News Stuff

At 5:30 am my alarm went off just a LITTLE bit too loudly.  Startling awake is no good.  ;)  I checked the weather, and was nervous and surprised to find that at the moment, it was good.  But the forecast was for IFR.  It was hovering around IFR but not quite there.  So I said I was heading for the airport, and off I went.  Each time I'd check the weather as I was pulling out the T-6, etc., it would say "visibility 3 miles, mist", which is right on the edge.  I launched, and figured worst case scenario I should be able to shoot an RNAV approach into Exec if the biggest problem was visibility.  I didn't have to.  There were areas of ground fog/mist, but Exec was clear. 

When I took off, the air was so humid that you could clearly see the spiraling slipstream from the prop in water vapor.  The first time that ever happened to me, I aborted a takeoff thinking something was smoking.  Silly me.  Got my attention though.

The reporter was Matt M for WTHR Channel 13.  He was a little nervous, but excited, and his videographer was an airplane "geek" and was jealous that he got to go.  So I had him climb in the front seat and do some pictures and look around a bit after we got done flying.  Matt had a hand-held GoPro, and they had another GoPro hooked up on the side window aimed Right at my face.  REALLY close to my face.  And then they videotaped me climbing up on the plane (love that) and all bent over trying to get Matt buckled into the airplane.  More "great" up the nose and backside footage.  Hoping those don't get used.  Ha.  Then after the flight they wanted to interview me.  I had T-6 flat head syndrome going by then too.  Would rather my flying do the talking than me personally, but...hopefully the end piece turns out well.  They're going to run the promos for the event starting tomorrow morning with a live feed at 5 am.  From there I'm not sure when the promos will run.  If someone sends me a clip, I'll post it here for you. 

The reporter didn't want to go upside down, but he did want to have a little fun, so I did some progressively aggressive maneuvers with him, and he woo-hooed and enjoyed himself.  We weren't up super long, but it was worth it.  The weather was gorgeous, the air was still and calm, and it was a beautiful flight.  I left the canopy open all the way there and home.  It was great.

Oh, Mitch Daniels was there too.  He came up and asked questions about the T-6, shook my hand, etc.  He's the former Governor of Indiana, and current President of Purdue University.   Kind of nice.

I have a flight to Washington DC area Friday, leaving 5:30 am.  I thought waking up at 5:30 was bad.  Being wheels up by 5:30 is infinitely worse.  ;)  Let's see, that's a 4 am wake-up call.  *sigh*  Then I'll be home by 5:30 pm, supposedly, and at some point there I have to start figuring out how to get airplanes to Indy Exec, depending on the weather.  Saturday's busy event, then we have only a few days left before we leave for Oregon.  I'm gone a couple days for that, come back the 27th by midnight, and the 28th I think we go to Michigan for the day.  Oshkosh is less than a month away.

Giddy-up.  ;)

Sunrise on the way to Indy Exec (Terry Airport)

You can see some of the ground mist/fog where the sun is shining on the ground.

The reporters interviewing Corrie from "First Jet Wing"

Also interviewing her

Mitch Daniel's jet. He and his wife were going somewhere.  I took off right behind them.

Moi

Freeze frame shot before my foot hits the step. This got a fair amount of "caption that photo" on WTC's Facebook page.  lol

Matt & I getting ready to go.

Being interviewed after the flight.

Just enjoying the view via videoclip.