Our First Family Flight

It was clear and cool Sunday, and the time had come to introduce my
wife to the joys of Grumman 46U. She had endured the search, the
accompanying disappointments, the phone calls from faraway places,
then had met me at the hangar upon my return with our standard poodle,
a bottle of champagne and some lovely sandwiches. But where to go for
her maiden flight?

The Gulf Coast beckoned, and we decided that a pleasant luncheon in
Corpus Christi might just be the ticket. This is a great time to
experience our Texas coast: the weather is comfortable and relatively
dry, the bugs haven't yet grown big enough to be tracked by radar, and
the water actually looks inviting. What more could one ask?

The direct track from KHYI (San Marcos, TX) to KCRP (Corpus Christi)
takes one through or under one MOA after another, so IFR seemed the
best bet to travel with a minimum of excursions from one waypoint to
another. I filed direct, took some photos of the plane in her new
environs, and gassed up. We were cleared as filed and departed into a
lovely early spring sky.

Almost immediately, we were told to climb to 5000 feet and proceed
direct. With a nice tailwind, we were soon clicking off about 130
knots on the ground in very smooth conditions. Susan was all eyes and
David Clarks, and soon she was checking things off on the map,
listening to the transmissions from Center, and becoming very
acclimated to the new airplane. You could see her relax and begin to
enjoy the trip.

We think of that part of Texas as being topographically challenged. It
is a coastal plain, flat as a bad billiards table, and pretty much
devoid of any distinguishing characteristics save small towns and wet
spots. I am usually wary of Canadian geese anywhere in that area, but
they were not flying on Sunday; I guess they were stuffing themselves
with grain in preparation for the return north.

In just over an hour, we were being vectored to final at Corpus
Christi International and were cleared to land following a two-flight
of Navy fighters. There is a great deal of military presence in the
San Antonio-Beeville-Corpus area; there are fighters everywhere. We
parked at Mercury Aviation and were treated like royalty. The Taurus
crew car was offered, we accepted and soon were headed for downtown.

Susan had done some Internet sleuthing. "The Water Street Seafood
Company. That's the place," she said. "It has a huge menu and offers
everything seafood from raw to fried to blackened to broiled. Salads,
appetizers, the works." Was she ever right! We had a delightful meal
with excellent and friendly service, and we even took some money home
with us.

A couple hours later, we were back at Mercury, paid for the 12 gallons
of fuel required to top the Grumman off, and away we went. Returning
to HYI was a bit more of a struggle than flying down, since I had to
repay the tailwind gods. Still, we were home and hangaring the
airplane in just over an hour thirty. Not bad for 160 HP and fixed
gear.

Driving home, I was thinking just how lucky we all are who fly.
Nothing compares to being able to hop into one's airplane and make an
adventure. The boredom of the Interstate is gone, the joy of a
different perspective of one's environs is always present, and the
absolute freedom of flight is as exhilarating as anything I know.

It was a great day and the beginning of a lasting family relationship
with 46U.


Michael
Grumman 46U

Driving home, I was thinking just how lucky we all are who fly.
Nothing compares to being able to hop into one's airplane and make an
adventure.

That says it all, Michael.

Mary and I were just saying the same thing Sunday afternoon, after a
picture-perfect flight up to Stevens Point, WI to see our friends Jim
& Tami Burns. The weather was just as purty as yours -- but the
scenery dramatically different, with BIG snow everywhere -- and the
flight just couldn't have been better. 14 hours of driving reduced to
3 hours of flying, good food, and good friends -- how can it get
better?

Enjoy the new plane!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

("Grumman 46U" wrote)
It was a great day and the beginning of a lasting family relationship with
46U.


Nice write up.

Is there a copilot in your future?

....or should I say - are you soon to be someone's copilot?


Montblack

Jay Honeck wrote:
Mary and I were just saying the same thing Sunday afternoon, after a
picture-perfect flight up to Stevens Point, WI to see our friends Jim
& Tami Burns. The weather was just as purty as yours --
Hmmm, you sure you didn't go so that you could dig Jim out of the snow?
Get a vehicle unstuck for him or something? Chop ice in front of his
hangar door perhaps? :-)

Forgive the thread hijacking Michael. Congrats. on the airplane find
and first family flight. I still love the feeling of opening up our
hangar door and seeing the plane sitting there, waiting to go fly.

--
Jack Allison
PP-ASEL-Instrument Airplane

"To become a Jedi knight, you must master a single force. To become
a private pilot you must strive to master four of them"
- Rod Machado

(Remove the obvious from address to reply via e-mail)

("Jack Allison" wrote)
Hmmm, you sure you didn't go so that you could dig Jim out of the snow?
Get a vehicle unstuck for him or something? Chop ice in front of his
hangar door perhaps? :-)


Jay H - not sure he should mention Jim's recent Florida Keys trip, for fear
of appearing to rub it in.

Jim B - not sure he should mention his recent Florida Keys vacation, for
fear of appearing to rub it in.

So, both men chopped ice, shoveled snow, and dug out Jim's 4x4, in silent
tribute to their friendship. :-)


Montblack
"When are you going to shovel off the back deck?"
"When this elephant gets off my chest!"

So, both men chopped ice, shoveled snow, and dug out Jim's 4x4, in silent
tribute to their friendship. :-)

Sorry, Michael -- more thread hijacking...

Actually, (and I know you won't believe this), we never even SAW Jim's
plane, or his hangar. We just piled into the Burns Family Fleet
(which is what it takes to move two entire families off field to
lunch), and drove to a nearby (fantastic) Italian restaurant. Best
shrimp alfredo I've had in years.

Then, after kibbitzing for an hour or two, it was back to the airport,
to take pictures in the big snow. They've got everything cleaned up
nicely, now, although the street signs partially obscured by snow
piles pay silent tribute to the size of the storm!

Thanks again to the Burns', who dropped what they were doing (Jim was
helping a friend install an engine in a 182 -- I'll bet Jim's friend
wasn't happy to see us coming!) in order to visit with us on a
beautiful Sunday afternoon.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Grumman 46U wrote in message
...

Driving home, I was thinking just how lucky we all are who fly.
Nothing compares to being able to hop into one's airplane and make an
adventure. The boredom of the Interstate is gone, the joy of a
different perspective of one's environs is always present, and the
absolute freedom of flight is as exhilarating as anything I know.

It was a great day and the beginning of a lasting family relationship
with 46U.


Michael
Grumman 46U

Great write up Michael! Keep 'em coming!

In my mind, this is the single greatest reason to own an airplane. The
level of adventure, freedom, and satisfaction it brings simply doesn't
compare to anything else that I can think of. You'll have typical ownership
trials and tribulations, but this is part of the adventure!

We've been able to see and do so many things that we'd have never done when
renting. My work schedule is such that I never know when I can escape for a
couple hours or a couple days so when those opportunities arise owning an
airplane makes the next adventure just a short drive to the airport rather
than checking schedules and locating a rental.

You'll soon begin hearing your wife ask "Honey, what do you think of flying
to (insert adventurous destination)? THIS is when you know that your flying
and airplane ownership is truly appreciated. When SHE appreciates it!

Jim

Hey now! How are you going to convince Michael to fly up to OSH with all
this talk of snow and ice?!! Don't fear Michael, I promise that the snow
and ice will be gone by then and the weather during OSH is really quite
nice.

Jim
(not a word, not one single word, you motley crew! )

("Jim Burns" wrote)
Hey now! How are you going to convince Michael to fly up to OSH with all
this talk of snow and ice?!! Don't fear Michael, I promise that the snow
and ice will be gone by then and the weather during OSH is really quite
nice.

Jim
(not a word, not one single word, you motley crew! )


102F


Montblack

Jim Burns wrote:
Hey now! How are you going to convince Michael to fly up to OSH with all
this talk of snow and ice?!! Don't fear Michael, I promise that the snow
and ice will be gone by then and the weather during OSH is really quite
nice.

Jim
(not a word, not one single word, you motley crew! )

Oh sure, you expect us to leave something like that alone? All that
snow/ice/stuck vehicles (yes, plural!) in the snow stuff must have
affected your head. Just how do you define "really quite nice" as it
relates to weather at OSH?

BTW, Jim also promises the beer to be cold at OSH (or is that Paul as
the official PMC maintenance crew? I can never remember).


--
Jack Allison
PP-ASEL-Instrument Airplane

"To become a Jedi knight, you must master a single force. To become
a private pilot you must strive to master four of them"
- Rod Machado

(Remove the obvious from address to reply via e-mail)