The three of us got into my car, and headed to Kokomo. We got up by Chrysler, and suddenly my car started stumbling and stuttering. It died and we coasted to the side of the road. Steve got it running again, and we barely made it to the airport, when it died again and wouldn't really start and stay running. Steve is wondering about a fuel pump, maybe. We're lucky we got to the airport. The point of us going to Kokomo was for Kaylee and I to fly the Champ 87E back to its home in Westfield, move the other champ 18E from the maintenance hangar over to hangar 48 (not in that order), and have Steve come down and get us at Westfield. Well, now we have a problem, because we have no car. As I'm pulling both Champs out to top them off, I notice that 87E has a low left main. So Steve aired it back up. But the tire was low the last time I went to fly it (where it was then over-inflated). And the tire itself is looking sketchy. Tread was worn down on the outside, a little dry rot starting in the cracks. So we decided NOT to fly it to Westfield after all. But now what on how to get home? At the airport we have two choices. A golf cart and a 950 hp Corvette. We can't get home in the golf cart and the Vette only has two seats for three people. So Steve and Kaylee took the Corvette back to the house, where Kaylee picked up the Explorer and they came back out to the airport to get me. Meanwhile, I topped off both Champs, moved 18E into its final hangar, and took 87E up flying. The last time I did wheel landings in it, I had trouble. The left main had been over-inflated, and I'm thinking maybe that was it, because today I didn't have any problem. I did a couple normal wheel landings, then landed on the left main and kept it there and ran down the runway, then the right main and ran down the runway, then went back and forth, left, right, left on the second-to-last landing. That felt good.
I had thought I'd video a close-in landing and maybe a one-wheeler, but a jet was coming in on final, took forever to get off the runway, and I was circling around out there, and I saw the Corvette was back which means they were back to come get me. So I just brought it in and landed it, and I couldn't do a good video with my left hand, fly with my right, and deal with the power, so the video was going to be crappy, and I gave up on it. Then afterwards I realized I'd accidentally had it on "time lapse" mode, which made the Champ look like it was doing 200 knots. Which is funny. So it's a bad video, bad quality, time-lapse, and not the best approach, etc., but it looked funny enough I saved/posted it anyway.
I put it away, Kaylee drove us home, I ordered Panera for everyone, and we went home and watched "Bloodshot", which was better than I expected it to be.
Flying around in the Champ, I didn't really feel like stopping.
The Vette and the Champ
Kaylee & Steve in the Vette, me in the other Champ
Me enjoying the sunshine and air
Kokomo Airport off the wing. Blue skies, yellow planes.
Inbound Runway 5
The worst flying video you'll see in ages.
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