Checked Off the List

First thing this morning, I went out to the airport, and Steve went out early and pulled out all the planes for me, and I got to run up and test fly the T-6.  It had been close to 4 months since I'd flown it, and it's funny, it felt I was sitting lower with less forward visibility than I remembered.  But I've mostly been flying nosedraggers for months, so I got used to seeing again.  For shame.  :D  My first landing I leveled off at what I thought looked good, waited for it to sink so I could pull into a flare, and the mains touched down on an unexpected but nice enough wheel landing.  Oops.  lol  So I went around and did another one just to get the sight picture back for 3-points.  The second one was good, even if I didn't have weight in the baggage compartment which meant I ran out of nose up elevator and had to yank on it a bit to flare.  I flew by Glenndale, and Ron texted me "Thank you. It was nice to hear a real airplane's noise out here again."

As soon as I landed, I had to desert Steve and leave him to put everything away, while I came home and took Ann to her second Covid shot.  We were in and out in no time, plus the 15 minute "time out room" wait to make sure she was okay.  We're hoping for no side effects like the first time.  Wish they wouldn't have talked so much about the side effects this time.

When we left there, I took her to Culvers, she got an ice cream treat, I got a burger, and then went over to Panera, where I picked her up some more soup, and me a salad for dinner.  Back home again, Steve texted me and asked about lunch, I said I'd eaten, it ended up that he could use the company, so I went and met him and Chuck and another there at Grindestone's, and just had a drink and a dessert.  Nice enough way to spend the morning.

The rest of this day I've been trying to plan, check weather, learn about this airplane I'm going in tomorrow, etc. We are having nasty winds tonight and early tomorrow morning, and will still have very high winds tomorrow morning.  He went ahead and bought my airline ticket home, leaving from Ok City at 3:40 pm. So I have to be there by about 2 pm to check in.  It's going to take us at least 5 hours to get there from here, 4+ hours in the air and one fuel stop in Ft. Leonard Wood, MO.  If we're not off the ground by shortly after 9 am, I am likely to miss the flight, which as it was got into Ft. Wayne at 10:30 pm.  But the weather for tomorrow morning early isn't very good.  Very high winds, IFR until probably 10 am or so.  The plane doesn't have an autopilot, which increases his work load.  Which increases MY workload, because I don't know him.  Maybe he's super instrument current, I don't know.  So...we'll have to see what we get.  If I have to come back Saturday instead, I'm fine with that.  Whatever it takes.  And then I think maybe I won't do any more favors for awhile.  The Bonanza was kind of a favor to the aircraft sales guy, and this Twinkie was a direct ask from a friend down at the grass strip by Indy. After this, I think I'm going to have to say no for awhile.  Meanwhile, because I'm busy, Steve is going on an MBros trip with D on my behalf tomorrow too.  Should be good and windy and IFR for them, too.  And so it goes.

I am supposed to be in Sheridan at 8 am, which is a 45 minute drive away, so that means an early morning for me.  I'll try to get to bed earlier tonight and get some sleep.  :)  In the meantime, I'm charging up my phone, my iPad and my laptop, because they said with these 50-60 mph winds we're having overnight, there will probably be a lot of power outages.  We don't usually get it here for very long, as we're close to a sub-station, but...just in case, I want everything fully charged and ready to go.

Such a nice view.  ;)