The realization of a boyhood dream...
Private Pilot July 17, 2006 - Instrument Rating August 19, 2010
Monday, February 17, 2025
It was heartbreaking to read this news this morning. Jay was one of the first Commander Owner Group members Mary and I met after purchasing our commander. Jay made Mary and I feel welcome and spent time with us each day at the Jekyll island event. Jay had followed my blog and YouTube videos, often commenting. I will not forget his welcoming personality and his humor.
Mary and I survived a similar scenario in June of 2018. Ours was a catastrophic engine failure at 300 feet. Thankfully it was a VFR beautiful day which provided an excellent view to find a place to put the plane down.
Learning of this tragedy brought back a flash flood of bad memories. Our hearts are heavy and our prayers go out to Jay and Janet’s family and friends in this difficult time. Hold your loved ones close and let them know you love them everyday. Blue skies and tailwinds my friend.
My IFR currency was due by the end of February so I hooked up with my friend and fellow pilot Charles G for a safety pilot. It was a beautiful day, as it always seems to be when I have to where a view limiting device. I knocked out 6 approaches and a hold to once again reset my currency. I used the FlightAware tracker to review the approaches after some video of my take off and initial GPS 14 review. I then followed the tracker video with my landing back into Ocean City MD. A fun time flying and much needed buttonology on my avionics.
My first flight of 2025 had me heading west, just a short hop, to Cambridge MD - KCGE. Today I received a comment on one of my videos, and I have to say it made me feel good knowing I may have helped someone with the Legacy unit Garmin 480. I started the "How-To" 480 series as I worked through various scenarios to help me stay sharp and learn new things about the unit. Buttonology as I like to call it. Maybe this falls under why I make videos, I'm not sure. I do know it feels good to give something back to this hobby. Here is the comment that a subscriber left.
I just realized you were sitting at the table across from me at CGE on Saturday. Wish I'd realized it sooner so i could personally thank you for your GNS-480 series. Without it, my instrument rating might not have happened a few years ago. Beautiful Commander, by the way!
I'm inspired by the gentleman that posted and I look forward to working through even more scenarios on the Garmin 480. Thanks again for sharing your comment on my YouTube video.
I decided to check my fuel quantity and complete a very extensive preflight for my scheduled first flight of 2025 tomorrow afternoon. I did make a short video on a few of the checklist items but then put the camera down and got to the business at hand.
Saturday 1.26.2025
The temps have climbed into my barley comfort zone almost breaking 40F. Yes, it's time to cowboy up and get in the air. I turned on the preheats around midnight last night and today 3 Tango Charlie was warm and toasty. I did an abbreviated video at the hangar yesterday showing some of my preflight, off camera I did an extensive check of the plane, she is good to go.
The original plan was a breakfast run but that changed since Charles G needed to head north after a business meeting here in OC. He then had to drive home, pick up his plane, and fly it south to Cambridge to meet for lunch. He's a better man than me, I would have called it a day after the 2 hour drive north.
I got settled in, set up my cameras then got the fan turning. 3 Tango Charlie seems a bit more difficult to start after an overnight preheat. After a few blades on a second attempt she fired up and sat at idle while I kept a check on oil temps. Once reaching 153 degrees I was ready to taxi to runway one-four. AWOS noted winds variable but the windsock clearly favored one-four this afternoon.
I launched for Cambridge (KCGE) and really enjoyed the view. There is something to be said for exercising your pilot in command duties. The ride was bumpy but not the worst I've experienced. A passed above Salisbury KSBY airspace at three thousand feet and then remained below the Restricted R-4006 airspace of three thousand five hundred feet.
The pattern was busy at Cambridge and I had to turn away to the north then re-enter for the left downwind runway one-six. I made a nice landing and taxied for the terminal.
Saving money on fuel is always a good thing so instead of taking fuel at Ocean City ($6.50 gal) I purchased fuel a Cambridge ($5.88 gal). Sixty two cents a gallon at twenty gallons saved me $12.40!
Charles arrived and we enjoyed lunch at Carrols Kitchen. My menu choice was a BLT with fries and a cup of Vegetable beef soup. Charles had a bowl of Vegetable beef with a turkey club.
Charles and I had to settle our fuel bills before heading out to the planes. The cold air really hit me when I went outside, I think the temps have fallen. We each saddled up and taxied for one six, Charles was first then I pointed down the runway for home.
The ride east for home was very smooth compared to the flight west. I kept feeling a chill of cold air even though I had the heat on, or so I thought. Apparently I had pulled the cabin air vent instead of the cabin heat, Brrr...that wasn't to smart.
With the heat now flowing in the cockpit and my legs once again nice and toasty I set up for my arrival into Ocean City. I had to coordinate with one plane inbound on the RNAV runway one-four with a circle to land three-two. I asked if they were going to do the procedure turn since it looked like he was just going to join final. I advised I would circle to the north for spacing and then land on runway two-zero since the winds were 220 at 9 knots.
I made a nice landing and taxied for the hangar. It felt great getting in the air and I am looking forward to my next flight.
I posted the following in response to an email I received from fellow pilot and YouTube creator Mark at Midlife Flight.
The Question and Set Up
You
are coming from the southwest and have been cleared to SWL as the transition.
Since it's a NoPT transition, if the 480 does the same thing as other
navigators, the HILO at CIRAN will not be included when you load the
approach. If that's not the case - if the hold gets loaded anyway -
no need to go further.
If
that is the case, here's the scenario. While inbound from SWL to CIRAN,
you get "hold as published at CIRAN" from ATC.
In
the other Garmins from the GNS 430/530 onward and in the Avidyne IFD, you
would just reload the approach and choose CIRAN as the transition. The hold at
CIRAN will be there.
Part
2, if that happens, will the flight plan still show you direct CIRAN or do you
have to tell it again?
The Answer
With the Garmin 480 there are two ways to address the issue. The first is reload the approach selecting CIRAN as the transition and that will plot the PT.
The second way is to select DIRECT then HOLD and enter the following info. Left or Right turns, Inbound heading, and leg length in minutes or nautical miles. Either choice will address the issue.
What's the difference between nautical mile and a statute mile. Good question. A nautical mile is slightly longer than a statute mile and based on Earth's latitude, while a statute mile is a land-measured unit.
Our Vero Beach flight was a bust due to a gear issue just 30 minutes into our flight south. Instead we ground pounded 15 hours to start our vacation. We really enjoy the get-away to Vero. The town is very clean, quiet, and the beach is perfect. The food choices are really good too! It's always fun catching up with my brother while we are in town.
We are looking forward to our annual flight in March, but this time by plane.
Our original plan was to head to Texas and explore Galveston. I was having some serious knee problems so the longer flight was scratched and instead we pointed for Georgia. Savannah has been on our list and we finally got to cross it off as completed. Mary and I really had a fun time exploring the city and it's history.
Recap for 2024:
I lost the opportunity to put at least 12 hours on my totals with the blown Vero Trip. The trip to Saint Simmons Island was weathered out twice. Once in September with Hurricane Helene and then in October with Hurricane Milton. This trip would have added 8 hours to the overall flight time. Last but not least we planned a get-away to St. Augustine to make up for the missed anniversary trip and now my birthday. Of course St. Augustine experienced one of the coldest weeks with highs in the low 60's and overnights at 40 degrees from 12/6 through 12/9. I missed another opportunity to add on 10 hours of fly time. So, with another no-go south we headed north to Wilmington to visit friends and family for the holidays. Did I fly, no. A multiple day stay would cost so much more with car rental so we took Marys SUV and enjoyed the very short get-away. On the flip side we had a new roof put on the house while away. $$
Baltimore FSDO Visit
One additional note to add for 2024. I was contacted by the FAA FSDO Baltimore with regard to my window tint. They say it's not portable meaning it can't be easily removed, thus it's not an approved part on a certified aircraft. This lead to a visit to the hangar and a look at my log books. The FAA grounded my plane. So in order to have my plane returned to service I had to have the material removed under the supervision of an A&P. Another choice was to have the material removed and apply for a ferry permit to fly it to my shop and have an A&P sign off. I decided to have an A&P at my hangar for the inspection. Once the product was removed the A&P provided a log entry approving the process and confirming no damage to the windows.
The Process
Once I tugged 3 Tango Charlie out on the ramp and left her in the sun for maybe 20 minutes the product was easily removed in less then 2 minutes a side. Honestly, this flying stuff isn't as fun as it used to be. I paid the A&P for his travel time, an hour each way, and his time spent supervising the removal. The owner of the company removed the tint at no charge but I gave him gas money for his effort, a two plus hour drive each way. Fly a plane they say, it will be fun they said. Insert eyeroll!
What’s in store for 2025?
For starters we hope the weather allows more fly time for our travels.
On tap for the upcoming year will be Vero, our annual event, so that's always on our list. We would also like to finally explore St. Simmons Island and St. Augustine. We will explore and check out HGTV's Restoring Galveston. The plan is to then head to the Dallas area to visit our friend Sandra (Flights of the Mouse)and catch up with our friends Anita and Dave along with grandbaby dog Daisy.
Mary and I have been talking about our west coast swing. We're not getting any younger so it's time to start planning the south west tour and then explore the west coast. We want to explore California. I'm thinking from a home base in San Diego I would really like to drive the coast north. Planning stops in Los Angeles and the Reagan Library, NAPA Valley winerys, and visiting family. Santa Monica is on the list and maybe to spend a couple of nights then drive back to the plane in San Diego. It's just a plan for now, I'm not sure how long my bride will want to be away from home.
Overall this has been the lowest fly time for me since I started flying back in 2005. I sure hope it will be better times ahead or it might be time to finally ring the bell and hang up the ownership spurs. We shall see.
