Another Thanksgiving in the books!  We went to my sisters house along with a big crowd.  Many thanks to Jesse O for getting my Mom to dinner and back home.
I did go out to 88R to inspect and put the lower cowling back on.


Wednesday Nov 25
Changed the oil.  Last change was May 30 at 437 hours.  So still a few hours left, but too much time since the last oil change.  Started up just fine today, and a short flight around the pattern with marginal ceilings got the oil heated up.  Got the oil change part done, but saved putting the cowling back on for another day.


Tuesday Nov 24


Got in another hour of formation training.

Followed the Colorado all the way to the coast today.  Stopped for a short break at Bay City KBYY.



UT Austin. Hook 'em Horns!



Smithville



Coumbus



Nada



Bay City



STNP. Still there. Still producing 5% of Texas's electricity.



Matagorda. One branch of the river ends at Matagorda Bay.



Intercoastal waterway in the foreground.



Ending at the Gulf of Mexico.



Took a break at KBYY



Lots of cool bridges cross the river.



Fayette County coal generation plant

Coal unfortunately still accounts for 28% of Texas's electricity. Hydroelectric is less than .01%.



A recent fire started at the base of the C.



KAUS, aka Austin Bergstrom



Downtown Austin

Sunday 11/22

Also flew with Max on Sunday.  We went to Lampasas, San Saba, and returned via Lake Buchanan.  So I've flown almost the entire length of the Texas Colorado.

While we were at Lakeway, this plane announced a right pattern and a low pass.



We have a couple of local kids who hang out and take pictures. He was able to figure out it was N337GU, a Polish manufactured twin turbine amphib. Later when Max and I were entering the pattern at Lampasas, 337GU was also there, doing a right pattern low pass.

Got in another episode of formation training yesterday. I flew over to 40XS to meet the Card's. We did a briefing. We were going to Burnet to where the Card's were meeting two other planes for 4 ship practice. We would do 2 ship work, then join up with Luke in the blue RV-8A for a first 3 ship and a abort demo and practice. This time Tanya was right seat as my coach. Once again I immediately messed up on the radio.


We took off and joined up.  It takes me a while to rejoin.    Scot ran us though a set of turns and added in some climbs and descents.  I was never quite in position.  Then he put me out to route and back, then some cross unders.   Then some extended trail practice.  Then rejoin practice. 


Out toward Burnet Luke joined up and we practiced the abort pull-up.  Finally Luke broke off to land at Burnet and then we did an overhead for a landing on runway 1.  1.0 hrs of formation PIC.


The debrief was thorough and we had an audience, the guys for the 4 ship.  Luke, Flagman, and Eyeball.  Then I sat through their briefing and then watched them depart.

Formation clinic

I was scheduled to fly to Pine Bluff Arkansas for a formation flying clinic over Halloween. But the weather had other ideas. Fortunately local formation pilots emailed and invited me to fly with them. Here's my write up on Van's Airforce.

Halloween pictures

Thanks to my sister Mimi who took Katrin and the two granddaughters to a pumpkin patch for Halloween pictures. Lynne and I did our usual and hung out at the McLellan's pet cemetery for the evening.

Young eagles

On Oct 10 the Lakeway EAA chapter held a Young Eagles event. We had 50 kids signed up, but less than half showed up. There were 6 planes lined up to fly, so we had about 1.5 sorties per pilot. I flew only one sortie, taking up a brother and sister. Their Mom was more excited than they were. No I didn't squeeze two kids into the RV, I flew Steve Z's 172, 738TQ. I asked Steve to check me out in the 172 which we did the previous afternoon. Two touch and goes plus an emergency power off practice at Rusty Allen, and a landing at 3R9 got me current again. That was my first 172 time in 4 years.

When we got back from the first trip, Russ N. had his Super Cub parked behind me. He asked if any more kids wanted a flight in the Cub. Of course I said yes, I did! So I squeezed into the back, and we flew with the door down most of the time. Russ offered me a chance to take the controls, but I could not get my left leg in position to reach the rudder pedal on that side. Still it was great fun. I had a death grip on my phone, because dropping it surely meant it would be gone!




The Lakeway pool. That's were I do my swimming!