Summer vacation

[n1997y]

I've got a surgery coming up so that will be my fun this summer, for a bit. The wife and I have never gotten the chance to take a real vacation together, so we're finally doing that late in the summer.

Also, gearing up for next summer, where I hope to get back in the seat for some racing, so I'll work on the car a bit.

What are you racing?

It’s been years since I raced (SCCA) or even visited the track. If I weren’t spending all my money on my airplane I’d be in a car. Gotta dispose of cash somehow, and I don’t like boats.

 

[KDPPatsfan85]

I work in a school, I am off of work until late August. Waiting for College Football 25 to release. We also booked our vacation. We are going to Foxboro for 3 days and going to the first preseason game vs the Panthers. They happen to play on my son's 13th birthday. This will be the first time that both of my kids will go to a live Patriots game!

 

[Pape]

What are you racing?

It’s been years since I raced (SCCA) or even visited the track. If I weren’t spending all my money on my airplane I’d be in a car. Gotta dispose of cash somehow, and I don’t like boats.

What kind of plane?

 

[Nikolai]

Had a friend years ago used to race the funny cars in the NHRA…first time I went I didn’t think I’d like it. My mind was blown.

What are you racing?

It’s been years since I raced (SCCA) or even visited the track. If I weren’t spending all my money on my airplane I’d be in a car. Gotta dispose of cash somehow, and I don’t like boats.

I'm running a G82 Comp X. I've only added catted down pipes so far, since the stock version of this car is actually fairly ridiculous in its own right. Stock, it's got a blazing 0-60, a respectable if not great 5-60, but is tremendous in the corners for a vehicle at this price point. The gears are a little tall as you go up, but overall I'm loving this car.

Dudes out there with GT4s and GT3RSs have been smoking me on the track, so I just tip my hat to those guys. Tremendous machines some of them have.

I was more into the Amateur Rally stuff years and years ago (raced mostly heavily modded Subies and an lightly modded Audi at the end), so this has been a different kettle of fish for me, but I've enjoyed it.

 

[n1997y]

What kind of plane?

An early Mooney M20E, 1964 vintage so a few quirks like Johnson bar gear, but the short body with the 200hp IO360 screams. And efficient, I’ve seen about 145kias burning a hair under 8gph. Great traveling machine, beats the heck out of driving. Couple of months ago I flew Manassas VA to Pike NH in 3:10, would’ve been 10 hours in a car. Loving it!

Here’s a photo from an overnight stop in South Bend, bringing it home from Minnesota after I bought it. Pilot of the charter in the background came over to compliment it while he was waiting for his pax. Hearing about his hotrodded Grumman Tiger with a balanced and blueprinted engine made his compliments very flattering!

 

[n1997y]

I'm running a G82 Comp X. I've only added catted down pipes so far, since the stock version of this car is actually fairly ridiculous in its own right. Stock, it's got a blazing 0-60, a respectable if not great 5-60, but is tremendous in the corners for a vehicle at this price point. The gears are a little tall as you go up, but overall I'm loving this car.

Dudes out there with GT4s and GT3RSs have been smoking me on the track, so I just tip my hat to those guys. Tremendous machines some of them have.

I was more into the Amateur Rally stuff years and years ago (raced mostly heavily modded Subies and an lightly modded Audi at the end), so this has been a different kettle of fish for me, but I've enjoyed it.

Sounds great! Got any good pics?

I raced FF, so if the gearing was too tall we just swapped gear sets to a better ratio. Figuring best gearing compromises for all the turns on a particular track was its own art form.

Do you get to play with suspension settings, manage weight transfer and such? Or do class rules restrict mods?

Every class has its own tweaks. And they’re all fun! Enjoy!

 

[Pape]

An early Mooney M20E, 1964 vintage so a few quirks like Johnson bar gear, but the short body with the 200hp IO360 screams. And efficient, I’ve seen about 145kias burning a hair under 8gph. Great traveling machine, beats the heck out of driving. Couple of months ago I flew Manassas VA to Pike NH in 3:10, would’ve been 10 hours in a car. Loving it!

Thats similar to the Piper Warrior II i learned to fly on... gratz on an epic toy...

 

[n1997y]

Thats similar to the Piper Warrior II i learned to fly on... gratz on an epic toy...

TY. I have a bit of time in the PA28-161, much more in Archers. In fact my total time is probably close to half Archers and half Skyhawks, with maybe ten percent outliers like aerobatic planes and now the Mooney. All great planes, but I’m easy, love almost everything I’ve flown, except the Diamonds. It’s just I’m big enough that 160hp is a little underpowered. The Cherokee family are all great planes. Hope you’ve had as much fun flying them as I have!

 

[vicspats]

An early Mooney M20E, 1964 vintage so a few quirks like Johnson bar gear, but the short body with the 200hp IO360 screams. And efficient, I’ve seen about 145kias burning a hair under 8gph. Great traveling machine, beats the heck out of driving. Couple of months ago I flew Manassas VA to Pike NH in 3:10, would’ve been 10 hours in a car. Loving it!

Here’s a photo from an overnight stop in South Bend, bringing it home from Minnesota after I bought it. Pilot of the charter in the background came over to compliment it while he was waiting for his pax. Hearing about his hotrodded Grumman Tiger with a balanced and blueprinted engine made his compliments very flattering!

Much respect .. what a great accomplishment. How long have you been flying ? In south bend to see Dame play?

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Did our usual beach trip on the Atlantic. Balcony overlooking the ocean never gets old for me. Stopped at Williamsburg on the way down and explored it for the first time. Really dug colonial Williamsburg, even without buying the passes theres lots to see and learn.

Weekend in dc. Like williamsburg so much to see, wish the kiddos allowed us more time in the museums.

And a weekend in Niagara falls, Canada side…another yearly trip for us. Gets better each time!

 

[jimnance]

And a weekend in Niagara falls,

Niagara Falls!! Slowly, I turn...
..Inch by inch...
..Step by step...

 

[FCB02062]

Heading to FL for two weeks once my daughter's travel softball season is over...

 

[n1997y]

Much respect .. what a great accomplishment. How long have you been flying ? In south bend to see Dame play?

Thanks. Took my first flight lesson summer after high school, then took over twenty years to get license. I had no money in college, got into sports car racing, married, started family. Almost went back to flying a couple of times, finally did and when I got the license was very mixed feelings between “this is great” and “damn I wasted so much time”. That was about thirty years ago. Was grounded for a few years for medical issues, thankfully resolved. Now I figure I’ve got about five years left before insurance looks at my age and raises rates to the point I can no longer afford to fly. Or, five years to get rich enough to not care how much it costs. That now seems unlikely. Glad I finally got it done, enjoying it as much as I can as long as I can!

South Bend was just a stopover. Plane was in MN, hour west of Minneapolis, when I took delivery of it. Insurance required time with instructor familiar with make and model before I could solo. Instructor flying with me to pick up plane and return it home had friends there. I’m pretty sure that ND was on the road, or the airport would’ve been jammed on the October Saturday afternoon we arrived. Probably better for us.

 

[vicspats]

Thanks. Took my first flight lesson summer after high school, then took over twenty years to get license. I had no money in college, got into sports car racing, married, started family. Almost went back to flying a couple of times, finally did and when I got the license was very mixed feelings between “this is great” and “damn I wasted so much time”. That was about thirty years ago. Was grounded for a few years for medical issues, thankfully resolved. Now I figure I’ve got about five years left before insurance looks at my age and raises rates to the point I can no longer afford to fly. Or, five years to get rich enough to not care how much it costs. That now seems unlikely. Glad I finally got it done, enjoying it as much as I can as long as I can!

South Bend was just a stopover. Plane was in MN, hour west of Minneapolis, when I took delivery of it. Insurance required time with instructor familiar with make and model before I could solo. Instructor flying with me to pick up plane and return it home had friends there. I’m pretty sure that ND was on the road, or the airport would’ve been jammed on the October Saturday afternoon we arrived. Probably better for us.

I’m sure way more people have wanted to go learn to fly vs who actually those who end up with a license. Was definitely a dream of mine as a kid, but like you said it’s expensive. I like hearing stories like that, of perseverance, thanks for sharing it.

 

[n1997y]

I’m sure way more people have wanted to go learn to fly vs who actually those who end up with a license. Was definitely a dream of mine as a kid, but like you said it’s expensive. I like hearing stories like that, of perseverance, thanks for sharing it.

It’s important to never give up on your dreams. Whatever they are. I’ve seen posts from folks in their sixties taking flight lessons. If you’ve got the hunger go for it. And if its not flying maybe its racing cars or sailing or getting an RV. Whatever, if you’re not living you’re dying.

 

[vicspats]

It’s important to never give up on your dreams. Whatever they are. I’ve seen posts from folks in their sixties taking flight lessons. If you’ve got the hunger go for it. And if its not flying maybe its racing cars or sailing or getting an RV. Whatever, if you’re not living you’re dying.

Oh ya I agree. But flying is a goal not only unattainable for most due to time and effort but obviously the big one …. Money

 

[1960Pats]

Yea you and me both. Heathrow/Laka Mary are quite expensive....

It was around 1980 when he sold his house in Salem NH and paid half that amount for the house in Lake Mary. Times have changed.

 

[jmt57]

I’m sure way more people have wanted to go learn to fly vs who actually those who end up with a license. Was definitely a dream of mine as a kid, but like you said it’s expensive. I like hearing stories like that, of perseverance, thanks for sharing it.

When I was a young kid my father would come home from work and go to the basement. He built models; a few race cars, but mostly WWII era airplanes. That was his way of decompressing after work.

He had served in the Navy, at the air base in San Diego. Later I found out he wanted be a pilot. At the time there were far more men that had that same post-Pearl Harbor desire than there were airplanes, and he didn't get called on. I could tell he was still somewhat bummed about that; working on planes wasn't the same as flying on a mission.

When us kids were adults and on our own he decided he wanted to learn to fly. He was never much of a golfer; a hobby on the weekend made sense. It took a while; according to him a whole lot of repetition, but eventually he was flying solo nearly every weekend out of Marshfield MA Municipal Airport. He really enjoyed it for many years, but eventually gave it up. From what he said, to get to the next level was just going to be too time consuming - and as mentioned above, far too expensive.

I'm glad he did it, because even if he didn't get an opportunity to fight in the Pacific Theatre as he had wished, he did get to experience the thrill of flying.

 

[farn]

Oh ya I agree. But flying is a goal not only unattainable for most due to time and effort but obviously the big one …. Money

Never give up your dreams !
-Tyquan T

 

[vicspats]

When I was a young kid my father would come home from work and go to the basement. He built models; a few race cars, but mostly WWII era airplanes. That was his way of decompressing after work.

He had served in the Navy, at the air base in San Diego. Later I found out he wanted be a pilot. At the time there were far more men that had that same desire than there were airplanes, and he didn't get called on. I could tell he was still somewhat bummed about that.

When us kids were adults and on our own he decided he wanted to learn to fly. He was never much of a golfer; a hobby on the weekend made sense. It took a while; according to him a whole lot of repetition, but eventually he was flying solo nearly every weekend out of Marshfield MA Municipal Airport. He really enjoyed it for many years, but eventually gave it up. From what he said, to get to the next level was just going to be too time consuming - and as mentioned above, far too expensive.

I'm glad he did it, because even if he didn't get an opportunity to fight in the Pacific Theatre as he had wished, he did get to experience the thrill of flying.

That’s a great memory of your father and an awesome lesson in not quitting, hence the “greatest generation” moniker. Much respect, I’m sure his passion to pursue his dreams have influenced your life as well.