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----- Original Message -----From: Beverly DeatonTo: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ; ErcoupeSent: Wednesday, November 01, 2006 2:38 AMSubject: [COUPERS-FLYIN] Bob's Grand Adventure----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any advice in this forum.]----Attached are some notes from our recent Ercoupe trip around the lower 48 U.S.A.Bob and N3047H "Honey"Notes on Bob's Grand Adventure
1. Had a grand time. Simple rules of the flight were:
a. No touch and goes allowed...I had to land, stop, get out, place the state sticker on the US map on the side of Honey, get back in and take off in order to claim that state in my log book.
b. If a human serviced the plane, I took that person's photo next to an airport identification sign.
c. If no human present, I took photo of sign alone.
d. Must camp with Honey unless weather really not good.
e. Use turf fields when available.
f. Only use "small" airfields with mom & pop FBOs. (Some fields ended up being larger than planned due to runway orientation or need to get the hell out of the sky)
2. Met many wonderful people.
3. Saw this great country mostly from 1500'-2000' AGL. (Occasionally went higher when I was really tired of being beat up by rough air.) NOTE: I lucked out and ended up traversing the northern tier of states during that early October artic low that created monster winds and the earliest snow falls in many states including the one at Buffalo, NY)
4. Had a total of 11 days "downtime".
a. 5 days at Rexburg, ID (RXE) (4 thunderstorms (rented a hanger) and 1 rain)
b. 1 day at Buffalo, WY (BYG) (snow)
c. 1 day at Winner, SD (SFD) (snow and ice)
d. ½ day at Willimatic, CT (IJD)(low ceilings/rain)
e. 1 ½ day at Harford, MD (low ceilings/rain/wind)
f. 1 day at Raton, NM (blizzard/mountain winds)
g. 1 day family visit at my son's place in NY
h. Had 0 days "downtime" due to Honey problems.
6. Whenever I stopped at a field that had a human attendant (many have self- serve fuel pumps and no one around) the human got told the story of Jack's Stamp Coupe. Many had never thought about handicapped pilots.
Trip Stats:
Distance flown........................8,921 sm per GPS
Hobbs time..............................100.1 hr. (GPS time=100.3 hr.)
Calendar time..........................28 d (Oct 1 thru Oct 28)
No fly days..............................11 d
Number of landings................63 (# of "I'm sorry Honey" landings...1)
Number of go rounds..............1
Gallons of fuel........................570
Quarts of oil (not oil change)..11 1/2
Oil/filter changes.....................2
Average GS.............................88.7 mph (GPS)
Slowest GS.............................56 mph
Fastest GS...............................179 mph recorded in GPS
Overall it was a wonderful experience. I learned a LOT about flying and crosswind landings (how about a 50 degree 32G46 which was the biggest crosswind, seemed like 12G23 became a "normal" thing after a while). Met a LOT of great people. Bad weather FBOs left their doors unlocked for me and insisted I sleep on their couches. Saw the fall colors that I have heard so much about. Flew during the time of year when the eastern haze is least bothersome. I did not make headlines by screwing up in the ADIZ area. Happily I did not have to test the "wing guard" Bev and I made to keep hailstones from going thru Honey's wings. I did my turn around a point at the Four Corners.
I would highly recommend a trip like this to everyone at least once in your lifetime.....I would go again if I could afford to stay in motels....I found that I still hate camping......
I just cannot thank my wife Bev enough for letting ... no ... making this happen.
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