My very last flight in N70TB with the old engine took me to Pella, IA (KPEA) - a nice small Dutch community, and home to Classic Aviation. The FBO is family owned - line services, fuel, aircraft rental, instruction, maintenance - like was common in the old days, not so much anymore. Shane Vande Voort (a Dutch last name, of course!), who owns the FBO and runs it with his family, is also a DPE. They live and breathe aviation out there.
Downtown Pella is always worth a visit, but especially this time of year. Their "Tulip Time" festival is pretty well-known, and while the parade and other big events were a victim of COVID-19 this spring, the tulips looked beautiful when I was there.
Jaarsma, the old Dutch bakery, is always worth a visit, year-round. Expect a wait to get in, but it's so worth it. The biggest problem is I always buy too many of their tasty pastries when I am there. When a flight from my home base (Cedar Rapids KCID) leaves for Pella, it's not unusual for the Tower to inquire if a stop at the bakery is planned before returning home. Hint: Controllers like treats just like the rest of us.
I am grateful for the many hours of reliable service I have gotten from my old engine, the one that was in the Bonanza when I bought it in 2012. I am also grateful for destinations like Pella, which make for an easy and fun day trip (or half-day trip) and offer some reward for flying even in these strange COVID-19 days. And I am grateful for families like the Vande Voorts who keep aviation going in many small places that the large corporate FBO world would probably not be too interested in supporting.
Next, I want to see how big of a smile will be on my face when I take off in my Bonanza for the first time with a new IO-550B and a new Scimitar prop.
As you know, I like to make videos of many of my flights. This last fight I can offer in two versions: a "normal" one (similar to many of my existing videos), and a super-high-resolution (8K) of the full-length flight in real-time, with all camera angles shown simultaneously, if you have a large-enough device to play it.
- Martin
Downtown Pella is always worth a visit, but especially this time of year. Their "Tulip Time" festival is pretty well-known, and while the parade and other big events were a victim of COVID-19 this spring, the tulips looked beautiful when I was there.
Jaarsma, the old Dutch bakery, is always worth a visit, year-round. Expect a wait to get in, but it's so worth it. The biggest problem is I always buy too many of their tasty pastries when I am there. When a flight from my home base (Cedar Rapids KCID) leaves for Pella, it's not unusual for the Tower to inquire if a stop at the bakery is planned before returning home. Hint: Controllers like treats just like the rest of us.
I am grateful for the many hours of reliable service I have gotten from my old engine, the one that was in the Bonanza when I bought it in 2012. I am also grateful for destinations like Pella, which make for an easy and fun day trip (or half-day trip) and offer some reward for flying even in these strange COVID-19 days. And I am grateful for families like the Vande Voorts who keep aviation going in many small places that the large corporate FBO world would probably not be too interested in supporting.
Next, I want to see how big of a smile will be on my face when I take off in my Bonanza for the first time with a new IO-550B and a new Scimitar prop.
As you know, I like to make videos of many of my flights. This last fight I can offer in two versions: a "normal" one (similar to many of my existing videos), and a super-high-resolution (8K) of the full-length flight in real-time, with all camera angles shown simultaneously, if you have a large-enough device to play it.
- Martin
