Hangar mate arrives

You may remember a post from November where we flew the Stinson to Paola, Kansas to pick up a 172.  It had water in the fuel, so Wade and Seth did not take it.  It was worked on and supposedly fixed, so they drove up last weekend to finish the purchase and bring it home.  The check flight went well, but 10 minutes into the flight, Seth diverted to Ottowa, Kansas due to the engine running rough......more water.  

They returned today and totally drained the system, rocked the wings, and put the tail on the ground to insure every speck of water or fuel was out.  Then refueled and tested it out.  Everything was good.  So, after finishing twin duty, I drove up to assist Seth on the journey to Stearman.  The flight was a non-event.  They have a good flying airplane now!

After we got back, I decided to take advantage of temperatures in the 70's, and washed the Stinson while we waited for Wade to get here in my car.  They decided the 172 could use some TLC, so washed that, too.  So, the Stinson now has a stable mate.......another airplane to swap stories with!

                                         A nice reflection shot of the Stinson

                  Wade working the hose.  Seth on other side.  Their friend Al in foreground.

Busy Sky

It was 70 degrees F today, so a lot of folks took advantage of that and went flying, including me.  I flew out to El Dorado Lake and back.  I took this picture while near the lake (which is near the right side of the picture).  The picture is of my I-Pad and shows the various traffic in the area thanks to my Stratus ADS-B receiver.  The number next to each target is the altitude in 100's of feet above or below me.  So, -3 would be someone 300 feet lower.  The arrow on the target shows the direction of flight.  Besides me, how many airplanes do you see in the picture?  You may have to enlarge it to see everyone. The answer is 12.  Two are in formation northeast of Stearman (at the end of the blue line).

Odds and ends

I flew a week ago on Friday after work to get the oil warm so I could change it.  The next day I had to fly again to check for leaks....any excuse to fly!  It has been windy or cold most of the week, but today turned out good, so I went for a joy ride around the area.  Temperatures are to be over 70 later this week, so spring is in sight!

I have flown 120 flights, made 138 landings, and logged almost 83 hours since last June.