Florida
I'm in Florida, visiting my parents with the fox. It's a sort-of vacation.
Flew out last Wednesday morning (the 4th) on Southwest.. arrived there that evening. Thursday, I went down to ECP to get checked out in a Cessna 210. Turned out to be quite a nice airplane, and a joy to fly. There was some uncertainty about whether I was going to actually be able to get the checkout done, whether the weather would hold, and such ... but on Friday morning, I slipped out of an area of convective activity and made my way to central Florida, with the parents, the otherfox, and bags.
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N10RV/history/20120706/1336Z/KECP/KZPH
Then, after reuning with family and dibbun, I woke up the next day and we headed down to Marathon, in the Florida Keys. (My second home) I had to climb up to 12,500'and detour around a bunch of towering cumulus and a few biiig CBs. Woof.
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N10RV/history/20120707/1612Z/KLAL/KMTH
After a wonderful two days in the keys, in a big black Suburban, we went back to Marathon. There were thunderstorms all over the place, including right over the top of the airport. I waited for a bit and found a hole, then loaded everyone in. Unfortunately, I then noticed a web of sticky green stickiness under the left wing. After looking for a while, I unloaded everyone and sent them back across the ramp to the FBO. Called and talked to the owner, then found a mechanic. Took the plane over there, and he said "Yep, fuel tank's going. Can't do anything for you except order a part, but you should be ok to fly."
So I did a quick final weather check and launched off to see how the weather would behave. After circling the Marathon airport for a good while to gain altitude, I launched on across to south Florida. Almost immediately I was circumnavigating thunderstorms and TCUs, but it was a beautiful flight anyway. About an hour in, I started seeing clusters of storms developing, so I called up Flight watch. After a ten minute conversation and briefing, I slid over around a cluster and decided to divert to Punta Gorda.
Waited a bit for the weather to clear ... surly FBO, no crew car, no computer, no internet, no -nothin-. And darnit, wouldn't you know when I finally found a break in the line and loaded back up, the airplane wouldn't start. Rrgh. Mechanic came out, but had already gone home for the day and didn't want to do anything but hook up a cart.
So we got a nice hotel, blew way too much on a prix fixe dinner at http://www.theperfectcaper.com/ and went to bed. Woke up at 0645 to go down to the airport and give the mechanic the owner's info and such, then came back to the hotel. We all went out for breakfast... got a call at breakfast that the airplane was working, and we all headed back, loaded up, returned the rental car and took off into the gloom.
Climbing to 10,500' over Tampa, I tried a few different courses before I decided to head to the coastline, which was away from the cells' motion and had clear radar returns before flight. Well, once again I found myself needing to climb up to 12.5, and pushed out towards the coast. Once I was out from overtop TPA's class B, I called back up to Flight watch and had another ten minute conversation. This briefer was awesome, gave me really good information about echo returns, lines and their motions, and where I could squeak through.
I had pretty good visibility, so I turned in a pirep and worked my way up the coast, then scooted back into ECP.
Then we all went down to the creek and I swimmed. ^.^
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N10RV/history/20120709/1848Z/CARNU156029/KLAL
Yay!
9.1 hours, plus 1.8 hours for the checkout puts me at eleven hours of C-210 time. Eleven -wonderful- hours, I might add. That airplane is a helluva traveler, and I enjoyed every minute of it.
*Wag*
~Foxy
Flew out last Wednesday morning (the 4th) on Southwest.. arrived there that evening. Thursday, I went down to ECP to get checked out in a Cessna 210. Turned out to be quite a nice airplane, and a joy to fly. There was some uncertainty about whether I was going to actually be able to get the checkout done, whether the weather would hold, and such ... but on Friday morning, I slipped out of an area of convective activity and made my way to central Florida, with the parents, the otherfox, and bags.
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N10RV/history/20120706/1336Z/KECP/KZPH
Then, after reuning with family and dibbun, I woke up the next day and we headed down to Marathon, in the Florida Keys. (My second home) I had to climb up to 12,500'and detour around a bunch of towering cumulus and a few biiig CBs. Woof.
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N10RV/history/20120707/1612Z/KLAL/KMTH
After a wonderful two days in the keys, in a big black Suburban, we went back to Marathon. There were thunderstorms all over the place, including right over the top of the airport. I waited for a bit and found a hole, then loaded everyone in. Unfortunately, I then noticed a web of sticky green stickiness under the left wing. After looking for a while, I unloaded everyone and sent them back across the ramp to the FBO. Called and talked to the owner, then found a mechanic. Took the plane over there, and he said "Yep, fuel tank's going. Can't do anything for you except order a part, but you should be ok to fly."
So I did a quick final weather check and launched off to see how the weather would behave. After circling the Marathon airport for a good while to gain altitude, I launched on across to south Florida. Almost immediately I was circumnavigating thunderstorms and TCUs, but it was a beautiful flight anyway. About an hour in, I started seeing clusters of storms developing, so I called up Flight watch. After a ten minute conversation and briefing, I slid over around a cluster and decided to divert to Punta Gorda.
Waited a bit for the weather to clear ... surly FBO, no crew car, no computer, no internet, no -nothin-. And darnit, wouldn't you know when I finally found a break in the line and loaded back up, the airplane wouldn't start. Rrgh. Mechanic came out, but had already gone home for the day and didn't want to do anything but hook up a cart.
So we got a nice hotel, blew way too much on a prix fixe dinner at http://www.theperfectcaper.com/ and went to bed. Woke up at 0645 to go down to the airport and give the mechanic the owner's info and such, then came back to the hotel. We all went out for breakfast... got a call at breakfast that the airplane was working, and we all headed back, loaded up, returned the rental car and took off into the gloom.
Climbing to 10,500' over Tampa, I tried a few different courses before I decided to head to the coastline, which was away from the cells' motion and had clear radar returns before flight. Well, once again I found myself needing to climb up to 12.5, and pushed out towards the coast. Once I was out from overtop TPA's class B, I called back up to Flight watch and had another ten minute conversation. This briefer was awesome, gave me really good information about echo returns, lines and their motions, and where I could squeak through.
I had pretty good visibility, so I turned in a pirep and worked my way up the coast, then scooted back into ECP.
Then we all went down to the creek and I swimmed. ^.^
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N10RV/history/20120709/1848Z/CARNU156029/KLAL
Yay!
9.1 hours, plus 1.8 hours for the checkout puts me at eleven hours of C-210 time. Eleven -wonderful- hours, I might add. That airplane is a helluva traveler, and I enjoyed every minute of it.
*Wag*
~Foxy