Super Sunday

It's the Big Game, but it's kind of nice that the big game doesn't start until evening. In some ways it's nice, anyway, because you can spend your day doing the things you want, first. Like church people. Did the Superbowl used to start earlier or did people skip church for all the pre-game stuff?  Hmm. Anyway, I did not go to church, just the church of aviation, and I got paid well for it, AND I really enjoyed myself.

I took Sunshine the Citabria and flew it to Ft. Wayne. It's my first cross-country in it, and Jerry said when he topped it off the other day, all the fuel went in one tank. There is no left/right selector, it's just an "on" thing and if it's not gravity feeding properly from both tanks, that's a problem. If it runs out of fuel on the one tank, will it get any from the other, or will the engine quit? How blocked IS it?  So I decided, not being foolish, to top off in FWA too so I'd have enough to get home without having to worry about those tanks.  Sure enough, it took all the fuel in one side.  So we'll be calling the mechanic tomorrow on that one.

When I got to FWA, the T-6 was out, and I met Bob's parents who came out to see his plane and watch it start up.  We got gas (in my plane and his), we did a preflight walk-around together, fired up, and we flew for almost two hours.  He went by his friends' houses, he went past his family's houses, places of work, old places he used to own, by his condo on a lake, he just flew around and wandered all over the countryside and enjoyed himself.  So did I, and I got paid for the whole time I was gone, and paid for the gas I used too.  Can't beat that on a 50 degree day full of light wind and sunshine.  It was rejuvenating.  

Flying home, when I got back to Kokomo, I climbed on up to about 4500', and I did a spin in the Citabria to check it out.  It spins faster and more aggressively than the Champ, so that's good, for training purposes.  Then I did some aileron rolls.  The stick is stiff on the ailerons, and I'm not sure how the Phat Tars (big tundra tires) affect its handling, but I got the job done. It felt so slow after the T-6.  lol  The first roll I did was about perfect. The second I tried to tweak something and was looking inside and botched it a little more, so the third one I went back to the outside references where I'm supposed to.  ;)  I didn't want to take any more time today, and I hadn't eaten since breakfast and it was 3 pm, so...I landed and topped off the plane again and tucked it away nicely, and smiled all the way home. In fact, when I entered the spin, and I was pointed straight at the ground, going round and round, I caught myself grinning.  Something is definitely wrong with me, but that's okay, I'm not the only one.  ;)

Kaylee left around 4:30 to go back and watch the game with her roomies.  Steve and I are here at home with some snacks watching the game and doing some work at the same time.  It's even a good game, close, action on both sides, some good plays so far.  I'm enjoying the game!

Up North

The T-6 owner has a condo down there

Sunshine in Ft. Wayne

The green line is our squiggly ground track from today.