A Maintenance Flight for Everyone
This is a story that includes two short wing Pipers, a fairly stiff crosswind and geese. But I’ll get to all of those things as the post unfolds.
My friend, John (owner of 1957 Piper Tri-Pacer) needed to pick up his plane after its annual inspection at the Vinton Veteran’s Memorial Airport (KVTI). It’s only about 14NM from our home airport (KIIB), so it’s a simple mission, but the airplane had been sitting awhile and a mission of any kind was definitely in order.
John’s First Pacer Ride
In addition to the mission at hand, it was also John’s first Pacer ride. Crazy to think we’ve gone since 2012 without getting him in the Pacer, but such is life, I guess.
John was instrumental in helping us find the “right” Pacer and helping sort through the buying process. It was fun to give him a ride in the aircraft in which he also invested time and energy!
We both get our maintenance done at KVTI as the mechanic there is knowledgable about short wing Pipers.
Heading Back to KIIB
After John got the debrief on his airplane and completed his preflight, we pointed our little Pipers back to home base.
It was a somewhat blustry day and definitely a chill in the air. Since we were on the ground for a fair amount of time, we had to let the engines warm up. Flying in the winter in Iowa… always an adventure!
Another Successful Mission
It’s always good when we can get the airplane out and about during the winter months. Between schedules and weather, it can be a real challenge during winter to keep the airplane in the air.
We’re looking forward to the upcoming season change (spring!) and doing a lot more flying. Many new trips are currently planned… stay tuned!
