Ethel IFR & IPad Update

Ethel has been flying 86XP to get acclimated to flying it IFR.   As most of you know each plane is a little different so getting use to the GPS and autopilot has been one of those things that we have had to do. 

Ethel also purchased an iPad that we will use for the race.  She had downloaded ForeFlight onto the iPad and has been working with that during her IFR flights.  So many things to do and so little time.  We have only 53 days until the race and 45 days until we leave for AZ. 

2012 Air Race Classic Route

Flying 86XP & Getting Caught....

Ethel has had the opportunity to fly Tom's plane in the past month. So now it was my turn. So Tom is away (in FL) so Barb and Ethel will play!!! Tom showed us how to get the plane out of the hanger on April 7th before he and Bobbe left for Florida. The winds have been horrible so I haven't gotten a chance to fly until this past Saturday, the 14th.

Ethel and I got the plane out of the hanger and were ready to go. I have to say we felt like two kids in a candy store!!! I had a great time getting use to the power and the weight of the 210 h.p. engine. It is similar to the 172 I rent but much different because of the constant speed prop. So after taking off and working on some slow flight in the practice area we got back into the pattern and I practiced take-offs and landings for 1.7 hrs. The winds were non existence or very light and the traffic wasn't too crazy for a Saturday morning at PTW. We didn't have any issues putting the plane back in the hanger and I was off running errands.

I got a phone call in the middle of the afternoon on Saturday. It was Tom in FL. He asked me how my flight was in the morning. I laughed so hard I almost cried. How did Tom Smith know that we were flying the plane that morning. Well I now know that everytime I fly out of PTW I fly over Tom and Bobbe's son's home. So Saturday morning we were spotted flying 86XP and Tom got a call asking him who was flying his plane. Small world.....

Classic Racer 25

Sorry I have been busy and haven't updated the blog lately. There are many things to tell. Back in March the race numbers were pulled and we are officially Classic Racer #25. Not a single digit number like we hoped but still a good one to have.

So our Eastern PA 99 friends Alison & Linda got Classic Racer #5 and Mary and Elaine bought Classic Racer #15. So we have #5, #15 & #25. It is a crazy combination when you know that it was based on chance.

Now I have been working on ordering the numbers and we will have to place two numbers on each side of the tail of the newly painted XP. Sorry Tom!!!

N86XP New Paint Job.....

Isn't she beautiful? Tom just got the airplane painted. I requested pink and white but he kept the color scheme the same (green & white).

Rick's Chicks 2012

We have the plane now we need a name. Ethel and I talked about it and asked Rick Jones, owner of Fare Share, if we could use his team name again for the 2012 Air Race Classic. Rick likes having chicks so he agreed and we are now officially Rick's Chicks again. It was a simple logistics decision because Ethel and I still have all the custom shirts from 2010 but we did not put the date on them. The airplane on the shirt will be a different color but the concept is the same.

Yes Virginia there is a Santa.....

I expected Christmas 2011 to be quiet and uneventful but boy was I wrong. The week before Christmas I was at the airport and bumped into Tom Smith who is a fellow PAOP member and pilot friend. Tom asked the normal question if Ethel and I would be flying the 2012 Air Race Classic and I went on to explain we needed a plane with more power, extended range fuel tanks, two GPS and auto-pilot. Tom's reply was you know my plane has all that and he proceeded to offer his plane for the race. I must say I almost fell over and was close to tears.

So needless to say Yes Virginia there is a Santa and his name is Tom Smith. Ethel and I will be flying Tom's 1979 Cessna R172K airplane. I still can't believe it!!!!

THANK YOU Tom!!!!!!!