Golfin in Myrtle Beach with RDUPilot
1.8... I'm planning on showing up at least for a day.
Love it!Thanks! I was channeling my inner @Lowflynjack
Congratulations! That's a fine looking bird; good choice on the 300. You were lucky to find one in this market. I wanted badly to go to OLV, but farming takes precedence this time of year. Maybe next year. It looked like a really impressive event.It's been quite a week, and it's not over yet!
A month or two ago, @Rgbeard invited me to go with him in his Turbo Lance from our mutual home base in Phoenix to a fly-in of members of the PA-32 Facebook page, April 23-25, at Olive Branch MS (KOLV). For the last several months I've been contemplating a move up from my C-172N/180 hp to a PA-32, so a fly-in of over a hundred of the type was a great opportunity.
In the weeks leading up to the fly-in I found out about a '78 Six for sale in Atlanta. Everything firewall forward was recently OH'd, and fancy new electronic thingies have been installed in the panel, but paint and interior are in sad shape. Nevertheless it seemed to fit our needs, so I made arrangements to meet up with the seller in Atlanta immediately after the fly-in.
The trip from Phoenix to Olive Branch on Thursday April 22 was a blast. Rusty cruised at FL190, where the jet stream teased us on-and-off with groundspeeds up to 239 knots. The lone fuel stop was at a cold and windy Elk City OK.
We arrived at KOLV in the late afternoon, one of the earliest arrivals for the fly-in. It was a great weekend. Everyone involved -- the volunteers, the airport manager, ATC, the FBO, the vendor-exhibitors -- did an amazing job. It was everything a big fly-in should be. Piper even sent a new HALO-equipped M600 for the attendees to drool over. The Piper rep said this event had a better turnout than their own 75th-anniversary gathering.
Lodging was in the historic Peabody Hotel in downtown Memphis, so we had a chance to sample the sights and cuisine of the big city, as well.
On Monday (just 2 days ago - I don't believe it) I sent Rusty back to Phoenix alone in the Lance, while I took a Delta smoker to ATL. I met the seller of the Six (who coincidentally knew a friend of mine from Washington State, going back to when they were both flying for USAir). We made the deal on the Six. Tuesday morning I flew with a CFI for the required insurance checkout (despite 150 hours of Saratoga time some years ago). That done, I saddled up my new steed and headed west. This was all unfamiliar territory for this west coast kid; I'd never before flown east of the Mississippi.
Multiple lines of weather were rumbling eastward from Texas and Oklahoma, wrapping around to the northeast leaving no option for an end run around it. So I landed again at Olive Branch, where I had already made friends at the fly-in days earlier. There the Six and I sit now, hunkered down until the weather passes. There should be clear sailing westward Friday morning. Mrs. P at the moment is riding with our son and his family in their recreational vehicle to Kanab UT. So I'll fly direct to KKNB, pick her up there and take her home in the Six. We may be home Saturday, concluding a whirlwind ten days.
Meanwhile I put the 172 on the market. Not an easy thing to do; that was the airplane my dad had bought in 1988, and was the apple of his eye until his passing in 2008. I flew it joyously for over a dozen years, thinking I would keep it forever, but our mission has now regretfully outgrown it. It sold within a week.
So with this preamble, allow me to introduce the newest member of our family. We have named it "Barkley". Why? The callsign ends in 'Charlie' = Charles = Sir Charles = Charles Barkley; and the airplane does look a little doggy
What a ride!
One day I’m going to link up with you for your awesome aerial photos!
Way cool! This needs to be a thread of its own!It's been quite a week, and it's not over yet!
A month or two ago, @Rgbeard invited me to go with him in his Turbo Lance from our mutual home base in Phoenix to a fly-in of members of the PA-32 Facebook page, April 23-25, at Olive Branch MS (KOLV). For the last several months I've been contemplating a move up from my C-172N/180 hp to a PA-32, so a fly-in of over a hundred of the type was a great opportunity.
In the weeks leading up to the fly-in I found out about a '78 Six for sale in Atlanta. Everything firewall forward was recently OH'd, and fancy new electronic thingies have been installed in the panel, but paint and interior are in sad shape. Nevertheless it seemed to fit our needs, so I made arrangements to meet up with the seller in Atlanta immediately after the fly-in.
The trip from Phoenix to Olive Branch on Thursday April 22 was a blast. Rusty cruised at FL190, where the jet stream teased us on-and-off with groundspeeds up to 239 knots. The lone fuel stop was at a cold and windy Elk City OK.
We arrived at KOLV in the late afternoon, one of the earliest arrivals for the fly-in. It was a great weekend. Everyone involved -- the volunteers, the airport manager, ATC, the FBO, the vendor-exhibitors -- did an amazing job. It was everything a big fly-in should be. Piper even sent a new HALO-equipped M600 for the attendees to drool over. The Piper rep said this event had a better turnout than their own 75th-anniversary gathering.
Lodging was in the historic Peabody Hotel in downtown Memphis, so we had a chance to sample the sights and cuisine of the big city, as well.
On Monday (just 2 days ago - I don't believe it) I sent Rusty back to Phoenix alone in the Lance, while I took a Delta smoker to ATL. I met the seller of the Six (who coincidentally knew a friend of mine from Washington State, going back to when they were both flying for USAir). We made the deal on the Six. Tuesday morning I flew with a CFI for the required insurance checkout (despite 150 hours of Saratoga time some years ago). That done, I saddled up my new steed and headed west. This was all unfamiliar territory for this west coast kid; I'd never before flown east of the Mississippi.
Multiple lines of weather were rumbling eastward from Texas and Oklahoma, wrapping around to the northeast leaving no option for an end run around it. So I landed again at Olive Branch, where I had already made friends at the fly-in days earlier. There the Six and I sit now, hunkered down until the weather passes. There should be clear sailing westward Friday morning. Mrs. P at the moment is riding with our son and his family in their recreational vehicle to Kanab UT. So I'll fly direct to KKNB, pick her up there and take her home in the Six. We may be home Saturday, concluding a whirlwind ten days.
Meanwhile I put the 172 on the market. Not an easy thing to do; that was the airplane my dad had bought in 1988, and was the apple of his eye until his passing in 2008. I flew it joyously for over a dozen years, thinking I would keep it forever, but our mission has now regretfully outgrown it. It sold within a week.
So with this preamble, allow me to introduce the newest member of our family. We have named it "Barkley". Why? The callsign ends in 'Charlie' = Charles = Sir Charles = Charles Barkley; and the airplane does look a little doggy
What a ride!
Welcome to the PA32 club. I wasn't able to make it to the flyin but saw all the pics on Facebook. Safe travels home.It's been quite a week, and it's not over yet!
A month or two ago, @Rgbeard invited me to go with him in his Turbo Lance from our mutual home base in Phoenix to a fly-in of members of the PA-32 Facebook page, April 23-25, at Olive Branch MS (KOLV). For the last several months I've been contemplating a move up from my C-172N/180 hp to a PA-32, so a fly-in of over a hundred of the type was a great opportunity.
In the weeks leading up to the fly-in I found out about a '78 Six for sale in Atlanta. Everything firewall forward was recently OH'd, and fancy new electronic thingies have been installed in the panel, but paint and interior are in sad shape. Nevertheless it seemed to fit our needs, so I made arrangements to meet up with the seller in Atlanta immediately after the fly-in.
The trip from Phoenix to Olive Branch on Thursday April 22 was a blast. Rusty cruised at FL190, where the jet stream teased us on-and-off with groundspeeds up to 239 knots. The lone fuel stop was at a cold and windy Elk City OK.
We arrived at KOLV in the late afternoon, one of the earliest arrivals for the fly-in. It was a great weekend. Everyone involved -- the volunteers, the airport manager, ATC, the FBO, the vendor-exhibitors -- did an amazing job. It was everything a big fly-in should be. Piper even sent a new HALO-equipped M600 for the attendees to drool over. The Piper rep said this event had a better turnout than their own 75th-anniversary gathering.
Lodging was in the historic Peabody Hotel in downtown Memphis, so we had a chance to sample the sights and cuisine of the big city, as well.
On Monday (just 2 days ago - I don't believe it) I sent Rusty back to Phoenix alone in the Lance, while I took a Delta smoker to ATL. I met the seller of the Six (who coincidentally knew a friend of mine from Washington State, going back to when they were both flying for USAir). We made the deal on the Six. Tuesday morning I flew with a CFI for the required insurance checkout (despite 150 hours of Saratoga time some years ago). That done, I saddled up my new steed and headed west. This was all unfamiliar territory for this west coast kid; I'd never before flown east of the Mississippi.
Multiple lines of weather were rumbling eastward from Texas and Oklahoma, wrapping around to the northeast leaving no option for an end run around it. So I landed again at Olive Branch, where I had already made friends at the fly-in days earlier. There the Six and I sit now, hunkered down until the weather passes. There should be clear sailing westward Friday morning. Mrs. P at the moment is riding with our son and his family in their recreational vehicle to Kanab UT. So I'll fly direct to KKNB, pick her up there and take her home in the Six. We may be home Saturday, concluding a whirlwind ten days.
Meanwhile I put the 172 on the market. Not an easy thing to do; that was the airplane my dad had bought in 1988, and was the apple of his eye until his passing in 2008. I flew it joyously for over a dozen years, thinking I would keep it forever, but our mission has now regretfully outgrown it. It sold within a week.
So with this preamble, allow me to introduce the newest member of our family. We have named it "Barkley". Why? The callsign ends in 'Charlie' = Charles = Sir Charles = Charles Barkley; and the airplane does look a little doggy
What a ride!
Oh they were there, all right. In at 11 and out at 5. This was a rare quiet moment; the hotel was packed all weekend.
You wouldn't be interested in adopting a slightly older pilot son, would you.??
Ugh. My daughter is almost 4 and hadn't flown yet, but if she's not into flying when she's old enough I'll be crushedFour kids, same story.
Sign me up too, k?Uh, sign me up?!!?!
