48 Hours to Kill

Mark Strahler was inviting me to visit Falcon Field KFFC for years. I always had a sound reason not to go. Suddenly in middle of the week I had nothing to do for 48 hours. Email goes to Mark are you home? No, he said I am in Texas, time your visit in 24 hours. Excellent! I have several spots to check and bump up my grass strip count.

Hour one.





Mid Atlantic Regional Spaceport at hour two. Rocket launchers charged.






Refuel at Hour 3. Couple years ago here at Currituck airport a corporate jet blasted me. I found him and he still owes me two beers one for each engine.





A boost of flying morale shortly after that. The heat is up.





Hours 4 and 5 weren't long either. I watched "Clouds" the movie. Enjoyed two minutes live radio show on 121.5 when a captain did a PA after landing at Fort Lauderdale. One more minute of intense comments followed until on guard nazis shut them up.










My next destination was Rooster field which comfortably situated under Fort Bragg MOA. The grass strip with fascinating history. I will tell you tomorrow.

It's a small world Vlad. I was at the Wright memorial yesterday.

G.I. "Rooster" Joe the Spetsnaz Repellant

There is a private field in North Carolina. 84NC. Joe is the owner. He gave me a reception I haven't experienced for at least 30 years. If you hear this story you could easy figure out the rest


Joe dedicated all his life to train the best representatives of the Army how to repel Soviet Spetsnaz. He was also a free fall instructor if you know what it means I didn't. His call sign was "Rooster". Once he decided he wants to learn to fly. He chose an estate within his dropzone, bought it and spent years developing an airport. Then when airport was completed he bought an airplane. Then he learned to fly in it. The simplest and most effective plan to get pilot license. When I called him I am dropping by he wasn't in great mood. He had things to do. When I told him I am a Russian he said OK show up. And here I am right over the retired Army instructor's estate.






And here he is the toughest man I've met on American soil.





He is restoring an RV4 and is deep into the game.









We didn't solve any world problem for the hour I was there but we agreed to
hold a little fly in on his field in the future.

Look at his grass.





It's time to go Joe I am Day VFR plane and pilot I have only two hours of daylight left. I am speeding west to another unique airpark in South Carolina...


PS; Hi Joe I know you are in Oshkosh University Dorms

your threads recounting your jaunts around the planet are fun to read and it's obvious how much you enjoy the travel > and, it appears that you get to stretch out and get some nap time while you're enroute, way cool.

Day was ending rapidly I pushed the throttle to produce at least 51% power and made it to Parker Airpark before sunset.





How many airparks have detailed diagrams like this? I know only two - Salmon Farm and Spruce Creek it's the third one in CONUS.




The airpark was designed and developed by architect Jeff Warren. Beautiful sightseeings easy to get in and out. Thank you Jeff for having me here!








Jeff is building an RV14 and is almost there... I toured his shop then we entered the Mansion. Just wow! I asked him if he does any adoptions but he said I am late they already adopted two cats.

Next couple hours we were telling stories enjoying the food made at the level of fine culinary art. We drank something really nice I forgot what was that but it put me to a healthy 6 hours sleep.

Morning followed with an exclusive breakfast the Chef was in his element. I don't know why I left my camera in the airplane. I departed shortly after.

The Countess of the Mansion made this little video.





Thanks Jane!






Jeff is a total encyclopedia of great flying spots. He learned that I still have about 6 hours until Mark gets home from TX. So he briefed me on prime spots I went exactly per his route and didn't regret. Have you ever seen a military jet parked at a tiny grass field? Me neither.





The Navy jet is in those bushes.





right there...






Hours count - 19.

Tanks are almost empty. Per Jeff recommendation I run to Spartanburg Downtown Airport the cheapest gas in the area is there. Spartanburg is the oldest commercial airport in SC. It was opened in 1927 and Charles Lindsberg participated in grand opening.

... Entering downwind I hear a familiar accent. A lonely Mooney is taxiing to the active. Let's try it there is nobody in the air.

- Муни привет! Куда летите и откуда будете?
- Я вообще-то вертолетчик, практикуюсь тут. Летим домой в Монро. А вы на чем и откуда?
- Я на РВ сам из Нью Джерси. Где тут заправка, я потерялся...
Третий голос на русском, похоже откуда-то сверху - проруливай дальше, потом налево между ангарами пока не увидишь цистерны.

Priceless! Don't even try asking google it isn't trained enough. Brief communication in Russian was with a helo driver getting fixed wing current in a Mooney. Then when I asked where the pump is a third party keyed the mic and in perfect Russian explained me where to taxi. I kid you not we are all here in America. Russians had come.





Next destination is 8NC9 a grass strip with a museum. I did couple approaches couldn't make grass and landed on a parallel concrete slab of Hendersonville 0A7. I should have read the Cherokee Rock first. Do you see how tilted it is? It's also hot as the opposite to heaven... go figure why I couldn't land on that grass.







Short walk from parking is the W N C Air Museum.





I enjoyed this little gem tremendously.





A carburetor the size of my Lycoming.





Reworked prop after a strike. Looks like new.






If I had a number of cords like this space rubber has I would still be having original tires.





All right time is up. Something nasty is coming from the Smokies. Run Forrest run!





Mark is already home at Falcon Field. Quick detour around Atlanta Class Bravo and here I am at KFFC the home of so many RVs nobody can give me the exact count. Following a golf car after 24-hour planned delay.





Here is Mark's beauty built by Vic Syracuse.





The action is about to begin...

Day 2

Vlad, where's the next 24 .. do you need Jack Bauer to visit you?

chazking said:

Vlad, where's the next 24 .. do you need Jack Bauer to visit you?

Click to expand...

Couldn't do 24 now how about 1?


... a guard to the left







a guard to the right.






It's too hot let's drive to John's hangar to cool off. Wow a Mustang factory!






A strange bubble. They dispense something out of there every morning.






Cooling fans and cool RVs in the same hangar. Nice to have some breeze in sunny Georgia.














Here we go up in the AirCam! What a machine!





I thought I was the sole manipulator.







We went to two airparks, buzzed some scenery and scouted a film studio.






My next ride will be even more exciting. I still have 23 hours to kill...

Pietenpol

My next ride was in a Pietenpol. Mark owns one half of this bird.




Very nice and clean aircraft. Affordable too. If I wouldn't go to AK twice that's enough gas money saved to buy the Piet.





Do you see my Walmart oakleys? In 10 minutes they will be gone





We took off and flew maybe 5 minutes just to get to the other side of the runway.
My RV is sitting right there.





Then we toured a lake and Mark showed me his house.







Then we raided a zombie studio.





Somewhere here my expensive shades were blown off and landed in a zombie land. Mark laughed.





Filming "The Walking Dead" is in full swing. The place is a bit weird even from the air.





Mission accomplished. It's beer time!

Then I peeked through the Falcon Squadron Hangar. There is a very rare biplane trainer by Meyers Aircraft Company. I was briefed on its story.







I distracted an RV Legend from his important work he was busy with his RV. Famous Vern Darley and one of his toys!





There was a great company and a river of beer was flowing in that hangar.
Four musketeers were sitting to the end trying to solve world's problems.











There were even Russian ladies.






Well, judging from this picture one of the four musketeers couldn't stand without fulcrum. From here starts a mandatory 8 hours countdown...





Mark brought me to his kremlin and ordered to bed

Very cool. One of those things "They dispense something out of there every morning." landed in my back yard. It was actually made in Finland (Vaisala) It was quite a learning experience, thanks to the people that dispense them, and helped me better understand our weather forecasts. Hope that didn't give too much away.

On a nice Georgian morning I woke up to this.





In good company of Brian Davis we went for breakfast at a famous local restaurant. Then we visited Colonel Hangar. Then I departed.

Scored Big T an airpark near Falcon Field with grass smooth as a pool table.





Heading back noticed a rock and turned toward it. Spoke to radar people before heading there and got an approval. It's a busy corner of Atlanta Class Bravo airspace.





Made couple circles around the Stone Mountain very impressive rock!









Late morning and temperatures were already hitting 90F not many visitors on top of the mountain.








Quick refuel and brunch at Rutherford Co KFQD and I am up again. I climbed to 60 degrees Fahrenheit and stayed there with good tailwinds until home.


Touched some visible moisture. Usually my protective tape lasts 10-20 hours this batch held only 6 hours but it takes only ten minutes to replace it.





Out of these 48 hours 17.5 were flying, 13 sleeping and the rest were spent in a great company of my RV friends.

Keep pounding those rivets...