Log 116 - Catch up post, Into Summer 2014

Well, I don't have my log book in hand but have had numerous flights since the last post. Notably, around the northwest but other places too.

May had a few good flights. I've been spending other time hang gliding finally this year, but as for the plane, previously posted about my flight round trip Seattle to Phoenix for mothers day. I've made a few trips to Ocean Shores. Had a good time at Paine Field Days, my home field. John Sessions had a large display of planes and Paul Allen too.

Paine Field Days, Young Eagle

I took 4 kids for Young Eagles flights for EAA (experimental aircraft association), and a great dinner for the volunteers. It was a descent turnout even with some weather in the morning.

June, I flew around Three Fingers mountain, the lookout and the tragic mountain slide at Oso. I flew the last flight as owner of Cessna 6570 foxtrot, sold to a friend. What a good plane, now flying out of Eatonville, WA. Kurt Hartzog and I flew to Orcas Island, long boarded to Mt. Constitution, climbed, got a ride down, long boarded back to the airport and flew home for dinner (a little sore the next day).

(Flights photos from July so far, plus Tacoma Airshow and July 4th)
July, flew to the Tacoma Narrows Airshow. It was a good show for the public and aerobatics. Tacoma tower let me do a low approach with a lap around the field before parking in the display section. Cool to meet some great pilots and see some friends. July 4th, flew along with friends in 4 other planes to Western Airpark near Olympia to have lunch with, and to honor WW2 pilot and one of the older aerobatic gentlemen. After, I flew to Eatonville, Ranger Creek (first time in this field by Mt Rainier) then back to Paine Field in Everett. Great people, good weather, good flying. July 11, 12th I flew from work to the  Arlington Fly-In. Great times visiting friends, planes on display, a really great airshow and get together at Dan Tarasevich and Jimmy Cullers place on the field for music, food, friends and fun. Sunday morning, my wife, Gigi flew with me for the first time in the glasair. We took off for Lake Tahoe for a few days! It was four hours each way. We stopped at Redmond, OR on the way down and Bend, OR on the way home. The air was generally smooth but we had some weather around, smoke from fires and it was warm out at low altitudes. It was a good trip both ways.

All these events were great but let me focus on a current event. Monday, I got word at work that the White Knight is flying to Paine Field from the Mohave Desert in CA. Now this is really something for me and I heard a rumor it may be staying in the northwest. Let me explain for those who don't know the White Knight, and please check it out!

The documentary is Black Sky which is a 'must watch'. The company after the man is Scaled Composites and the man is Burt Rutan. Burt recently semi-retired and moved to the northwest near Coeur d'alene, Idaho. Maybe he'll be at the AOPA Spokane Fly-In. I've been admiring everything about this for many years and posted to the hang gliding club the White Knight flight track was going towards our site, Dog Mountain only to check later and see it flew up and down Riffe Lake next to our site, very cool! Paul Allan, one of the founders of Microsoft, was the main sponsor for Burt Rutan to create the aircrafts to get to space to win the X-Prize. Paul has the flying heritage museum at Paine Field and it made sense, the museum is acquiring the White Knight. The White Knight will be at the Skyfair this weekend! I taxied after work to the museum just after the White Knight arrived and parked close by for some photos. It was like being by the Wright Flyer, so much history. There was also an Alpha Jet escort there, just the three of us for a while. What an experience! I taxied out of there and a T6 was at Alpha6 ready for take off, I heard,"paine tower, T6....ready for take off 16 right, would like low approach and departure to the north" and tower confirmed. I then said, "paine tower, Glasair 88 echo tango....ready for take off 16 right, would like low approach and departure to the north" and tower confirmed. The T6 was already turning crosswind at altitude when I was on the upwind. When I turned downwind, the T6 requested short approach and dove to the runway. Ya, I did the same thing... After low approach the T6 was already north out of my sight so I just headed to Arlington as planned to visit friends. What an afternoon!

Today I put the plane together again. I had always wanted to review the fuel system so Monday I took the panels off, drained all fuel, removed the fuel sensor and inspected a perfectly clean tank and fuel drains. It was good for peace of mind. Today's full blown storm turned to broken clouds, sun and rainbows by the time I was ready to fly this evening so I had fun testing. I even heard someone from Harvey announcing eastbound "departure then southeast to the rainbow", what a funny call, but I was already there.

Harvey Field

test flight after fuel system review

after the storm