Flew my longest X country today

[Mudge]

Whoop-e-doo, right? Well, it was exciting for me.

Went from Winchester to Charlottesville. About a 45 minute trip, straight down the Shenandoah Valley. Found all but one of my checkpoints and the only reason I couldn't see that one was that it was too far away in the haze. Found CHO with no problem and made a straight in approach 'cause their active was 21 and that was my precise heading out of OKV. Straight in approaches kinda' throw me off. I'm used to using the pattern and certain positions to reduce power, add flaps, and turn base and final. Straight in, obviously, doesn't give me reference points like the pattern does. I managed though and greased the landing. Amazed even myself.
Came back using the GPS (I know, that's cheating) until my instructor turned it off and simulated a diversion. We were just east of Luray so it was no big deal to turn and head there. When we got to Winchester, it had gotten so hazy I only found the landmark I use for the 45 degree approach to downwind when I was almost directly over it. From there I was OK 'cause I could use familiar landmarks for the pattern. Greased 2 more landings and quit for the day. All in all, I was quite pleased with the whole thing.

Mudge the happy

[Dasher]

Personally, I love hearing these stories.

All of us have been there ....

Good luck to you in your training and keep us posted.

[Bill Greenwood]

Mudge, we usually reserve this off topic forum for life or death topics and whatever commie lib plots I can think up to rile the Kool Aid drinkers. However, I haven't seen one of your landings; perhaps it fits in the category of life threatening. I, for one, love to read your well written and amusing stories. Your pace toward the rating sort of reminds me of my college days. Has your CFI gotten his mortgage paid off yet?

[Mudge]

Bill,
My landings haven't been life threatening for quite some time now. (With a few exceptions, of course.) Let him who is without a "bounce" cast the first aspersion.

By the way...whatever happened to that "front seat" offer after I reduced my horsepower requirement?

Mudge the hallucinatory

[Ztex]

Sounds like a good flight to me...you survived and everything.

You know these guys out west have no idea the kind of haze your talking about....it makes YFR a necessary thing.

I enjoy your non-warbird reports...no matter what Bill has to say about them...

[Old SAR pilot]

Mudge,

Phooey on stuffed shirts that say "That post doesn't belong here"! Seems the rest of us didn't mind a bit.

As for student cross country flights, that brought back memories of my second solo X-C in '67. Picked an airfield the appropriate distance (this was in SC), flew there, saw it was VERY deserted, landed, only to discover that the only living soul on the strip was an old gent in a pickup truck at the far end. Taxied over in the ol' reliable Cessna 150, shut down, and walked over to get my logbook signed for verification that I'd been there.

The gent kindly took time out from cleaning an extrememly rusty '94 Winchester, signed my log, and looked over at the 150, and said "They're making them things outta metal now, are they?".....And decided it was time to leave. Now. Vewy, vewy qwickly!

[SPANNERmkV]

I am personally offended by posting these in the OFF TOPIC column!

You should refer ALL complaints to me.

I have even offered to lead DE-SENSITIVITY Training at my work, but the corn-holers and their bagmen won't let me!

go figure!

Fly on Mudge-man!

[bdk]

Watch those straight-in approaches! That's when you're most likely to forget to weld the gear in the down position.

[systemofadown1162]

Beem awhile, got a job so Ive had no time for my computer or TV, but the last time I was here Mudge I thought you said you werent going to be able to fly anymore.

[Neal Nurmi]

Another vote here for back to The Hangar -- looks to me like a zillion or so to one on that topic...

[Eric Friedebach]

Has your CFI gotten his mortgage paid off yet?

Wait a minute – I thought the CFI was a her!

[Bill Greenwood]

Yeah, Mudge what happpened to the photos of that CFI you wrote was distracting you?

[Mudge]

Gentlemen,
Thank you for the support. I'll go back to posting on the Hangar.
Haven't seen the "distraction(s)" lately. She might be working out of the Leesburg school.

Mudge the appreciative

ps. If he doesn't like it, I'll be glad to describe the spot he can kiss.

[Bill Greenwood]

Mudge, we missed you for your Spitfire solo. I was supposed to do a flyover at a ceremony Sat at 5 pm. It was blowing about 15 knots plus gusts over 20, rainiing lightly and getting dark clouds over the mountains. Did I mention the convective sigmet? So I looked for my relief pilot, but you were nowhere to be found.

[Mudge]

Rats Bill,
I was there earlier and saw the weather and said to myself, "Self, Spifire or no Spitfire, I ain't flying in this crap." Maybe another time.

Mudge the chicken