Spending time at the B&B with the Davisson family and getting current in the Pitts ( so we could go home to Canada and fly our Eagle again when the ice melted) was a special treat for us .Escaping winter to fly a Pitts with a legend and after relax in the pool with a cool one enjoying great conversation with the author of the book I bought in his den. One of the most special friendships I have.We don't get to see each other much but when we cross paths ( and he pokes fun at me in his OSH tent talks) I just love it. Thanks so much for your friendship and for sharing your talent for flying and writing. Dave & Karen
It looks like the weather in Phoenix kept up the strange behavior after I flew with you in February! Things in Colorado Springs have been weird as well. The first Saturday after I got home, we had 200' ceilings all day. That Sunday, we had no clouds at all but winds gusting to 30+ kts all day. Right now I am looking out at beautiful 70 degree weather, but by this evening we are forecast for snow. I said weird weather, but in retrospect this is actually just typical spring behavior for the leeward high prairie. Hopefully by now, Phoenix is back to its normal sunny self. For me, summer can't come soon enough! Thank you Budd,
We're running mid-70s right now pushing towards 80 but still having more cloud cover and light rain than we've ever had. That and the state is in a water crisis.
If you run into an older guy from down Tucson way named Whittenburg, he is my cousin. He does a lot of old style shooting. We had lunch with he and his wife when I came to see you a couple of years ago. Funny how Guns, Motorcycles and airplanes seem to draw some of the same people. My Champ partner donated his flathead sprint car and old single cyl motorcycle to a Museum? What is your daughters name, I keep looking for something familiar on the Made for TV movies, but not sure what to look for? Keep up the good work. Love the work articles in Sport Aviation.
No doubt about the cross overs on other interests.
My daughter's name is Jennifer Davisson and she partners with Leo DiCaprio. Their company is Appian way. You'll see their name on bunches of TV documentaries especially on the History channel and series here and there. This is in addition to the movies they do.
This being my first winter season in the RV-8, I had to literally wrap myself up in a new routine. I've got a good 2-pc rain suit; I'll usually wear the overalls when going out in the snow with my old and beloved San Jose Jet Center line coat over the top. Plug in the airplane at midnight; heat my flying shoes in the car foot well on the way to the airport; wear my boots till the last minute and change shoes before climbing in to start up. Dang; the harness is too tight with all these layers! Struggle to loosen the straps without getting out of the plane, then struggle again to belt in all the bulk. I try not to fly unless it's going to be above freezing; I'll take what I can get but the ramp has to be clear and dry (the PTK maintenance crews are the best!). Very thankful for my full unshaded canopy; that plus the exhaust heat muff is enough to keep me comfortable at altitude. The annoyingly noisy oversize fans in my glareshield keep the avionics cool and the windscreen clear. And we all love the benefits of winter performance. All this doesn't keep me counting the days (or hours or minutes) until spring. I'll probably eat these words as I roast my way across the country this summer. But my airplane loves to fly high and make full use of adiabatic air conditioning; by then I'll have a portable oxygen system. Still looking forward to my next visit. Oh... and thank you for your gracious compliment! The feeling is mutual... but you knew that.
When doing serious Pitts work in NJ, I'd cut students off at 22 degrees. I'd be wearing a snowmobile suit and thermal boots. For gloves I'd have foil-like liners under combat mittens (they have a trigger finger). I'd pull the mittens off in the pattern and fly with the liners.
Yup, there be snow in them there hills! They found out that the global warming wasn't fitting the weather patterns, so they changed it to climate change. Our climate changes sometimes seceral times a day. Climate change.
We got hit with 2 storms in one week here thus past week. One was bad enough that I cancelled my weekly Pitts biplane build session down in PA. That's bad.
If you don't think climate change is serious, ask the next Wooly Mammoth you run into. Seems as if it's been going on even longer than politicians have been predicting an eminent climate collapse. :-)
Spending time at the B&B with the Davisson family and getting current in the Pitts ( so we could go home to Canada and fly our Eagle again when the ice melted) was a special treat for us .Escaping winter to fly a Pitts with a legend and after relax in the pool with a cool one enjoying great conversation with the author of the book I bought in his den. One of the most special friendships I have.We don't get to see each other much but when we cross paths ( and he pokes fun at me in his OSH tent talks) I just love it. Thanks so much for your friendship and for sharing your talent for flying and writing. Dave & Karen
Hey, guys,
Good to hear from you. We go back further than either of us probably wants to think about.
bd
Those aren’t complaints, those are “observations”...
I apparently didn't get the right tone in my voice. I'm complaining. :-)
bd
Budd,
It looks like the weather in Phoenix kept up the strange behavior after I flew with you in February! Things in Colorado Springs have been weird as well. The first Saturday after I got home, we had 200' ceilings all day. That Sunday, we had no clouds at all but winds gusting to 30+ kts all day. Right now I am looking out at beautiful 70 degree weather, but by this evening we are forecast for snow. I said weird weather, but in retrospect this is actually just typical spring behavior for the leeward high prairie. Hopefully by now, Phoenix is back to its normal sunny self. For me, summer can't come soon enough! Thank you Budd,
AJ
Hey, AJ,
We're running mid-70s right now pushing towards 80 but still having more cloud cover and light rain than we've ever had. That and the state is in a water crisis.
bd
If you run into an older guy from down Tucson way named Whittenburg, he is my cousin. He does a lot of old style shooting. We had lunch with he and his wife when I came to see you a couple of years ago. Funny how Guns, Motorcycles and airplanes seem to draw some of the same people. My Champ partner donated his flathead sprint car and old single cyl motorcycle to a Museum? What is your daughters name, I keep looking for something familiar on the Made for TV movies, but not sure what to look for? Keep up the good work. Love the work articles in Sport Aviation.
No doubt about the cross overs on other interests.
My daughter's name is Jennifer Davisson and she partners with Leo DiCaprio. Their company is Appian way. You'll see their name on bunches of TV documentaries especially on the History channel and series here and there. This is in addition to the movies they do.
bd
This being my first winter season in the RV-8, I had to literally wrap myself up in a new routine. I've got a good 2-pc rain suit; I'll usually wear the overalls when going out in the snow with my old and beloved San Jose Jet Center line coat over the top. Plug in the airplane at midnight; heat my flying shoes in the car foot well on the way to the airport; wear my boots till the last minute and change shoes before climbing in to start up. Dang; the harness is too tight with all these layers! Struggle to loosen the straps without getting out of the plane, then struggle again to belt in all the bulk. I try not to fly unless it's going to be above freezing; I'll take what I can get but the ramp has to be clear and dry (the PTK maintenance crews are the best!). Very thankful for my full unshaded canopy; that plus the exhaust heat muff is enough to keep me comfortable at altitude. The annoyingly noisy oversize fans in my glareshield keep the avionics cool and the windscreen clear. And we all love the benefits of winter performance. All this doesn't keep me counting the days (or hours or minutes) until spring. I'll probably eat these words as I roast my way across the country this summer. But my airplane loves to fly high and make full use of adiabatic air conditioning; by then I'll have a portable oxygen system. Still looking forward to my next visit. Oh... and thank you for your gracious compliment! The feeling is mutual... but you knew that.
When doing serious Pitts work in NJ, I'd cut students off at 22 degrees. I'd be wearing a snowmobile suit and thermal boots. For gloves I'd have foil-like liners under combat mittens (they have a trigger finger). I'd pull the mittens off in the pattern and fly with the liners.
I absolutely do not miss any of that.
bd
Yup, there be snow in them there hills! They found out that the global warming wasn't fitting the weather patterns, so they changed it to climate change. Our climate changes sometimes seceral times a day. Climate change.
We got hit with 2 storms in one week here thus past week. One was bad enough that I cancelled my weekly Pitts biplane build session down in PA. That's bad.
If you don't think climate change is serious, ask the next Wooly Mammoth you run into. Seems as if it's been going on even longer than politicians have been predicting an eminent climate collapse. :-)
bd