WASP

Fortunately this morning I was able to be up and functioning pretty well and much better than the day before.  I went out to Kokomo  and took the T-6 up on its first post-maintenance flight, the first time I'd flown it in almost 7 months.  Sept. 22nd was the last flight in it.  So not only was it getting its first flight in more than half a year, so was I.  :)  So I did two 3-point and one wheel landing, landed, checked for leaks or problems, then loaded up Dennis and we headed to DuPage, IL.

I had him do the flying, and we arrived at the WASP event just about right on time.  The event went well.  There were over 50 people there, which surprised me on a Wednesday at high noon.  The lunch was quite fancy, expensive and tasty.  One speaker was the granddaughter of a WASP who passed away and was the first WASP to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery as a veteran.  The other was the first female fighter pilot, who on 9/11 was tasked with taking off without armament and stopping a hijacked airliner by running herself into it.  She didn't have to, because it was the airliner where the passengers rose up and tried to take the plane back, and crashed in a field in PA.  She is spearheading the efforts to raise awareness and funding for the WASP program.  They are both excellent speakers and did a good job.

Afterwards the organizers took photos of the main people in front of the T-6, and included Dennis and I in one of the photos since we brought the plane.  I actually didn't want to be in the photos.  All the ladies up there were skinny, tanned, well-coiffed ladies in dresses and heels.  I'd flown there in a T-6 and the required flight suit, with flat wild hair and sweater on under the flight suit, so lumpier looking than usual in that thing.  It's just not attractive, and I'm fine sitting in an airplane and working and not looking all fashionable, but getting an official photo taken with everybody else looking trim and dressed to the nines and me looking rumpled and dumpy makes me...less pleased.  Oh well, hopefully it won't be a photo they post all over the place.  ;)

On the trip home, I had Dennis do some maneuvers, and then he did a couple takeoffs and landings from the back seat.

Steve and I went out to dinner in Greentown afterwards, and then I came home while he picked up Kaylee from a church function she was  helping out at.

I'm pretty wiped out, not fully recovered here, but tomorrow I'm up at 5:45 a.m. for a quick trip to Ohio.  At least the weather looks good...

Trying to get Dennis back there and failing, but I got myself.

There he is.  lol

Grissom off the wing on the way home.

Trying to get a picture of the WASP hat...

You can see this one better...