Friday

I basically spent from 10 a.m. through to 6:45 p.m. with one student today, prepping for a checkride, waiting for weather, flying, doing paperwork, checking over stuff, etc.  We flew for 4 hours, and by the end of it, she was exhausted and yawning non-stop, and stumbling, and I said "I think I broke you."  She laughed and agreed.  But this is the only time we've been able to fly for her checkride since about 3 weeks ago.  We were both gone over Oshkosh, and then the weather every day this week hasn't been good enough-until this afternoon finally.  We have one more flight tomorrow to see if she can remember to do it all herself--she can fly it, but she doesn't always remember everything in sequence for all the maneuvers yet.  So that's what she's got to do tomorrow, and then her checkride is Sunday.

There's an aerobatics competition going on this weekend too.  The weather finally let up for them, too, and there was lots of flying going on this afternoon, lots of airplanes out on the ramp.  It should be a beautiful weekend for them.  It kind of messes with students, and I hate to do that particularly on a checkride, but you get what you get in flying.

Speaking of aerobatics, this is Bud Granley doing a T-6 act.  As best I can tell, he squeezes his eyes shut as he is performing a low level what, snap roll (?) after takeoff (?) in a T-6.  Dang.  You can see him checking his airspeed indicator a lot before each move.  I wish I could see this from the outside as well as looking at his face and a little of the canopy behind him.  Pretty impressive.  I need to win the next half a billion dollar lottery so I can afford to learn and stay proficient at all the things I need (need? I suppose 'want' is the more appropriate term, though it doesn't feel like it) to yet learn/do/master.   Let's see.  I 'need' to be able to have Steve and I both go to Florida one cold Indiana winter weekend and do our seaplane ratings. And then go get the multi-engine seaplane rating in a Twin Beech on floats.  I need to go to Alaska, find some crusty old bush pilot, and have him take me/us into and out of places that will make my heart rate go up. I need a lot of hours of gas money to work on...well, I'll just leave it with I need a lot of hours of gas money to work on stuff.  Lots of different stuff.  Including the below video stuff, only I'd do it higher up.  ;)

And speaking of gas, part of tomorrow's plan is for me, Nathan and Steve to take up the 340 and do a little checking on fuel flows at exact power settings and altitudes.  We're supposed to be getting a certain number, the data says it's getting that number, the maintenance shop said it was getting that number, but I saw a lot lower number on the way home.  I'm not crazy, I was looking at it for too long to have imagined it.  I'm not sure if I'm hoping to see the right numbers tomorrow, so I know there's no problem, or if I'm hoping to see the wrong numbers tomorrow, so it won't be one of those crazy things that only I saw happen and will never know why.  Practically, I hope to see the right numbers.  Impractically I'd like somebody else to see the wrong numbers too.  lol

Kaylee was able to get together with Maggie tonight, and tomorrow night she is having a friend, Abby, over for a sleep-over.  School starts the 14th, so it's good to get in some of this stuff now.  She wanted to watch "Planes" again at opening night, but had company instead.  Since she's already seen it once, I told her she'd survive until another night to go watch it.  It IS a cute movie, and I enjoyed it too.

Oh, that reminds me, I heard an advertisement on the radio today, and a guy said he was looking for a clearance to land on "Runway thirty-nine 'Ar'."  If you're gonna use pilot lingo, at least look up a real runway.  I can see how the "r" can be mistaken, if you're just looking at it on a picture, but Runway thirty-nine?  Ugh.

A quote attributed to Andy Rooney:  "I've learned that opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss."  Yup!