But worth it to see a friend.

Due to obligations (and life in general) I hadn’t been able to fly the 340 since the first of the month..(Plus, I just didn’t have anywhere I needed to go)

But Sunday morning, I had time, and Aaron was free for Brunch, so I flew to see him.

Flew to KPTK (Oakland County, MI) Flight time was a bit over 1.2 hours. It was IFR(ish) when I left 

but climbed through it and was clear almost all the way until I did the descent.

The crosswind was EVIL though:

Once ATC started my decent (great job by the ATC folks today!!) I was in and out of the clouds as I descended though the layers.  Finally got below the final layer about 15 miles from Pontiac airport…

The approach controller asked me to keep the base turn at less than 5 miles from the runway, so after the Tower told me to do the visual approach to 27L and I was “number one Cleared to Land”, I did a tight base turn at about a mile and a half and rolled all the way around to final at about a mile, ended up on the glide slope and just a bit fast…which was OK as the winds were 290-340 at 18 gusting 26. I landed a bit fast (for the gust factor) and touched down right on the 1000 foot markers and for once there was a witness that it was a butter smooth landing with a pretty hard crosswind…() but Aaron saw it so it actually counts this time).

Taxiied, parked, chocked the plane, and met  Aaron (and his friend, who up to this point was convinced that I was an AI generated voice instead of a real person)

We got into his car and drove to a diner for a really nice brunch and conversation. Great time with him as always, and his friend is a very pretty, really sweet and nice person. I was glad to finally meet her.

But, sadly, before too long I had to leave, and so we got back into the car, drive back to the airport, and I did the preflight while Aaron showed her the 340….He pulled the chocks as I closed the door and them then I started up the right engine, then the left one. Got the ATIS, called for taxi and picked up my IFR clearance. Taxiied to the departure end of 27L, waited for a jet to land, then was told to “Line up and wait” which I did,,,…when the jet cleared the runway I was told “Runway heading, cleared for takeoff” So away I went!

Climbed to 3000 ft on a 270 hearing, then was told “On course, climb and maintain 6000 ft”, then a few minutes later “Climb and maintain 9000 ft” then a bit after that my final altitude.

Cruise home was similar to the cruise out, except the wind was a bit more of a headwind than a tailwind, and nearly as bad for a while:

Once again thought a small layer, it was VFR conditions most of the way home.

The only rub was the low oil pressure on the descent to home on the left engine…not zero but at the low end of the green….which was concerning. Temps were fine, but still, a concern.

As I did the descent, it got better, more in the green…then worse, then better…..and then, as I turned downwind, the indication dropped to zero. I got a bit busy for a moment, shutting the left engine down and feathering the prop while dropping the flaps and managing a descent into the pattern.  Did the base turn into the now-shut down engine (WRONG!)  and then turned final and dropped the gear and did the final on one engine…winds were favorable and actually helped me stay on the final centerline what with the adverse yaw and all. Did a decent touchdown and rollout and taxiied back on just the right engine. Haven’t been that busy on a landing since my last training event.

I dunno what is wrong, and will have my A&P check it out on Monday if he has time. I THINK it is a sending unit (or a gauge?) but either way, I don’t think I hurt the engine… I shut it down right quick when the indicated pressure dropped. There is oil in the engine (and the correct amount, and no smoke was visible), and the temps were not out of whack, so I expect an indication issue, but we shall see.

All told though, it was a good day. Got to see Aaron, meet his friend, got 1.2 and 1.4 hours of flying, about 0.7 IFR, and 2 landings. Got both engines hot, dried out and that is good for the plane after 2 weeks of inactivity.

After I got back I then flew for about 90 minutes as a safety pilot for a guy who is working towards his IFR certification while he was under the hood, then went home.

A longiish day of flying, and some challenges, but it was a good day for me.

If, as all these anti-ICE protesters claim, “Immigrants are an asset to this country”, one has to ask:

Why was the country the came from such a shithole that they decided to leave?

Why weren’t those (illegal) immigrants an asset to the country they left? Why wasn’t it improved by their presence?

Just gotta ask

So no post for you.

Sorry

that Biden got more votes than any other President.

I know because they said so, and I am telling you I believe it (’cause I don’t want to get arrested for dissent).

But:

Makes ya wonder about the New York City mayoral election though don’t it?

At that point in my life I didn’t care about the marks on the cups though.

But it is interesting, nonetheless:

(and there’s a typo in there if you look)

Baltimore Police officer charged with attempted murder

Attempted Vehicular Homicide:

I mean, if a non-police citizen (remember, cops are citizens too) tries to flee and strikes a cop with his car, or otherwise bumps, brushes, nudges, or in any way touches a police officer with his or her car, they are often charged with attempted murder or attempted homicide.

Chasing a suspect down and deliberately striking him with a police cruiser is definitely attempted vehicular homicide.

I don’t think the dude is innocent (He’s probably all kinds of dirty), but if they get to charge the rest of the citizenry for less with a car , then the cops definitely get held to the same standards.

So the ATC delays will end in a day, just about the time that the ATC controllers get their pay (finally). Odd coincidence…

Either it was theater designed to force the budget to get passed (which is illegal) , or

It was a job action by the ATC folks, which was and is illegal for the controllers and someone needs to go to jail for it.

Pick one.

Someone is lying.

I’m glad the budget bill battle is over, but what a mess, what a total debacle. What an embarrassment for the country.

But still, it gave us a lesson: We really don’t need much of the government agencies and many of their workers. It should be a good reason for Trump and Congress to cut fully 2/3 of those agencies budget.

What an asinine decision.

Proportionately, we lose more money minting nickels and quarters per unit.  SO by the logic we should stop minting those first.

Of course, it could be an opening gambit to stop cash and force us to a digital currency.

“For an intelligent being, panic is a choice, discipline is armor”

“Sometimes you gotta wait and let Karma right the wrongs done to you,….’cause if you do it yer going to jail and they just ain’t worth it”

“Your current situation need not be your final destination”

“You only lose those things you cling to”

“You are never too old to cut people out of your life”

“No man can think clearly when his fists are clenched”

“Standing alone is better than standing with people who undervalue you”

“There is no “fair share” of anything you have not worked for”

“That which does not succeed in killing you still tried to kill you”

I mean, I am glad that there is a break in the stalemate on the funding for our Federal government. I realize that it isn’t a done deal, but the deal as presented to us via the media  doesn’t seem to be worth the hot air by generated by the talking heads…

I object that it is only short term. This is stupid to do funding for only a few months. I’d rather see the shutdown continue than have a half assed effort.

Further, I object that people who were furloughed are going to get paid for the time that they did not work. No work, no pay, life’s a bitch, but why should we pay for people that did nothing during the shutdown? If there had been private sector workers, they’d not have gotten any back pay.

It is said that there will (suddenly) no longer be any ATC delays. If true, then the lack of staffing and the subsequent delays was a job action and needs to be investigated.

And any department that could be shut down without any of us noticing or caring for more than 40 days needs their budget cut by at least a third in the next year. We most obviously don’t need so many “Non-Essential” workers and departments.