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work day

hydroguy2

Well Known Member
Mike, my Supervisor said we needed to go to a Emergency Action Plan meeting for 2 of the upstream Dams. He said he would leave Helena about 0800, be at my place around 0830, so we could make the 1000 meeting in Ennis MT. :( 2hrs each way for him, 1.5hrs for me. Yuck. The weather has been fabulous lately, so I mentioned, how about I pick you up at KHLN and we zip down there in the RV. :)

Launched as the sun was popping up. (don't worry I caught the canopy latch before I actually took the runway)
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layer of fog over the north end of the lake, I should have went over for a better look.
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In Helena I offloaded some coffee and picked up Mike. KHLN-KEKS(via the Boulder valley & Caldwell to Ennis) in 34minutes. Way early for the meeting, had a good meeting and catered lunch. Did I mention my motto: Will Fly for Food

Here's my boss, Mike when we were loading up to go home. Already smiling.
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We spotted some elk on climbout. Then flew towards Crow Peak in the Elkhorn Mtns. This pic is from 9600' to give me buffer from the winds rolling over from the north. (only a little bump at the ridge)
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Mike owns his old family ranch below Crow Peak. 140acres in prime Elk country. He snapped this pic as we were descending to KHLN.
Some day we'll get back to finishing his RV-4.
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30+ minutes to get back, Then 15 more for me to get to Townsend. Sweet way to spend the day, even better when I'm on the clock.

I know this isn't OSH, or Copperstate or even crossing the Grand Canyon, but hopefully it'll help someone keep pounding them rivets.

Life is Good
 
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Brian I feel more that way every day

There is something about the flight characteristics of the RV and its dependable performance that make the flying itself to a remote destination in your part of the country enjoyable. It was so convenient to stop in at Townsend, MT with your reasonable priced fuel on my way to Ephrata for the GNAR IV race this year after learning about it from the earlier race at Townsend itself. Familiarity is a good thing and that is a side benefit of having a race I think. I knew where the self serve fuel was the pilots building and the courtesy van. I filled up quickly and headed west direct over the mountains because the weather was so good. When I went to the coeur d"Alene race I went from Sheridan, WY to COE without stopping and had to declare "minimum fuel" at my destination - will not do that again.

Beautiful country!

Bob Axsom
 
Bob you are always welcome here and can usually find hangar space for you. Wish I could make more races, I enjoy getting there and the people.

Good luck on Saturday...and only a few minute to race central
 
Sweet way to spend the day, even better when I'm on the clock.
I know this isn't OSH, or Copperstate or even crossing the Grand Canyon, but hopefully it'll help someone keep pounding them rivets.
Life is Good

You said it Brian. I use mine for work all the time. Sometimes I may not be able to justify it in plain dollars, but I don't care. It's about how I feel about how I spend my life.

Used medium duty trucks are big deal in my little business. Unfortunately, they're hard to find and buy in the wholesale markets right now, a hangover from the recent bad years when not so many were sold new. I have orders for 4300 Internationals, and found myself chasing them in Louisville and Orlando. Instead of 6-8 hours on the interstates each way, I, the luckiest man alive, spent 2 hours floating along in the bright and beautiful world only pilots really know.

Last Friday I worked a truck auction in Orlando until noon, jumped in the airplane, scooted around below the B, and dropped into a grass strip to visit an old friend for a magazine job. A few hours later I launched for Alabama, climbing straight to 10.5 and sliding cleanly over the top of a 1000-and-3 weak front across north Florida. The last 50 miles into 08A was down through multiple widely scattered layers, a marvelous mix of whites and grays and greens in the afternoon light. I was back in the office by 5 central, home for dinner at 7, and slept in my own bed.

It's 5 AM. In a few hours I get to take my wife to a nice place in Arkansas, a trip she has looked forward to all year. It was her dad who asked me to an EAA meeting 36 years ago. A Kitfox was the hot new thing at the time. I lusted after one, never dreaming I'd have an airplane as capable as my RV-8.

Maybe Sunday morning we'll jump over to Oklahoma to see other friends before heading back to Dixie. No problem. We'll still be home before dark ;)
 
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Mike...

Mike owns his old family ranch below Crow Peak. 140acres in prime Elk country. He snapped this pic as we were descending to KHLN.
Some day we'll get back to finishing his RV-4.
IMG_20131024_130244_697_zps1d12358f.jpg

That high wing RV would sure help with ground pics...
 
You guys are killing me!

I have to work a day job to pay for this darn airplane building habit and all the "motivation" makes that hard!

Seriously, thanks for all these stories!
 
Brian, thanks for posting this! I love these stories!! I'm looking forward to using mine for some business, too, when I'm finished. I have clients in far away places that I don't see very often because of the drive time involved. This RV will change all of that!
 
Yep, been great flying weather. I was just up your way (kind of anyway) on Wednesday when I flew from Reno to Moscow ID to spend a few hours on a research project, then got home just as the sun was going down. Saw all the fog (and smoke) in the valleys to the east. A 3-hour flight each way - much better than a 13-hour drive each way! And the air was smooth all day.

Greg
 
Flew from Manchester England to Sanford Orlando yesterday morning - had an inland route due to high winds.

Came down over Toronto, due south, over Virginia, Carolinas etc - beautiful views of the trees.

Then stayed on the jet and positioned back to the UK.

Just got home........:eek:

Travel by airplane,

Preferably in a lay flat bed :D
 
That is one heck of a duty day...

Flew from Manchester England to Sanford Orlando yesterday morning - had an inland route due to high winds.

Came down over Toronto, due south, over Virginia, Carolinas etc - beautiful views of the trees.

Then stayed on the jet and positioned back to the UK.

Just got home........:eek:

Travel by airplane,

Preferably in a lay flat bed :D
 
That high wing RV would sure help with ground pics...

That, my friend, is why inverted flight was invented. Wing is in the way? No problem...fly upside down! :D
 
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