We did keep the Aerostar and the 172RG in the big heated hangar, because at 10 am Nathan and I took the Aerostar over to Aurora, IL, and had Spencer pick us up in the RG. Nathan rode in the back of the RG on the way home, wrapped up in the big blue fuzzy blanket I brought along because I know it's frigid in the back seat. Drafty and doesn't get any heat. Spencer looked at me funny carrying that blanket in, and I said "Hey, this isn't my first rodeo". When it's sub zero temps up there, you're glad for the blanket. ;)
The next time I see that Aerostar, in 8 weeks or so, it'll have a new glass panel. He's removing the steam gauges and putting in the fancy stuff. And then the 172RG is going in to get some fancy upgrades too. Moving on up in the world, eh? :)
I came home, and I was somehow so tired that I crashed around 5pm and took an almost 2 hour nap! Yikes. And here it is at 10 pm and I'm tired again. I'm not sure why, but I don't have anything to do early in the morning anyway, so maybe I can sleep in.
Ann had a stomachache tonight, was doing some moaning and stuff. Hopefully she wakes up better tomorrow and we don't have one of "those" timeframes coming.
Tomorrow I have to go get Ethan's 340 from Ohio and drop it back off at Frankfort, getting ready for my Saturday long trip back down to Marco Island to pick up him and his family. I was also contacted yesterday about being a contract pilot for an about to be newly acquired turboprop nearby at Logansport. It'll either be a Conquest (C-441) or a Cheyenne, not the 400LS but one of the smaller ones. I've flown a C-310, C-340, C-414, C-421, but not the 441, so hey, I'm amenable. I like adding new airplanes to the list. I'm getting to a point where I have to be careful about my scheduling though, and people knowing what my priority level is on who comes first if I have trips and someone else already has one. This will be the 4th company I'm currently contract piloting for, and I no longer have a Cheyenne or 340 back-up pilot, though I'm working on the 340 one. So...I'll have to keep things in order. This most recent one will probably be short term, they want me to fly it until their main guy gets enough hours and experience to be insurable, then he'd take over. I could probably be a back-up for him then, but he's time building and will want every trip he could get, so once he's "in", that'll probably be the end of the flights. But in the meantime, it'll be decent income. So far they're saying a couple of trips to Florida a months, plus an occasional other trip, no overnights. Should be doable....if it happens. And I'll be forced into another checkout checkride process for another airplane--the down side of flying different airplanes. lol Bleh.
Our first snowfall under the Aerostar wing
On the way to get new avionics
Under the 172RG wing, this is a "Cooling pond", hot water that creates steam and fog on it every winter.
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