CC2021 | True North | 2021-12

 

TRUE NORTH, 2021

Acrylic on canvas, 20 x 24 inches (51 x 61 cm)

The card reads...

Sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same.  The difficulty of decisions varies, but for the tough ones, solid guidance is priceless.

I often fly near this wind vane and regardless of its simplicity, it always gives good guidance.  Pointing north, I clearly know which way to go.  I thank God for His help and the help from those in my life.

The only sketch was this...

This is a cutout from the original piece of paper

This was my 30th card - which totally surprises me.  But at the same time, it always forces me to create at least one painting a year and reminds me of the amazing people in my life.

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Thanksgiving : 2021-11

While I would change a few things of my life, I am consistently blessed.  Blessed beyond what I deserve. The week of Thanksgiving brought some great flying, a birthday and a reunion with my family.

I was able to fly this Pawnee on an incredible Sunday.

I flew a friend's airplane (very gracious friend) to Nebraska, met my parents and drove to Omaha. My brother and I have a hard time being serious for pictures. I'm wearing my birthday present.

A day after I returned, I flew with a great student. Yes, we're high here, but we fixed it, landed very well and just look at that day!

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Seriously : 2021-11

As you read, I was checked out in the Pawnee a couple days earlier, but this was my first tow day. The checkout didn't use a glider. All I can say is, "seriously"?  Look at this day.  Not only did we have shade, the winds were screaming right down the runway. It truly was a day you wish for.

I thank God for things like this.

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Pawnee Monday : 2021-11

I was able to do my check out in the soaring club's new Pawnee. It was a perfect day and the checkout was successful. The weirdest thing about a PA-25 is how the nose slopes down. 

The Pawnee with an incredible sky.

Sam on her second flight.  She crushed it.

You can't make this up!

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Epic Friday : 2021-11

I took a student in his Mooney to Leadville (KLXV) - which is always great. They get their certificate of navigating to the highest airport in North America. We had impeccable weather and arrived with no issues.

The Mooney against the indescribable background. 

I think this 'mission statement' / 'mission objective' of Leadville is great.

It sits above a prop bended by a ground impact.

After the mountain flight, the day only got better. I flew formation with one of the greatest guys in the world. He was lead since he had about 50 less horsepower. It worked great. I do not like how cameras push things further away then they are.

I was in Belle and he was in Betsy.  It was such a fantastic day.

Ryan (in Betsy) finding other places to explore.

Same picture with much more sky The flights I share with Ryan are truly beyond comparison. They are the flights that many pilots only dream of. And, probably the best part of that is that neither of us take it for granted. Flying is great!

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Goodbye Hobo Coat 01 : 2021-10

I didn't really have a name for it, but S called it the "hobo coat", so I guess that's what it's called. I had to say goodbye to my original hobo coat (at about three years old) and move on to another. The picture below shows the epic patch on Hobo Coat 01. Totally made with love.

Let's just hope HC 2 has the experiences HC 1 had.  We shall see, and believe so.

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Why I Love Aviation : 2021-10

I was fortunate to tow again for a gliding club. Just look at this day! It was super calm, smooth and there was shade! Someone thought this was a beach - it's not beach. It's actually pretty rough dirt.

Different day (later) but same subject. Had to add it.

Imagine, a sky like that and 20+ knot headwinds...it was great.

This placard is in the back of the aircraft pictured above. I know it's supposed to imply unauthorized passengers AND use, but it doesn't say that. To me it reads "use of this airplane is strictly prohibited..." I think it might be one of the best placards I've read.

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Great Planes: 2021-10

Airplanes sitting in epic settings never gets old. I grew up in the Great Plains and always considered eastern Colorado as the same. According to the map I found (below), it seems I was correct. These shots capture the beautiful sky, the fall colors and even the moon. How could you get tired of shots like this?

The Great Plains per the Center for Great Plains Studies.

Flying is Great!

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Run that Engine : 2021-10

We had a Skyhawk get an engine modification and it needed 10+ hours of high-RPM operation. Normally, that's accomplished with longer cross-country flights as it keeps the RPMs high and minimizes 'slow-downs' for patterns. I finished 7548G's required hours but it was a race against the sun.  I'd rather not fly an unknown engine in the dark. In fact, my luster for flying any single-engine in the dark has waned. As I say, I like to see where I need to land. Only the last hour was in the dark, so it was okay.

This shot is in Sidney NE (KSNY). I wish I would've zoomed out because it showed the expanse of the Great Plains. Just look between the left edge of the pic and the nose and between the tail and the right edge of the picture and it just keeps going. Note to user: Sidney does not offer self serve. You're going to pay for their use of the fuel truck.  As I'm a huge fan of self-serve, I might not return.

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