Iowa--Nope

Kaylee had her first day of summer school today, summer Gym class.  She has a ton of friends in there with her, which makes it a lot more fun.  On the less fun side, she said this year they have a bunch of 8th graders in there who are making him yell at them and be more strict with everyone because they're not participating.  But all in all, she already gets a shortened gym class out of it, and she gets to miss over a week of it anyway because of her leadership seminar and then camp.  And she's hanging out with her friends.  So I wouldn't call it a traumatic experience for her.  :)

After Steve dropped her off at school for gym, he came out to Kokomo, where I had the Aerostar all ready to go, and Nick B and Steve F and Steve and I flew out to Charles City, Iowa to look at a Champ for the flight school.  When we got there, by 9:30 in the morning their time, they looked over the logbooks and found a problem with the weight and balance.  While they were working on that, everyone looked over the Champ.  It had been represented as a new, great paint job.  It was new, but it wasn't great.  It had red overspray on the top of the wings, the white wasn't even or painted all at the same time, some of it was thin, it just wasn't as represented.  You can't tell in photos, but in person it was more obvious.  But that wasn't going to be a deal-breaker, because we REALLY need a Champ down at Westfield and everything else about this one was perfect.   So we went to lunch, while the fellow buying it decided that the paint wasn't what he hoped for but it would otherwise work fine.  We get back, tell him we'll take it, and Steve and Nick take it for a test flight.  They get back on the ground, and it's another hour and a half before calling off the deal because...they can't fit in the front seat properly.  There's been a modification done to the panel, lowering it in the front, and anyone with long or thick legs can't get their legs under there.  It's fine for smaller people, or even my size, but Nick couldn't even get in the front seat at all and Steve was bumping up on the underside of it.  So we had to cancel the deal, after that guy flew it there and then was there from 9 am until 1:30 pm.  We turned around and flew home.  That's a beautiful weather day that accomplished nothing, but...there's nothing to be done about it.  We couldn't know ahead of time.  And we still badly need a Champ, and quickly, for Westfield, before we lose everyone down there.

Here are a few photos from the Tom Woods aviation day and today's trip to Iowa.

I was signing the logbook of one of my riders.  :)

Justin in the back, inbound for landing.

Indy Metro in front of the wing.

Some folks wandering over to look at the Six

Our trailer set-up

Pallace "helping" Steve buckle up.

Me hand-talking to the Mellors.

Mustang and T-6

Steve sneaked a photo of me adding oil to the Aerostar in Iowa while he sat in the plane.

The Champ that won't be ours.

Next to Gumby

One last angle.

Found this inside.  Fun to read.  :)

On the way home, 9000'

Me, Steve F, Steve S, Nick.