LIFE IS ABOUT RISK/TAKING CHANCES

I have been going thru a nightmare for 2 weeks now with my alternator problems. Two that were shipped to me had hair line cracks in them.....the one that was shipped to me Tuesday was the wrong alternator.

I found out thru my Cherokee Chat friends that I could buy a new alternator [plane power] at Quality Aircraft in Tulsa.

So today I was in desperate need of an airplane ride to Tulsa to pick up my new alternator.

The only pilot friend that I could find who could fly me today was Don Williams [owner of Turkey Mountain Airpark].

I was so desperate to get to Tulsa that I decided to RISK MY LIFE in his Bonanza. For you non-pilots let me explain why I say that.

If you will look at the pictures below you will see a very funny looking tail section. A little history about why the tail is built like that. When Beech was designing this particular plane, they had a very tight budget. As with all planes they start at the front and build to the back. When they got to the tail of the Bonanza , they had run out of MONEY and MATERIAL.

They did not have enough material to build a rudder and elevator so they build what they call a ruddervator...........I am happy to say that a few years later Beech found some more funding and were about to buy materials for the newer models and build normal tail sections for them.

Taking the risk today paid off. Got my alternator and survived the trip in a Bonanza.

A NEW WARDROBE FOR MY ADVENTURE

MY NEW TEE SHIRTS


Don and Janet Williams own Turkey Mountain Airpark, their web site is linked under Friends and Sponsors.

Miss Janet, as Don calls his wife, has one of those hi tech computer sewing machines that can do just about anything.

Miss Janet wanted me to be dressed appropriately for my flying adventure. She made me these beautiful tee shirts.

I have asked her to leave DON and fly away with me....we could get rich flying around selling tee shirts at aviation events.

TEST FLYING MY GO-PED

This might look easy BUT it is not.....


I tried yesterday but could not ride this monster, I went to bed last night thinking, I sure wasted $500 .


I got up this morning as any good pilot would and said to myself, self, you can ride that thing. As with most things in life, once you do it there is nothing to it.


I think it will be ideal for carrying in the 140.

Before you buy one, if you could ride one it would be helpful. After 30 minutes of riding I am comfortable with it.

A GO-PED FOR MY CHEROKEE 140

My go-ped is 20 lbs. It folds to 34"x12"x13"....I will test fly it tomorrow. If I land somewhere and there is no courtesy car, car rental, or taxi.....the go-ped will get me there.

Alternator Update

This is Chad Brown,the A&P installing my alternator that I got from Aircraft Spruce yesterday.

He found a hair line crack on the new alternator, he is pointing to it in the second picture.
Chad is single, looking and available , would really like to meet someone RICH who owns a plane.


I will order another alternator tomorrow, doesn't look like I will begin my adventure this week-end, I will shoot for Monday.

TANNIS LOVES HER FLOWERS

This blog insert has nothing to do with FLYING .

I am posting it to get brownie points with Tannis...she loves her flowers.

I will tell her how thrilled I was to be able to put pictures of her flowers on my flying blog...she will believe me and probably offer to buy me a tank of avgas.

LEAVING AUGUST 17TH ????? I DON'T THINK SO

I was planning to leaving on my flying adventure on the 17th of August. Bodie and I were on our way to a fly-in this past Saturday in Independence Kansas.

When Bodie started 46R we heard a squealing noise ......fan belt was making noise. We decided to have the alternator rebuilt while we have the prop off.

Chad Brown is helping us with the work.....Chad wanted his name on my blog, he will be famous now...

A PICTURE OF PART MY ROUTE

This will give you an idea of the first part of my adventure. What is shown in red is 5459 miles. If you live along this route and would like to fly with me for a day or so contact me.....right seat is empty. tripacer@cox.net

STATES I WILL FLY THRU

When I begin my trip this is the route I plan to take. Because of the heat I plan to head north on the first leg of my trip. My logic is to hit the northern states while it is so hot down south.

I will leave Rogers Ar and head toward Chicago Illinois. When I reach Chicago I will try to fly as close to the border of the United States as possible.

Here is a list of the states I will fly thru and the order I intend to fly thru them.

Leaving Rogers Arkansas, flying northeast....

Missouri
Illinois
Wisconsin
Minnesota
North Dakota
Montana
Idaho
Washington
Oregon
California
Arizona
New Mexico
Texas

At that point I will decide the rest of my route.

PICTURES OF THE BELLS

Me and my Cherokee 140......

This is my son Bodie, he is a licenced pilot, he is working on his instrument ticket.
He has a Mooney coming about the end of August/first of September.

This is my daughter Andrea, we flew to Gaston's for her 24th birthday.
She is the perfect daughter!!!!!

And this is my wife of 37 years, Tannis. She is the one that keeps us all headed in the right direction. We are at Gaston's for lunch....