I had already seen that Dave had his ramp full, so I would have to do the bath in front of "our" hangar. I flew back from Sherman and pushed the bird back to where the tail was almost in the hangar, then blocked the nose wheel. I had brought no soap/detergent, etc. so this would have to be a clear wash. I got the hose and a half bath towel from our storage box and went to work.
The standard product used to clean windshields is Lemon Pledge. I had seen John wiping down his Cub with it after flight and had tried it sporadically myself. After the last bath, I had put a good coat of Pledge on the leading edges, cowling and prop. Until the reunion trip, I had more faithfully wiped her down with more pledge after each flight. The reunion trip had covered the leading edges up again, so I was not too hopeful of getting them off with just water and a towel.
I started out by wetting the nose and prop good and then washing the left side back to the wing. Without soap, I could do nothing about the belly, so I started out the wing. Wet, wipe and rub and the bugs were gone! Amazing! Back and try the cowling. Same result. Wow! In about 45 minutes, I had gone over the entire plane. When I finished, I rinsed out the towel and hung it over a lawn chair arm out of the sun while I pushed the sparkling Mouse in and closed up the hangar. The now cold towel sure felt good over my neck and shoulders as I headed back for the car.
The flight south
Monday morning, the weather briefing was good, so I filed and we headed out. Sandra put on a liberal new coat of Pledge while I preflighted. At 9:30 I sat on the wing and called Jeff.
"Good morning, this is your captain speaking. Boggs Flight One is now ready for departure. Our scheduled flight time to New Braunfels is 2 hours and 35 minutes and our estimated arrival time will be 12:10."
Jeff said good, they were packed and he had just gotten out of the shower. Their drive time would be 1.5 hours, so they had plenty of time.
We took off at 9:40. The expanded restricted area around Crawford ranch had been closed at nine and was re-confirmed by Flight Service when we opened our flight plan. We departed SE while climbing to 3500' to stay under the 4000' DFW shelf. We turn south just off the west edge of Lake Ray Hubbard. When we get the town of Palmer at our one o'clock, we turn towards it and I set the VORs for Temple while climbing to 4500'. The air here is very smooth and 65 degrees. There are a few clouds at 3500 with tops up to our altitude, but they are easy to avoid and the ground visibility is very good.
I do not have the words to describe the beauty of flying among clouds like this. From the ground, a cloud is white if you are between it and the sun, gray if it is between you and the sun. Up here, clouds are white unless they are in another cloud's shadow. But white doesn't completely cover it. They glow white. Rather than being thousands of feet from them, we are hundreds of feet (sometimes less) from them. We can see the wisps and tendrils that make them up. Many times, they are more compact and smooth. We come around a finger rising above our altitude and there on our left and 100 feet below us is a perfect cotton ball. Nearly round and fluffy, and the bright glowing white of clouds seen from above.
There is an area of thicker clouds farther along, and I have no trouble identifying Waco, but I still cannot get the Temple VOR. I called the Waco Tower and asked them if the TPL VOR was OTS. After Checking, he came back that it was currently OTS with no estimate other than soon for it's being back on.
No problem, the original plan was TPL VOR until we saw I35 and then sort of follow it. We pass over Temple and at Belton, turn more southerly keeping I 35 just to our left. But now, there is another problem.
For the first time since my solo cross country to Wood County, I am getting desperate to pee. We are less that 20 miles from Georgetown, so I begin a descent and tell Flight Service that we are making a pit stop at GTU and need about 30 minutes added to the flight plan. When we spot GTU, we are less than 10 miles out and still at 3000' Power off 360 and into the left downwind for 36. We merge smoothly with 2 Tomahawks and a Warrior doing T&Gs. We taxi up to the FBO, shut down and bail out for the restrooms. Phew!
I had just left the bird in from of the FBO and when we come out, there is a 172 needing to get to the gas pump. I am blocking one side and the other side is occupied. We pile back in and it refuses to start! It almost started on the first try, but flooded out. Dang Fuel Injected engines!
We pile back out and push it out of the 172's way. Back into the FBO and cool back down. After 20 minutes, we get back in and it starts right up!
It is only about 45 minutes from here to New Braunfels, so we only climb back to 3500' and contact Austin approach for clearance across Austin. No problem, "Musketeer Five Niner Four Lima Bravo, squawk (whatever) and continue on course."
We pass just west of the State Capital building but although we can see it well, there is too much haze to make a picture. Austin Center warns us of a 737 at 7 o'clock on our heading, out of 5, descending to 3. I look to my left in time to see him pass about 2500' to our left and begin his turn into Austin Bergstrom.
On over San Marcos and we start looking for the airport at New Braunfels. We are looking in the right area, but the runways are old concrete and not very different in color from the surrounding fields. When we finally identify it, I have to execute another power off 360 to get down to pattern altitude.
Taxiing onto the ramp, we could see Jeff and Kitten sitting under the awning by the FBO. The lineboy chocked the wheels as we started getting out. Hearing that we had bags to schlep, he walked over to Jeff and gave him the combo to the gate so he could bring the Suburban to the plane. We got it buttoned up, put the bags in the urban assault vehicle and headed out.
3 days of good times
We drove through New Braunfels, all talking at once. As Sandra had been there last month for the Special Olympics State Meet, she knew where everything was (sorta). We drove by the motel (couldn't check in until 3) and went on out to Canyon City for lunch at a Mexican place they knew. Then out to the dam on Canyon Lake and around that area. We took the scenic route back into New Braunfels and checked into the motel. After unpacking into our adjoining rooms, we went looking for a supermarket so we could stock the kitchenette(s).
After laying in supplies, Sandra makes a pitcher of tea and we all compare rooms and discuss what to do with the remainder of the evening as it is now after 6. By mutual consensus, we gather lawn chairs, refreshments and walk down to the river. There follows 3 hours of watching the last of the day's tubers drift by, consumption of refreshing liquids and talk of all subjects under the sun. Shortly after 9, we adjourned to our room where we played "Mississippi Marbles", a dice game not unlike Yatzee, but more complex, until after midnight.
Beginning around 7:30 Tuesday morning, we slowly reassembled around a picnic table outside our building as each of us completed our morning ablutions. We drank coffee, etc and decided on the day's activities.
Our first stop is Natural Bridge Cavern. This cave is a mini-Carlsbad. The tour is only 1.5 miles and descends only 200' below the surface. The features inside are very similar to Carlsbad (or any other limestone cave for that matter. The drawback is that there are no elevators, up or down and Jeff and Kitten have a little trouble and I am not wearing walking shoes. But we all make it and find it interesting and enjoyable.
From there we go to Gruene (pronounced Green) for lunch at The Gristmill. The food is excellent, but a shower comes up while we are eating and the air turns sticky and steamy. We return to the rooms slightly after 3 and Sandra goes to read by the pool while Jeff and Kitten retire to their room for a nap. I also take a nap after locating the Weather Channel on TV to check on tomorrow's weather.
Reassembling around 5:30, we decide that we will do the "by the river" bit again and order pizza in after dark. This plan is followed as decided and the Mississippi Marbles game commences about 9:30.
Wednesday morning, we reconvene at the picnic table and decide that I will get the weather briefing and decide then on departure times and the morning's activities. The forecast says building rain showers in the Dallas area beginning after 3:00PM, so it is decided that we will explore downtown and eat at the airport cafe before departing around 1:00.
We check the visitor center for any additional ideas and then go to Landa Park. It is the largest, best equipped city park I have ever seen. Even more amazing for a town of less than 30,000 people. From there, we find the Lindheimer home, but it is closed on Wednesday. This is typical of our luck.
We arrive at the airport about 11:30. I order fuel for the plane and we load the bags. Then go in for a very good hamburger.
The flight home
After lunch, I updated the weather briefing, filed the flight plan and pre-flighted the plane. We then said our good-byes and saddled up. During startup and the warmup procedures, I am watching the windsock directly in from of us. It indicates the wind favoring 31 and the ASOS said variable at 4, So we taxi to 31. As I line up for takeoff, the windsock swings 180 and is now pointing away from us. Oh, well. This runway is 5352', so we can stand a 4knot tail wind. By the time we could taxi to the other end, it would have swung back anyway.
We roll. And we roll. We pass the turnoff to the ramp and it appears that we are running out of runway. We lift off and I can now see that the runway sloped slightly down on the north end. We have used less than 1/3 of it. As we pass over the end, we are at 300' and in a book value climb. We continue straight out until we are over I35 where we turn north. I contact Flight service and open our flight plan, then passing 3500' over San Marcos, call Austin approach requesting flight following. They give us a squawk code and request current leaving and cruise altitude. We are leaving 4 for 5500.
Level at 5500, we pass just West of the State Capital buildings and continue north. The cloud bottoms as forecast are at and just above our altitude. North of Austin, we are handed off to Gray Center (Temple). I hear a Mooney pilot ask her if there is any word on the cloud heights towards San Antonio.
I tell her that they are just at and above our altitude and she says:
"Four Lima Bravo, you are VFR, better keep your nose out of them."
"Roger, Gray. We are keeping our nose out of 'em. But our tail is occasionally slicing the bottoms of 'em."
"(delightful laughter)"
Over Italy, Dallas Approach tells us to descend at our discretion to 3500'. We begin a descent out of the cooler air and suddenly hear,
"Five Niner Four Lima Bravo, maintain at or above 4000, traffic at 10 o'clock, 4 miles, eastbound showing 3200."
"Four Lima Bravo, looking for traffic."
I spot him and he passes about a mile in front of us.
"Five Niner Four Lima Bravo, descend and maintain 2500, come to heading 030 to clear Love departure corridor."
Oh, goody, not only down where it is hotter, but is bumpier. We pass over midfield at Lancaster and are told to resume own navigation direct to Aero Country. I turn north. This course takes us just east of White Rock Lake. We fly right up Jim Miller Road where Sandra's mother lived, and on up Plano Road. Passing over the Bush Turnpike, I turn slightly west to take us to Aero Country.
There is a rain shower just west of Central Expressway over Allen, But I can see Aero Country by now and it is in sunlight. There is also some buildup to the west, but it is no concern at present. I cancel Flight Following, reset the transponder and call Flight Service to close our flight plan as we pass over Custer and McDermott. Five miles from home! Just beginning our descent to pattern altitude, we get 2 fat drops on the windshield and then into the sunlight for approach and landing.
I get a little low on final and add some power to arrest the descent as we pass over 380. We come over the 1700' grass strip on the north of the runway just above treetop level (remember the tall trees lining the east side of the runway?) I have long talked about the turbulence caused by these trees, but this time, we are nearly level in it at 80mph. You can really feel it!
Driving to the house, we are in rain showers or on wet pavement from McDermott on and there is lightning in the clouds just west of us. We got home just in time!
Lisa gets her ride
In June of last year, I had taken Lewis Grantham for a ride. Actually, Lewis and Lisa both wanted a ride, but Lewis answered the phone so he got asked first. Lisa had warted me ever since about getting her ride. So, it was time to do it.
We arrange for a ride on Thursday, the 10th. I get to the hangar, open it up pull the mouse up to the door and clean up the inside so Brantley the 12 year old can sit in the back. They arrive and I walk through a complete preflight with them then we pull the bird out and close the hangar door.
Going down the taxiway, we watch a friend and his student in a Citabria do a beautiful slip to a landing on 17. Then we take off and head west from the downwind. There is a new waterpark opened on the US380 bypass in Denton. We fly over it at 2500' and turn north between the west shore of Lake Ray Roberts and I35. Lisa and Brantley spend the time in constant pointing out of large houses along the lake, and so forth.
I make a respectable landing at Gainesville and fuel the bird up. We all go into the FBO for restrooms and cooloff. Taking off, we climb to 3500 and once level and trimmed, I ask Lisa if she wants to fly it. She demurs, but after Brantley calls her chicken, she agrees. She has been asking very intelligent questions in addition to my usual explanations of what I am doing. She slides her seat up so she can reach the pedals and gingerly takes the yoke. She is a natural! She easily holds course and altitude until we are about to head into a cloud at our altitude.
We fly on, south of Grayson county, NE between there and Sherman and back out into open country east of Sherman. We turn south and must slowly descend to 3000' to stay under the clouds. East of Melissa, I call McKinney tower and request south over Princeton and turn west over Allen to Aero Country. They approve as requested.
Over Princeton (5 miles east of TKI), we hear a Cessna request a southeast departure back to Addison. McKinney tower approves as requested and calls us.
"Musketeer Four Lima Bravo, Possible traffic will be a Cessna on a southeast departure."
"Four Lima Bravo will look for him, but he should be no factor."
"Uh, McKinney tower, Cessna XXX. That should be a southwest departure with a right turnout."
"Cessna XXX, right turnout approved."
"Uh, McKinney, Four Lima Bravo. I don't think the Cessna will be a factor."
"(Click, click)"
Out over Lake Lavon and turn west towards Allen. As soon as Lisa and Brantley are convinced that we are flying right up McDermitt Road, they easily find their house. We can see Sandra's Tbird in the driveway (She is babysitting the other 2 children).
Back in to Aero Country where the crosswind makes for a firm landing. Brantley gets to wipe the wings while Lisa and I talk for a minute.
Sandra's Schoolteacher weekend.
One of Sandra's more endearing qualities is the sheer number of people she has been friends with for ages. One group of them is the teachers she taught with in Lindale, TX for 15 years. Although she has been in Allen now for 18 years, she still gets together with a group of them each year. This group includes Retha and Becky (whom you have already net) and Kay. They meet someplace for a weekend each summer. This summer, they are to meet in Granbury, go on a dinner cruise and attend a musical at the Granbury Opera house.
Granbury is southwest of the Metroplex (Dallas and Fort Worth). We live on the northeast side and the other girls (they are now all in their 50s, but still girls when together) all live in the Tyler area. They can drive to Granbury in 2 1/2 hours, but because of the freeway arrangement, it would take Sandra almost 2 hours to drive. Flying time is 55 minutes (+/- winds), even allowing for evading the DFW class B. So, we work it out that I will deliver the Redhead to Granbury Friday afternoon and they will drop her off in Terrell on the way back to Tyler.
This plan is well set when the President decides to come to Dallas for a fundraiser on Friday. The TFR for his visit will allow no flying within 6 miles of Love Field and severely restricted flying within 30 miles. If done correctly, the restrictions can be lived with, so it is still a go.
The TFR is set to start at 1:00PM and last until 8:05PM, so we depart Aero Country at 11:00AM. The flight down is uneventful. We have flown this one before, out over Denton, bear to the left past the north end of Eagle Mountain Lake, on over Weatherford and turn south. We have Lake Granbury in sight while still over Weatherford.
The Unicom airport advisory 10 miles out indicates that the wind is favoring 14. The pattern for 14 is right hand and 32 is left hand which keeps both patterns west of the airport and away from downtown. I swing a little west to make room for a left turn into the downwind. When I am just west of the field, the Unicom advises me (the only plane in the area?) that the variable wind now favors 32. A right 270 will allow me to enter a downwind for 32 in the proper orientation, and just as I level out and swing parallel to the runway, Sandra spots a plane over the lake south of town.
In the busy part of putting flaps down, judging distance from the runway, etc, I don't have a chance to look for him until I am even with the south end of the runway (this is OK as the Redhead is watching him). As I pull power and trim for descent, I see him approaching the runway from the southeast at well below pattern altitude.
"Cessna, at Granbury, what are your intentions?"
No answer.
"Granbury traffic, Four Lima Bravo is turning Base. Have Cessna south of field in sight."
By now, it is obvious that the Cessna is landing. I slow down a little more, square off the turn to final for time and decide that if he will do a Touch & Go or at least make the first turnoff, I will be all right. He doesn't make the first turnoff. He doesn't take the second turnoff although he is by now, obviously not doing a T&G. I abort and fly over him as he turns off at the last turnoff.
Now, let's review:
- No radio communication.
- Non standard entry.
- Not taking the first available turnoff.
We picked up the courtesy car and loaded her bags and headed to town for lunch. After lunch, we did the obligatory Wal-Mart run for an item forgotten and then went to the B&B they were to stay. All was ready for them and we sat around until three when the "unholy trio" arrived. Shortly after four, I left the hen party and headed for the airport.
At ten 'til five, I called flight service for weather updates and final instructions for re-entering the TFR. The lines were so busy, I was on hold for 20 minutes before I could get a briefer. The instructions and procedures were relatively simple and not unlike using flight following. After putting some gas in, I took off right at six.
Climbing out, I opened my flight plan and leveled out at 3500'. Over Weatherford, I contacted Dallas Approach. After a short delay due to the magnitude of his workload, I had the squawk code and was all set. My proposed route was happily accepted as it kept me clear of the commercial traffic to DFW. Over Denton, I was advised to descend and maintain 2500 or lower, which is my normal practice anyway.
North of Frisco, I am asked if I have Aero Country in sight, which I do. I am then told to resume my own navigation, switch to the T31 CTAF but leave the transponder on the assigned code until I am on the ground. The only problem here is that Approach has held me up so long that there is no time to contact Flight service and close my flight plan before landing.
On short final, I notice a sheriff's car and crowd around a hangar just north of 17. I didn't think much of it and went on to the hangar. I had opened the hangar, pushed the bird in and was wiping the wings down when Dave comes screaming up in his pickup.
"Where did you just come from?"
"Granbury."
"Were you on a flight plan?"
"Of course."
"Were you using flight following?"
"Yes."
"Good, we have already had F16s escort one plane in and the sheriff is down there trying to locate another plane they think landed here."
"Shouldn't be me. I dotted all the i's and crossed all the t's. But I will need to use your phone to close my flight plan."
"OK, see you back at the hangar."
Finish cleaning up the bird and close up the hangar, then down to Dave's. He's not around, but I go in the office and call flight service. This time, I am on hold for 25 minutes. Get that done, and now find out the rest of the story on the F16s.
It seems that one of the resident pilots took off from Tyler on his normal Friday return home without checking with flight service or reading a newspaper and adding up the news. ATC picked him up before he got to Lake Lavon and when he didn't answer a call on Dallas Approach or Guard, the F16s were behind him before he got to McKinney. When he saw them, he got on guard and they followed him into Aero Country. They circled LOW until he was to his hangar and shut down. They gave him a number to call ASAP.
Quiet Saturday by myself. There is a couple in Terrell who own a Musketeer. We had met them in Rockwall for dinner once while I was still a student. I was unable to get in touch with them to tell them that I would be in Terrell on Sunday. All I had was her work email and a cell phone number. After Friday evening, the email was useless and the cell phone was directed to voicemail. So, plan B was for me to wait until Sandra called that the gang was leaving Granbury before I left for the airport.
The musical was purportedly over at 4:30 and they were going to start back immediately. By 5:30, I was getting concerned, so I called her cell phone. Amazingly, she answered it. They were just sitting down to dinner in Granbury. I checked weather and NOTAMs and headed for the airport. The 20 minute flight was uneventful but hot. I taxied in and shut down figuring I had at least 30 minutes to kill. The FBO and his wife knew the Boyds and looked for their home number. It not being easy to find, the man went out to gas the plane and when we got back in, she had found it.
When I called, Denise answered. She was surprised to hear from me, but they had been on vacation and had gotten back Sunday morning to a dead air conditioner. The repairman was there at present, so she and Rod could not get away. We talked for several minutes and then I went back out to sit in the shade and kibitz a student doing T&Gs in a Cessna 150.
The girls finally arrive and after some last minute picture taking and yakking, we take off. I head due north from Terrell, right up the fold on the sectional to US380 east of Farmersville before turning for home. This is the best time of day to fly. The sun is low and the shadows on the ground are long making trees, houses and contours stand out. The lower sun no longer is heating the ground generating bumps, so it is smoother. The ground temperature in Terrell had gone down 4 degrees (97 to 93) in the 1.5 hours I was there, but the air temp at 2500' had dropped close to 10 degrees.
After checking in with McKinney, the inform me of a Mooney at 9 o'clock, 2 miles, west bound 200' above us.
"Four Lima Bravo is looking for traffic."
I look out my window and there he is, sitting just above my wingtip.
"Four Lima Bravo, he is parallel to you at 120 knots. Should be going by you right now."
"Four Lima Bravo has the traffic. A Mooney at only 120 knots?"
(small voice from the Mooney) "I'm only an M20C."
We watch him pull slowly ahead of us and disappear to the west by the time we are over McKinney. As we enter the pattern at Aero Country, the sun is low enough that the ground is now completely in shadow. Simply beautiful!
Going to Kickapoo.
The weather broke on Tuesday with a big thunderstorm as forecast on Sunday. I had been trying to set up a ride for another of Sandra's compadres, and Thursday was supposed to be cooler than it had been. Courtney was thrilled. But on Wednesday night, her boyfriend (a horse trainer) got kicked by a horse, so she had to cancel.
We couldn't let a cool late July day get away, so we decided to go out to lunch. A quick inventory of places we haven't been turns up Wichita Falls. Just under 100nm WNW from here. We had been over it on the trip to Amarillo last summer, but didn't stop. Wichita Falls is the home of Sheppard AFB and a nice municipal field named Kickapoo Downtown Airpark. With a name like that, we just gotta be able to say we've been there.
Weather briefing is good and we file for a noon departure. Load up and taxi out. All pre-takeoff checks are good and we take to the runway. The engine is not developing full power, RPM is about 200 low. Fiddle with the mixture to no avail, so shut down and roll to the south end. Back up the taxiway to just before the turnoff to our hangar. Try a full power runup. 2050RPM is the best it will do and we need close to 2300. I am about to decide to taxi to Dave's when the Redhead asks, "Isn't the key supposed to be on "Both" instead of "Left"?"
Of course it won't develop full power when only one spark plug is firing! Switch to "Both" lean a little more than normal and taxi back to the north end. This time, full power runup goes to just under 2300. On to the runway and the tach is in the green before I have it straightened out.
Climb out to 4500' and open flight plan. It is a little bumpy, but the OAT is 70. Approaching Henryetta, we check in with Sheppard approach and begin our descent to Kickapoo. The sectional contains a large caution: "Do not mistake Sheppard AFB/Wichita Falls Muni for Kickapoo Downtown" We are looking down the 3 parallel 13000' runways of Sheppard 10 miles north and the single 4200' runway at Kickapoo 5 miles ahead. How could you make that kind of mistake?
Nice landing, and taxi up to the FBO. It looks like a hunting lodge. Shut down, go in and get the courtesy car key and a local map. The car is a nice looking Crown Vic. We get in and start out. On the way, we see a sign for a Mexican Chain and Sandra asks if there is a Mexican restaurant on the list in this area. A quick check shows it to be about 4 blocks further than the steak house that was recommended, so we go to plan B.
It is no longer there. In the process of turning around to go back to the steak house, the engine dies. Shut off AC and recrank. It dies again. Recrank and go on. Windows down. We get to the steak house and go in. Sandra has a good Chicken Fried Steak while I go for the Barbecue.
Tummies full, we get back in the beautiful, but ill car and head back to Kickapoo. It dies at both the lights we have to stop for. We tell the girl at the counter about it and sit around for a while, cooling off. At 3:30, we take off for Bowie and a fuel stop. Gas there is reasonable (better than the 2.60 at Kickapoo) and I had been to Bowie on my first dual XC in 2000. Dave and I were in the Cherokee, and the wind was across the runway at 20 knots. We didn't land, we just did a low pass down the runway. So this will be a "new airport" for all 3 of us (Mouse included).
After an awfully steep final, we get a good landing and taxi up to the ramp. Sandra starts out and I turn sideways in the seat to get the book and write down the Hobbs reading. I have my head down in the cockpit when Sandra yells, "You're rolling!". Swing back and plant a foot on the brake until she can put a chock under the nosewheel. It only rolled about 2 feet. Most ramps are flat enough that that has never been a problem anywhere else.
Twenty four gallons of gas, a cooldown in the office listening to a fascinating man talk about airplanes and we take off for home. Another good day flying.
