It was IFR this morning, and I needed to get the Cheyenne to Pennsylvania. I only have two possible people to be chase pilots for me for the foreseeable future. Spencer in the 172RG, if it's good enough weather, and Ethan in the 340 if it's good enough IFR. I used to have Ty, and he's done. Cusick, and he's out. Nathan, and he's out. Steve's working on getting current and on the insurance for the twins, but isn't available yet and sometimes we both can't be gone anyway. Jerry Long, and he's dead. And John R. who is grounded for quite awhile to come. So it's me and Ethan for 340s and Spencer for an RG and that's it for however long he's around, maybe this summer at best. I need another pilot in the Aerostar for sure, in the 340 would be nice. It's hard to get things done without relying on people I don't really want to ask and owe favors to, or spend half the day coming back from Pennsylvania in a 172RG. Who knew it would be so hard to get a pilot to fly airplanes for free to maintenance and back...
Anyway. I took Spencer with me in the Cheyenne and we went up to 25,000' where I had a 92 knot tailwind and was doing 530 mph. That was sweet. Shot an approach into Washington County, Pennsylvania, and then Ethan came in in the 340 and took us back home. At 8,000'. And 150 knots. Very slowly. It took less than 1 hour to get out there and about 2 hours to get home. :p
It was a cold, grey, dreary day down here, so getting up on top into the sunshine felt really nice. When I got back to Kokomo, I was driving away before I remembered I could have remote started the car with the seats heated up before I even got in it. So I turned on the the seat and the steering wheel and enjoyed the warmth. I won't have to wear a coat in my car next winter, which makes me happy, because I hate the bulky coat stuff. I really like my car. :)
25,000' on the way there
8,000' on the way home
Warm butt and hands all the way home. ;)
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