Worst weather, ever...

Usually winter is my favorite time of year to fly. The air is cold and
crisp, the visibility is CAVU, and the landscape has its own stark beauty.

Not this year. Mary and I have not flown in weeks -- not even the pattern --
a new record for us. The weather has simply been appalling, with freezing
fog, snow and freezing rain. I've never seen anything quite like it for
such an extended period.

Friends (who bought our old plane) have had their Warrior stuck in Missouri
for a few weeks. They've tried retrieving it several times -- a 4 hour
drive each way -- to no avail. Every predicted window of good flying
weather has been elusive or non-existent, and the weather forecasters seem
to have gone from terrible to laughable.

And an IFR ticket doesn't help get a Spam Can off the ground in weather this
cruddy. Heck, even the King Airs and Citations are grounded. Our FBO
manager told me yesterday that he's only been able to fly a couple of
charters this month, due to conditions, and Unicom (which we play in the
hotel lobby) has been strangely, ominously silent since Christmas.

Even Cedar Rapids Approach is only talking to scheduled air carriers... And
now, after last night's ice storm, schools, roads -- and runways -- are all
closed.

One thing's for su Ain't no one flying in to see us at the inn. I'm
about ready to hibernate till April. This sucks!

Anyone else got the winter blues?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

On Tue, 11 Jan 2005 13:04:27 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
wrote in t9QEd.1024$OF5.332@attbi_s52::

Anyone else got the winter blues?

Santa Barbara coast received 7" of precipitation in two days. That is
a record last exceeded in 1927. In the last two weeks it has rained
almost daily, and at times the wind exceeded 50 knots. It finally
looks like better weather is in the forecast.

North Central Illinois is no better. Blizzards, low ceilings, low
visibility, and freezing rain. It's been an interesting couple of weeks
since Christmas. The forecast is for several more days of rain and overcast
with temps in the 30's. Ugh! If I could have predicted this I would be
down in Punta Gorda installing my father's new computer. Instead I'm
sitting here hoping the forecasts are wrong. Somebody in some corner of the
country must be having good weather.

Chuck Gerlach

"Larry Dighera" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 11 Jan 2005 13:04:27 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
wrote in t9QEd.1024$OF5.332@attbi_s52::

Anyone else got the winter blues?

Santa Barbara coast received 7" of precipitation in two days. That is
a record last exceeded in 1927. In the last two weeks it has rained
almost daily, and at times the wind exceeded 50 knots. It finally
looks like better weather is in the forecast.

Jay Honeck ) wrote:

Anyone else got the winter blues?

In Central NY State we haven't seen the sun in about six weeks. Talk
about the blues...

E E7 E E7 A A7 A A7



--
Peter

On Tue, 11 Jan 2005 13:26:30 GMT, "Chuck Gerlach"
wrote in . net::

Punta Gorda

It looks like they've been having record rainfall too:
http://www.wunderground.com/NORMS/Di...=none&IATA=FMY

E E7 E E7 A A7 A A7



Is this some sort of code? Or a pattern to be completed? (The next
sequence should be "F F8 F F8 B B8 B B8", IMHO...)

Inquiring minds...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

North Central Illinois is no better. Blizzards, low ceilings, low
visibility, and freezing rain. It's been an interesting couple of weeks
since Christmas. The forecast is for several more days of rain and
overcast with temps in the 30's. Ugh!

That's our forecast too -- followed by temperatures plummeting to well below
zero.

Right now, though, cold sounds pretty good. I'll happily take one of those
big ol' Canadian high pressure systems, one of those real hum-dingers,
with -20 degree temps but light winds and crystal clear blue skies.

Heck, I've got a good heater, and anything beats freezing fog and rain!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Jay Honeck" wrote

Anyone else got the winter blues?

Yep! Here in the Tampabay area, it's been 75-80 degrees
every day this year. Not a single drop of precipitation
so far....kinda boring. Haven't worn long pants yet this
year. See you in April, Jay. :-)

Bob Moore

Jay Honeck ) wrote:

E E7 E E7 A A7 A A7



Is this some sort of code? Or a pattern to be completed? (The next
sequence should be "F F8 F F8 B B8 B B8", IMHO...)

Inquiring minds...

Very basic blues guitar chord progression.

--
Peter

STE was 2000 overcast

2000 overcast! Man, I'd KILL to see anything that good.

Well, the ceiling may actually have risen above that for a time -- during
the ice storm...

:-(

I'll bet the flying's been good up north of this stationary front...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"