Have you ever filled in the quiz/map on Facebook that asks about the states you've landed in? I did a while ago. Even thought about linking it to this post, but as it turns out, I have no idea how to find a specific older post on FB without reading my own life story!
The gist of the post was to map each state that you have landed in. I'm still a green pilot and my list/map was not all that impressive compared to my pilot friends. However, this fall I filled in a few more states: Oklahoma and Texas.
The story goes like this...
The night was short and cool-ish. (Read: I got up at 5 AM after sleeping all too short a time under the comforting breeze of the air conditioner). Bonanza N303B was ready to go... A new LED landing and taxiing light installed, windows cleaned, fueled and test flown just last night. We were wheels up around 6 AM and cleared for the IFR flight plan as filed, to Elk City, Oklahoma.
What? Wait! Are we missing the background story?
Oops, Yes!
A short while ago,an opportunity to purchase a less used engine with hydraulically controlled propeller crossed Marks path. An upgrade from his current electrically controlled propeller - a breed becoming increasing rare, difficult to find parts for and understandably expensive to maintain. The "new" engine and prop were in Ennis, TX and like any intelligent buyer, Mark jumped at the chance to check it out before it was removed from its current aircraft. IE: Fly to Texas, meet with a small gaggle of Beech enthusiasts, shoot the breeze while testing flying someone else's Bonanza engine and checking out the airplane logs.
The weekend was set to be hot. Hot in Colorado, yes... But that is manageable. Hot in Texas is a whole 'nother matter. So the decision was made to leave early. 6 AM early. Barely any coffee and breakfast, early. :-( And hopefully be in Ennis by noon, before the heat began melting the rubber off the nose wheel.
To all you non-fliers, this sounds like a hardship, when the reality is that flying down the Front Range and over Denver as the sun is coming up is dreamy. Colors are vibrant, the air is smooth and it's quiet - except for that pesky air traffic controller reminding us to watch for converging aircraft 500 feet below and getting us safely through potentially busy airspace. :-)
An hour later, near the area of Lamar CO, we spied the first bit of dodgy looking weather and requested permission to deviate from course and around what looked like virga (rain that never reaches the ground) and a small patch of dark clouds. That was the impression from 25 miles away, at least.
As we approached then circled it to the east, it became clear that the inclement weather was now a fairly aggressive but remarkably striking thunderstorm. Somewhere far below us, folks were experiencing torrential rain and that darkness that only a decent storm cell can deliver. Right beside them, maybe a half mile further east, the sun shone brightly. Colorado weather is weird like that... In a cool way.
Mark and I took turns at flying and photography.
Elk City was chosen as a fuel stop for a couple of reasons. 1. Lower price of 100LL 2. Situated about 3 hours from home, making it a good bathroom break stop as well as suitable refueling location.
A small but cute airport, Elk City has a 5000'+ runway, decent pilot facilities and friendly staff. It is also has the most well manicured front lawn and flowers that I have seen! A thirty minute pee break, plane fueling, chit chat with the locals and opportunity to get more ice for the B-Kool was just perfect, then we were Texas bound.
On the charts I had seen that the Dallas-Fort Worth area looked like busy airspace, but nothing prepared me for the hustle and bustle at 4000 feet above the ground. So many airports, many of which where located not far from (or in?) the Class B airspace itself.
Not surprisingly we were given vectors to fly through the area and asked to decrease our altitude in order to play nice with the other planes.
Ennis is located just south of Dallas. My experience of finding it, even with GPS is a warning to you all. You will
think you see Ennis Municipal Airport and that confidence will cause you to cancel your IFR flight plan and tell the controller that you want to go VFR and have the airport in sight. But do you? If you are like me, you will have a drag racing venue in sight!!! Its long and thin and has big buildings (hangars?!) on one end. And when you look at your heading and its orientation, you might even convince yourself that its located on the 150 degree direction. It's not! But you, like me, will figure this out as you fly directly over it and the GPS tells you that Ennis Municipal is still 4 miles in the easterly direction.
Ennis is a little we place. We taxiied off the runway and parked on the ramp. Greetings by the men we were here to see, then ensued. First impressions... Friendly and blimey, it's hot here! I could tell immediately that 2 t-shirts for the overnight excursion were about 3 t-shirts too few, as the relentless perspiration began.
Given the heat, it was decided the test flight should happen ASAP and with that, I jumped into the back seat of the V-tail that was to be the organ donor. Mark flew and Jerry Hammock (Bonanza transplant surgeon) sat right seat. He was familiar with the airplane.
One short, hot an bumpy flight later, the engine had proven itself worth buying and we reconvened in the FBO for a look at the logs and a wee Texas burger lunch together. Yum!
I'm a pilot and perhaps 303B's second biggest fan, so this whole morning had been very cool and interesting for me. But I'm also an avid traveler and lived the travel agent's life, many years ago. Visiting a small town in a state that was new to me was fascinating. We got a ride to the hotel about 4 miles away and upon check-in, asked to book a taxi for the early morning departure back to Ennis Airport tomorrow morning.
I thought the front desk clerk was joking with us when she informed us there were no taxi's in Ennis! She was not. And all of a sudden Mark and I were downtown Ennis, our brains baking at 105 degrees, with no way to get back to the airport tomorrow. Umm... This was not part of the plan!
We rounded out the day with a walk to Walmart, a large ice cream cone and a swim in the pool. Exhausted by the early morning, insane humidity and long flight, it was not long before we were both sawing logs in front of the extra large TV in our room.
The next morning we did our usual hotel thing.... We vied for the waffle maker and gobbled down a high carb breakfast before bribing the night shift guy to drive us to the airport.
One four-hour uneventful flight home and the weekend was pretty much over. Mission accomplished... Plans for a new-er engine purchase and Dallice had logged another 8 hours or so in N303B. :-)
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