Tony Flys

Sounds like a capable bird, Tony. I've flown in a ...

2009-10-18T23:26:35.780-04:00

Sounds like a capable bird, Tony. I've flown in a 182 but not actually flown one. While I love hand-flying, an autopilot would sure be nice on long XCs, too.

Yea, they launch out of Stewart as well as the Cae...

2009-10-09T19:04:40.017-04:00

Yea, they launch out of Stewart as well as the Caesar Creek Gliderport about 4 miles Southeast of there.

I've heard it really teaches you how to manage energy and that seems like a valuable lesson for all pilots to learn at some point.

I'd love to get a glider rating. North of Tampa i...

2009-10-09T08:55:24.356-04:00

I'd love to get a glider rating. North of Tampa is the Zephyrhills airport, home of the Tampa Bay Soaring Society. It's over an hour drive for me, but one day I'm gonna break down and do it. I just can't imagine a more peaceful, relaxing way to fly.

I'm with ya there, Tony. Our only complex option a...

2009-10-08T23:16:54.285-04:00

I'm with ya there, Tony. Our only complex option at Stewart is the Arrow.

Still, as far as future plans go, I'm much more likely to get my Glider and/or IR before the Complex. Just don't think I need the speed for long trips right now and that's the only real reason to fly the Arrow.

Tony - here's a video I took when we were doing sp...

2009-10-08T14:01:33.033-04:00

Tony - here's a video I took when we were doing spins in the Cub a few weeks ago. The spins start about 2 minutes into it...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaE5x-gCVIo

Steve, Bay Air has an Arrow, but I don't know tha...

2009-10-07T19:50:08.583-04:00

Steve, Bay Air has an Arrow, but I don't know that I'll be doing the complex in that. I just don't see myself flying/owning a complex. The additional maintenance and insurance cost seem to outweigh the increase in speed as far as my needs go. Now, if I ever decided to get a commercial rating, I would need some complex time, but the instrument rating will have to come first.

So glad to hear you got the tailwheel endorsement,...

2009-10-07T15:38:51.953-04:00

So glad to hear you got the tailwheel endorsement, and even did it in my solo bird! Although I tend to stick with the Cub now the Champ's a great plane. And you did spins, too! Way too much fun, eh? :)

I'll be looking forward to hearing about the HP endorsement and training as well. It's in my cards to eventually knock mine out in our Arrow here...

I figured you'd slowed down on the blogging since ...

2009-09-14T15:00:02.791-04:00

I figured you'd slowed down on the blogging since passing the checkride. Sometimes I don't know how I keep up writing about every flight - it can be tedious on occasion.

Anyway, that's great you're working on the tailwheel. Obviously you know how much I love having learned in taildraggers and I'm sure you now are also basking in how much fun they can be!

Still need to save up before I can afford my own bird but I can't wait until that day comes. I've heard many good things about Grummans - really responsive and smooth planes, fun to fly.

I'm flying into TPA on Wed night, 11/4 and heading back out Sat. evening, 11/7 so I'll be in town for a while. There's a lot of seminars I want to see at the Summit during the day but otherwise I don't have any real plans. I'd love to meet up as well.

Steve, I've been flying, just not blogging. I'm ...

2009-09-13T21:07:58.086-04:00

Steve,

I've been flying, just not blogging. I'm currently getting a tailwheel endorsement, thought that might sharpen my skill and it's fun also. I'm looking into buying a plane and starting on an instrument rating. Can't figure out what kind of plane I should get. I could get an IFR 152 pretty cheap and fly cheap, but then I would probably sell it to get something with more speed and hauling ability. It's just the wife and I, so I think a Grumman Tiger would be perfect...

Don't know about the summit. I'll probably be attending. I'm flying out of Airport Manatee (48X) for the tailwheel, and it's only about 5 minutes from Peter O. By the way, Peter O. is a great little airport. You're gonna love it. They've been doing a lot of work to spruce it up for the summit.

Stay in touch. I'd love to catch up with you in Tamps.

Hey Tony - been up at all recently? I'm headed do...

2009-09-13T19:32:04.685-04:00

Hey Tony - been up at all recently?

I'm headed down to Tampa for the AOPA Summit in November - you going to be attending?

What a great way to spend some time in the sky on ...

2009-07-08T23:37:26.910-04:00

What a great way to spend some time in the sky on vacation. Seems everyone I know has been taking cool trips or some sort of additional training this month - I feel like I'm seriously slacking. Glad you had the chance to buzz around in the mountains, it's something I'd love to do.

Sweet airport tucked away in the trees, hope you g...

2009-06-15T16:15:35.614-04:00

Sweet airport tucked away in the trees, hope you get to fly there!

Glad to hear you're still aviating when you can, T...

2009-05-27T12:19:25.523-04:00

Glad to hear you're still aviating when you can, Tony. Finally decide to up and move to buy that house next to the airport up the coast? ;-)

You should just wait till you have the time then fly up here to get your tailwheel training at Stewart. I'm sure you'd love the place!

I've only been in there once - and it was quite sc...

2009-04-17T00:14:00.000-04:00

I've only been in there once - and it was quite scary. I mean, there was this nice long asphalt runway - but the entire approach was over water!

My copilot (and plane owner) kept repeating in humored tones, "This isn't Alaska. The water won't kill you in seconds; you can relax and fly over it."

The cabbie is a great help, like a windsock is a great help - but in the end, PIC always calls the shots and accepts the responsibility.

Thanks for letting me know what I missed - before we could even get to the cabbie, the copilot got a call from his wife letting him know she [i]expected[/i] him back home in Georgia for dinner, so we turned around and few back without seeing the town. It made for a happy wife, so as PIC, I think I made the right decision.

Tony, what an awesome flight...I'm so jealous. Yo...

2009-04-10T04:56:00.000-04:00

Tony, what an awesome flight...I'm so jealous. You're doing exactly what general aviation is about. Thanks for the great write-up and pictures!

Definitely sounds like a fun trip! It's one that ...

2009-03-29T22:05:00.000-04:00

Definitely sounds like a fun trip! It's one that I'd like to make someday soon.

Yeah, I too would need an aircraft to take advanta...

2009-03-27T11:32:00.000-04:00

Yeah, I too would need an aircraft to take advantage of the hangar under the bedroom. And I'm trying to buy my first house up here right now anyway. Oh well, one can dream.

Steve,Real estate prices are very depressed in Flo...

2009-03-27T09:56:00.000-04:00

Steve,

Real estate prices are very depressed in Florida. I kept thinking about it and started looking at prices on Cedar Key, trying to find a way, but I probably would like an airplane first.

Ya know, if enough of us go in on it together we c...

2009-03-26T23:57:00.000-04:00

Ya know, if enough of us go in on it together we could buy that place as a vacation home!

Hope yal had fun!Did you do this on a 'school day'...

2009-03-26T20:03:00.000-04:00

Hope yal had fun!
Did you do this on a 'school day'?
p.s. I actually went on your blog link this time...and i clicked an ad....10 cents, woot woot :-)

Joel, thanks for having a look. I'm gonna write a...

2009-03-25T16:55:00.000-04:00

Joel, thanks for having a look. I'm gonna write about the Cedar Key trip ASAP. It was great, by the way. I forgot my GPS logger on that one. Sort of upset with myself over that, but we got some great pics.

Just found your blog from you Cedar Key post on th...

2009-03-25T00:16:00.000-04:00

Just found your blog from you Cedar Key post on the Red Board.

Wonderful blog. The pictures are great and the Google Earth flight paths are greater.

Have fun.

Joel

Paul,I'll take a Cessna and push him out the door ...

2009-03-21T09:11:00.000-04:00

Paul,

I'll take a Cessna and push him out the door while doing a steep turn to the right!

What fun! Everyone's smiling - that's a good sign...

2009-03-20T20:37:00.000-04:00

What fun! Everyone's smiling - that's a good sign. Now you can fly your daughter and her boyfriend out for dinner, and if he doesn't behave you can leave him behind!

Well hopefully that experience will take care of t...

2009-03-17T08:53:00.000-04:00

Well hopefully that experience will take care of teaching him the requisite lesson. You're right that smaller areas seem to be much more laid back. No way the crappy radio work I did a month ago in Columbus (Bolton) would have passed at a busier airport. Well, I mean I got the point across fine but I'm sure they would have been annoyed if I was clogging up a busy freq. I definitely could tell I hadn't really talked on the radio in a couple months, that's for sure...