Keeping Busy

As we all deal with the stay at home orders, and finally having time to do the things we have put off, I still need more. We have been cooking, that's been fun. Mary has also been baking, and that's been really good, the yummy kind of good. 

The housekeepers have been benched so Mary and I are back to cleaning. This is not the most fun, but it's really not that difficult. I haven't danced with the vacuum in ages, fortunately we still have our steps down pat. Together Mary and I cleaned up the back porch, and it is now ready for summer and our much anticipated crab feasts. Actually, we are giving some thought to adding an HVAC unit, and all new windows to replace the units we have. Idle time time thinking of projects = $. Yikes!

I have been keeping busy getting ready for 3 Tango Charlie's annual inspection, coming up in just ten days. I'm providing my squawk list, items I want installed, factory inspection procedures and helpful various inspection processes that are Commander specific.  Type clubs are great for providing information and helpful advice gained through experience. 

I have also been playing around with the new OSMO gimbal 3 hand held mount for the iPhone and I am trying to figure a way to secure one of my video cameras on the mount.  This has been entertaining and frustrating at the same time.

While reading through every post on multiple flying forums, one in particular caught my eye. This was the flying sim thread. I haven't used a flight sim at home since before I started flying or soon after.  My how things have changed. So, for $59 I purchased the digital copy of XPlane 11. I have since sold or given away my yoke and rudder pedals, since they haven't been located following an exhaustive search at the hangar, and our home. I am faced with a decision, new logitech yoke or just a joystick. I'm leaning towards a Logitech 3D joystick since the yoke doesn't really provide a realistic feedback.  Besides, I'm only interested in shooting approaches anyway and it saves $$.  What the real issue is going to be, will be finding a Commander aircraft to fly.  There is none for XPlane.  Maybe Microsoft 2020 will have something I can eventually upgrade to.

For now I plan on downloading the Carenado A36 Bonanza, the only aircraft I can find with an Aspen EFD 1000 EFIS. It comes with a Garmin 430, a KFC 225 autopilot, and I can swing the gear to keep with the GUMPS mantra. 

Yes, I'm getting bored and at least I'll be flying, ok, sort of. I did find it pretty neat that I can connect my iPad mini 4 and 5 to chart my location, see traffic and route plan.  It's a shame I can't transfer the plan to the flight sim. Yes, I still miss my Flight Stream 210!

What have you done to keep busy?  Anyone sim flying? Stay safe, stay at home, practice social distancing if you do go out to walk the dog or just go out to exercise. Hoping life returns to whatever the new normal will be very soon.