Monday: Albuquerque, NM to Champaign, IL

Posted on August 7, 2008 by Colin Summers
Second Day

Second Day

Okay, no one is going to purposefully stop in Champaign, IL are they? (Actually, not true. Bob and I stopped on our way west in 2007.) Continue reading →

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Sunday: Santa Monica, CA to Albuquerque, NM

Posted on August 7, 2008 by Colin Summers
sunday

First Day

Santa Monica’s little airport has a restriction on early morning departures. You can’t start your engine earlier than 7am on a weekday or 8am on a weekend. So we all rolled out of bed at 6:15am, finished packing up the last few items, locked the house up and armed the alarm. Dexter wanted to listen to loud music (Weezer) on the way to the airport, Rudy wanted to read. Continue reading →

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Tip of the Finger Lake

Posted on August 6, 2008 by Colin Summers
Clock Tower

Clock Tower

This is the view from our hotel room window, overlooking the Cornell campus. I haven’t been back for twenty years, since I escaped.

We landed last night ahead of a thunderstorm which we chased along the length of New York State. Continue reading →

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Happy on the Ground

Posted on August 4, 2008 by Colin Summers

Totally amazing to get so close to Chicago and hear that they had evacuated the tower at the field we were headed toward (Midway). We are (very) happily on the ground in Champaign,IL.

Better than in the sky

Better than in the sky

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Pushing On

Posted on August 4, 2008 by Colin Summers
Quick stop, rest and fuel

Quick stop, rest and fuel

We weren’t able to get out of Albuquerque last night (thunderstorms, night, mountains), but we were up early and out in the morning.

Lunch!

Lunch!

A fuel stop on Guymon, OK made us think of our friend Dean. Now we are in Kansas City where we landed on a flat tire. Everyone is fine and we are enjoying some BBQ.

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Wind Shear

Posted on August 3, 2008 by Colin Summers
Loot Colin

Loot Colin

The tower here at ABQ pointed out twenty knots of wind shear off the departure end. So we are delaying another half hour. We still hope to make Witchita tonight, although there will be no early morning departure tomorrow.

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Second Stop: Atomic

Posted on August 3, 2008 by Colin Summers
Landed on the butte

Landed on the butte

We have found the Natural History Museum in Albuquerque. We dodged thunderstorms on the way here. We might stop on Guymon, OK.

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Sedona!

Posted on August 3, 2008 by Colin Summers
Cutest Co-pilot EVER

Cutest Co-pilot EVER

We made the first leg! It went great. Off to Albuquerque soon.

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Onward!

Posted on August 2, 2008 by Colin Summers
How does Google see us?

How does Google see us?

Well, if you are reading this on the web page (as opposed to in a newsreader like Google’s Reader), then you’ve noticed a layout change. I upgraded the software (WordPress) which publishes the blog. Oh, exciting, I know. But, it does mean that I can write entries from the iPhone. Continue reading →

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Words from the Wise

Posted on May 9, 2008 by Colin Summers

Back in January of this year Diamond Aircraft Industries called and asked if I would mind talking with them a little about my plane. I am always happy to talk about the plane. Perhaps ad nausea. I don’t think I know when to stop talking about the plane.

I bought the plane when I had only flown 80hrs. That’s not a lot of experience, but it’s not terrible. I have a friend who bought his at nearly the exact same time, right when he finished his private pilot certification. I wish I had the nerve and confidence to buy it when I first flew it, which was after only ten hours of flying. I knew it was a great plane, and I would have had that much more time in the plane rather than in creaky old Cherokee planes from the 1970s. Ah well, hindsight is so sharp, isn’t it?

Continue reading →

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