Sunday, December 20, 2015

Catching Up & Training

Over the last week or so I've traded text messages with my friend Mike B. Since I retired and moved to Ocean City it was difficult to coordinate our schedules and get flight time together. Between my retirement and now Mike and his Bride relocated to the Boston area it's even harder. Talk about coordinating schedules.
KGED GPS RWY 4
All the pieces fell into place and Mike hopped a 6:30 am flight headed to Salisbury by way of Philly. It was great to see my friend and flying partner in crime.  We headed straight for the airport and 08Romeo. I had the pre-heats on since last night so she was ready to fly.
Turned out towards the Delaware Bay after circle to land, T&G runway 28
The plan was to head to Cambridge, KCGE for lunch and then shoot some approaches.  Mike settled right in and we transferred controls after I climbed out, 08Romeo knows him well. I briefed the GPS 34 approach, set up radios and confirmed the weather.  Mike did some ATC role play and vectored me to the approach. The area was busy with traffic but everyone seemed to coordinate for the pattern very nice. So much for my string of nice landings, I planted one big-time.
Heading to IAF HUVOX for procedure turn GPS 22
We both enjoyed our lunch and catching up, it's been way to long. With full bellys we once again climbed aboard 08Romeo and pointed towards Delaware Coastal, KGED.  The next approach was the GPS 4 with a circle to land runway two-eight. Actually it was a touch and go with a climb out towards the Delaware Bay to set up for the GPS 22 approach. This approach terminated in a low approach only, followed by a climb out in order to set up for ocean city's localizer 14
heading back to KOXB
Mike took the first round and his approach was a low approach only. Someone not talking on the radio jumped the pattern, very annoying.  We were circling to land at 700' and there was bonanza shooting the GPS 32. We were number one, the Bo number two less than ten out and a Cessna entering down wind number three, everything coordinated between aircraft. It's 2015 people! Get a radio and use it, ocean city is a busy place!.  I know, see and avoid, we did.
Mike had shot the one approach then I tried my hand back into the home field again with the same localizer approach. I did a nice job and circled to land for runway three-two bringing today's flying  to an end with a better landing than what I started the day with at Cambridge.
As always, it was a fun day of flying with Mike. I've missed our training flights, lunch runs and debrief sessions.  We tucked 08 Romeo in for the night, refilled the tanks and switched the pre-heats on. Tomorrow will be another day of flying fun and adventure.
After getting settled in at the house we all decided on dinner at Fagers Island. Dinner and service was very good. Having some time to break bread together and catch up with what's going on in our lives is priceless. We missed you Kim, hope we can ALL get together this summer.

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