N756DS Adventures

2010-02-06T13:56:00.000-08:00

From Rhode Island to Iqualuit

When we arrived to North Central Airport , Providence, Rhode Island we met Ed Carlson who is training North Atlantic flying. He is going to be with us with the Atlantic crossing. At afternoon we arrived, Ed kept to us first session of ground school, about north Atlantic weather. The weather is the single most important factor in North Atlantic flying. We also greed with local aircraft mechanic about doing 100 hours maintenance to our plane. The 100 hours was not yet due but this was last location where maintenance could be done and it is wise to had it done before Atlantic crossing.

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To reduce weight of airplane so that it can hold three persons and all rescue stuff we needed to remove all unneeded stuff. We sent all United States Jeppesens, our IFR training books and other extra stuff by mail our home in Finland. It took four United States big flat rate box to send it. When i compared alternatives, the USPS flat rate box, costing around $50 was best way to send books and other heavy stuff. When we got our plane Thursday afternoon from maintenance, we got next difficult task to squeeze all stuff to plane including life raft and three imersion suits that Ed has for us. The squeezing stuff was not so easy at all and we needed to do weight and balance many times that we could believe that so full stuffed plane can fly at all. Later we learned that the plane did not had any difficulties to fly or take off with all stuff inside. When plane was finally loaded we noticed that it is too late to go any more because Canadian customs will be closed before we arrive there.

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Finally, Friday morning we directed to Presc Iles (KPQI) airport near by United States northern border. We refueled there and did border crossing formalities. We needed to fill United States eapis forms via internet. Jut filling the forms took two hours. It is much, much more complicated than for airliner pasangers . For private plane you need to fill everything about airplane you are flying, who owns it, who is operator etc, who is crew and who is passenger and lot of details. If you like reduce time spent there, i recommend to check the form before. If you are European traveling with Visa Waiver, you need also leave the green visa waiver there to be delivered to USA Imigration. We was also needed to call canadian customs that we are arriving Canada two hours before our estimated arrival.

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When we had all of these formalities done, i filed IFR plan just because it was still as easy as it is always in United states. We arrived to Sept-Iles in beautiful weather, landed and refueled. Then I called Canadian customs that we have arrived, they just give to me validation code via phone and no other formalities was needed. Then we fly as VFR to Wabush where we were night. That was nearly last place on our trip where we found reasonable priced lodging without any problems. Later finding place to sleep was always matter of worry.

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In Wabus we checked weather in Kuujjauq, Metar and TAF was indicating weather that was not good at all. There was also problem that if we could not to land Kuujjuaq, it is just our range limits return back to Wabush.

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After little investigation with maps, we found one airfield between them that has also Avgas, Shefferville. Later we found out that Shefferville was also last place in North Canada where you can get Avgas at reasonable price and get it all. We had also problem that there was Notam that said that Kuujjuaq had run out Avgas barrels. Ed had bought one barrel but we were not sure is it there waiting us or not. Cellular phones stopped working when we crossed canadian border and they stayed silent until we arrived t Greenland. We filed IFR plan to Kuujjuaq because we were expecting IMC there. We flew couple of hours over inhabited terrain and when we arrived to Kuujjuaq, weather was turned to be pretty VMC.

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Kuujjauq is small under 2200 citizen city in Nunavik, autonomous Inuit area in Quebec. All Nunavik has under 12000 inhabitants even the land area 443,684.71 km²is larger than Germany 357,021 km2 . We Finns are learned to think northern Finland, Lapland as sparsely populated area ( 100000 inhabitants in 98,946 km²). When we landed, we went to check Avgas barrels and we found one for us, least we had fuel for next day flight.

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In Kuujjuaq we went first night to Auberge Kuujjuaq Inn and i was shocked when i saw a credit card receipt to sign. Then when we got into our rooms had shower and returned to have
dinner in restaurant, they told that kitchen was closed before 9pm and no food anywhere in this day. There is no other restaurants open later.

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Next day we were unable to depart due weather and even expensive Kuujauq Inn was fully booked. After help of Air Inuit staff we found a nice guest house kept by local Catholic church and even with reasonable price.

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In Iqualuit we wee first night in Navigator Inn with 179 dollars per night. Next night there was no free rooms, we asked tourist info about hotels to go. At first they proposed insanely priced Frobisher Inn, even we don't look like ones having American express Platinum card with unlimited credit in our pocket. After a while we got phone number of one small Bed and Breakfast place, Rannva's Bed and Breakfast. The place was excellent, Rannva was friendly, house was inside beautifully decorated and indicated her great architectural skills. There was magnificient scenery to bay and village. Much better than overpriced boring hotel.

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Lessons to learned about lodging. Lodging in Northern Canada is expensive and availability may be poor. Without mobile phones and Internet it will be really difficult to find place to stay especially if you arriving in at weekend or evening. Good idea would be book at advance but there is problem that due weathers you don't know what exact date you are arriving. Tent may not be so bad alternative at all. And remember to have mosquito poison, they are really hungry and you ay not get it until grocery store is opened next day.

Would I go there again ? Definitely yes. Area is super beautiful, there it is worth of seeing. Scenery and vegetation is completely different where you may be used in other places. There is all kind of terrain, tundra, permafrost, mountains, fjords, lakes, ice lakes etc. You chose what do you like. Local people are kind and friendly it is really worth of meeting them and learn something new about their culture and ways of living.

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Our experincies, whay do you need to know about Flying in arctic Canada, in Nunavut and Nunavik

I decided to collect some hints about flying in Canada after finding them out by hard way. Many things affecting to flying in Canada differs a lot from flying in Europe. Our route was from Presque Iles, United States to Sept Iles, Canada, then lodging one night in Wabush, then couple of nights in Kuujjuaq in Nunavik ad then couple of nights in Nunavut, Iqauluit .

Couple of first issues I noticed. Cellular phones stopped working immediately when we crossed Canadian border and started to work once again we arrived Greenland airspace. If you plan to fly in Northern Canada, I strongly recommend to have a satellite phone. We also discussed with NavCanada Flight service station and they said that satellite phones are now standard way to make position reports. The distances between nearest airports can be several hundred nautical miles so you will be out of airplane radio coverage most of the trip.

Second issue is that in Canada, aviation maps and approach plates are nearly impossible to get. I first asked them from some United States pilot's shops but they did not have them. Then i was thinking that if they are not sold in United States, may be they are sold in Canada but as unpleasant surprise, they are not sold either in airports in Canada. Also, in United States and Europe, Greenland etc all approach plates and least IFR enroute maps are available online but once again Canada is exception, no maps online. Only way to get Canadian maps and approach plates is pre-order them by mail from NavCanada.

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When you fly there, is is soon evident why all required arctic rescue equipments are needed. There may be over hundred nautical miles to nearest road village. If you need to do forced landing, there is no-one that hear your maydays in 121.5 and no one can find your airplane in thousands of square kilometers area if you don't have ELT. Hand GPS is good to have but in case of emergency, do you have means to recharge it ? Magnetic compass and paper map works always.

Roads and railway ends in Shefferville, after it, all cities are like distant islands. All supplies need to be delivered by airplane or ship and that is immediately visible in price. Shefferville is last stop where you can buy Avgas by normal way, after it, most airports don't have it all. There may be or may not be Avgas in Kuujjuaq, check it before. If there is, you need to buy full 50 gallon barrel at time even if you need only 20 gallons. What to do for rest 30 gallons ? That's your problem. I got explanation that it is no longer allowed to sell Avgas to anyone else from unsealed barrel. In Kuujjuaq price was 700 dollars for 50 gallons, 14 dollars/gallon. It may be good idea to carry enough fuel to get directly Iqualuit, there 50 gallon barrel costed under 500 Canadian dollars. When calculating fuel, there is not so many alternates if you can't get to your destination due weather and in most of cases the alternates don't have Avgas.

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Even it is possible to fly to Europe via northern route, Iqualuit, Kangerlussuaq, Kulusuk, Reykjavik without ferry tanks, i start to believe that having 20..50 gallons extra ferry tank installed into plane leaves much more options in fuel planning and may save it's price quickly.

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Yet an other issue, Hotel prices were multiplied by factor of four in Kuujjuaq and in there is no competition. Two hotels, Motel level but price like five starts Hotel, Auberge Kuujjuaq Inn, 299 from double room. Waiting weather improve in Hotel may cost a fortune and both hotels may be fully booked. We found one nice quest house kept by Catholic Church with reasonable price level in Kuujjuaq. As sleeping bags are mandatory rescue equipment, small hiking tent may save it's price in one night.

Iqualuit has more hotels and price level half of Kuujjuaq , you may get room under 200 dollars per night but hotels may be still fully booked. There are bed and breakfast places in Iqualuit but without mobile phone and Internet they may be difficult to find. Tourist info tries always offer most expensive places first and you really need to require something else.

IFR flying in Finland

2009-11-24T14:38:00.000-08:00

Here is a new video about N756DS:

IFR Flying in Finland with N756DS - several approaches to EFTP in IMC

IFR training flight with N756DS -video from Palo Alto, California

2009-11-11T22:44:00.000-08:00

You can watch it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWWoFbb9LgA

Landing to Oshkosh

2009-11-06T11:43:00.001-08:00

Video about landing to Oshkosh 2009 with N756DS is here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEvV4KAtrzE

2009-08-21T02:48:00.000-07:00

We arrived safely to home Wednesday 19.7.2009 evening. The trip was finally over and i felt so good to be at home with my cats. There is lot of stories to tell, many blog articles are waiting to be published. i just need to finish them and chose pictures attached. We got around 200Gigabytes of picture and video material with our EOS 5D mk II .

Our route was following N756DS route in Great Circle mapper

That makes about 9000 Nautical miles and that is not counting yet my Instrument training in Palo Alto or that many legs were not great circle but airways via fixes. You can find more precise tracks and IFR plans from Flightaware N756DS

N756DS video

2009-08-20T13:58:00.000-07:00

I quickly collected some video clips from our collection. I created this first because I really loved the
scenery in the Kulusuk, really beautiful mountains:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6aLdd7ZYmU

Palo Alto to Oshkosh, over the rockies via northern route

2009-08-10T19:32:00.000-07:00

After i passed my instrument check ride on Wednesday, we decided to leave as early as possible in Thursday morning. We knew that the trip is over 1700 nautical miles so we can't get it done in one day. Limiting factors are that it needs three to four refueling breaks, Oshkosh airport is closed 8pm and we don't like to cross rockies in darkness.

We knew that there is overcast clouds around 1000..1500feet every morning in SF-bay until 10amm but sun is raising at 6am. We decided to leave hotel 4.30am, went to Palo Alto ( KPAO ). We packed the plane and filed IFR plan with Aopa flight planner web site. Palo Alto tower was closed at this time. We tried activate our IFR plan from ground but radio connection was so bad that we could not do it. Also activation from air was not an option, ceiling around 1000 ft and we were surrounded by mountains and San Francisco Class B airspace. The controller asked us to call him via phone and we got our plan activated via phone. We took off about 6am and climbed immediately inside of cloud. "Climb 3000 expect 6000 within five minutes, fly runway heading, turn 060 within one nautical mile" . There was now in practice what instructor said, the five minutes is essential because there are mountains inside of these clouds and to get top and over mountains we needed more than 3000ft. I got maybe 5 minutes actual inside of clouds and then we climbed to beautiful morning sunrise over the clouds. It was looking a like mountain tops were islands n sea of clouds. After half of hour flight controller cleared us to climb 13000ft for crossing the rockies. When we were fling over 12500ft, it is mandatory to pilot use supplemental oxygen if flight lasts over half of hour. We had also pulse oximeter, small device that measured oxygen saturation from fingertip and we followed all of the time oxygen levels.

After we crossed first part of the mountains, we landed after three and half hour flight to Elko for refueling. The good point in this northern route is there is not so damn hot on aground. In Elko, local FBO had once again excellent facilities for flight planning and we filed IFR plan to Casper . We crossed great salt lake and salt lake city, then long, long flight over dry plains where was growing about nothing.

When we get more near by Casper, plains started to graduately turning more and more green. I Casper . We did know that we can't get to Oshkosh today and it became soon dark. Once again helpful person in local FBO booked hotel for us in our next stop Sioux Falls. We activated or IR plan and continued to Sioux Falls.

Soon it was completely dark and just few lights around. When it was dark and airport was unfamiliar, we decided to ask ILS approach even it vas complete night VFR weather. Once again friendly local FBO called hotel shuttle for us andwe were in bed around 11pm, long day when we woke up around 3am.

Next morning we woke up 6am, too little sleep but it is still better than nothing. We had still three hours flight to Oshkosh. We took off from Sioux Falls 7am and headed towards to Oshkosh. We flew as VFR, weather was good and it is easiest to get Oshkosh as VFR. We used VFR flight following for beginning of our trip but then before Oshkosh, Notam requires us to switch transponder to standby 20 miles before Oshkosh. Transponders just could not work there when there is hyge amount of aircrafts around. We were flying over scattered cloud layer but when we came more near by we decided to descend under of clouds. Oshkosh air traffic controller is very exceptional, airplanes fly pre defined routes just in listen only mode. Then when we were over the Fisk village, tower just said "Diamond Star over Fisk, rock your wings", "Well done" we did it and then he said that turn left , follow road to base runway 31. There was other airplanes landing from right donwind and we just fitted between then as zipper. Finally we were in Oshkosh !!!!

After landing to runway 31 we was thinking that soon we get plane in parking and in the exhibition area but it was not so simple. In Oshkosh aircraft is guided to right place based what sign you put on your window. GAP is General Aviation Parking, GAC General Aviation Camping, EAC is Experimental camping etc. We were guide from one crossing t other, all around all exhibition area then all around runway 21 to passenger terminal area in most opposite corner of airport. It took one hour to taxi in crass with aircraft with small wheels and wheel pants. I wonder why they guided us so far when there was a lot of free places before it. Do they have some strange algorithm not re-using aircraft parking lots if someone has used it couple of days earlier ? I can't find any sense that at all. When we got our plane in parking, there was small man in small tractor selling tie down rope and hooks so that we get our plane tied down. Guide also said that there is buss transportation to exhibition area. We were thinking that is is fast and we can come to pick up our stuff later. I was so, so wrong. it took three hours from landing until we were inside of exhibition area. One hour for taxing plane and tiedowns. Then one hour waiting buss and buss trip all around Oshkosh city and then final last hour queuing tickets in main gate. Little bit later we learned that in case of our plane would be parked some location before passenger terminal, there would be 5 minutes buss ride about every 10 minutes, and separate small aircraft entrance with much less queue.

When we finally got in, i must say that Airventure was really worth of it and we will be there also next year but the Airventure is subject of other blog entry.

Palo Alto, completing the IR training

2009-08-10T19:16:00.000-07:00

I started my IR training in West Valley Flying Club ( www.wvfc.org ) in San Francisco area . The plan was to get fast and cheap instrument rating. Soon I noticed that if you really like to get easy IR as as quickly and fast, the San Francisco bay area is worst possible choice. If you like to get good IR with it you can fly about any busy airspace, it is excellent choice.

First surprises were that American airspace system and regulations differ a lot from European ones and San Francisco bay area airspace structure is really complicated and busy. Helsinki area is about small village compared to SF-bay area. There, Palo Alto, just one of dozens local general aviation airports has as much GA-airplanes that exists in all Finland. It was also surprise that radio fraseology differs a lot from European one and if you are non native English speaker, busy fast IFR radio communications needs some time to adapt.

It is also not the fastest and cheapest to start IR training with Cirrus SR20 with Avidyne glass cockpit. When I started the training, Cirrus was our number one alternative and WVFC did not had Diamond in this time. They charge $199 or $214 for SR20, $164 for C172/G1000 but Steam Gauge Cessna or Piper you may get around $100 . Cirrus is also not considered as ordinary airplane for WVFC, it needs minimum 11 hours type training and special check ride called phase check.

Flying club as like WVFC was not a fastest way to get training, there is also other members booking planes and flight instructors and therefore you can't fly when you want to do so. Some flight schools may designate plane and instructor for you all of the course. This Flying club system is just not most cost efficient if you are not local but coming from distant country and need to pay hotel and car rental for every day you are flying or not. Also Silicon valley is not the cheapest place to stay.

When i started my flight training 2008 I Strongly underestimated my schedule, I scheduled one month period for flight training. It was strongly underestimated, i just could not got booked enough plane and instructor to get training completed. I spent many days just for keeping vacation, that was not bad idea at all in SF bay area. IR Training is also and work, so it is not bad idea to have some free time between sessions. I had plan to return autumn to complete training but this did not happen. In 2008 trip I also learned that many things can go wrong in paperwork. I had plan to get FAA Medical and FAA PPL . When i was already in Palo Alto, FAA told to me that they did't approve my translated medical records because they are not translated by FAA approved translator. Even today, i don't know what is and where to find FAA approved Finnish to English translator. For next trip, I asked doctors to write their statements in English and sign them as originals to avoid this translation problem.

I returned spring 2009 continuing my instrument training, I chose cheaper C172 G1000 plane that the club had more of them than Cirrus SR20's and i got in practice designated flight instructor. I think that also economical depression affected so that instructors and planes were no longer so booked than spring 2008 . Now I also has basically all paperwork done. I had European JAA and FAA medical and i had file application for FAA Restricted PPL .

When I returned after one year since i had my previous instrument training, it needed several hours training just to get level where I was year ago when i left. In Spring 2009 i did written test and got basically training program done but once again bad luck with paper work. I got my FAA Restricted PPL based on European pilot's license but i was unable to get appointment booked to San Jose FSDO and therefore I was unable to have Check ride.

Now in this trip, i finally had everything done. I had training done, I had all medicals in my hand, i had appointment booked to San Jose FSDO and I had check ride booked. The trip from Florida to Palo alto took couple of days longer than estimated and we needed to re-schedule my check ride to Monday 27 July. Now i had couple of days time to refresh my IR skills before check ride. Then Monday i was thinking that everything is ready and we started ground part of checkride but it was interrupted n beginning because there was couple on flight instructor signatures missing from my logbook. The Check ride was then re-scheduled Wednesday 29.

In Wednesday, we finally were able to begin my checkride. I had Tom Hornak as my check ride pilot. At first he went thru my application and logbook, then checked airplane documents, maintenance records etc. Then he did tho oral part, series of good questions like what i would do in complete radio failure situation, some details from approach plates, how to get weather briefing etc. Then started actual check ride, I filed flight plan to Stockton ( KSCK, route SJC V334 SUNOL V195 ECA ). In Stockton we did VOR rwy 21, touch an go, then continued GPA A to Tracy ( KTCY ) and that approach we did as partial panel. From tracy missed approach we did couple of holds and then ILS rwy 25R to Livermore. That was the check ride and I was really happy and relieved when Tom said that I passed. Finally long lasting dream and couple of years long project was completed.

About actual training, my instructors in West Valley, Scott Stauter and Brian Elliot give excellent instruction. Wvfc had excellent facilities, wide variety of planes to chose, starting from old steam gauge Cessnas to modern glass cockpit Diamond Star DA40, TwinStar DA42 Cirrus SR20 and SR22 and several G1000 Cessna 172 . They also have Frasca G1000 simulator that we used as mush as we could for my training. There is several good reasons to use simulator. With simulator you can practice mush more approaches in same time, you can practice more fault conditions than in real plane and it costs 100 dollars less for hour than aircraft.

Then there is question, should you get your instrument training with glass or with steam gauges. As my personal opinion, if you plan to fly modern glass cockpit planes, you should get your training with glass. Flying glass needs so much different skills. Reading the attitude indicator , altitude and airspeed is the easy thing. Much more skills is needed to program flight plan, selecting approaches etc. Your most busy times comes when you approach your target airport, get weather and you are cleared to approach. In this situation you need to program right approach into system, brief it to yourself and be all of the time up to date with radio traffic and on course fly the plane. You can practice most of the things in ground but then real thing is to do it in busy conditions in flying airplane. Partial panel is also completely different with glass and steam. In practice difference between Cirrus with Avidyne/GNS430 or Diamond with G1000 is not as big at all. Garmin logic to program flight plans and approaches is very similar in both of these.

Other question is that should you get your IFR training done in some peaceful little city or in busy San Francisco bay airspace.If you like to get it done cheaply and fast, small city flight school may be good choice. If you like to get your skills to level where about no airspace is too busy to you take SF-Bay but remember
that you may not got it done with minimum hours.

Now, i have crossed north American continent twice and passed many big cities Class-B air spaces but i have not yet found as busy as SF-bay area . Some rumors tell that Los Angeles area is even worse but i have not yet had change to try.

Lessons learned. Best is not cheapest and fastest. If you fly glass, take your IR with glass even it costs more. If you plan to fly in busy airspaces get your IR there but you need more hours. If you need split your training to multiple chunks, it causes some penalty, may be 10 hours to get level you where uou were when you left. If you are flying IR in flying club, verify that you have plane and instructor available or you can't keep your schedule. Be prepared that what ever you try, some factors may ruin your schedule. Prepare your paperwork lot of advance, book appointments to FSDO etc lot of advance. Remember, that if there is something wrong in papers, it may took two months round trip to fix it.

And at last but not least, IFR if fun, i don't regret that i started . I think that getting training in SF-bay and with glass was right choice but it definately was not fastest or cheapest one.

Pueblo to Palo Alto , Over the rockies and thru the burning hell

2009-08-05T21:35:00.000-07:00

We started Tuesday 21st waking up early morning and got ourself to airport around 8am morning.It is best time to cross mountains in morning when air is not yet hot and most of cumulonimbuses appear in afternoon. It was once again Karoliina's turn to fly, we decided to go as VFR via pass thru mountains. In IFR minimum enroute altitude
should be highest point enroute rounded upper thousand feet plus 2000 feet. In VFR is enough not touching terrain. We were uncertain how well Diamond would climb in worm air with three full size adults inside and we decided not to take any rists. We still needed to climb to 12500 ft but Diamond did it without any problems.

First leg and mountain crossing went without any problems in excellent weather. Our first stop was in Farmington, New Mexico (KFMN), elevation 5500ft. This airport had nice FBO with air-conditioned restrooms facilities for flight planning we took tanks full of fuel and planned to go Grand Canyon, KGCN .

The route to Gran canyon was really great scenic route, sceneries familiar to most of us from western movies . First we flew over monument Valley and then over grand canyon. When we arrived Gran Canyon, there was thunderstorm just over airport and we decided to go on.

We landed Kingman, KIGM, elevation 3360ft . That place was like burning hell, temperature around 40 degrees of celsius. We got there in place where was no cover from sun, airport staff advised us that restrooms are in passenger terminal and there was no other
way back to apron expect left someone open to gate and we did not find any flight planning facilities. The place was also graveyard of DHL american fleet.

From Kingman we continued to Lancaster, KWJF, hot but not so hot than Kingman and there was even some wind to make it to feel more comfortable. There was also good facilities air conditioned building to do flight planning. We decided to file IFR plan to Palo Alto via route PMD V197 EHF AVE V137 ROM V485 LICKE and it was Kate's turn to fly IFR . When we took off, it was evening twilight and soon it was completely dark night but weather was good. I must say that I don't feel comfortable to fly in night in mountaineus terrain. If engine quits, there is no way to chose good
place for forced landing. In plains, there is good possibility that terrain under is not so bad.

We landed Palo alto 22.56, we had some probems to get taxi and finally got to our motel Standford Motor inn around 1am.I must say that i felt really exhausted, long and hot flight day.

If ypu would like see more pictures, please look our N756DS Picasa callery

St Louis to Pueblo, CO , Beauty and Beast

2009-08-05T08:12:00.000-07:00

We kept Sunday just for resting with our friends, in Chrissi's and Randi's place. On Monday morning we checked weather and noticed that there is front with thunder storms moving across our route. We filed IFR plan to Salina (KSLN) via route 1H0 SNYDR V12 OJC V508 TOP V4 ZITIK KSLN but then we saw thunderstorms front of us and decided to land in Topeka (KTOP) to wait front pas us. We waited couple of hours in Topeka FBO weather briefing room and followed from Nexrad thunderstorms moving south east. After thunderstorms passed, we filed IFR plan to Hays (KHYS) via route
V4 SLN V508 KHYS. At beginning of route we needed to fly in rain but still in VMC.

We landed to Hays in perfect VMC conditions and sunny weather but there was big cumulonimbus growing nearby and it looked threatening. We decided togo on as
quickly as possible and now it was Karoliina's turn to fly. We filed route to Pueblo via V244 but
soon we needed to ask defer from our course because there was really beauty monster, huge thundercloud from our right side. I have never seen same time s beauty but also so threatening thundercloud before. It did not cause a actual danger to us because is was easy to see and avoid. I just looked lightnings sriking from cloud to ground. There was other thunderstorm to go around that just passed Pueblo. We were able to land Pueblo without any problems.

In Pueblo, there was local FBO, Flower Aviation, they booked Hotel to us and arranged transport. We spend night in La Quinta inn after long and challenging flight day.

Second Day From Florida to St Louis

2009-07-23T13:42:00.000-07:00

We had plan to leave Florida as early as possible to avoid bad weather but we were so tired because we did had so much lack of sleep during last few days.
We woke up in Jacksonville Ramada Inn 9 am and arrived with car to Sterling Flight in Craig Municipal airport ( KCRG ) 11 am. There was front of
bad weather arriving from north west. Kate needed to return our rental car to Jacksonville International Airport ( KJAX ) and Karoliina flew N756DS
there. Cloud ceiling was already low and there was moderate precipitation. Kate got rental car return point but there person in Rental car return did not know
how to get General Aviation terminal ( FBO ), she was completely unaware that such thing as general aviation even exists and could only say
that you need to go airliner terminal. Kate finally found FBO by walking and sweating half an hour in the hot Florida weather.

Karoliina arrived the same time
Sheltair FBO. We checked weather and noticed that we need to leave quickly to avoid getting worse weather. After take off from KJAX we were able to climb
to 2000ft . Soo Ceiling started to go lower and we ended to fly below clouds under 1000ft in uncontrolled Airspace over Florida swamps but still
safely within VFR minimums. After half of hour ceiling started to raise and we were in perfect weather for rest of this leg. We arrived safely to our
refueling stop Russel Rome airport ( KRMG ) near by Atlanta.

From KRMG our next leg was to St Louis, Missouri. Ceiling was high and we were able to cruise 4000ft . We used VFR Flight following for both legs
to get warnings about possible severe weather or traffic. That was a easy leg, just put flight plan to G1000 and autopilot on. Our target for
this leg was Creve Couer airport ( 1H0 ) . We arrived there about 9pm just around sunset. The airport is under complex St Louis Class B airspace.
The G1000 was very useful showing all airspace borders and altitude limits. VFR Flight following was also useful when arriving to unfamiliar
complex airspace.

Weather front is just arriving to St Louis

When we landed, Karoliina called our friends Chrissi and Randi, the Cozy Girrrls. They arrived soon with their minivan that had already back seat removed
for carrying things to Oshkosh. We get in to their van and let our Bird to rest for night. Chrissi and Randi are experimental aircraft builders and they
run their own small experimental aircraft parts business CG Products. They do really great work and perfect professional quality parts in
their workshop.

Good night to N756DS for good flight

The Pretty bird got a new home - day 1

2009-07-19T19:21:00.000-07:00

Our first day, we drove from Miami to Jacksonville, 6 hours via Inter State 95.
Karoliina was using N97 to write mails to our insurance broker. We got all needed work for insurance done just 15 minutes before we arrived to pick up plane from Sterling Flight training.

There the our new Pretty Bird was waiting for us. Just fresh annual done and no
extra repairs needed. We decided to go for test flight with Sterling flight instructor and at the same time get checked out to the plane. First Touch and Go's in At Augustine ( KSGX ) and then scenery route to Space Coast Regional Airport ( KTIX ).

It would be big sin to go so near of Nasa Cape Caneveral launch site and not even seeing it. Sad that so distant but we have wery tight schedule. Next morning we needed
to fly the plane to St Louis.

In KTIX we switched pilots and it was Karoliina's turn to fly. She went to St Augustine to do touch and go's as night flight. We happily landed back to KCRG 10.00 pm. Then it was time to get some sleep in hotel, happy but really very tired.

2009-07-16T00:57:00.001-07:00

Karoliina and Kate are in Dysseldorf waiting for connection flight. Very tired. fb

2009-07-15T17:15:00.001-07:00

T-0. We are leaving home now and heading to airport. fb

2009-07-15T16:36:00.001-07:00

Packing for the USA trip is almost finished. Last bits of housecleaning tasks to be done before leaving to EFHK airport. fb