Friday 1.25.2025
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.
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.
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