On Friday night, I was invited to a hangar party hosted by my fellow Commander owners Kiko and Pat. While there, I met several local Melbourne pilots. At some point, the discussion led to flying somewhere - big surprise! Someone suggested Okeechobee for lunch and that's how a plan gets started.
There was some concern about the possibility of fog, but the day dawned bright and clear. I planned the flight and checked the weather and NOTAMs, then we all headed for the airport. As we finished up the pre-flight, we saw an old Cessna owned by one of the pilots we met last night taxi by. While letting the engine warm a bit, we heard Pat request a taxi clearance. We followed along behind her, and were followed by another recently-met pilot in a Cirrus.
After take-off, we climbed to the west, then turned southward towards Okeechobee. There were a few puffy clouds along the route and I eventually had to descend below a row as we approached our destination. We hit some mild turbulence and bounced around the crowded traffic pattern. We landed between Kiko and Pat's Commander and a student in a Cessna, with the Cirrus close behind.
View Okeechobee Flight 12-2011 in a larger map
At The Landings, we saw a few other party goers from last night. Altogether, I know at least five Melbourne planes made the flight down. Not a bad turnout for an impromptu fly-in plan.
After lunch, we decided to take the more scenic route home. We took off to the northeast and continued straight to Vero Beach. From there, we followed the Indian River up to Melbourne.
As Kiko likes to say, "Another Day in Paradise".
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Friday, December 16, 2011
Aviation Milestone
Today marked a milestone in my aviation life. Today, I received my official FAA registration for N4857W. According to the FAA, I am now the sole owner of '57W. Check it out for yourself, here.
My journey down the path to sole ownership started near the end of July when both of my partners decided they wanted to sell their shares. I thought about this for a while and then offered to buy them out. Over the summer, many discussions followed and we finalized the details. In late September, I flew to Seattle to sign the paperwork and to bring '57W home to Florida. It's been living at Melbourne International Airport ever since.
My journey down the path to sole ownership started near the end of July when both of my partners decided they wanted to sell their shares. I thought about this for a while and then offered to buy them out. Over the summer, many discussions followed and we finalized the details. In late September, I flew to Seattle to sign the paperwork and to bring '57W home to Florida. It's been living at Melbourne International Airport ever since.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Building Bunk Beds
While we were preparing to move east – yep, way back in 2008 – we gave away Andrew’s bed. Ever since then, we have been promising to replace it with something new. In Vero Beach, Andrew slept on a mattress on the floor. We promised to get him a real bed once I started getting paid again. I got a job and we moved to Melbourne, yet Andrew remained on a mattress on the floor.
It wasn’t for a lack of concern or us just breaking our promise. We made a good faith effort to find him a bed. We really liked the idea of bunk beds so he would have more room to play in his room, but bunk beds can be very expensive – at least the ones we looked at were.
Last weekend, while Andrew was at AWANA, Susan and I were aimlessly browsing the aisles at Wal-Mart. We walked through the u-build furniture section and there it was; Andrew’s future bed.
Today, we borrowed the neighbor, and his truck, and went to get it. Andrew and I spent most of the afternoon assembling it. Below is a collection of photos taken during the process.
It wasn’t for a lack of concern or us just breaking our promise. We made a good faith effort to find him a bed. We really liked the idea of bunk beds so he would have more room to play in his room, but bunk beds can be very expensive – at least the ones we looked at were.
Last weekend, while Andrew was at AWANA, Susan and I were aimlessly browsing the aisles at Wal-Mart. We walked through the u-build furniture section and there it was; Andrew’s future bed.
Today, we borrowed the neighbor, and his truck, and went to get it. Andrew and I spent most of the afternoon assembling it. Below is a collection of photos taken during the process.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
A Day in Tavares
With the holidays quickly approaching, there are always too many activities to choose from on the weekend. Early this week, I was thinking about train rides and stumbled across a blog that described a steam train ride in Tavares, Florida. This piqued my interest, so I did a little research and found the Facebook page of the Orange Blossom Cannonball. Reading through the page, I discovered that they were giving away free tickets for this weekend and there was a special lighting up the town event happening tonight. I signed up for the contest and told Susan about it. She liked the idea and signed up, too. Well, neither of us won the tickets, so we decided to buy tickets online and make a day of it.
Before leaving this morning, Andrew and I did a little bit of browsing in Google Earth to see where the train ride might take us. We started in Tavares and followed the tracks to the south and west. We saw three cars sitting on a siding and continued a few miles to another siding. I guessed this is where we’d stop and the engine would swap ends and pull us back to town.
We arrived in Tavares around 10:15, well before our 12:30 departure time. We found the train station and traded our email receipt for actual tickets. Meanwhile, Andrew caught sight of the playground and was anxious to check it out.
The people are Tavares are blessed with an amazing park. Wooton Park not only contains the train station of the Orange Blossom Cannonball, but also a fantastic playground, a spray park, a marina, and a float plane base. Andrew doesn't spend much time on playgrounds these days, but we couldn't get him out of this one. We played tag for awhile - until I was too tired to run or chase him anymore. I wanted to see the rest of the park, so we promised to return to the park after our train ride.
As we walked along the edge of Lake Dora, I was surprised to see signs that read “Tavares: America’s Seaplane City”. That seemed a bit of an exaggeration to me, having lived in Seattle and after hearing stories about the seaplane activity in Anchorage. All told, I saw about four seaplanes in Tavares. But hey, they can call themselves whatever they want. A city with an aviation theme is my kind of place.
At 11:30 we headed back to the train station. By now, there were more passengers hanging around, but the train was nowhere in sight. From our earlier Googling, we figured it was probably hiding in the Y just east of the park, so Andrew and I went back to the playground, while Susan sat in the car charging the phones. A few minutes later, we heard a loud whooshing sound coming from behind the trees. The sound repeated a couple times, but there was no motion. Andrew and I walked along the tracks and soon heard the telltale chuffing of a steam locomotive. But still, no motion. Around the bend, we found the locomotive. The crew was doing some last minute checks before the 12:30 departure. Andrew and I watched for a few minutes, then hurried back toward the station to find a good viewing spot. We sat in the shade along Main Street as the train slowly rolled our way, then past us into the station.
Meanwhile, Susan was in the park shooting pictures of the train rolling in. She was not alone. There were now dozens of families, mostly either elderly or with small children. The conductor gave the all aboard call and we hurried to the back car. The family in front of us was one of two who won free tickets on the Facebook contest.
After a short discussion of do's and dont's from the conductor, we were on our way. We started out very slowly, as we traveled west through the park along the edge of the lake. Once out of the park, we crossed a canal that is one of many that connects Lake Dora to the Gulf of Mexico. Further along the tracks, we passed the three white rail cars that we saw earlier in Google Earth. We passed through a trailer park, past a propane tank factory, and past many orange groves. Through all of this, our pace never got much faster. We didn't mind, though. We were enjoying the nostalgia of riding behind an authentic, wood-burning steam locomotive. Nothing beats the sound of a steam whistle singing at every crossing.
Eventually, we arrived at the endpoint of our trip. We stopped in a siding and the crew ran the engine around to the opposite end of the train. While this was happening, the conductor told us a little bit more about the train and it's part in many movies over the years. As the engine approached to re-couple to the passenger cars, we jumped back in and got a very close-up view from the rear car. The engineer bumped into the cars, then backed off to remove the slack and test the coupling two times.
The ride back to the station was very pleasant. We sat in the seats closest to the engine for most of the trip, watching the piston push and pull the rod that connects to the drive wheels. All the windows were open and the warm breeze, mixed with a touch of steam and smoke, swirled through the decorated passenger cars.
Back at the station, we took a few more pictures, then went in search of lunch. We found a place near the park called Al’s Landing. The menu was divided into sections: Air, Land, and Sea, containing items from air, land, and sea. Cute. Then we realized that the letters in Air, Land, and Sea are the name of the restaurant. Cuter still. And then we realized that you can land there from the air, land, or sea. Cutest naming scheme ever.
Before we ate, Susan texted Aunt Cathy and told her what we were doing. Many text messages followed and then Susan told me that Cathy and Dave would be calling soon when they left their house to come meet us in Tavares. That was a pleasant surprise.
After lunch, we sat in the sun on a small hill along the tracks and waited for the second run of the day to pass by. After it past, we walked to the ice cream store for dessert, then upheld our promise to Andrew by returning to the playground. We played there until we got the call that Cathy and David were in town, trying to find a place to park.
Parking was difficult now because of the lighting of Tavares celebration and parade. The parade route included Main Street, so it was blocked off through town. We gave them directions to our location and Susan went off to find them. Andrew and I stayed at the playground until we saw them walking into the park. They were hungry and headed for the vendors, so I let Andrew drag me back to the playground again.
Just after dark, the festival activities got geared up. It all started with a parade. We found a good spot on the corner of Main Street and the park entrance. It was like Halloween all over again, except the candy was coming to us instead of the other way around. It seemed that every car and truck in the parade tossed candy our way. The parade was pretty long and had a nice mix of public servants and local businesses. There was only one band, and it didn't have a banner, so we guess it was the Tavares High School band.
After the parade, we walked back into the park for the official tree lighting. Andrew found an “ice” skating rink and wanted to go. Susan went with him, while Cathy, Dave, and I listened to the singers, counted down the tree lighting, and enjoyed the unexpected fireworks show.
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| Official logo |
We arrived in Tavares around 10:15, well before our 12:30 departure time. We found the train station and traded our email receipt for actual tickets. Meanwhile, Andrew caught sight of the playground and was anxious to check it out.
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| Our tickets to ride |
The people are Tavares are blessed with an amazing park. Wooton Park not only contains the train station of the Orange Blossom Cannonball, but also a fantastic playground, a spray park, a marina, and a float plane base. Andrew doesn't spend much time on playgrounds these days, but we couldn't get him out of this one. We played tag for awhile - until I was too tired to run or chase him anymore. I wanted to see the rest of the park, so we promised to return to the park after our train ride.
 |
| Andrew in the Wooton Wonderland playground |
At 11:30 we headed back to the train station. By now, there were more passengers hanging around, but the train was nowhere in sight. From our earlier Googling, we figured it was probably hiding in the Y just east of the park, so Andrew and I went back to the playground, while Susan sat in the car charging the phones. A few minutes later, we heard a loud whooshing sound coming from behind the trees. The sound repeated a couple times, but there was no motion. Andrew and I walked along the tracks and soon heard the telltale chuffing of a steam locomotive. But still, no motion. Around the bend, we found the locomotive. The crew was doing some last minute checks before the 12:30 departure. Andrew and I watched for a few minutes, then hurried back toward the station to find a good viewing spot. We sat in the shade along Main Street as the train slowly rolled our way, then past us into the station.
Meanwhile, Susan was in the park shooting pictures of the train rolling in. She was not alone. There were now dozens of families, mostly either elderly or with small children. The conductor gave the all aboard call and we hurried to the back car. The family in front of us was one of two who won free tickets on the Facebook contest.
After a short discussion of do's and dont's from the conductor, we were on our way. We started out very slowly, as we traveled west through the park along the edge of the lake. Once out of the park, we crossed a canal that is one of many that connects Lake Dora to the Gulf of Mexico. Further along the tracks, we passed the three white rail cars that we saw earlier in Google Earth. We passed through a trailer park, past a propane tank factory, and past many orange groves. Through all of this, our pace never got much faster. We didn't mind, though. We were enjoying the nostalgia of riding behind an authentic, wood-burning steam locomotive. Nothing beats the sound of a steam whistle singing at every crossing.
Eventually, we arrived at the endpoint of our trip. We stopped in a siding and the crew ran the engine around to the opposite end of the train. While this was happening, the conductor told us a little bit more about the train and it's part in many movies over the years. As the engine approached to re-couple to the passenger cars, we jumped back in and got a very close-up view from the rear car. The engineer bumped into the cars, then backed off to remove the slack and test the coupling two times.
The ride back to the station was very pleasant. We sat in the seats closest to the engine for most of the trip, watching the piston push and pull the rod that connects to the drive wheels. All the windows were open and the warm breeze, mixed with a touch of steam and smoke, swirled through the decorated passenger cars.
Back at the station, we took a few more pictures, then went in search of lunch. We found a place near the park called Al’s Landing. The menu was divided into sections: Air, Land, and Sea, containing items from air, land, and sea. Cute. Then we realized that the letters in Air, Land, and Sea are the name of the restaurant. Cuter still. And then we realized that you can land there from the air, land, or sea. Cutest naming scheme ever.
Before we ate, Susan texted Aunt Cathy and told her what we were doing. Many text messages followed and then Susan told me that Cathy and Dave would be calling soon when they left their house to come meet us in Tavares. That was a pleasant surprise.
After lunch, we sat in the sun on a small hill along the tracks and waited for the second run of the day to pass by. After it past, we walked to the ice cream store for dessert, then upheld our promise to Andrew by returning to the playground. We played there until we got the call that Cathy and David were in town, trying to find a place to park.
Parking was difficult now because of the lighting of Tavares celebration and parade. The parade route included Main Street, so it was blocked off through town. We gave them directions to our location and Susan went off to find them. Andrew and I stayed at the playground until we saw them walking into the park. They were hungry and headed for the vendors, so I let Andrew drag me back to the playground again.
Just after dark, the festival activities got geared up. It all started with a parade. We found a good spot on the corner of Main Street and the park entrance. It was like Halloween all over again, except the candy was coming to us instead of the other way around. It seemed that every car and truck in the parade tossed candy our way. The parade was pretty long and had a nice mix of public servants and local businesses. There was only one band, and it didn't have a banner, so we guess it was the Tavares High School band.
After the parade, we walked back into the park for the official tree lighting. Andrew found an “ice” skating rink and wanted to go. Susan went with him, while Cathy, Dave, and I listened to the singers, counted down the tree lighting, and enjoyed the unexpected fireworks show.
Cathy and Dave left after that, and I waited for Andrew and Susan to finish skating. At 8:15, I told them it was time to go. It was a long drive home and I wanted to get going. Back at the car, we settled in for the trip, but the car wouldn't start. There wasn't enough juice to turn over the engine! Apparently, charging two phones sucks a lot of energy. We asked a pair of police officers for help. They found us a portable jumper kit and we were on our way.
On the turnpike, we noticed that the SunPass toll gate said Thank You with LOW BAL written below. We'd never seen that before, the realized that we hadn't given them our new credit card information. Susan logged into their web site and updated the numbers, but the response said it would take up to 24 hours to take effect. How much money did we have left? Who knows. Then we started seeing signs about $100 fines for toll skipping. Yikes! I decided to get off the turnpike and go home the non-toll route, just to be safe.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Thanksgiving in Sanford
This year we decided to avoid the chaos of Interstate 95 and instead flew the Commander to our destination.
Thanksgiving started off bright and clear. As I checked the weather for the flight to the C&D B&B in Sanford, I noticed that not only was Florida's weather looking great, but so was the entire eastern U.S. A huge high pressure system was creating beautiful clear skies over most of the eastern states. This got me thinking of possibly extending my flight plan by a few states and fly to Ohio instead. I'm not sure what Susan thought of this, but Andrew was 100% on board. We plotted a route as direct as possible, with only a single turn at Jacksonville. The distance is too far to fly on a single tank, so we looked for a good place to land along our route. We found that Spartanburg, South Carolina had the best fuel prices in the area. We checked the extended forecast and found that the good weather was expected to last until at least Sunday. But then the practical side of my brain kicked in and I thought about the cost for such a short visit. We decided to save the Ohio flight for another time.
With the Ohio flight a no-go, we casually continued to get ready for the much shorter Sanford flight. We packed our overnight bags, the camera, and a pumpkin pie (we had to sample a slice of one pie for breakfast) and headed for the airport. The winds were 16 knots and gusting from 030 degrees, so we asked to depart runway 05. With that much wind, '57W quickly and easily left the ground behind. After about 20 minutes, we turned the corner at the Bithlo antenna farm and headed over Lake Jesup directly to KSFB.
View KMLB-KSFB in a larger map
On the ground, we were met by Aunt Cathy and Uncle Dave. Thanksgiving dinner was a peaceful event with just the five of us at the table. Everything was fantastic; even my pumpkin pie turned out pretty good. Afterwards, we played Apples to Apples Kids and u-build Monopoly.
Friday was a pretty lazy day. Susan studied most of the day. Andrew and I started working on a new Logi-Sim circuit. We built a digital piggy bank with a button representing each of the coins, and another button labeled Bust the Bank. Afterwards, we got sucked into the Discovery Channel Gold Rush marathon and watched episode after episode, all day long. We were supposed to fly home, but didn't. Susan called StarPort to let them know we'd be spending another day. We decided to go out for dinner and somehow ended up at the Seminole Mall. We were having a burger craving, but I ended up with a sandwich from Chick-fil-A. I really wanted a shake, and the mall version of Chick-fil-A didn't have the equipment, so we stopped at Steak 'n Shake for shakes. Why not for burgers, too? I don't know. Somebody in the group doesn't like their burgers because they are not actually "steak". Reminds me of the old A1 Steak Sauce commercials; "What is hamburger after all, chopped ham? No, it's chopped steak."
After another round of u-build Monopoly, we decided to actually come home today. Before the flight, I wanted to try to improve the sound quality from '57W's radios. Dave, Andrew, and I went to Ace to buy some electrical contact cleaner, then we stopped at the airport and tried it out. I'm not sure the radios are any better, but at least I did something.
Back at the B&B, Susan finished studying and packed our things. We returned to the airport, paid our bill, and headed back to Melbourne. On the way, I only had one controller misspeak my tail number, so that was nice. But I found another problem. Now the NAV 1 navigation radio is acting up, and is unable to lock onto a frequency. Do the problems ever end? Yeah, I know, they end the day I sell the plane!
Thanksgiving started off bright and clear. As I checked the weather for the flight to the C&D B&B in Sanford, I noticed that not only was Florida's weather looking great, but so was the entire eastern U.S. A huge high pressure system was creating beautiful clear skies over most of the eastern states. This got me thinking of possibly extending my flight plan by a few states and fly to Ohio instead. I'm not sure what Susan thought of this, but Andrew was 100% on board. We plotted a route as direct as possible, with only a single turn at Jacksonville. The distance is too far to fly on a single tank, so we looked for a good place to land along our route. We found that Spartanburg, South Carolina had the best fuel prices in the area. We checked the extended forecast and found that the good weather was expected to last until at least Sunday. But then the practical side of my brain kicked in and I thought about the cost for such a short visit. We decided to save the Ohio flight for another time.
With the Ohio flight a no-go, we casually continued to get ready for the much shorter Sanford flight. We packed our overnight bags, the camera, and a pumpkin pie (we had to sample a slice of one pie for breakfast) and headed for the airport. The winds were 16 knots and gusting from 030 degrees, so we asked to depart runway 05. With that much wind, '57W quickly and easily left the ground behind. After about 20 minutes, we turned the corner at the Bithlo antenna farm and headed over Lake Jesup directly to KSFB.
View KMLB-KSFB in a larger map
On the ground, we were met by Aunt Cathy and Uncle Dave. Thanksgiving dinner was a peaceful event with just the five of us at the table. Everything was fantastic; even my pumpkin pie turned out pretty good. Afterwards, we played Apples to Apples Kids and u-build Monopoly.
Friday was a pretty lazy day. Susan studied most of the day. Andrew and I started working on a new Logi-Sim circuit. We built a digital piggy bank with a button representing each of the coins, and another button labeled Bust the Bank. Afterwards, we got sucked into the Discovery Channel Gold Rush marathon and watched episode after episode, all day long. We were supposed to fly home, but didn't. Susan called StarPort to let them know we'd be spending another day. We decided to go out for dinner and somehow ended up at the Seminole Mall. We were having a burger craving, but I ended up with a sandwich from Chick-fil-A. I really wanted a shake, and the mall version of Chick-fil-A didn't have the equipment, so we stopped at Steak 'n Shake for shakes. Why not for burgers, too? I don't know. Somebody in the group doesn't like their burgers because they are not actually "steak". Reminds me of the old A1 Steak Sauce commercials; "What is hamburger after all, chopped ham? No, it's chopped steak."
After another round of u-build Monopoly, we decided to actually come home today. Before the flight, I wanted to try to improve the sound quality from '57W's radios. Dave, Andrew, and I went to Ace to buy some electrical contact cleaner, then we stopped at the airport and tried it out. I'm not sure the radios are any better, but at least I did something.
Back at the B&B, Susan finished studying and packed our things. We returned to the airport, paid our bill, and headed back to Melbourne. On the way, I only had one controller misspeak my tail number, so that was nice. But I found another problem. Now the NAV 1 navigation radio is acting up, and is unable to lock onto a frequency. Do the problems ever end? Yeah, I know, they end the day I sell the plane!
Saturday, November 12, 2011
A Day in St. Augustine
Today we crossed off one entry on our list of places to go - St. Augustine, Florida. St. Augustine is the oldest city in the United States and has lots of fun family attractions to visit. I was primarily interested in seeing the old fort - the Castillo de San Marcos - and the lighthouse.
After breakfast, I jumped on the Internet and started searching for tour maps. I found a map that was published by Old Town Trolley Tours of St Augustine. It was very detailed, and even showed places to park for free. Andrew and I looked at it, then tried to print it out from the laptop to the printer in the other room. We hit print, but nothing happened. We tried again; same result. Then I realized that the main computer was not on. DOH! Once Andrew turned it on, out of the printer came the map... twice.
Susan packed a cooler full of drinks, lunch meat, and fruit while I searched for things and tried to keep Andrew focused on getting out the door. Once loaded, we were on our way. To my surprise, we didn't remember what we forgot and have to turn back and get it; so did we forget to remember, or did we actually bring everything we needed?
The drive north was a little over two hours. We arrived in town right at 11:00 am. We followed our map to the free parking lot and went searching for ticket prices. Andrew and I checked out the old jail, the old tractor, and other oddities while Susan got the low down on the prices. Turns out the trolley is pretty expensive. We wanted the guided tour... but not for that price. We decided to pay $10 to park in the visitor center lot and do our own tour instead.
We decided to eat lunch in the car, in the visitor center parking garage, before getting started. After lunch, Susan filled her water bottles at the visitor center and found another map of town. Andrew and I checked out the mock pirate ship, then we started our tour. Our first stop on our self-guided tour was the old fort, which is officially called the Castillo de San Marcos. The fort is surrounded by a large lawn with hills sloping away. In Florida, finding a hill is a BIG deal. We noted that several kids were entertaining themselves by rolling down the steepest grade.
Thanks to Veteran's Day, the fort was free to enter. Once inside, Andrew immediately began exploring all the nooks and crannies. He was especially interested in the workings of the drawbridge and main entry door. The main entry led to a small courtyard surrounded by various rooms. We explored the soldiers' living quarters and the prison before heading up the stairs to the upper wall. There must have been 50 cannons of various sizes along the walls, pointing out in a crossing arrangement that would surely make any advancing enemy think twice before approaching further.
After breakfast, I jumped on the Internet and started searching for tour maps. I found a map that was published by Old Town Trolley Tours of St Augustine. It was very detailed, and even showed places to park for free. Andrew and I looked at it, then tried to print it out from the laptop to the printer in the other room. We hit print, but nothing happened. We tried again; same result. Then I realized that the main computer was not on. DOH! Once Andrew turned it on, out of the printer came the map... twice.
 |
| Tour map of St. Augustine |
Susan packed a cooler full of drinks, lunch meat, and fruit while I searched for things and tried to keep Andrew focused on getting out the door. Once loaded, we were on our way. To my surprise, we didn't remember what we forgot and have to turn back and get it; so did we forget to remember, or did we actually bring everything we needed?
The drive north was a little over two hours. We arrived in town right at 11:00 am. We followed our map to the free parking lot and went searching for ticket prices. Andrew and I checked out the old jail, the old tractor, and other oddities while Susan got the low down on the prices. Turns out the trolley is pretty expensive. We wanted the guided tour... but not for that price. We decided to pay $10 to park in the visitor center lot and do our own tour instead.
 |
| Andrew wrestles an alligator |
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| Andrew and the old steam tractor |
We decided to eat lunch in the car, in the visitor center parking garage, before getting started. After lunch, Susan filled her water bottles at the visitor center and found another map of town. Andrew and I checked out the mock pirate ship, then we started our tour. Our first stop on our self-guided tour was the old fort, which is officially called the Castillo de San Marcos. The fort is surrounded by a large lawn with hills sloping away. In Florida, finding a hill is a BIG deal. We noted that several kids were entertaining themselves by rolling down the steepest grade.
 |
| Andrew and Susan, outside the fort |
Thanks to Veteran's Day, the fort was free to enter. Once inside, Andrew immediately began exploring all the nooks and crannies. He was especially interested in the workings of the drawbridge and main entry door. The main entry led to a small courtyard surrounded by various rooms. We explored the soldiers' living quarters and the prison before heading up the stairs to the upper wall. There must have been 50 cannons of various sizes along the walls, pointing out in a crossing arrangement that would surely make any advancing enemy think twice before approaching further.
 |
| Andrew inside the fort |
We continued our tour of the fort back down in the courtyard. We visited the store rooms, then a small room that was showing a video. The video described the process of shooting a cannon and a musket in great detail. When we got up to leave, we found a small group of “soldiers” standing in loose formation. We asked what was going on and they told us they were about to fire a cannon. Seeing the cannon fire immediately jumped to the top of my must-see list! I quickly maneuvered the family back outside and around to the river side of the fort. Andrew was feeling a bit timid - he doesn't like loud sounds - so I continued alone to a spot near the cannon that was about to be fired. From there, I shot this video on my Droid.
With nothing more to see at the fort, we turned our focus to the streets of the old town. I was starting to think about dessert. About that time, we came across a candy shop and the girl inside was making waffle cones. The scent was enough to draw anyone in off the street. Everything in the store looked delicious, but most items had nuts. We decided to get a small dish of mint chocolate chip ice cream.
We continued south through town and eventually reached Flagler College and the Lightner Museum. Everything was very beautiful, but Andrew was getting anxious to go to our next must-see location - the lighthouse. To get there we needed our car, so we walked north along the river toward the visitor center. As we approached the fort, we saw more kids rolling down the hill. With just a little input, we were able to persuade Andrew to join them.
The final must-see item was the lighthouse. The lighthouse turned out to be a great destination, for an unexpected reason. After checking Andrew's height - must be taller than 44 inches - we got our wristbands and started walking toward the lighthouse entrance. Along the way, we found trails entering the woods. Andrew and I spent the next ten minutes running up and down the small hills, through the hammock. Andrew just loves running in the woods.
And then it was time to take the challenge. The lighthouse has 219 steps. Of course, Andrew wanted to be the first to the top, and I wasn't all that concerned about coming in second. Along the way, there were little distractions to allow us older folk to take a little breather. We looked out over St. Augustine on one level, and the ocean on another. One had a bucket that the keeper would fill with oil and carry to the top. It contained some weights to simulate the actual weight. I wouldn't make it one flight carrying that thing!
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| The lighthouse entrance |
The trip up all those stairs was certainly worth it. The lighthouse is 162 feet tall (I believe). From the ledge, you can see 25 miles in all directions. The thing I found the most odd was that the lighthouse was not actually on the coast. The guide explained to us that the old lighthouse was on the coast, but was destroyed. The current lighthouse was built further back from the coastline, but still on the coastline. In the 1970's, the current sandbar developed, separating the lighthouse from the coast.
After about 20 minutes, we descended the 219 steps back to planet earth. I was glad to be back on solid ground. On the descent, I noted many cracks in the old seams between the bricks and was convinced the whole thing might come crashing down at any moment. The next stop was the keepers house. It was filled with maritime memorabilia and models of old sailing ships. Outside, we visited the kid's area and tried tying some of the knots that were on display. Andrew made one last trip through the trails, where we found a giant spider clinging to its web.
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| Giant spider in the woods |
With no more must-see items on the list, we started looking for a place to eat. We passed a barbecue place on the way in, so I had only one thing on my mind. We found another place closer and I ordered a barbecue pork sandwich, baked beans, and mac 'n cheese. The sandwich was pretty good, but the meat was not cooked in the sauce, so it was a little dry. Oh well, the search for fantastic barbecue continues.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Short Flight to Fort Pierce
After what seems to me to have been a very long time, we took the plane out for a short flight today. Weekend weather hasn't been all that good lately, but today was looking very nice. Picking a destination proved to be more difficult than expected, but I finally decided to fly to Fort Pierce. Fort Pierce is just south of Vero Beach, has inexpensive avgas, and has the Tiki Bar. I like to find airports with good food and/or good milkshakes. We got a late start, as usual, but the flight distance was short, so I knew I had plenty of time.
At Melbourne, we loaded the plane, but forgot Andrew's booster seat in the car. As Susan went back to get it, I remembered that I wanted to tighten the visor, but didn't have a screwdriver. When Susan returned, I asked her to go back to the FBO and ask for one. While Susan was going back and forth, Andrew and I did the pre-flight checks. Once set, I started the engine and requested taxi for a south departure. During the run-up, I noticed that the engine was running rough on the left mag, so I leaned it out and let it run hotter for a minute. That resolved the problem and we were on our way.
The flight down the coast was nice, but a thin broken layer of clouds at 2,500 feet kept us low. As a result, we got some light turbulence and had to request permission to fly through Vero Beach airspace before contacting Fort Pierce. This was not a problem, but it required some quick radio frequency juggling to accomplish. For some reason, Fort Pierce Tower could not understand me and I almost decided to just fly back to Melbourne, but he understood enough to determine my location and clear me to land.
On the ground, we topped off the tanks and went looking for a milkshake. Unfortunately, the Tiki Bar is all about alcoholic drinks and couldn't satisfy my shake desire. So, we paid for the gas and returned to the plane. By now, it was getting close to sunset. I'm still not night current, so we flew straight back to Melbourne. I decided to fly the western route, over I-95, to avoid Vero Beach airspace. Melbourne Tower cleared me to land on runway 09L, after asking where we were parking. The sun was just dropping below the horizon as we exited the runway. Although brief, my flying urge has been met and the plane got some air under the wings.
At Melbourne, we loaded the plane, but forgot Andrew's booster seat in the car. As Susan went back to get it, I remembered that I wanted to tighten the visor, but didn't have a screwdriver. When Susan returned, I asked her to go back to the FBO and ask for one. While Susan was going back and forth, Andrew and I did the pre-flight checks. Once set, I started the engine and requested taxi for a south departure. During the run-up, I noticed that the engine was running rough on the left mag, so I leaned it out and let it run hotter for a minute. That resolved the problem and we were on our way.
The flight down the coast was nice, but a thin broken layer of clouds at 2,500 feet kept us low. As a result, we got some light turbulence and had to request permission to fly through Vero Beach airspace before contacting Fort Pierce. This was not a problem, but it required some quick radio frequency juggling to accomplish. For some reason, Fort Pierce Tower could not understand me and I almost decided to just fly back to Melbourne, but he understood enough to determine my location and clear me to land.
On the ground, we topped off the tanks and went looking for a milkshake. Unfortunately, the Tiki Bar is all about alcoholic drinks and couldn't satisfy my shake desire. So, we paid for the gas and returned to the plane. By now, it was getting close to sunset. I'm still not night current, so we flew straight back to Melbourne. I decided to fly the western route, over I-95, to avoid Vero Beach airspace. Melbourne Tower cleared me to land on runway 09L, after asking where we were parking. The sun was just dropping below the horizon as we exited the runway. Although brief, my flying urge has been met and the plane got some air under the wings.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
First Destination Flight in Florida
I had big aviation plans for this weekend, but somehow they were lost in the shuffle of other things, like cleaning the house, mowing the lawn, and attending a carnival and a festival. As Sunday afternoon approached, Andrew said, “I want to fly somewhere.” Susan said, “Sorry, we’re not flying anywhere this weekend.” And I said, “Who says we’re not flying this weekend?. I want to fly somewhere, too.”
After the Hispanic Festival, which was organized by my co-worker, we started talking about destinations. We needed someplace nearby because Andrew and Susan had things planned for 6:00; that didn’t leave us much time. It also had to be north of Melbourne; I don’t have charts for the southern half of Florida yet. We decided to fly to Sanford and visit Aunt Cathy and Uncle Dave.
I quickly checked the weather and NOTAMs, then we drove to the airport. N4857W was on the ramp, waiting for us (this still seems so unusual to me). I asked the line guy to fill the tanks to the tabs and borrowed his funnel to add a quart of oil. Andrew helped with the pre-flight, then we were on our way. We were wheels up at 4:15. The tower gave us the Orlando Approach frequency and I gave them a call. We were cleared direct to Sanford Airport. I leveled off at 2,000 feet, due to a scattered layer of clouds around 3,000 feet. In Florida, 2,000 feet is the lowest you should ever fly. There are television and radio towers that stand nearly that tall. We passed by one group with on tower that topped out at 1,749 feet.
When we were about 15 miles out, the controller steered us on a new heading and told us to expect runway 09R. That would put us as far as possible from our destination on the airport, so I asked if we could get 09L. He offered runway 36, and I accepted. The cross wind component of the wind was only slightly more than what we’d have on 09R, and well within my comfort zone.
We landed at 4:45. Not too bad, considering I was flying at only 52% engine power, at an indicated speed of 125 knots (143 mph). Cathy and Dave were there to greet us on the ramp. I bought an Orlando Terminal Area Chart and Andrew bought some Skittles, while Susan talked to Cathy and Dave.
Time was ticking, so we said good-bye and jumped back in the plane. We were off the ground by 5:15 and back on the ground in Melbourne at 5:45. Susan finally got to sit in the front seat, and I put her to work changing frequencies on the radio, keeping up with the map, and putting the gear down.
This was just the first of what will surely be many more Florida flights. I’m looking forward to putting more pins on my airport map soon.
After the Hispanic Festival, which was organized by my co-worker, we started talking about destinations. We needed someplace nearby because Andrew and Susan had things planned for 6:00; that didn’t leave us much time. It also had to be north of Melbourne; I don’t have charts for the southern half of Florida yet. We decided to fly to Sanford and visit Aunt Cathy and Uncle Dave.
I quickly checked the weather and NOTAMs, then we drove to the airport. N4857W was on the ramp, waiting for us (this still seems so unusual to me). I asked the line guy to fill the tanks to the tabs and borrowed his funnel to add a quart of oil. Andrew helped with the pre-flight, then we were on our way. We were wheels up at 4:15. The tower gave us the Orlando Approach frequency and I gave them a call. We were cleared direct to Sanford Airport. I leveled off at 2,000 feet, due to a scattered layer of clouds around 3,000 feet. In Florida, 2,000 feet is the lowest you should ever fly. There are television and radio towers that stand nearly that tall. We passed by one group with on tower that topped out at 1,749 feet.
When we were about 15 miles out, the controller steered us on a new heading and told us to expect runway 09R. That would put us as far as possible from our destination on the airport, so I asked if we could get 09L. He offered runway 36, and I accepted. The cross wind component of the wind was only slightly more than what we’d have on 09R, and well within my comfort zone.
We landed at 4:45. Not too bad, considering I was flying at only 52% engine power, at an indicated speed of 125 knots (143 mph). Cathy and Dave were there to greet us on the ramp. I bought an Orlando Terminal Area Chart and Andrew bought some Skittles, while Susan talked to Cathy and Dave.
Time was ticking, so we said good-bye and jumped back in the plane. We were off the ground by 5:15 and back on the ground in Melbourne at 5:45. Susan finally got to sit in the front seat, and I put her to work changing frequencies on the radio, keeping up with the map, and putting the gear down.
This was just the first of what will surely be many more Florida flights. I’m looking forward to putting more pins on my airport map soon.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Flying Across America – The Photos
Here is a collection of all of the photos from the flight across America.
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