhNQxIJCmPJwRdxuj4hzv_X-yb1SL-URtOLJWQWoM3o3_-nbPh_uczz19iFYnET-qjeHBZfa_Krg7SJX2V_Av83H5sJyTuhzwL3NBcAStOUChgBcJKcUrb_S3syH5FpnxMszZlw/s1600-h/Badwater1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuhNQxIJCmPJwRdxuj4hzv_X-yb1SL-URtOLJWQWoM3o3_-nbPh_uczz19iFYnET-qjeHBZfa_Krg7SJX2V_Av83H5sJyTuhzwL3NBcAStOUChgBcJKcUrb_S3syH5FpnxMszZlw/s320/Badwater1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266790162899688578" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >Lowest point in the US! - 282ft below sea level</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeP756lB-GFpEiwJ3bBe0-jsA8yV0_jTff4bM9LazkUCMnBI0ydf2g6FYR_tG8_Gl1ffTDiv5YkpC9ysqXOt7Lb7LXKTkmErGvJnUFfKTqQ5MMJXFRqGCWXwZdHRlzmI94BlKORQ/s1600-h/Badwater2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeP756lB-GFpEiwJ3bBe0-jsA8yV0_jTff4bM9LazkUCMnBI0ydf2g6FYR_tG8_Gl1ffTDiv5YkpC9ysqXOt7Lb7LXKTkmErGvJnUFfKTqQ5MMJXFRqGCWXwZdHRlzmI94BlKORQ/s320/Badwater2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266790175332162754" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Frozen Ice Floes in Newfoundland....or muddy salt flats in Death Valley?</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMDBKTbvs3Pj9uzQvb_uJ2pwLHjhWiH0d8BxcVyv8HGI9FfLT0ZZ9AtKGEcO7v7fIZt-RGzJfVWT6hwTCysVYrcLUtAHj2gm1B8xKqdFDptCdCN_M1J1tZ3Scsl8LEdez4q6jMcw/s1600-h/SandDunes.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMDBKTbvs3Pj9uzQvb_uJ2pwLHjhWiH0d8BxcVyv8HGI9FfLT0ZZ9AtKGEcO7v7fIZt-RGzJfVWT6hwTCysVYrcLUtAHj2gm1B8xKqdFDptCdCN_M1J1tZ3Scsl8LEdez4q6jMcw/s320/SandDunes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266792209279548802" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Early Morning Sun on the Death Valley Dunes</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcduP8krOGNZWEWeC0-9Ys9hYwRGM0qxX4501aTpuuQ_HVrVRiUKYbyfK3unhtk5FjsGLM8vCf445Tq1VQ2IRZx1drtKdV0Tp0QWqq3LntR3IJQwUvrppRMNIk5pFAZF3000I-Pw/s1600-h/FuzzyCactus.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcduP8krOGNZWEWeC0-9Ys9hYwRGM0qxX4501aTpuuQ_HVrVRiUKYbyfK3unhtk5FjsGLM8vCf445Tq1VQ2IRZx1drtKdV0Tp0QWqq3LntR3IJQwUvrppRMNIk5pFAZF3000I-Pw/s320/FuzzyCactus.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266792201713163250" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Fuzzy Cacti, looking south down the Death Valley Basin</span></span><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNF1VgW4q8_6m0NuVi9osj2Tm9F7V95GTOSrvb4vjlQRp_jGKLn6DLoUmOuZ8pIofMsCWEgoMLP0T3pNRLkkgCWtyG5Jr4moIAJdXC0lg1uU3kp8i3XY3cWcogk_e0T6HzIjX80g/s1600-h/BeattyClub.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNF1VgW4q8_6m0NuVi9osj2Tm9F7V95GTOSrvb4vjlQRp_jGKLn6DLoUmOuZ8pIofMsCWEgoMLP0T3pNRLkkgCWtyG5Jr4moIAJdXC0lg1uU3kp8i3XY3cWcogk_e0T6HzIjX80g/s320/BeattyClub.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266792186370350338" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Beatty Club - a cozy, quaint honest-to-goodness cowboy saloon</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3BMeLaQ8LwIyAp5Qja8hdnEu91VQXYn6l9aOcFK8u9bzq_LPvaQXb9CtEvw9GXfi_2wV71Fy92PLXmn4LxXOMIqcunQSilI6AYC3Q-D-bTMC8YY5h_lqlK8XwlpzMTgBGgVY_A/s1600-h/Dunes.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3BMeLaQ8LwIyAp5Qja8hdnEu91VQXYn6l9aOcFK8u9bzq_LPvaQXb9CtEvw9GXfi_2wV71Fy92PLXmn4LxXOMIqcunQSilI6AYC3Q-D-bTMC8YY5h_lqlK8XwlpzMTgBGgVY_A/s320/Dunes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266793198058532946" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Cool sand on my feet, looking northeast over the Death Valley Dunes</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjjmKhewKLM_f7hoqQG9uXXhoIFoQir8BdCoKgNHkyjtH1M3hu1SkWi4fMT8-QD9wX1jn39AF_GemkpvqWVTmchEhyphenhyphenrav3HReb7al9A3bFbiR8dSEZgHx63JEpqRhqCoYJ2uz9KQ/s1600-h/DuneRidges.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjjmKhewKLM_f7hoqQG9uXXhoIFoQir8BdCoKgNHkyjtH1M3hu1SkWi4fMT8-QD9wX1jn39AF_GemkpvqWVTmchEhyphenhyphenrav3HReb7al9A3bFbiR8dSEZgHx63JEpqRhqCoYJ2uz9KQ/s320/DuneRidges.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266793192592070962" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Cool shadows on the sand dunes - I could've shot 100 photos of the sand here.</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiOclG61xha4uhMktp5piS5-kIpT_Nmp2E3SsMk9N87pyZfA9a3t4SMSe4H0ZpJnf9JOJP8PBnRlcqv22Ttvoh7-ea_vncOm5dzlM4cSAAxryE7zeZBDoOZfm0LtAm6dF7l5HfZw/s1600-h/Dune1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiOclG61xha4uhMktp5piS5-kIpT_Nmp2E3SsMk9N87pyZfA9a3t4SMSe4H0ZpJnf9JOJP8PBnRlcqv22Ttvoh7-ea_vncOm5dzlM4cSAAxryE7zeZBDoOZfm0LtAm6dF7l5HfZw/s320/Dune1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266793186447608514" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Death Valley Dunes</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpkbpYrNCvYMrbQ21AUOIWk_G989m5biJMAImLopwt1WjekTxWA-pMr3WCUPA8ITJmwUraaA3Tl2uei7sRWHc6xd3BmUNq_j00wQBfq0y2v_v4b6037PW_timPtJjiOgwRrpd8Fg/s1600-h/Dante'sView.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpkbpYrNCvYMrbQ21AUOIWk_G989m5biJMAImLopwt1WjekTxWA-pMr3WCUPA8ITJmwUraaA3Tl2uei7sRWHc6xd3BmUNq_j00wQBfq0y2v_v4b6037PW_timPtJjiOgwRrpd8Fg/s320/Dante'sView.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266793175260720146" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Death Valley from Dante's View - 5400ft over Badwater - Very Impressive!</span></span><br /></div>Delta Whiskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08940166602933874964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687478.post-69129896964278857492008-10-23T02:52:00.001-04:002008-10-23T02:53:48.133-04:00IFR TrainingWell, I’ve been pretty busy at work and at life recently, so this blog entry is a little bit of a catchup. Over the last month, I’ve started instrument training, and it’s given me some additional excitement to look forward to when I strap on the ol’ set of wings. Now, I absolutely love flying, but over the last 240hours of VFR flying, I’ve been delayed, frustrated, and had those days where you check the weather about 100 times, hoping beyond hope that the current conditions will improve just enough for me to travel 50NM and catch better weather just...out...of...reach. Also, most of my flying is done in support of my professional life, and it’s just rather inconvenient to be on the phone with customers or vendors discussing the weather and whether it will stay nice for our visit (like they really care). There are also the last-minute changes in plans, like leaving the night before or at 4AM instead of 7AM, to beat a low-lying cloud front that is coming in. <br /><br />I’m not naïve. I know that an IFR ticket is not a guarantee for smooth, on-time departures and arrivals. You’re faced with a whole new challenge when it comes to weather, icing, and potential disorientation – the stakes go up considerably. However, I will be able to fly on those days when the weather is just not quite VFR, or when all I need to do is punch through that overcast layer to find sunlight and avoid bouncing along in the muck below.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lesson 1 – Checkout & Orientation</span><br />This lesson was basically an orientation flight. I had called in to the local flight school to schedule IFR training, so I didn’t know my instructor, and she didn’t know me. So, she needed to find out if I really was ready for IFR training, or if I was living in this alternate universe where 50hours of Microsoft Flight Simulator equals simulated instrument cross-country time. After a whirlwind tour of the Columbus, OH Class C airspace, she determined that 1.) I could fly the airplane without crashing or doing anything stupid, and 2.) I could talk to ATC without stuttering and hogging the airwaves, to wit: “Ahhh…Cleveland...I mean…uh…Columbus Approach….Diamond 470DS….ahh…..with Yankee….umm…..request flight following into….ahhh….Oscar….Sierra……Zulu….I mean, Uniform…Zero-Delta-Sierra.” (followed by silence as the controller silently stuck his Inexperienced GA Pilot Voodoo Doll full of pins) “Aircraft calling Columbus Approach, say again?” Well, all that to say, my instructor found me a suitable candidate for IFR training, and so we made plans to meet again soon.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lesson 2 – First Approach</span><br />It was a nice warm fall evening when I took to the skies to attempt my first instrument approach. We were flying the VOR-A approach into Newark-Heath (KVTA). We briefed the approach on the ground, and then my instructor had me fly a circuitous path in the sky to see if I would get all muddled up. I didn’t get too muddled, just busted my altitude a couple of times (Precision flying is HARD!), and then she put me into the VOR-A wringer…without the aid of a nicely loaded approach procedure on the G1000. So, I had to do something that I haven’t done for 150hours…..fly to a VOR and track a heading exactly. VFR flying really doesn’t demand the same level of precision, and I’ve had LOTS of non-precision VFR flying experience. It was a tough approach, because there was a pretty stiff wind from the south at about 25knots, which would routinely switch to an 18knot wind from the north west at or around the target altitude of 3000ft. This made for some tough needle tracking. I would be correcting for about 30 degrees right, and then I would overshoot and have to correct for 15 degrees left….it was totally crazy, and my armpits were very sweaty. This was some tough flying! I have to say that the result was a little less than satisfying. This approach was a circling approach, and so I didn’t end up looking down the runway, but rather overflying the field at about pattern altitude. I landed and zipped home to go read my new Instrument procedure book.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lesson 3 – Old Technology</span><br />After starting my training in the 2006 Diamond DA40-180 with a G1000 glass cockpit, I was saddened to learn of an incident involving the propeller and some foreign objects. Long story short, N470DS was out of commission for about 8-10 weeks with a prop strike and subsequent engine inspection. However saddened I might be, I had just had my appetite whetted for this new challenge of instrument flying and so I arranged for rental of a C172SP. Though equipped with a GPS and two VORs, this Cessna 172SP was old technology compared to my usual candy-ass G1000 cockpit. This lesson involved several back and forth VOR approaches into Zanesville, OH (KZZV), where the Initial Approach Fix (IAF) is the VOR located in the center of the field. So, my instructor had me fly the VOR-22 approach, then the VOR-4 approach, then the VOR-22 approach. She was very kind and tried to point out all of the positive things that I did. “Your procedure turns were really great and you didn’t make any wrong turns.” Thanks. Fact is, I stunk up all three approaches. Big time. I couldn’t center the needle to save my life. If you had a GPS track of 785SP that evening, the airspace around Zanesville would’ve looked like a 3-year old got hold of a big black crayon and scribbled all over the town. I was off to the left, then overcorrecting to the right, then back on track again. It was truly painful. My only remotely saving grace was that I didn’t butcher the LOC-9 approach into Newark. I think that gave my instructor just a little bit of hope that I might actually get it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lesson 4 – First ILS approach</span><br />Newark’s G1000-equipped C172SP came out of the avionics shop, and so I was flying back with my electronic crutch, the wonderfully powerful G1000 avionics suite. This was a morning flight, and it was simply a absolutely perfect day to begin flying. Calm winds, beautiful sunrise, low mist, brilliant fall colors – truly one of those days where you feel so blessed to see the world from the air. At least, this is how my instructor saw the morning. I was staring into the G1000 screen with my home-made foggles, desperately trying to salvage my future as an IFR pilot. The calm winds and smooth transition from surface winds to winds aloft really helped. We flew the ILS-22 approach into Zanesville twice that morning, and I didn’t do too badly. Of course, flying approaches with the G1000 is pretty sweet – there is a tremendous amount of situational awareness, what with the wind components and the estimated position and altitude trends. I was really stoked when I took my foggles off at the Decision Height point on the approach, and there I was, about 1mile off the threshold of 22, dead-nuts on the glideslope! I knew that the ILS was a precision approach, but I wasn’t prepared for the dramatic reveal. It was pretty cool, and I want to do it again soon. After that little personal triumph, we flew the GPS-27 and the VOR-A approach into Newark before landing. It was a good lesson. I’m sure that the next time I fly, it will be gusting and bouncing all over the place, but I was grateful for the success in the cockpit today. I’ll be crammed into the meat grinder soon enough.Delta Whiskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08940166602933874964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687478.post-36255591787233294862008-09-28T22:50:00.002-04:002008-09-28T22:54:44.145-04:00Need for the Bailout Explained (in 2007 by John Cleese)I saw this in 2007, after that first big blip in the market, when the first cracks in the thin veneer of mortgages began to appear. Rather astute for a few comedians, wouldn't you say? Call or write you congressman and tell them to VOTE NO on the bailout plan. This plan is bad for America and bad for Americans. Free markets should be free to succeed and free to fail. If you rescue the "dodgy" risk-takers, it will only be a matter of time before they take dodgy risks again.<br /><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=4,0,2,0" height="344" width="425"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UC31Oudc5Bg&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" allownetworking="internal" enablehref="false" height="344" width="425"></embed></object>Delta Whiskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08940166602933874964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687478.post-70058480966337651432008-09-21T21:14:00.008-04:002008-09-21T21:29:22.577-04:00Wings Over Coshocton 2008<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqpA4dIpPfEgOzvVarVIOtEbuOb90QB2Kfz1s7wLXkxSDqoRFM27pLzxg4O3lnG3GHSG29BOKyTOOf4hyYZt8pDAKn7MOAqp8XTg7aY600XdHWd2YKRDuugculgTcu-mBcJHwYzQ/s1600-h/AmericanFlag.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqpA4dIpPfEgOzvVarVIOtEbuOb90QB2Kfz1s7wLXkxSDqoRFM27pLzxg4O3lnG3GHSG29BOKyTOOf4hyYZt8pDAKn7MOAqp8XTg7aY600XdHWd2YKRDuugculgTcu-mBcJHwYzQ/s200/AmericanFlag.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248649083662579490" border="0" /></a>This weekend, I went to the 3rd annual Wings Over Coshocton Airshow. It was a beautiful day for the airshow, and probably about 6000-7000people showed up! It was a really good crowd, and a great airshow. It's really nice to have an event like this in the community, that gets people out to the airport and get kids excited about airplanes and flying. As one of the "big kids" in attendance, I had a really good time and can't wait for the next one! Thrills, spills, chills....it's all part of the show, folks!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2E7HIpk5mtvT16mCc7uLJ-iNh6Ezylmqm_zTY4_lRkQ-hB6A-wlbrpjxgx35XqxLiwiBUMg44A79PHw7-QziFimBuGZESmGizKJyy5T5PfdS8iU6NSl9BFdoWzNqCwT3A-Ri1Mg/s1600-h/Extra300.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2E7HIpk5mtvT16mCc7uLJ-iNh6Ezylmqm_zTY4_lRkQ-hB6A-wlbrpjxgx35XqxLiwiBUMg44A79PHw7-QziFimBuGZESmGizKJyy5T5PfdS8iU6NSl9BFdoWzNqCwT3A-Ri1Mg/s400/Extra300.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248649274303003378" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Jack Kuntsen's American Firebird Extra300<br /><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhmYlB5qGb3ET2Xl0PTEfPseoj5coA-piS9preYvHowfr4AVssKYiuS46eajk5SJtAnWZsZ-NENdzpPxlCK37ngRUtO1TzmhQVF1RGmxrtoq5RJSiz0LKzk43VEd2yTf2Yr-AWOA/s1600-h/C47.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhmYlB5qGb3ET2Xl0PTEfPseoj5coA-piS9preYvHowfr4AVssKYiuS46eajk5SJtAnWZsZ-NENdzpPxlCK37ngRUtO1TzmhQVF1RGmxrtoq5RJSiz0LKzk43VEd2yTf2Yr-AWOA/s400/C47.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248649607941381426" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">C-47 crossing air show center...look at those clouds!</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8YMc2bLDCMtmxpcX5AeqyrDyUiz36QAJAEUA1vaziW-amecMqKPvyjLfumdSoRjbIweuvUDZgGQLe3yJDABsf2OKsZWkdqWhx9o7SPSCWtW1nJfPOjzBuaDBpJa_jkf2CnENFFQ/s1600-h/C130Hercules.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8YMc2bLDCMtmxpcX5AeqyrDyUiz36QAJAEUA1vaziW-amecMqKPvyjLfumdSoRjbIweuvUDZgGQLe3yJDABsf2OKsZWkdqWhx9o7SPSCWtW1nJfPOjzBuaDBpJa_jkf2CnENFFQ/s400/C130Hercules.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248649735462349138" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">A C-130 Hercules from the Mansfield ANG wing</span></span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsMf4iSAPQIciXLs1pzHhpkQ6HGR_xPUGQhLlt08E_Zmgjm_4IbpT3_kemVB2XwVELPa4SGkwhVGJ8xfUgZoY1MJ70SyjGMME6UByRjfRIrWddyaDyihP3qNw3ZPT_eaIC3W54Xw/s1600-h/Chipmunk.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsMf4iSAPQIciXLs1pzHhpkQ6HGR_xPUGQhLlt08E_Zmgjm_4IbpT3_kemVB2XwVELPa4SGkwhVGJ8xfUgZoY1MJ70SyjGMME6UByRjfRIrWddyaDyihP3qNw3ZPT_eaIC3W54Xw/s400/Chipmunk.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248649816594617250" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Jim "Fang" Maroney leaving the smoke trails for his Hammerhead turn</span><br /></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWwX7C5Tbso8hKTXx0-z19Vn03BBzYhzy2ZNNqM4Oplz6PRbmheEj8FHoBNcai_Zcr0TTVhOnZaJZoA_MAzWTEamgMFAtiwbH6IEI2BGXP5KV9UKVKpEFAZ00_V8ACkpgjnsYNcQ/s1600-h/DodgeRamJet.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWwX7C5Tbso8hKTXx0-z19Vn03BBzYhzy2ZNNqM4Oplz6PRbmheEj8FHoBNcai_Zcr0TTVhOnZaJZoA_MAzWTEamgMFAtiwbH6IEI2BGXP5KV9UKVKpEFAZ00_V8ACkpgjnsYNcQ/s400/DodgeRamJet.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248650472763568178" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Dodge "RamJet" jet truck act and Jim Maroney competing for smoke effects</span><br /></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWsGg94TfhClUtDsHA_e6hNZq7YT6Nt6iqJ9EjOwhDvdbM46NvZfEIv5BTg3l4ldaLbJjDBb-QD-elz0Z5yXyeL8qhwkEzuATZsi5TpCRYAooMMoWcMSX7DQ3XpdkQeLB-6qpYTA/s1600-h/Dan&Fang.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWsGg94TfhClUtDsHA_e6hNZq7YT6Nt6iqJ9EjOwhDvdbM46NvZfEIv5BTg3l4ldaLbJjDBb-QD-elz0Z5yXyeL8qhwkEzuATZsi5TpCRYAooMMoWcMSX7DQ3XpdkQeLB-6qpYTA/s400/Dan&Fang.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248650006988841682" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Me and Jim "Fang" Maroney in front of N470DS</span></span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwjd5cdnjQv7w6v_rmV_seip-9sCZNdeq6B1dp6YiXZPWXZNRju5Xr2UcVfN7OBCXa3MtdbMcIYQtODdbOfRyq9f_F_VTfJxEaZeu-ghxpcYwoQuAN46P1RIFpMDKWmCXPWuhHaQ/s1600-h/Dan&Beth.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwjd5cdnjQv7w6v_rmV_seip-9sCZNdeq6B1dp6YiXZPWXZNRju5Xr2UcVfN7OBCXa3MtdbMcIYQtODdbOfRyq9f_F_VTfJxEaZeu-ghxpcYwoQuAN46P1RIFpMDKWmCXPWuhHaQ/s400/Dan&Beth.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248650012185394866" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Me & Beth in front of N470DS (on static display at the airshow)</span><br /></span></div>Delta Whiskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08940166602933874964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687478.post-3601589563291574552008-09-21T20:44:00.002-04:002008-09-21T20:48:35.285-04:00Two Hundred Thousand!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWo_z-oTV0H7Xn60fkeI9_s3cU6DWsGmzvStiCOy5XKxh4LxjXA_2lAZ-LcR1JZN0YI7JoGTXGbftlkhsdt4nAySRJN9esQXdAJNWUP29ckYLIHmUekY4s9sHg_yIF95tSdOz9qQ/s1600-h/200K.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWo_z-oTV0H7Xn60fkeI9_s3cU6DWsGmzvStiCOy5XKxh4LxjXA_2lAZ-LcR1JZN0YI7JoGTXGbftlkhsdt4nAySRJN9esQXdAJNWUP29ckYLIHmUekY4s9sHg_yIF95tSdOz9qQ/s320/200K.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248641177961704130" border="0" /></a>Quite the milestone for my ol' 2000 Passat V6 GLS sedan....the green funkmobile, the stickermobile....passed the 200,000mile mark on my way to choir practice tonight. When I bought it in September 15, 2000, it had 36 miles on the odometer. Eight years later, I driven it the equivalent of 8 times around the world. Of course, it only took me 3 years to pass the 100,000mile mark back in 2003. So, here's to holding out for 300,000miles until I pass it on to a college kid and get the 2012 Passat GLS V6....or maybe a BMW 5-Series....Hmmm......Delta Whiskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08940166602933874964noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687478.post-35303736427517409422008-09-20T09:10:00.003-04:002008-09-20T09:28:53.559-04:00Aerobatic Introduction<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs7Wa4Ay5a4On_QHV2azFR-ArUY8RPmrOsHlI3B-AypMaElh_Lf4XCvFvkq83FN9WzcU0R66CRE7bYlxKuCAnQcv7UjcgcedEjkNErR1xEZC6rYXf5V2HeQ47aKpe5HR5qqlXHKQ/s1600-h/DSC_6378.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs7Wa4Ay5a4On_QHV2azFR-ArUY8RPmrOsHlI3B-AypMaElh_Lf4XCvFvkq83FN9WzcU0R66CRE7bYlxKuCAnQcv7UjcgcedEjkNErR1xEZC6rYXf5V2HeQ47aKpe5HR5qqlXHKQ/s320/DSC_6378.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248092912231848898" border="0" /></a>Last night, I got to have the most incredible 15 minutes of fun that I've ever had in an airplane. I had an aerobatic introduction ride with <a href="http://www.superchipmunkairshows.com/">Jim "Fang" Maroney</a> in his highly modified Super Chipmunk aircraft. We flew loops, a cuban 8, 4-point rolls, 8-point rolls, inverted flight, a vertical tumble, a tailslide, a hammerhead, a couple of snap rolls, spins, an extreme power-on stall, and just tons of fun. It was basically a shortened version of his show routine, except at 3000ftAGL. It was totally awesome. I'm going to sell our house and move into a trailer so that I can own and fly an aerobatic aircraft. It was that cool. All I want for Christmas is an <a href="http://www.extraaircraft.com/ea300.asp">Extra-300</a>.Delta Whiskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08940166602933874964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687478.post-73293247490319316592008-09-17T21:46:00.010-04:002008-09-17T22:39:02.960-04:00My New Toy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQWfhmlrKASXM9b4vFdOIdxsDjPHGmtWsCi7DQp6pMUvvoHTMbvfgCSHvBnwV0CRivJ3FbH0y-fZ9VVxR6mt1M700_4r1jO5clx-qtfJnp_fmv814EPPzfEnWamewtA3STOA0LXA/s1600-h/MS290.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQWfhmlrKASXM9b4vFdOIdxsDjPHGmtWsCi7DQp6pMUvvoHTMbvfgCSHvBnwV0CRivJ3FbH0y-fZ9VVxR6mt1M700_4r1jO5clx-qtfJnp_fmv814EPPzfEnWamewtA3STOA0LXA/s320/MS290.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247173149911959250" border="0" /></a>Thanks to Hurricane Ike and all the fallen limbs in my two yards, I have now become the proud owner of a brand-new 3.8hp, <a href="http://www.stihlusa.com/chainsaws/MS290.html">Stihl MS290 Farm Boss Chainsaw</a> with a 20" Bar. While not the coolest chainsaw out there, this one is very powerful and cuts wood like butta. Butta, I tell ya! It's totally awesome and I have a very fun weekend ahead of me between lumberjacking and attending a local airshow.Delta Whiskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08940166602933874964noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687478.post-65922559442639968562008-09-17T21:46:00.009-04:002008-09-17T22:37:50.461-04:00Hurricane's A-Comin'......Board up the door....Worstest calamity that folks ever saw.....girls run and hide, brave men shiver....I'm Mike Fink, King of the River! (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6PjWkNtsJI">click here for the video of the song</a>)<br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/b6PjWkNtsJI&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/b6PjWkNtsJI&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeOIJkUhnSoGnCikKMcaYNpdgtfZGwjyOG-HJli4EVeNuCCiho372l1aUESh6XueKjB988As50vXBw_tyIvcjCNamiEuVYUYkgEL3erew4TUYZWCXJe0fRS8AdYoG-r2Ia-7S9fg/s1600-h/2008091417_metars_evv.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeOIJkUhnSoGnCikKMcaYNpdgtfZGwjyOG-HJli4EVeNuCCiho372l1aUESh6XueKjB988As50vXBw_tyIvcjCNamiEuVYUYkgEL3erew4TUYZWCXJe0fRS8AdYoG-r2Ia-7S9fg/s320/2008091417_metars_evv.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247184520824650130" border="0" /></a>Here's the METARs from Sunday at about 1:40PM in the afternoon. I was sitting at Port Columbus at Gate A2, contemplating that I had made the right decision to fly commercial and not attempt to land for fuel somewhere with 35kt gusts. The remnants of Hurricane Ike had been blazing up the Mississippi River Valley after landfall in Houston. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4hg7ST7Wy9dMnz_OcuO55jRg9hpm0cpj7cIjjdaBd4hoBGqJyYkpyuouGBC1VxVXApyPPx5z0Dx3lxfZmoesmN79L8nR-6-ps_UVml7rHMyrMm2PsU76-uJIC66YvdrlzHQbuYg/s1600-h/1284715.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4hg7ST7Wy9dMnz_OcuO55jRg9hpm0cpj7cIjjdaBd4hoBGqJyYkpyuouGBC1VxVXApyPPx5z0Dx3lxfZmoesmN79L8nR-6-ps_UVml7rHMyrMm2PsU76-uJIC66YvdrlzHQbuYg/s200/1284715.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247178892883052066" border="0" /></a>I was pretty amazed to see the gusts at 55-60kts, and then promptly loaded onto Southwest Airlines' "Shamu One" 737NG for a whale of a trip to St. Louis. It is a pretty cool paint scheme for the 737...complete with Sea World Themed overhead bins! No sooner had I landed at my destination and had powered up the ol' CrackBerry when my wife called with a panicked sound in her voice. "DAN! TREES ARE BLOWING OVER! THERE'S 70MPH winds here!" Well, that was just great. Here I am in sunny Omaha, with a light breeze and I have missed the fun of Hurricane Ike roaring through Ohio. Apparently, we had some serious excitement - a total of 8 trees blew right over....and I was 600miles away and totally missed the fun! Oh well, at least I've got a chainsaw and some firewood out of the deal....<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhowZnIXz-3lLYNKyxyp7WiuaSI2bENSE957RTJmn5mRtTmp7O5J1A08LLN7lrT0VFZK6Brd651fbXzXIkDSov9sFxsn2I7bnRDtgzY_Pxvcdt9Tcrgop1AysiReEYd4OgsDXno0A/s1600-h/Trees.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhowZnIXz-3lLYNKyxyp7WiuaSI2bENSE957RTJmn5mRtTmp7O5J1A08LLN7lrT0VFZK6Brd651fbXzXIkDSov9sFxsn2I7bnRDtgzY_Pxvcdt9Tcrgop1AysiReEYd4OgsDXno0A/s400/Trees.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247184311237207842" border="0" /></a>Delta Whiskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08940166602933874964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687478.post-51230889268199243062008-09-06T11:33:00.031-04:002008-09-06T12:36:16.044-04:00Sleeping Bear Dunes & Traverse City, MI<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv7lyVZvg3iL0q2Qq4Wlc-t6TXIxcwUR5YNXVoQtJgQlPUM5vTlbhWwXQkuyPfoGJrImUtqbskJtOgQs8Rtel2XcPZF5axS7GtDBmo-6mMY5gRFM7xrdbKZ_X_Rw-fmtGIhg4NMg/s1600-h/NorthManitouIsland.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv7lyVZvg3iL0q2Qq4Wlc-t6TXIxcwUR5YNXVoQtJgQlPUM5vTlbhWwXQkuyPfoGJrImUtqbskJtOgQs8Rtel2XcPZF5axS7GtDBmo-6mMY5gRFM7xrdbKZ_X_Rw-fmtGIhg4NMg/s200/NorthManitouIsland.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242935856594495538" border="0" /></a>It was a beautiful Labor Day weekend. I honestly can't remember when the weather was this clear and calm. There was a frontal system waaay up north over Montana, and Hurricane Gustav was threatening New Orleans and the gulf coast. However, up here in Ohio and Michigan, there was a beautiful high pressure system that was responsible for tons and tons of clear air dropping out of the sky. Originally, my plans for this weekend were to fly up Saturday and spend Sunday and Monday camping and swimming on <a href="http://www-personal.umich.edu/%7Ejensenl/visuals/album/2006/manitou/">South Manitou Island</a><a href="http://www-personal.umich.edu/%7Ejensenl/visuals/album/2006/manitou/"> (awesome photos of Lake Michigan at this link)</a> with my brother Sam and his wife Kate. However, my wife was struggling with some serious congestion after a week of work in the germy middle school where she works, so to avoid a repeat of painful sinus infections and decompressions that she experienced on our recent trip to Hilton Head Island, we decided to scrub the trip. So, here I am sitting, looking at the <a href="http://adds.aviationweather.noaa.gov/metars/index.php">NOAA website</a> and all that calm, clear, air all over the Great Lakes, and I was starting to get a little wistful about missing the view of those lakes on that clear, clear day. Well, all was not lost. Beth's congestion cleared up on Saturday, and so we made plans on early Sunday morning to dash up to Traverse City for Sunday evening. South Manitou Island was out of the question, but Sleeping Bear Dunes wasn't! The flight up was fairly quick - only 2-3/4hours from I40 (even with a slight headwind!), and the weather was clear, clear, clear. Literally....not a cloud in the sky for that 330 miles. Beautiful! I finally got to see this wonderful area from the air without a rushed schedule or inclement weather - it was truly the most beautiful area that I have ever visited from the air. I'm usually a little let down when I fly down along the Atlantic - the water is too green and turbid for my liking. This water? Clear and cold with a million shades of blue ranging from deep dark midnight to nearly lumenescent sky blue. Awesome.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFGOP5kzmrEQ1VsratTMu5IVQuj6ekHeiqNLbTHwEtJVzBQL7HYJiIbhOmAdfEYhF9DkWo0kug2raXVaaBb79hBmTJ2YL8KUuzG6vsWvUJB8px0-HReIkf2qWsJgzPJPPpetN1Nw/s1600-h/CadillacMI.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFGOP5kzmrEQ1VsratTMu5IVQuj6ekHeiqNLbTHwEtJVzBQL7HYJiIbhOmAdfEYhF9DkWo0kug2raXVaaBb79hBmTJ2YL8KUuzG6vsWvUJB8px0-HReIkf2qWsJgzPJPPpetN1Nw/s400/CadillacMI.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242936289807971202" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The twin lakes of Cadillac, Michigan from 8500ft MSL</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-zn30VGa4G7l2OoD7rVlILqV77pZq4f29_URdZxtywkxCV29tD0Hbiy4F5M5tafy6HRZe6pmT848qgqO9yX_O4TG-TXbB84YQ-h9FgN_nYAJuEr_iP6mR2Yhcly2VS0umRtLkiQ/s1600-h/GrandTraverseBay(15NMsouth).jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-zn30VGa4G7l2OoD7rVlILqV77pZq4f29_URdZxtywkxCV29tD0Hbiy4F5M5tafy6HRZe6pmT848qgqO9yX_O4TG-TXbB84YQ-h9FgN_nYAJuEr_iP6mR2Yhcly2VS0umRtLkiQ/s400/GrandTraverseBay(15NMsouth).jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242936505785490658" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Grand Traverse Bay with Mission Peninsula dividing the waters of the East and West Bay</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8qFV9kPbQvj8-wBq1oeaYdup8Ax2W1K2kYTXwFh_f9deZZwZ_yYTH2RtuW95PXYWVSAEsbIT3it2WAqtZ6VykS8aWw3hAG3dB63DLQrcYAJvehzkmW7At_kFr05AXQDaDcd1Gjg/s1600-h/CrystalLake.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8qFV9kPbQvj8-wBq1oeaYdup8Ax2W1K2kYTXwFh_f9deZZwZ_yYTH2RtuW95PXYWVSAEsbIT3it2WAqtZ6VykS8aWw3hAG3dB63DLQrcYAJvehzkmW7At_kFr05AXQDaDcd1Gjg/s400/CrystalLake.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242936729201349474" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Crystal Lake, Michigan - quite possibly the prettiest lake I have ever seen from the air.</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUxeuc26Tphd8gHimhpCN6Vsh9VMUb-7wkiSQAJrkY47aRH5cenVhQqrkzS9dX84dVme3fXn5ilk8ccfEbJ5QfKEaaIDVtquEs5U47zD3mKzPr28Egg90y_w89j8UNHByGjcmjLA/s1600-h/MichiganBeach.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUxeuc26Tphd8gHimhpCN6Vsh9VMUb-7wkiSQAJrkY47aRH5cenVhQqrkzS9dX84dVme3fXn5ilk8ccfEbJ5QfKEaaIDVtquEs5U47zD3mKzPr28Egg90y_w89j8UNHByGjcmjLA/s400/MichiganBeach.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242937033941873042" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Lake Michigan shoreline, just north of where the Platte River empties into the lake</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI0I6YPde1JgqwPasqs__LUt8OxDupvoxIzuaCQ2mQErBqDCiT4O5TjUR8iGWqfNMaSZIuy5ywXct3f04TTGG82dCiI5rRaNuNZZDOgVQ-HZSRCnw5wtdDe5n77I4gest6gu7Zjg/s1600-h/SandDunes2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI0I6YPde1JgqwPasqs__LUt8OxDupvoxIzuaCQ2mQErBqDCiT4O5TjUR8iGWqfNMaSZIuy5ywXct3f04TTGG82dCiI5rRaNuNZZDOgVQ-HZSRCnw5wtdDe5n77I4gest6gu7Zjg/s400/SandDunes2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242937289162645282" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Looking up the shore of Lake Michigan, with the Empire Dunes, then Sleeping Bear Dunes and the Manitou Islands further past them to the north</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy3oNYS5HXq31hCvRdBBgRvF883pH0laGFXlJFAQEkzB0bwWl9EK82G5ObYcfRChUYGZdCDAmlLUvfpypaK6i9QfU4mmovlBXqn62jQ6VSQsmwt_t5FBos1CXl-t8AcgkyZeNByQ/s1600-h/GlenLake_SleepingBearDunes.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy3oNYS5HXq31hCvRdBBgRvF883pH0laGFXlJFAQEkzB0bwWl9EK82G5ObYcfRChUYGZdCDAmlLUvfpypaK6i9QfU4mmovlBXqn62jQ6VSQsmwt_t5FBos1CXl-t8AcgkyZeNByQ/s400/GlenLake_SleepingBearDunes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242938027292667506" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Sleeping Bear Dunes with Glen Lake and Little Glen Lake in the background</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmNBNjAIaMRvBbWEDR0zkgOS36sPZPjz6spje4Tje4VxFIaoCDUd2foY_R66Q5OmfF4SxJIDXpflaglO9azzOx6R8r-6WkmKbu8hGoeOBM5wRdKTqf2PQUQjLKqFb5Or9E8Kl9vw/s1600-h/SouthManitouIsland.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmNBNjAIaMRvBbWEDR0zkgOS36sPZPjz6spje4Tje4VxFIaoCDUd2foY_R66Q5OmfF4SxJIDXpflaglO9azzOx6R8r-6WkmKbu8hGoeOBM5wRdKTqf2PQUQjLKqFb5Or9E8Kl9vw/s400/SouthManitouIsland.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242938272437158658" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >South Manitou Island from the south and about 4500ft MSL</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8djkcB8kVEIxyevKZ3GmoP5giM79JJk-_GcZWyjW9J5vKx7XVmvvkFzeeLjRgT3Vg6B5VogWIRR3clDzyZgqDufSwrKmwrWcC01Yi2y7fdZ6G5cx-97ARngrz1hyphenhyphenXBhPFw6DjHQ/s1600-h/SleepingBearPoint.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8djkcB8kVEIxyevKZ3GmoP5giM79JJk-_GcZWyjW9J5vKx7XVmvvkFzeeLjRgT3Vg6B5VogWIRR3clDzyZgqDufSwrKmwrWcC01Yi2y7fdZ6G5cx-97ARngrz1hyphenhyphenXBhPFw6DjHQ/s400/SleepingBearPoint.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242938935690094098" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Sleeping Bear Point in the foreground, with the sweeping shoreline of Glen Arbor Bay and Pyramid Point off in the distance</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQcD0rgLDM1Za5zwLLYM6jsGE9fs9vU-Tp4iSHhyg5hVYk4GOQaLUwJJpbwkJJ-wZINSaLJ7T9fGniqIIVkTJk50lvdxyJvbPW71c7Jlpvxv1UEWxcfqaDL2aDuyceA4tK3VjMsw/s1600-h/South+Manitou+Island+bay.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQcD0rgLDM1Za5zwLLYM6jsGE9fs9vU-Tp4iSHhyg5hVYk4GOQaLUwJJpbwkJJ-wZINSaLJ7T9fGniqIIVkTJk50lvdxyJvbPW71c7Jlpvxv1UEWxcfqaDL2aDuyceA4tK3VjMsw/s400/South+Manitou+Island+bay.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242939409579158578" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Wheeling over the natural harbor over South Manitou Island<br /><br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1SF9V-zDwX2Y00jWM0iAnIOzPxJ4knZTUWKnhkla231BJytKkjkcN-XAQCFzMrlUiFVcEbf3DDdGhBKrNcSho4PwoQtD6bl1i6eo-vyyc48Xp729BpHdR_gaK6heCHTcDUTLXew/s1600-h/SouthManitouLighthouse.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1SF9V-zDwX2Y00jWM0iAnIOzPxJ4knZTUWKnhkla231BJytKkjkcN-XAQCFzMrlUiFVcEbf3DDdGhBKrNcSho4PwoQtD6bl1i6eo-vyyc48Xp729BpHdR_gaK6heCHTcDUTLXew/s400/SouthManitouLighthouse.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242941033475370130" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The lighthouse at the southern tip of South Manitou Island</span></span><br /></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1yjXxrdcd3fQQzWCDuBmZWaHuASFvAjZs_mhwfJpZlI2TSxt1bYXNbSDgytp_JIsP-nzLnuE-EnKV-Bg7BdmWZePEGVbykwzqNR37Q61d5hm7cS7mOiDfxoci2OnvYA-4O8ii9Q/s1600-h/FranciscoMorazan.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1yjXxrdcd3fQQzWCDuBmZWaHuASFvAjZs_mhwfJpZlI2TSxt1bYXNbSDgytp_JIsP-nzLnuE-EnKV-Bg7BdmWZePEGVbykwzqNR37Q61d5hm7cS7mOiDfxoci2OnvYA-4O8ii9Q/s400/FranciscoMorazan.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242939719852109842" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The remains of the </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.nps.gov/slbe/historyculture/shipwreckmorazan.htm">Francisco Morazan</a><span style="font-style: italic;">, shipwrecked in 1960</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAU4__ZGBiT2Xtav9VQtRkq3-6cxqxcQLjsL34DBr-zLI-ikmqPFxPj9Fe3CrYNuw5xlRaQIYGu70s97_waDGmOfCBacgKcRVuh4Mch6YPIddJ-lbzO3HTnKN_7mAGvFULGwmGuw/s1600-h/NorthManitouIsland.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAU4__ZGBiT2Xtav9VQtRkq3-6cxqxcQLjsL34DBr-zLI-ikmqPFxPj9Fe3CrYNuw5xlRaQIYGu70s97_waDGmOfCBacgKcRVuh4Mch6YPIddJ-lbzO3HTnKN_7mAGvFULGwmGuw/s400/NorthManitouIsland.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242940345932273490" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The dunes at the southern tip of North Manitou Island</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkWoMpCMb9w3tjxPwYNO4VE0loG2kyzT6irf5z9GnM7c6ClKChmixdXUTxbiAZQNqmXqqyX90qOREXpsPVawNa0Hey8qsYyWFthGfRs1Hr4Xuh9uHt2YOp7QwPOTQ-cEP2aD-cNQ/s1600-h/NorthManitouIslandSandbar.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkWoMpCMb9w3tjxPwYNO4VE0loG2kyzT6irf5z9GnM7c6ClKChmixdXUTxbiAZQNqmXqqyX90qOREXpsPVawNa0Hey8qsYyWFthGfRs1Hr4Xuh9uHt2YOp7QwPOTQ-cEP2aD-cNQ/s400/NorthManitouIslandSandbar.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242940523840590338" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Look at how absolutely CLEAR that water is!</span><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgadFiTbZINb8J5qbEJBL2aj_rw_PsnphMtGrxkp-cTeYfVYV3K6BcnaR_wE3Ok-CJ3mM7r0jXyePwOzyP31WV927q116x4Fq5ORHctQ7YuFHIfCi0dFanm6HsCSkosKYFgmcBA5A/s1600-h/PyramidPoint.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgadFiTbZINb8J5qbEJBL2aj_rw_PsnphMtGrxkp-cTeYfVYV3K6BcnaR_wE3Ok-CJ3mM7r0jXyePwOzyP31WV927q116x4Fq5ORHctQ7YuFHIfCi0dFanm6HsCSkosKYFgmcBA5A/s400/PyramidPoint.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242940769438672930" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The steep sand dunes of Pyramid Point</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOOD-5zrwZwijiJJgPfXk8MZheskz7GT7X-H5QtEXgszk_o0wmmfh_iNmabOeqDNZ7DU4EzUwQSSSkSUUSa7XzGKqgUoJM5Txe1D8TGhJbPY-Xokb5N7OgL43fmjoMQwiuc0_kIQ/s1600-h/LakeLeelanau.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOOD-5zrwZwijiJJgPfXk8MZheskz7GT7X-H5QtEXgszk_o0wmmfh_iNmabOeqDNZ7DU4EzUwQSSSkSUUSa7XzGKqgUoJM5Txe1D8TGhJbPY-Xokb5N7OgL43fmjoMQwiuc0_kIQ/s400/LakeLeelanau.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242943615116253938" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Looking north over Lake LeeLanau</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-3T-nqsYfyAk5VNIQRkPfeCWiZq0CdNypgvkNmEVBPU-9JYoVEpD5kUucfciIVQcRkwEmyKoxmPG9sHZ4itXD2HoU6l6R4TsLHRXD77Q2shDGpi-fq-utTt82C6i1DP2guQlZSw/s1600-h/CherryOrchards.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-3T-nqsYfyAk5VNIQRkPfeCWiZq0CdNypgvkNmEVBPU-9JYoVEpD5kUucfciIVQcRkwEmyKoxmPG9sHZ4itXD2HoU6l6R4TsLHRXD77Q2shDGpi-fq-utTt82C6i1DP2guQlZSw/s400/CherryOrchards.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242943828417003666" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Cherry Orchards near Lake Leelanau</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo-cmmk8IZ_qhqt2yC2qGFiePS34yoeCO_kCVooemKpulsegNMLOMDZH46ocvbCFXHAvfPUbQeUJkwfrbhYDZXV5rZdlfv93B7WNjojnKh3vrM8Fd4P9uIMkd-FgSWxGbPcZDBpg/s1600-h/SuttonsBay.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo-cmmk8IZ_qhqt2yC2qGFiePS34yoeCO_kCVooemKpulsegNMLOMDZH46ocvbCFXHAvfPUbQeUJkwfrbhYDZXV5rZdlfv93B7WNjojnKh3vrM8Fd4P9uIMkd-FgSWxGbPcZDBpg/s400/SuttonsBay.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242944039455586146" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Suttons Bay on the west arm of Grand Traverse Bay</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRKhhnaeumpIwpoRXFPs36zPS00-vroHYQzVehbJYoRmBlSTuHrEJC0CYzm42SEwlPfzRbcPEJYpw5D_sMmkkFNKWyGCDpkNTnWPdOLG7eBv8QJVcvu4HHHgSpZO_ADeZBF8q5Sg/s1600-h/GrandTraverseBay.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRKhhnaeumpIwpoRXFPs36zPS00-vroHYQzVehbJYoRmBlSTuHrEJC0CYzm42SEwlPfzRbcPEJYpw5D_sMmkkFNKWyGCDpkNTnWPdOLG7eBv8QJVcvu4HHHgSpZO_ADeZBF8q5Sg/s400/GrandTraverseBay.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242944317208676066" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Grand Traverse Bay</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirH01s1lArDzSxObMYEGgFX6fmJ4BvSA3FrKIEDxAO4vElkvczODC2cfLKGzaS5VmaYUxB4Dbi7S_oRfNRP2kgpPlLqnrE_ROFoTQxuW_rDy_pokbipqPu4fQgP2Sluh7u3MULbw/s1600-h/WestBay.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirH01s1lArDzSxObMYEGgFX6fmJ4BvSA3FrKIEDxAO4vElkvczODC2cfLKGzaS5VmaYUxB4Dbi7S_oRfNRP2kgpPlLqnrE_ROFoTQxuW_rDy_pokbipqPu4fQgP2Sluh7u3MULbw/s400/WestBay.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242944553835342706" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">West shore of the West Bay</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZ_ZHTJlN2uPVn9OwmI-_U61pty1r0KzNwk1Qqib8xOHs4zAKabIeSEkkWn1lsyjOGPBQDUVPc1nHFVj015olZ0OkTGW07EWnmQYdyd4phd-3bVTEv07S3b00s763t874ksSBVQ/s1600-h/WestBay2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZ_ZHTJlN2uPVn9OwmI-_U61pty1r0KzNwk1Qqib8xOHs4zAKabIeSEkkWn1lsyjOGPBQDUVPc1nHFVj015olZ0OkTGW07EWnmQYdyd4phd-3bVTEv07S3b00s763t874ksSBVQ/s400/WestBay2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242944709980500370" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >Lots of boats in the water on the West Bay</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWZoLgVksZk_HDw4pP7RBK7xkMFu8KmaYuGBLcP4apaI1Udm4uym2G9DS3uAYOVE-5l43ZrSf_HwzC-jqtlMVzGVnt-Wlfov36HN1UiuJFdfDYBBXvJVzOqwiAJLMByR6wbtSMg/s1600-h/DowntownTraverseCity.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWZoLgVksZk_HDw4pP7RBK7xkMFu8KmaYuGBLcP4apaI1Udm4uym2G9DS3uAYOVE-5l43ZrSf_HwzC-jqtlMVzGVnt-Wlfov36HN1UiuJFdfDYBBXvJVzOqwiAJLMByR6wbtSMg/s400/DowntownTraverseCity.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242944938210281842" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Downtown Traverse City, Michigan</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwmYS4_-QOszgYvwqoz4298qmJdEc-JN4mtdSxbxzk1-PC5jupp7JdAKP8-52WDyYSkCpSIVymYJ6n-H1a0UUY2OMqtaaGADzhAi8bTln7hS3YvZSdgPMfTSMLCggFQZUItsS3Hg/s1600-h/Final+for+18.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwmYS4_-QOszgYvwqoz4298qmJdEc-JN4mtdSxbxzk1-PC5jupp7JdAKP8-52WDyYSkCpSIVymYJ6n-H1a0UUY2OMqtaaGADzhAi8bTln7hS3YvZSdgPMfTSMLCggFQZUItsS3Hg/s400/Final+for+18.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242945157525045554" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Final for Runway 18 at KTVC - Cherry Capital Airport</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMwXKu9ZOHG-T-VycrOD5I3k3mAIauDAP0ydgrp2gR04uFftzOpcERQDC7P2wNBLyzWDbharI32CEhhHv5GFWUdoMncK4i0d1P0R1wqWPs_w2DzBvb422hv2ODHwQQzbvVVIBETQ/s1600-h/Lakeshore.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMwXKu9ZOHG-T-VycrOD5I3k3mAIauDAP0ydgrp2gR04uFftzOpcERQDC7P2wNBLyzWDbharI32CEhhHv5GFWUdoMncK4i0d1P0R1wqWPs_w2DzBvb422hv2ODHwQQzbvVVIBETQ/s400/Lakeshore.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242945340159029026" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Clear, calm Lake Michigan at Glen Haven, MI</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy8Kqk1eas7wpEdubsxZhN4VpgGMi2ggJ5KUM4GnLv_HSeeZMtMrMFKNuwE4F_2YSDc2Pw0s3HGSbGmsRs9j52KBztmCFyM_bXiRjuNN1LRlzPN_GGvNPRe02bCUqLTwzFMgGQ5Q/s1600-h/Beth1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy8Kqk1eas7wpEdubsxZhN4VpgGMi2ggJ5KUM4GnLv_HSeeZMtMrMFKNuwE4F_2YSDc2Pw0s3HGSbGmsRs9j52KBztmCFyM_bXiRjuNN1LRlzPN_GGvNPRe02bCUqLTwzFMgGQ5Q/s400/Beth1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242945741669824658" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">My beautiful wife relaxing by Lake Michigan, near Glen Haven</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgehgC2uZmqoBV4dWZjFdhb6fvf3V6h2VTd0XH8SpI7klLKu2evAVXpJZrliDIRXu-F8Oot7aIeO91paWS3KMlkFMEGVceps0oBmDHCYJDYUocwaWh-SWt6YWfTaJW98uAjAKm6Zg/s1600-h/Pebbles.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgehgC2uZmqoBV4dWZjFdhb6fvf3V6h2VTd0XH8SpI7klLKu2evAVXpJZrliDIRXu-F8Oot7aIeO91paWS3KMlkFMEGVceps0oBmDHCYJDYUocwaWh-SWt6YWfTaJW98uAjAKm6Zg/s400/Pebbles.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242945994580614338" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Pebbly beach near Glen Haven, with the dunes of South Manitou in the distance</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvwa27epdr322OMShJOPguOgvMVYt8R26YS3HZ6dDsK35d8TOtrRF7UAFPyOChzc6SsAxF3QW6ZL43dFR4-JeI37QmdhWuddXIGrXQDnPw5ZP3qKH_zH1eTVm9HQ86rC6Tl71fFQ/s1600-h/SandDunes.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvwa27epdr322OMShJOPguOgvMVYt8R26YS3HZ6dDsK35d8TOtrRF7UAFPyOChzc6SsAxF3QW6ZL43dFR4-JeI37QmdhWuddXIGrXQDnPw5ZP3qKH_zH1eTVm9HQ86rC6Tl71fFQ/s400/SandDunes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242946248190886658" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The mottled sand dunes of Sleeping Bear Point</span><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgHl0wGrLcPx4pL2_DpAvIpSIrQIfSl4esDAYauJSPhHxzYQxVSlDIg9Wmt_ey-foSCS3jchcOuEYeE7owo3LHm2iqSAPqpQ7RfJm3uPHjx4w6L5c2qNcy9YyzcmVGMrOPZkg3bQ/s1600-h/SleepingBearPointShore.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgHl0wGrLcPx4pL2_DpAvIpSIrQIfSl4esDAYauJSPhHxzYQxVSlDIg9Wmt_ey-foSCS3jchcOuEYeE7owo3LHm2iqSAPqpQ7RfJm3uPHjx4w6L5c2qNcy9YyzcmVGMrOPZkg3bQ/s400/SleepingBearPointShore.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242946382088010722" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Waves slowly eroding the sandy shoreline at Sleeping Bear Point</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM2ZUCzlnhz_p5HTPXMPAPbIO9VruaptTH9jn_nZLj497znXwKOw051Q6x4nRHvGtn9uRmffog_JLiih8B-dbrpbqedblsoMzzMzZdMxMj4cY6PZsQTCUJqgHLu2brJJ_746sH2g/s1600-h/DanPhelps.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM2ZUCzlnhz_p5HTPXMPAPbIO9VruaptTH9jn_nZLj497znXwKOw051Q6x4nRHvGtn9uRmffog_JLiih8B-dbrpbqedblsoMzzMzZdMxMj4cY6PZsQTCUJqgHLu2brJJ_746sH2g/s400/DanPhelps.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242947018768605586" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">My very best Michael Phelps impression - I'm going for the gold!</span></span><br /><br /><br /></div>Delta Whiskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08940166602933874964noreply@blogger.com0