We are now weeks into the COVID lock down. It has been a bit frustrating as the plane is generally a very useful tool in a disaster and can be put to good use in other times. After hurricanes we have hauled supplies and I use it to volunteer with the Coast Guard among other activities. Our Coast Guard support is shut down now as proper social distancing precludes getting a crew and there has been no need to move supplies by air.
With no need for our services in this Pandemic, I feel all dressed up with nowhere to go. This is somewhat new as at the beginning I did not have the plane. The planes annual inspection was due by end of March. I dropped the plane off in late March and then the waiting started. It usually takes about 10 days but this time I had to send the prop out for an upgrade. The machine shop that does the upgrade was really backed up and I ended up waiting a lot longer than planned. The plane came home April 16.
Yes we did a contact less pickup. The shop emailed an invoice. I showed up and placed a check down without approaching anyone and went right to the plane which had been left on the ramp for me. A thorough preflight ensued including a cockpit wipe down, had a quick chat with the mechanic from a safe distance and then I headed home.
Air traffic is way off but the controllers are really busy. Jacksonville for example usually has 5 sectors running, each with a controller. Checking in South of St. Augustine with Jacksonville, it was clear that one person was controlling all 5 sectors. This was later confirmed by one of the controllers I know through social media.
The plane is back and everything is dialed in. I spent the weekend training and cleaning. This included taking advantage of the low clouds and absence of traffic Sunday to work on my instrument skills and extend my currency. The question is now what? While the plane is loads of fun, it is also a tool that usually come in handy when things go stinky bad, just not this time.
It is safe to fly locally as I can accomplish this without getting near another person. Going to most locations for a visit would violate social distancing. For now my focus is on training and currency. I do need to keep the engine running to keep it healthy so I am going back to basics and will work on skills previously perfected in past advanced training that may have become a bit rusty. After work today CC and I did a quick flight. The weather was exceptional and we had some fun with the Go Pro. If you are sick of Netflix, have a look.
With no need for our services in this Pandemic, I feel all dressed up with nowhere to go. This is somewhat new as at the beginning I did not have the plane. The planes annual inspection was due by end of March. I dropped the plane off in late March and then the waiting started. It usually takes about 10 days but this time I had to send the prop out for an upgrade. The machine shop that does the upgrade was really backed up and I ended up waiting a lot longer than planned. The plane came home April 16.
Yes we did a contact less pickup. The shop emailed an invoice. I showed up and placed a check down without approaching anyone and went right to the plane which had been left on the ramp for me. A thorough preflight ensued including a cockpit wipe down, had a quick chat with the mechanic from a safe distance and then I headed home.
Air traffic is way off but the controllers are really busy. Jacksonville for example usually has 5 sectors running, each with a controller. Checking in South of St. Augustine with Jacksonville, it was clear that one person was controlling all 5 sectors. This was later confirmed by one of the controllers I know through social media.
The plane is back and everything is dialed in. I spent the weekend training and cleaning. This included taking advantage of the low clouds and absence of traffic Sunday to work on my instrument skills and extend my currency. The question is now what? While the plane is loads of fun, it is also a tool that usually come in handy when things go stinky bad, just not this time.
It is safe to fly locally as I can accomplish this without getting near another person. Going to most locations for a visit would violate social distancing. For now my focus is on training and currency. I do need to keep the engine running to keep it healthy so I am going back to basics and will work on skills previously perfected in past advanced training that may have become a bit rusty. After work today CC and I did a quick flight. The weather was exceptional and we had some fun with the Go Pro. If you are sick of Netflix, have a look.
