I had one flight today, and it was one I paid for vs one I got paid for. I haven't flown the T-6 for a month and a half, and I haven't flown any taildragger in a month. That's very unusual unless we're talking December through February, but I've obviously just been busy with turboprops lately. The C-45 was out with another guy, all the planes were already pulled out, so I pulled out the T-6 too, and took it up. I did an excellent fly-by of Glenndale. Sneaked around the corner, low, tight and fast, made it a good one. Later I got two texts. Ron said "Very cool! Thanks, we needed that" and Michelle said "You made Ron run...that doesn't happen very often". So that was worth it. :D I spent the rest of the time in the pattern. Even though nothing was 'bad', you know the difference between when you're "on" and when it's just fine. Little sloppy things I don't want to put up with. A 3-pointer that was perfect followed by one that I flared too high. Not consistently doing what I wanted. So I pounded out a bunch of takeoffs and landings until I was feeling pretty good. I would actually have liked to do more, but it was time to come in. The C-45 was back, the gas truck was there, we needed to put it and the T-6 away in the back, so I came on in. But I was at least satisfied with what I'd done by the end.
Tonight Steve and I went to Marble with E and his wife, and along with regular chit chat, we had basically a business meeting. Talked about his brother, his airplane, how it's been thus far and what we can expect in the future. Basically his brother thinks that for the next year or so, he won't be any busier on flights than what he was this last month. But two years from now, they may double on flights. Ethan is also possibly expanding next year. So we're definitely going to need some backup pilots. It'll be great though, because I'll be as busy as I want to be, and when I want to do something else, I'll have backup pilots available. Best of both worlds. I was glad to hear his brother (and wife) were very happy with me thus far. I've certainly tried to be professional, timely, organized, etc. So far so good. His brother's wife said she always wanted me to be their pilot, and she was fine just sending her young daughter with me alone down to drop her off to be with them coming up, and that that is a big deal for them. I appreciate the trust. Everything has an upside and a downside. The upside is financial. The downside is taking a backseat on my push to get into a P-51, by not being out there as much around the warbird community, staying in the forefront like I did the last couple years. But being out there as much as I was the last couple of years costs a lot of time where I'm not earning money, and money I'm actually spending, both. With Kaylee in the Master's program, Ann requiring as much care as we can pay for on top of caring for her ourselves, and the lawsuit requiring regular checks for thousands of dollars to the lawyer, I'm just trying to balance staying in the warbird game with actually making all the money that I can. Can't have it all, you know. Unless I won that $1.7 billion lottery, of course, which I didn't even try for. ;)
Tomorrow I am doing spin training with a Purdue student in the Citabria. Should be fun.
The water reservoir is super low right now
Colors are starting to be more noticeable.
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