jshawley
Pre-takeoff checklist
So yesterday my granddaughter, Kelsey, and her mom, Joy, and I went up, Kelsey's and Joy's first time with me; I had just purchased her "youth" headset.
Engine was already warmed up with the heaters, had a nice direct x-wind of about 10-14 knots, and the temperature was about 50degF.
So, after the runup, we call our intentions at M17, start our rollout, and as soon as we are in the air, Kelsey is going nuts! She loved it! Hardly got into the left crosswind turn when she was insisting we do a touch-n-go, so we just had to do that.
Left turn out, head over to the house via Joy's alma mater, Southwest Baptist University (which she was able to recognize, in spite of all the new additions/construction), then over to the house for a turn around the point.
Well, it's been 20, maybe 30 minutes; ready to go back? "No, paw-paw!" Ok, so it's off to Stockton lake for a quick flyover. Kick on the GPS, discover we're only doing about 85mphgs. Still, it's incredibly smooth. See all the really big bridges (don't go over to the dam, as time is a crunch--the kids have a 2-1/2 hour drive ahead of them, and Kelsey's little brother will be cranky if'n we don't move along), then head back.
Zip along at 137mph over the ground, SGF app. calls traffic, so we divert just a little, which impresses Joy. We never see it, but it's never a factor. Overfly the house on the way back to M17, make one last call to SGF app. Thanks for the service, and for making my 5 y.o. grandaughter's first flight enjoyable. "My pleasure" is the response.
Left downwind, left base, final for 36, then land, offload, park in the hangar, then hugs and kisses, and off they went home.
I fear I have created a monster, and another addict.
Regardless, it did this old geezer good to finally take Kelsey up. She was all smiles the whole time.
The first photo was taken by her dad, David; the second we're on our first take-off, the third after the touch-n-go, and the fourth, just as we are rounding the turn to the hangar.
Engine was already warmed up with the heaters, had a nice direct x-wind of about 10-14 knots, and the temperature was about 50degF.
So, after the runup, we call our intentions at M17, start our rollout, and as soon as we are in the air, Kelsey is going nuts! She loved it! Hardly got into the left crosswind turn when she was insisting we do a touch-n-go, so we just had to do that.
Left turn out, head over to the house via Joy's alma mater, Southwest Baptist University (which she was able to recognize, in spite of all the new additions/construction), then over to the house for a turn around the point.
Well, it's been 20, maybe 30 minutes; ready to go back? "No, paw-paw!" Ok, so it's off to Stockton lake for a quick flyover. Kick on the GPS, discover we're only doing about 85mphgs. Still, it's incredibly smooth. See all the really big bridges (don't go over to the dam, as time is a crunch--the kids have a 2-1/2 hour drive ahead of them, and Kelsey's little brother will be cranky if'n we don't move along), then head back.
Zip along at 137mph over the ground, SGF app. calls traffic, so we divert just a little, which impresses Joy. We never see it, but it's never a factor. Overfly the house on the way back to M17, make one last call to SGF app. Thanks for the service, and for making my 5 y.o. grandaughter's first flight enjoyable. "My pleasure" is the response.
Left downwind, left base, final for 36, then land, offload, park in the hangar, then hugs and kisses, and off they went home.
I fear I have created a monster, and another addict.
Regardless, it did this old geezer good to finally take Kelsey up. She was all smiles the whole time.The first photo was taken by her dad, David; the second we're on our first take-off, the third after the touch-n-go, and the fourth, just as we are rounding the turn to the hangar.
:wink2:
Love her smile. Sounds like everyone had a great time.
