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What did you do with your RV this weekend (8/28/21 - 8/29/21)?

Raptor practice. Lead's having a little trouble holding stable pitch...
 

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Denali Flight 8-28-2021

Blue skies and not much smoke/haze from fires. Winds were less than 3kts at Denali. Just to the west at 18,000ft there was a great tailwind to push me back home to Kenai.

Drove to my RV washed the canopy inside and out. Topped off with 100LL at $5.66 per gal.

Left PAEN at 3:20 PM Alaska Time Zone and flew to Denali. Mt Iliamna, Mt Redoubt, and Mt Spur were all clear. As I flew past Mt Spur, took a few photos of it as I climbed through 12,500ft to stay under the 40kt head wind.
The National Park Service has a map with frequencies to use:
Denali Freq.JPG

Once near Mt Foraker, I started my climb to 17,500ft. Flew to the west of Mt Foraker, turning to the east once I was on the north side of the range. Flew past Denali before turning to the south for photos of the south side.

In all took 995 photos.

Here is the GPS screenshot of the flight:
Denali 8-28-21.jpg

Here is photo looking to the east showing Mt Foraker in the foreground/Denali in the background. The two glaciers in this view-longest one is the Yentna Glacier, the one to the right of it is the Lacuna Glacier:
Dsc_0178.jpg

Finally on the north side of the range, here is a cockpit view of my panel. Great tailwind as can be seen, at 17,575ft, not quite 2500 rpm (still plenty of throttle available-these RV are fantastic!), temp 13.5 degree F. It was a warm day:
Dsc_0291.jpg

Here is a photo of Denali's peaks, the one on the right is clearly the high one:
Dsc_0476.jpg

Here is a photo of the south looking north at Denali:
Dsc_0647.jpg

All in all it was a great day to sightsee!

Today is just as great, but time to wash/wax the RV for winter. Maybe a quick flight to Mt Redoubt if the skies are clear when I'm done.

Best regards,
Mike Bauer
 
I finally have something to contribute to one of these threads!

I finished up a pretty extensive annual on my RV-3. I checked and double-checked everything and then had 2 different A&P's come inspect it. I'll be doing more flights over the mountains in the next year, so I'm doing everything I can to make sure it's all in top shape.

One of the things I discovered is that sometime in the very recent past, my strobe light failed. It was one of the old fashioned tube strobes with a separate power supply. With the advent of LED strobes, I made the decision to upgrade to LED rather than even troubleshoot the old system. Lots has changed since my plane first flew in 1998. Might as well incorporate upgrades when the opportunity presents itself!

In any case, here's a few pics of the new strobe. It's an Abrams brand and is commonly used to enhance visibility on emergency vehicles. Without any scientific testing, it appears MUCH brighter than the original strobe installation. I'm going to just leave it in primer for now because I'm planning a re-spray of the wheelpants and the cowling at some point. No sense in getting the gun dirty twice!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M2CU366/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 

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First flight after conditional

We had to send the magnetos in for reconditioning. Put in a new Horizon 10.1 EFIS. Finally got everything going and took it up in the pattern to make sure it still makes airplane noises. Glad to be flying again!

Geoff
 
Pilots N Paws

Flew the first and second leg of a long transport. Picked up two Tibetian Spaniels at my home airport (3M5). Then flew up to Smyrna, TN (KMQY) to pick up two cats. Then flew the next leg from Smyrna to Fort Leonard Wood, MO (KTBN) to meet the next pilot (flying a Cessna Citation no less). Dogs and cats are headed to Washington state where they will meet their adopters. Lots of moving parts to this transport - kudos to the organizer who set it up!

vmymJImgFbU3bwG7AxMZCizSCMA9VT_ZOiEaKKWv4VitdVaOs7-axnnx26j3OkrlBLutHXN-1sGkz2GDWSWdp8sFHOsZdAh5US_OFl0Z7Fh8vAzcv1XjkVeNGNS3TrBqiNbXCcZrITHaZbTUZPtVTZ5t0s9od3mUGeo-b1HKoFyrJCIf8FZqzt9cfHULb6nzOdI1vjd2hWYWXGO3a95u1LMBMvZ_DYV-P77at827JPi_Whl7Zv2_cSqOnvbZWmQCDHrVohgMoWFYymYcZCd51XOkMtWwhnAS6oh4HdfIaTHrca1YvrbA5_p6UVEs_W3UafCRO9SEDkvkSWitIZrHmQhJUuOhsTVAiyQ4q-80Mch0fSFur-_SZFadv81LSwgLtAKLdDBKL9iOvFPEi6cyJZY5a-PN2BVO-cgSy38OkFQRitOGxGBgrPRUazLbmfoGWMAd2q0WmS_mLZvicttAheKPAFGNp0SzOe47yynY-WZ4xDj4p_0HQa481N7TRFzPVCk86iNdlUxyvaujrxEXl4GtWAlG-7BuNovHk1KfIGu6MJerZn1udnbzKF31GYVoZkaleVKi1JoruRnf-irMwBhBdoqRyxUuxRP2AJdOz88zFFdhAOdxUxGi7TWctXvvMjuQx2blWE8RHa_KYA2shT8pI584jwhn8T_KgTaw6EVKaDb2aZbxjorWxFcjuR3rwbuo88X5l8bGKmk1h-i2f8op4A=w1024
 
Greater Green River Intergalactic Spaceport Fly In

There was a rare event in Wyoming. A fly in at 48U Greater Green River Intergalactic Spaceport. Free breakfast, a themed T-shirt with a hat, a bumper sticker and a medallion for pilots. Seven airplanes showed up :)

On the way to Spaceport.

Intergalactic_Spaceport_-_1_(5).jpeg


Intergalactic_Spaceport_-_1_(6).jpeg


Here it is. Runway was groomed.

Intergalactic_Spaceport_-_1(2).jpeg


On the ground. The local news lady interrogated a bit.

Intergalactic_Spaceport_-_1_(7).jpeg


Trophies

Intergalactic_Spaceport_-_1_(8).jpeg
 
More avionics configuration and validation. Drug the fuselage over to the hangar door so the GPS-175 could get a fix, which allowed me to verify that it was sending position data to the Artex ELT and Skyview transponder. Also got to see some traffic reports on the EFIS while it was over there.

In the end, I've validated that everything back in the tail is working as expected, which means it's now time to move on to buttoning up the aft upper skin, and thence to the joy of canopy work.

img_2549-1024x768.jpg
 
Well, not my RV, but a friend's new to him. My first almost Coast to Coast cross country in a little airplane:

7A4c8AWl.jpg


Left the Bay Area noonish on Saturday, had to take the southern route due to smoke from a fire that's about to
eat my house. Landed on Maryland's Eastern Shore just after sunset Sunday.

2+3 three-hour-ish legs split by an overnight in Albuquerque. VFR all the way, some time on O2 (system
failed or I would have done more), always left myself an out when dealing with convection. Sometimes
flight following, sometimes just 121.5 and some sweet tunes (the cockpit dancing videos will not be shared,
you're welcome).

M'lady said "I can't believe you finished the trip from Albuquerque in one day!" to which I said "You wake
up on one coast and fly eight hours to the other to be home for dinner all the time." Perspective, I guess.
 
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Flew the first and second leg of a long transport. Picked up two Tibetian Spaniels at my home airport (3M5). Then flew up to Smyrna, TN (KMQY) to pick up two cats. Then flew the next leg from Smyrna to Fort Leonard Wood, MO (KTBN) to meet the next pilot (flying a Cessna Citation no less). Dogs and cats are headed to Washington state where they will meet their adopters. Lots of moving parts to this transport - kudos to the organizer who set it up!
Dan,

I just signed up for PnP, any advice for packing all those crates in an RV-7?

Thx!

Dave
 
only small crates...

Dan,

I just signed up for PnP, any advice for packing all those crates in an RV-7?

Thx!

Dave

I have flown a few PNP missions in my 7A. The dogs have not been crated. I just confirm they are not aggressive, can be picked up, and tie their lead to the tie down ring on the floor of the baggage area with enough slack to rearrange themselves in their bed and look out at whats going on but not enough for their teeth to get o my head... No problems so far...
 
Worked on a pesky seeping fuel tank leak yet again. No pics, but it's the only time you will hear me cuss Vans QB kits...... I just hate those 21 dash-3 bolts that secure the "Z" brackets on the -10 fuel tanks.

-Marc
 
How did you fit them all in your plane?


Flew the first and second leg of a long transport. Picked up two Tibetian Spaniels at my home airport (3M5). Then flew up to Smyrna, TN (KMQY) to pick up two cats. Then flew the next leg from Smyrna to Fort Leonard Wood, MO (KTBN) to meet the next pilot (flying a Cessna Citation no less). Dogs and cats are headed to Washington state where they will meet their adopters. Lots of moving parts to this transport - kudos to the organizer who set it up!

vmymJImgFbU3bwG7AxMZCizSCMA9VT_ZOiEaKKWv4VitdVaOs7-axnnx26j3OkrlBLutHXN-1sGkz2GDWSWdp8sFHOsZdAh5US_OFl0Z7Fh8vAzcv1XjkVeNGNS3TrBqiNbXCcZrITHaZbTUZPtVTZ5t0s9od3mUGeo-b1HKoFyrJCIf8FZqzt9cfHULb6nzOdI1vjd2hWYWXGO3a95u1LMBMvZ_DYV-P77at827JPi_Whl7Zv2_cSqOnvbZWmQCDHrVohgMoWFYymYcZCd51XOkMtWwhnAS6oh4HdfIaTHrca1YvrbA5_p6UVEs_W3UafCRO9SEDkvkSWitIZrHmQhJUuOhsTVAiyQ4q-80Mch0fSFur-_SZFadv81LSwgLtAKLdDBKL9iOvFPEi6cyJZY5a-PN2BVO-cgSy38OkFQRitOGxGBgrPRUazLbmfoGWMAd2q0WmS_mLZvicttAheKPAFGNp0SzOe47yynY-WZ4xDj4p_0HQa481N7TRFzPVCk86iNdlUxyvaujrxEXl4GtWAlG-7BuNovHk1KfIGu6MJerZn1udnbzKF31GYVoZkaleVKi1JoruRnf-irMwBhBdoqRyxUuxRP2AJdOz88zFFdhAOdxUxGi7TWctXvvMjuQx2blWE8RHa_KYA2shT8pI584jwhn8T_KgTaw6EVKaDb2aZbxjorWxFcjuR3rwbuo88X5l8bGKmk1h-i2f8op4A=w1024
 
An oil change, but...

All I did this weekend was an oil and filter change but on Thursday I completed the return from my second East Coast excursion.

We departed Aug 15 from CYQF, Red Deer, Alberta and 29.5 hours, 5 legs totaling 13.2 hours flight time later we landed at CYSU, Summerside, Prince Edward Island. Fuel stops in Yorkton, SK; Dryden, ON; Hearst, ON (overnight); and La Tuque, QC. Flight was trouble free (anyone who recalls my 2019 excursion - this one was all kinds of trouble), had strong tailwinds all the way and only one challenging landing in Dryden.

I burned a tank of 100LL giving sightseeing tours for my family on Aug 22/23, such a beautiful place to fly.

On Aug 25 we headed home. 5 primary legs with one short reposition, 15.2 hours air time and 31 hours elapsed. Stops were similar to the way out. La Tuque, QC; Kapuskasing, ON; Sioux Lookout, ON; Dryden, ON; Yorkton, SK. We ended up sleeping in a courtesy car in Dryden as there were no hotel rooms. Decent tailwinds coming west on the second day. Again trouble free (apart from sleeping in a car). I even got to utilize my freshly obtained VFR-Over The Top rating coming out of Dryden - flying 4500' over an overcast layer.

The rest of my family flew out commercially but my autistic daughter refused to get onto the flight home. They just set out to return home this morning by road in a vehicle I purchased over there yesterday. Their 5 - 10 hour drives will stop very close to my stops between 3 hour legs.

In all my RV9A gave me nearly 32 hours (air time) of flawless performance. It's a great way to travel.

Pictures attached, one is a famous mystery airfield (sorry about the rotation), one is the coast of Prince Edward Island as we arrived. The others are over Lake Nipigon and over the clouds in western Ontario.
 

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Fitting Dog Crates

How did you fit them all in your plane?

Two of the blue crates sit on the baggage floor facing forward. The third blue crate sits crossways accross the top of the first two secured by some cord. The small pink crate just sat on the passenger seat (passenger control stick removed). I can actually carry 4 blue crates if I remove the passenger seat. Crates are Petmate 21231 24 x 17 x 14.5 - carefully selected because they will fit as described.
 
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Well, not my RV, but a friend's new to him. My first almost Coast to Coast cross country in a little airplane:

7A4c8AWl.jpg


Left the Bay Area noonish on Saturday, had to take the southern route due to smoke from a fire that's about to
eat my house. Landed on Maryland's Eastern Shore just after sunset Sunday.

2+3 three-hour-ish legs split by an overnight in Albuquerque. VFR all the way, some time on O2 (system
failed or I would have done more), always left myself an out when dealing with convection. Sometimes
flight following, sometimes just 121.5 and some sweet tunes (the cockpit dancing videos will not be shared,
you're welcome).

M'lady said "I can't believe you finished the trip from Albuquerque in one day!" to which I said "You wake
up on one coast and fly eight hours to the other to be home for dinner all the time." Perspective, I guess.

yep, that's a hard push from Albu-turkey towards home... and with some weather. impressive!
 
Pilots N Paws rescue flight for 4 dogs, leg 2 from Hickory, NC to Manassas, VA. Always a good feeling to get these pups to safety.
 

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