Wilmington and Home

Today was our first mission. Mary and I made plans with our friend JoAnn in Wilmington to meet up at the airport. We wanted to save her the drive to/from the beach. Two hours each way vs a forty minute plane ride each direction.


We got out of the house close to the planed time and over to the airport to complete the preflight. I was running a little behind schedule as I finished up, but I was happy taking my time and dotting all the i's and crossing all the t's.

3 Tango Charlie was ready to fly. Mary and I climbed aboard and taxied out to runway three two. Our hop north was smooth despite almost twenty knots of headwind. We cruised along at 120 knots, enjoying the view and our breakfast. I did pick up flight following with Dover just nine miles south of the Waterloo VOR and canceled it once north of the Smyrna VOR. Wilmington had me enter a left base for runway two-seven and I ended the flight with a very nice landing. It was a long taxi across the airport to get to FlyAdvanced.

The line guys are always helpful and today was no different.  We got JoAnn's bag loaded and the ladies climbed aboard. I habded up the small step stool for them to secure and then I went around and climbed aboard. The dreaded hot start....I'm still learning what this aircraft likes to get the fan turning.

I followed my hot start procedure and it just wouldn't catch. A stumble here and a sputter there, then nothing. I let the starter cool and my frustration settle. Try number two, A few blades then a stumble, sputter...I add mixture and then try to help it along with fuel pump, nadda.  WTF!  Once again cool the starter and my body temp. With a slight pat on the dash pad I make another attempt. Come on girl, we can do this.  Another hot start attempt with the added fuel pump on this try...sputter...sputter...it catches! Mixture moved towards rich and pull the throttle back to an idle. Finally!

I'm thinking this cant be good for the plugs. Once purring along at idle I update my flight plan and taxi to the hold short on FlyAdvanced's ramp.  I contact ground with the wx info and I am quickly cleared to taxi to runway two-seven via Alpha, Bravo, hold short.

The tower clears me for take off and 3 Tango Charlie lifts off and climbs out, both of us happy to be back in the air. Another smooth ride, this time at three thousand five hundred. Outside air temps are at 70 degrees but all the air moving in the cabin keep it comfortable.

My Garmin shut off as we approached Ocean City, the first sign the battery was giving up. I switched the camera back on but it did not keep the external mic setting, so the last minute or two is engine noise only. I made an ok landing at Ocean City, and taxied for the hangar to complete our flying day.

We are heading back to Wilmington tomorrow so I hope to have the tail cam set up for both flights. I will also change the video battery once on the ground at ILG.