Winging It

Milwaukee Air & Water Show Fundraiser

2009-10-18T11:22:00.000-05:00

If you are in the Milwaukee area, please consider attending this event to help support next year's Air & Water Show.

Perfect Gear Up Landing

2009-10-16T09:11:00.001-05:00

This pilot is an example of how to stay cool and get the job done when things go bad.

New England and Canada Cruise 2009 - Part 2

2009-10-05T19:03:00.002-05:00

Day 4 - St. John

We pulled into the dock at St. John, New Brunswick early on Tuesday morning. The sky was overcast and threatening rain. We didn't have a shore excursion planned for the day but, while Georgia slept late, I got off the ship for a walk along the waterfront. After seeing the sights and taking a few pictures I made it back to the ship just as the first raindrops were coming down.

We spent most of the day just relaxing on the ship and sightseeing from our balcony. The heavy rain finally stopped in the late afternoon and, with a couple hours left before we sailed, I made one more quick trip ashore to see more of the town. I wish we could have done more in St. John but the weather just wasn't cooperating with us.

For the first time since the night we sailed, we made it to the dining room for dinner.

Day 5 - Sea Day
Wednesday was a sea day and a welcome chance to just relax and enjoy the ship. It was a full day of doing nothing and liking it. The only notable event was that we saw four dolphins alongside the ship while we having lunch. They made a few jumps, probably to look the ship over and then swam off again.We returned to the dining room for dinner but had the table to ourselves as Rodger and Denise didn't come down.

Day 6 - Halifax

Halifax, Nova Scotia was our last port of call for this cruise. Georgia and I spent a week in Nova Scotia on our honeymoon seventeen years ago. We were looking forward to our last shore excursion to Peggy's Cove.

Our tour bus made the scenic drive along the coast to the small fishing village. Nova Scotia is a beautiful part of Canada and we were surprised at how little this area has changed since we last visited. Peggy's Cove itself is virtually unchanged. No development is permitted in the village so it looks the same from year to year. Once you see it, you know why it should stay this way for as long as possible. It is the iconic maritime fishing village.

What has changed though is the number of visitors. When we were last here, we had the whole place virtually to ourselves. Now the town gets hundreds, maybe thousands, of visitors every day. The large number of cruise ships visiting Halifax is what has made the difference. There were three other ships in port the day we were there. Despite the crowds, Peggy's Cove should be part of any visit to Nova Scotia.

We had a couple hours to walk around, take photos, and shop. The weather could not have been better. The blue sky with a few puffy white clouds was a lovely background for photos and the temperature, while only in the 60s, was just right for walking around. We thoroughly enjoyed our time there.

From Peggy's Cove we rode a few minutes to the Whaleback Restaurant for a lobster lunch.I'm not a big lobster fan but this lunch was good.

Our last stop was at Acadian Maple Products for a talk about how maple syrup is made and a few minutes for more shopping. Then it was back to the ship for the last time.

This was the second elegant night of the cruise (we missed the first one when we were so late back to the ship in Portland) so we dressed up and went down to the dining room. Our table mates were there too so we had a pleasant dinner.

Day 7 - Sea day
Friday was our last sea day and our last full day on the Triumph. We slept in, had a late breakfast then went to the cruise directors debarkation talk. A last trip through the ships shops then lunch in the Paris dining room rounded out our morning.

We spent the afternoon relaxing and packing before, as Denise said, we had our "last supper" in the dining room. We rounded out the evening with final packing, put the luggage outside the cabin and turned in early. We would be in New York about 7 AM the next day.

Day 8 - Home

I was up early and watched from the balcony as we sailed into New York Harbor and tied up at Pier 92. I went up on deck to get breakfast then brought a tray down for Georgia. By 8:45 AM we were off the ship, through customs and in the terminal. The only problem was that I could not find our luggage. The bags were all arranged by zone numbers and we were supposed to be in Zone 2. Not only didn't I find our suitcases in Zone 2, I couldn't find any luggage with a number 2 tag on it. I looked over the sea of luggage and realized I was going to have to search it all. Almost an hour later, I found the first of our bags - in Zone 23. I found the second in Zone 24 and the last one in Zone 26. All three of them still had the Zone 2 tags clearly visible. Apparently, to these dock workers, any zone with a 2 in it was close enough.

With suitcases finally in hand, we left the terminal and located one of the Carnival provided buses to LaGuardia. We handed the luggage and Georgia's scooter over to the bus driver and got on. After a short wait for the bus to fill up, we were on our way and soon at the airline terminal. Again, there was no problem with gate checking the scooter. Except for the shore excursions, the TravelScoot worked out very well for Georgia. We will certainly take it on other trips.

We had another shorter than scheduled flight and arrived early in Chicago. We called a cab and were home before 5 PM. Another wonderful cruise behind us and we are already planning the next one.

New England and Canada Cruise 2009 - Part 1

2009-10-05T07:30:00.003-05:00

Day 1 - New York
Our day started early. I was up at 3:30 AM and got Georgia up at 4:00 to be ready when our cab arrived at 4:45. Since Georgia broke her foot last December, she has had a problem walking. Detached tendons in her left foot make it very hard for her to balance properly. When we went to Hawaii in the spring, we used a wheelchair to get around on the ship and on shore excursions. After we got back, she bought a light weight mobility scooter to make travel easier. It worked well at Oshkosh and on short trips but this was the first time we took it on a cruise or on an airliner. Georgia had called the airline and made sure the TravelScoot could be gate checked. It would be fine but, we needed to be at the check-in desk two hours before the flight.

We got to O'Hare in plenty of time and, as promised, the scooter was no problem. Georgia rode it to gate before o it was placed in the cargo hold of the MD80. Our flight was right on time and a stiff tailwind even got us to LaGuardia Airport a half hour early. The scooter was waiting for us at the gate when we got off the airplane. Unfortunately, our luck with it ran out there. Despite assurances from the disability people, our cruise planner and the shore excursion people at Carnival Cruise Lines, the staff was using 10 passenger vans for the transfer from the airport to the Carnival Triumph and they told us they couldn't take the scooter. We ended up waiting at the airport for almost two hours until they finally switched to a full size bus that had room for it and the many waiting cruisers. Still, it was worth the wait has it was a great help to have the scooter on the ship.

Once on ship, we got lunch on the Lido deck then went to out cabin. Our luggage was already there so we got unpacked before the ship sailed. We watched from our starboard side balcony as the ship left the pier and sailed out of New York Harbor. As we passed the Statue of Liberty, we heard faint singing from the forward part of the ship. It grew louder as voices joined in and soon we realized that the passengers out on the upper decks were singing "God Bless America."

After the statue, we went down to the Paris Dinning Room where we met our new table mates Rodger and Denise. They were excellent company on those nights we all made it to the dinning room. Dinner was very good, as usual. After getting up early and spending a long day traveling, we were ready to relax in our cabin for a while and turn in early.

Day 2 - Boston

The ship wasn't due to dock in Boston until 2 PM giving us a chance to sleep in a little on this first full cruise day. When we did wake up, it was to an overcast sky with rain in the forecast. We got breakfast on the Lido deck then attended the cruise director's port talk. Jorge Salano is the funniest cruise director we have sailed with so far. He had everyone in the crowd laughing at each event he conducted. His previous life as a stand up comic is still serving him well.

After the port talk, we stopped at the shore excursion desk for one last check to be sure the scooter was going to be OK on the excursions. To our surprise, and despite everything we had been told before the cruise, the manager told us that no scooters were allowed on any shore excursion. We would have to take one of the ships wheelchairs. Even when we showed him that Georgia's scooter took up no more space and weighed about the same as a wheelchair, he refused to even consider it. So, we hurried to guest services and got a chair for our afternoon in Boston and Salem. Carnival needs to get their information straight so that everyone on shore and aboard the ships is on the same page when it comes to access for the disabled..

Georgia and I both have Salem ancestry so, as avid genealogists, we were looking forward to a chance to see the old cemetery and look for family gravestones. Unfortunately, it was starting to rain as we arrived in the town. Georgia and some of the others were smart enough to stay on the bus at the cemetery. I, and a few others, decided to brave the light rain. That light rain quickly turned into a downpour discouraging any idea I had of inspecting the graves. A quick look around and then back to the bud was all we could do. Even that short stop left us soaked to the skin.

Our next stop was the Witch Museum. Salem was so ashamed of what happened during the witch hysteria of 1692 that, for over two centuries, the people of the town did everything they could to forget that part of their history. It was not until 1992, 300 years after the events, that a memorial was dedicated to those who were killed. Today the pendulum has probably swung too far the other way. The town is full of businesses capitalizing on the witch trials. There are some attractions that try be historically accurate though and the Witch Museum's presentation, while dramatic, is pretty true to history.

On the way back to the ship, our driver and guide gave us a great bus tour of Boston. By the time we boarded the ship we were way to late for dinner so we grabbed a slice of pizza on the Lido deck.

Day 3 - Portland

Today's excursion was the longest of the cruise. Our group was the first off the ship in the morning and the last back on that night. We traveled from Portland, Maine into the state of New Hampshire and to the base of Mount Washington, the highest peak in New England at 6,288 ft. It known for it's extreme weather, holding the record for the highest wind gust measured at the Earth's surface, 231 MPH. The mountain is located in the Presidential Range of the White Mountains.

We saw the best fall colors of the whole trip on this tour. We were a week or so too early for peak color but what we saw was still good. The two and a half hour drive to mountain took us through some lovely Maine and New Hampshire countryside. Unlike the day before, the weather was beautiful. A mostly clear sky and temperature about 70.

We arrived at the Mount Washington Cog Railway station about 11:30 AM. The "Cog" was the world's first mountain climbing cog railway and, as it has for 140 years, still carries passengers to the top of the mountain. Over those years the railway has switched from wood burning steam engines to coal fired steam and, while they still run a couple steam trains, is now making the conversion from steam to bio-diesel engines. The experience of riding up a mountain aboard a train is still the same as it always was though. Before boarding the coach, we were handed a box lunch to eat during the hour plus ride to the top. It is only a two and a half mile trip but the train climbs very slowly. At Jacob's Ladder, the steepest part of the climb, the train is going up a 37% grade and the front of the passenger coach is twelve feet above the rear.

Once we got to the summit, we had an hour to enjoy the views and explore the mountain top. There is a visitors center with a snack bar and gift shop and the famous Mount Washington Observatory. A viewing platform is on top of the building and provides the best views on the Presidential Range and the sides of Mount Washington itself. The ride back down is a little quicker than the trip up but no less exciting. Here is where the brakeman earns his pay using the hand wheels to brake the coach and keep it on the tracks.

We made it back to the ship just before the sailing time of 6 PM so skipped dinner in the Paris Dining room again in favor of the Lido deck buffet. It was a long day but a wonderful excursion.

Waukegan Air Show - 2009

2009-09-21T07:02:00.002-05:00

The weather was perfect yesterday and, unlike last year when a money shortage forced it's cancellation, the Waukegan Air Show was on. Georgia and I got there about 11 AM, looked over the static displays, got some lunch and staked out our spots for the 1 PM show.

Warbirds from the Warbird Heritage Foundation Museum, located on the field, were on static display. Several of them also performed flybys before and during the air show.

The Sky Knights Sport Parachute Club based at East Troy Airport in Wisconsin opened the show with a skydiving demo and flag presentation. All four jumpers made perfect stand-up landings right at show center. The flag was escorted by the Aerostars three ship formation team.

Dave Dacy from Harvard, Illinois who flew his Super Stearman in both a solo act and then later with wing walker Tony Kazian on the outside of the airplane.

Mike Vaknin in his Extra 300L, Herb Baker and his T28C named “Ditto”, Bob Davis with his Sukhoi 29, Mike Love in the Yak 52, and Jim "Fang" Maroney in his deHaviland Super Chipmunk all performed high energy solo routines.

The Aerostars in their Yak 52TW aircraft and the Hoppers four ship L-39 Albatross jet team provided the precision formation flying.

Paul Stender wowed the crowd with his 300+ mile per hour jet powered Dodge Ram truck and
the jet powered outhouse comedy routine.

This was an excellent show and plans are underway to make the 2010 edition even bigger and better so, let's hope the hard financial times that forced the cancellation in 2008 are behind us for good.

Waukegan Airshow this Saturday

2009-09-16T07:33:00.002-05:00

Don't forget the Waukegan Airshow is coming up this Saturday - September 19. Gates open at 10AM and the show starts at 1PM.

See you there!

I'm Still Here

2009-08-29T10:51:00.003-05:00

I know that I have been lax about posting lately. I have been busy at work and with my new project. As some of you already know, I have been trying my hand at freelance web content writing over on eHow. So far, it has been going well but takes a lot of time to get it off the ground. Hopefully, as I get more established, I will be able to spend less time on it.

No flying recently but i hope to get back to that soon too. Then there is the next cruise coming up later this month. So many things on my plate and so little time.

AirVenture 2009 Video

2009-08-17T14:28:00.001-05:00

Here is a wonderful video from AirVenture 2009 that is making a big splash on YouTube and beyond. I don't know the young man who created it but he did a great job.

Weekend Road Trip

2009-08-17T08:26:00.004-05:00

Georgia and I decided Friday night that we would make a spur of the moment trip to the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana to do some genealogy research. We got on the road about 6:30 Saturday morning and arrived at the library just before noon. We lost an hour for the time zone change so it was actually just a four and a half hour trip.

We spent a productive afternoon in the family history book section. Georgia wanted to look at a particular book about her ancestors, which was the main reason for the trip, but I found some new information to add to my tree too. The ACPL has the second largest genealogy department in the country, after the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, so we try to get there every year. It always pays off for us.

We left the library at closing time and checked into the Hilton just down the street. The desk clerk recommended a couple nearby restaurants for dinner and we chose to get pizza at Toscani. Try it if you are in Fort Wayne. It was very good.

Our drive back on Sunday was no problem, until we got to Chicago. The Air & Water Show was on but I thought we had timed it right to get through without much traffic. We almost did but, just as we neared the loop, it started raining hard. Traffic slowed to a crawl and, to make it worse, people decided to leave the airshow because of the weather. It ended up taking us a good hour to go the next 10 miles or so. But, we made it home safely so the trip was a success all around.

I haven't had any time for flying lately. My work load at my job has been heavy. I was scheduled for today but there is a good chance of thunderstorms this afternoon so I rescheduled for Thursday. Hopefully that will work out.

AirVenture 2009 - Part 2

2009-08-03T14:31:00.004-05:00

After coffee and donuts at the Aces Cafe, Saturday morning found us back at the Forums Plaza. I chose the Safe Single Pilot IFR presentation for this session. Now that I have started on my instrument rating, this is of special interest to me. I picked up some good tips from Doug Stewart's talk.

We spent the rest of the morning visiting vendor booths. In particular, I wanted to see the latest GPS units and Electronic Flight Bags that are available. A couple vendors really stuck out for me. The Anywhere Map SST has some very nice features especially when the optional UltraTaws high resolution terrain package is added. For a smaller unit, the Anywhere Map ATC surprised me with how easy to use it is and how readable the screen is. With the addition of Pocket Plates 3, it is a very usable IFR tool. Newly announced at the show was MaxNav for the ATC which adds high resolution sectional charts.

The other handheld GPS manufacturer that impressed me was Bendix King. Their new Av8or Ace EFB looks like it can do everything I would need. The base map, approach plates, low and high enroute charts and taxi diagrams are all georeferenced so the aircraft position is displayed on the chart. In addition, this unit can interface with IFR certified panel units including the Bendix King KLN94 and the Garmin GPS 430/530. In that configuration, the Ace displays the course and waypoint information loaded into the panel mounted GPS.

Both Anywhere Map units and the Av8or Ace support XM weather and Zaon traffic avoidance displayed on the screen. I suspect I could be happy with any of the three systems but, the Bendix King would probably be my first choice.

We also visited the Bose and Lightspeed displays so that Georgia could try on some headsets. She liked the feel of the Lightspeed Zulu the best. Maybe a new headset is in her future? She has been using my original Flightcom 4DLX. We saw a lot more products, too many to include everything here, before going to Saturdays airshow.

The days showcase included the parade of homebuilts and the Erickson S-64F Aircrane Helitanker "Elvis" doing water drops. The Aircrane is an amazing fire fighting tool. Using twin snorkels, it can fill it's 2,650 gallon tank in less than 45 seconds from any water source at least 18 inches deep and drop that water precisely where it is needed.
The helicopter took off, flew toward Lake Winnebago and was back in just a few minutes. It flew down the runway dropping water over about a half mile of ground.

At the end of the showcase, a camera helicopter flew along the flightline getting pictures of the crowd for upcoming films about AirVenture. We all got to be "extras" for a few minutes.

The warbird extravaganza preceded the day's show and included even more pyrotechnics than the day before. At the end, even though the wind was from behind us, we got a blast of heat from the 1000 foot wall of fire.

You won't see this many vintage fighters, reconnaissance airplanes, bombers and trainers in the air at the same time anywhere else.

The days airshow featured: Liberty Parachute Team - Skydiving/Parachute, AeroShell Team - (4) T-6's, Kirby Chambliss - Edge 540, Collaborators - 4 Ship, Mike Goulian - Extra, Greg Koontz - Decathlon, Misty Blues - Skydiving/Parachute, David Martin - Extra, Gene Soucy - Showcat Solo, Sean Tucker - Pitts.

Again, this was a non-stop, action packed airshow. Every year, AirVenture attracts the very best airshow performers. They volunteer to come to Oshkosh because it represents a major achievement in their careers. These really are the best of the best.

We spent Saturday night in Oshkosh and had dinner at Friar Tuck's. We can recommend it to any AirVenture attendees. I like the prime rib sandwich while Georgia prefers the Reuben. Then, on Sunday morning we left to make the drive back home. The hotel is right off the end of runway 27 and, as we loaded the car, we watched the string of airplanes leaving for home too. They came over in a constant stream with less than 30 seconds between them as they fanned out across the country - until next years AirVenture.

AirVenture 2009 - Part 1

2009-08-03T08:08:00.001-05:00

Georgia and I left for Oshkosh early Friday morning and got to Whittman Field about 9AM. Just in time to get our wrist bands and make it over to Forums Plaza for Rod Machado's 10 o'clock presentation. So, we got to start off the show with a good laugh.

After watching Rod, we walked down the main road to look over the manufacturers offerings. Diamond and Cessna both had a lot of airplanes on display. Of the VLJs, I like the Diamond D-Jet the best. I will never own one but, it is a nice looking airplane. The DA-20 with Garmin glass is something that I could fly one day. The HK36 motor glider is also back after several years out of the U.S. market. I wouldn't mind flying that too.

Cessna's big announcement was that the Skycatcher has completed ASTM compliance clearing the way for deliveries to begin later this year. Of the Cessna models on display, my favorite was the 400 Corvalis TT.

We got some lunch and then worked our way toward the flight line for the afternoon airshow. Along the way, we got a look at the Airbus A380 and the White Knight 2 in Aeroshell Square. More about them soon.

We set up our chairs by runway 18/36 in time for the afternoon showcase which proceeded the airshow. The action kicked off with a demo flight by the White Knight 2. The airplane looks ungainly on the ground but is very graceful in the air. Scaled Composites designed this as a multi-purpose machine. In addition to being a launch vehicle for SpaceShipTwo, the White Knight is also a space ship trainer, transporter and zero G trainer for space tourists.

Next was the departure of the A380. This is one huge airplane! It is, however, surprisingly quite. As it came by in a low speed pass, it just seemed to hang in the sky. It is very impressive to see it close up in flight.

After the Airbus left, two other very big aircraft arrived. First was the C-17 Globemaster, the Air Forces very large transport. As big as this airplane is, it was able to land on the first half of runway 36. Even more impressive was that the next airplane to arrive, the C-5 Galaxy did the same thing. This C-5 is one of only three of the new, re-engined, M models designated the Super Galaxy.

The days airshow was an all female performer show kicked off by the Misty Blues skydive team. Also performing were Julie Clark - T-34, Susan Dacy - Stearman, Debbie Gary - Marchetti, Jill Long - Pitts, Jess Panzer - Pitts, Melissa Pemberton - Edge, Debby Rihn-Harvey - CAP, Teresa Stokes - Wing walking act, Patty Wagstaff - Extra, Amanda Franklin - Wing walking. The action was fast and all the ladies did a great job. The show concluded with the warbird extravaganza complete with pyrotechnics.

After the show, we left to go check in at our hotel. We were staying in Fond Du Lac this first night and so had a half hour drive - not counting the time it took to get out of the parking area.

AirVenture 2009 Opens Today

2009-07-27T09:08:00.002-05:00

Today is the opening day of EAA AirVenture 2009 at Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Georgia and I will be there later in the week but, for now, I can only watch from the sidelines. There are some ways that those of us who can not attend or who are going later can follow the action from a distance.

First of course is the Airventure website at http://www.airventure.org/. There you can find daily highlights and announcements. You can also join the Oshkosh365 online community for updates and a live runway camera. It is available free to all EAA members. You can also listen to the Oshkosh tower frequencies at LiveATC.net. Not enough Oshkosh yet? Just do a web search for AirVenture 2009 and you will find plenty of blogs and reports from the show.

So, if you are at the show or following from a distance, I hope you enjoy this years AirVenture.

A Weekend at the Airport

2009-07-13T07:12:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, Georgia and I flew to Janesville for lunch at Kealy's. This is the first time Georgia has flown with me since her foot surgeries and, as she pointed out, the first time we have flown together on a hot summer day. The near 90 degree temperature and light but gusty winds made this ride her bumpiest so far. She handled it fine though. Lunch was good and it was a nice weekend trip.

Sunday was the summer picnic and spot landing contest at Stick & Rudder. I opted out of the landing event but we got there in time to watch most of it. The contest was divided into categories for student, private and commercial pilots. The overall winner, beating out both the private and commercial pilots, was one of the club students who touched down just 10 feet from the line.

After the contest, the ramp was closed for the rest of the day so members and guests could enjoy the food and music. Lunch included a pig roast, brats, hot dogs, hamburgers and plenty of side dishes thanks to a members pot luck. The weather was perfect, the food was great and everyone seemed to have a good time. This is the sort of event that makes a flying club more than just a collection of airplanes.

Instrument Lesson 3 - Working Hard

2009-07-08T10:59:00.003-05:00

Yesterday's lesson included several new tasks. I was pushed well beyond my, admittedly still pretty low, workload limit during this one. It was hard work but a very good lesson.

As before, I filed IFR to the Kenosha airport, did the preflight - including a VOR check, got the ATIS and our clearance and taxied to runway 5 - checking the turning instruments along the way. I did the runup and the radio setup before letting the tower know we were ready to go. We were cleared for takeoff and a right turn to 090. Tower handed us off to departure while I was still turning and we were in radar contact. Chicago took longer than usual to turn us north so we were a couple miles out over the lake by the time we were handed off to Milwaukee. Approach initially cleared us up to 4000 feet but amend our clearance to 3000 just about the time I got to that altitude. I leveled off and a couple minutes later Pete took the controls and canceled IFR while I put on the foggles. I took over again, turned west and climbed to 4000 to get above Kenosha's airspace. The couple minutes after I got to the new altitude were the only easy straight and level I would fly for the rest of the lesson.

Pete had me start with a 360 degree standard rate turn in each direction. Then a climbing turn up to 5000 feet. Next, he told me to take off the glasses and do a steep turn each way. That went OK so I put the foggles back on and tried steep turns on the gauges. Those were much harder than I expected. I really had to speed up my scan to keep track of the rapidly changing dials. I still lost a couple hundred feet on the first turns and missed my headings by about 10 degrees too. The next two went better but I was still losing a hundred feet or so during each 360 degrees. Finally, on the last one, I managed to end up close 5000 but it was certainly nothing resembling a level turn. I would be 100 feet low then over compensate so I was 100 feet high then 70 feet low and back to 100 feet high. A real roller coaster ride for Pete. Steep turns are going to take more practice.

After the turns, Pete told me all I had to do for the next 5 or 6 minutes was too stay at 5000 feet and headed west. I though he was giving me a rest but I was wrong. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his hand moving to the throttle and suddenly the engine was at idle. I held back pressure to maintain altitude as the speed bled off. Pete added flaps and soon the stall horn was blaring. Just before the stall, he pushed the power all the way back in and I lowered the nose to compensate. The flaps came back up and the speed kept increasing to the yellow arc. From then on, he kept reducing and adding power while I did my best to keep us level. This exercise went well as I never got more than 50 feet off my assigned altitude and held heading almost exactly.

With the power back at cruise setting, Pete reached over and slapped a couple of those nasty suction cup thingies over the attitude and heading indicators. I hadn't expected to be doing partial panel just yet and my ability to stay straight and level immediately took a nose dive. I eventually got the airplane under better control and managed to hold it approximately wings level at least. Then Pete had me add the clock to the scan and make some timed 180 degree turns, partial panel. The first couple roll outs were off by 20 degrees or more but the last one was within 5 degrees of east. There may be hope that I can figure this out after all!

I felt much better when I finally got my "failed" instruments back but Pete took care of that by adding the radios to the mix. He had me tune the Northbrook VOR and fly directly to it. I got it dialed in OK and rotated the OBS to show my heading to the VOR. I made the turn, re-centered the OBS and started tracking inbound. It didn't take long for everything to fall apart though. I just couldn't keep the needle centered. For some reason, I was turning the wrong way every time. Pete chalked it up to being overloaded and tired after all we had done already. Radio navigation is not really a part of this phase of my training but Pete had wanted to introduce it. I will be doing much more of it in lessons to come.

Next, Pete had me tune the Waukegan localizer on both nav radios and set the ATIS and tower into com 1. Runway 5 was still in use but, as in the previous flights, Pete vectored me for the ILS approach to runway 23. This time I kept the foggles on until we were established on the approach then took them off so I could watch the relationship of the airplane to the runway and compare it to what the needles were showing. We continued down to 1300 feet then broke off to circle for runway 5. As we were entering the downwind, the controller told the Diamond doing touch and goes in front of us to watch out for a coyote on the runway. The critter was toward departure end so was not a factor for us. We didn't even see him. As we secured the airplane, the fatigue came over me. This had been an exhausting lesson but I learned a lot from it.

One other thing happened during this lesson that I didn't even know about until I updated my online logbook. An hour into the flight, I reached my 200th hour of flight time - with many more hours to come.

Baraboo-Wisconsin Dells Airshow

2009-06-30T19:16:00.008-05:00

On Friday, Georgia and I were looking for a last minute weekend escape and decided to drive up to the Baraboo-Wisconsin Dells Airshow. We made a reservation at the Ho-Chunk Hotel, which is adjacent to the airport, for Friday night but they were booked up for Saturday. The Wisconsin Dells area has plenty of hotels though and we were able to get a room at the Baraboo Best Western just 3 miles from the airport.

We left right after I got home from work on Friday afternoon, stopped for dinner along the way and got to the hotel about 7:30PM. There was an evening airshow scheduled that day but, because we weren't sure just when we would arrive, we hadn't planned to go. That wasn't much of an issue though since we had a very good view from the hotel. I walked over toward the airport fence and got some video of the aircraft against the twilit sky. After the show, we moved inside to the casino to make a small monetary contribution to the Ho-Chunk nation.

We checked out of the hotel about 9:30 Saturday morning, got some breakfast and were at the airport by 11 o'clock. The airshow, in it's fourth year, is still small but well done. Several light sport aircraft were on static display along with a C-47 and P51 Mustang. The airshow line up included:

U.S. Air Force A-10 West Demo Team
U.S. Army 101 st Airborne C-23 Sherpa Dyess AFB C-130 HERCULES
C.A.F. Gary Wing Douglas C-47 “Black Sparrow” Warbird
North American P-51 Mustang “Gunfighter” Warbird
Screaming Rebels T-6 Texan Aerobatic Team
FLY HIGH Helicopters gave rides and flew a helicoptor demo
Mike Olah - Piper Pawnee banner tow
Michael Vaknin Extra 300
Steve Falon – Pitts S1S
Mike Niccum – Staudacher S-300D
Bob Davis – Sukhoi SU-29
Larry Schlasinger – Russian Yak 5

The C-130 had to scrub due to an engine problem enroute to the show and Bob Davis had to return to the ramp after taxiing out for takeoff because he had a mechanical problem. All those who did perform did a great job.

Rain interrupted the show just before the A-10 demo finale. Georgia and I had seen the A-10 the night before so we bailed rather than waiting out the rain storm. We checked into the hotel then got dinner at the Log Cabin Restaurant. Sunday morning, we slept in a little and made the drive home. Despite the brief rain on Saturday, it was a very pleasant way to spend the weekend and a nice little getaway.

Instrument Procedure Trainer 7

2009-06-25T08:30:00.004-05:00

I ordered a copy of the ASA Instrument Procedure Trainer 7 a few days ago and received it yesterday. The package includes the simulator software and the Pilot's Manual Volume 3: Instrument Flying.

I don't have enough experience with it to give a detailed review yet but, I can say the installation was very easy and the book is excellent. I did spend some time working on the first lesson last night and the software seems easy to use. Each lesson starts with a demonstration of the task to be performed, a prompted session with the virtual CFI giving instructions, an unprompted practice session and then a test. Each of the demonstration, prompted and practice stages can be repeated as many times as you feel you need. At the end of each, you will get an evaluation of how you did.

I will give a more detailed review after I have spent some time using the software but, from what I have seen so far, this program will help me prepare for my flight lessons and, in the long run, save me money. If you would like to try the program for yourself, ASA offers a free demo at http://www.asa2fly.com/IP-Trainer-Demo-C152_category.aspx.

Instrument Lesson 2 - More Attitude

2009-06-23T08:41:00.001-05:00

It was 90 degrees when I got to the club today. Pete was with another student when I arrived so he told me to file IFR to Kenosha while I waited for him. I filled out the form, called 1-800-WX-BRIEF and filed. Pete finished up with his previous student and we went over our plan for the flight. This lesson would be more of what we did in lesson 1 - basic attitude instrument flying and general introduction to the ATC system. Soon we were out on the hot ramp for the preflight. Again, like last time, we went over the difference between preflighting for a IFR flight rather than a VFR one.

With the preflight done, we got in the airplane, quickly opened the windows, and fired up the engine. We plan to do a VOR check before every flight even though it is only required once every 30 days. For these early flights, we do a comparison check between the 2 VOR in the airplane. Because we weren't planning to use the nav radios on this flight, we both forgot about it. I didn't think about it at all and Pete didn't remember until we were doing the debrief after the flight. I am working on making up my own checklist so, I will add VOR checks to that.

I called ground, got our IFR clearance, read it back with no problem and we were on our way to runway 5. I made sure to check the turn instruments as we taxied. I did the run-up at the last intersection and Pete talked me through the radio setup and checks. We use the intersections so we don't have to feel rushed like we would if we were at the end of the runway with another aircraft coming up behind us.

Pete has a routine for using the radios on the ground that makes sure both transmitters and receivers are tested before takeoff. We listen to ATIS on com 2 then call ground on com 1. Now, com 1 has been checked so, at the runway, we set ground and tower in com 2 and switch to that radio to continue monitoring ground. Then, we set Chicago departure and Milwaukee approach in com 1. When ready to go, I just flip frequencies on com 2 and call the tower. That completes the check on that transceiver and both have been tested.

In a few minutes, we were all set so I called the tower. Today, I was cleared for takeoff with a right turn to 090 which took us to the lake shore. Departure cleared us up to 5000 feet and turned us to 360 before handing us off to Milwaukee. When I checked in with Milwaukee approach, that controller amended out clearance to level off at 3000 feet. I repeated it back to him and leveled off. When he asked which approach we wanted, Pete canceled IFR and took the controls while I put on the foggles.

I took control back and Pete had me turn west for the practice area. For some reason, I was having more trouble holding altitude and heading than I did during the first lesson. After a few minutes of trying for straight and level, I settled down enough to get the airplane under better control. I think I was just trying to hard at first. It was bumpy today, with the heat generated thermals, but I can't blame that for my difficulty getting on track.

I did straight and level, turns, climbs and descents - both straight ahead and turning - like last time. As a new task, I added and removed flaps while holding altitude. Then, Pete threw in a new twist to make things harder. He told me to hold my heading and altitude no matter what he did. Oh, and I could not touch the trim while I did it. Then he proceeded to change our configuration by adding and reducing power, adding and retracing flaps and rolling the trim wheel while I tried to compensate. I actually did pretty well at that exercise.

By now, it was getting close to the end of our time so Pete had me take off the foggles and directed me out over Lake Michigan to intercept the localizer for the ILS Rwy 23 approach back into Waukegan. As before, I kept my eyes moving from the dials to the runway to get a picture of how changes on the needles effected our position in relation to the pavement. Runway 5 was still in use so when Pete checked in with the tower, he told the controller we wanted to track the localizer as long as possible. We we told to fly inbound to 2 miles and then switch over to the left downwind for runway 5. I did a good job of keeping the needles centered this time and I was usually already moving the controls when Pete made comments. At 2 miles, Pete took over and stepped us over to the downwind. Then I took the controls again for the pattern and landing.

This was a very good lesson. I am feeling more comfortable with the basic aircraft control. Pete's only comment was that I need to be more aggressive in making corrections. I still have the mindset of making only very gradual changes while on the instruments like I was taught in primary training. Now I have to learn to make the airplane do what I want it to do smoothly but firmly and quickly.

First Instrument Rating Lesson - Finally

2009-06-16T11:53:00.006-05:00

I have a couple flight training tasks that I started but have left hanging lately. I need about 12 more hours of PIC time in a Skyhawk or equivalent to qualify for club insurance on the C172RG. I also wanted to build some cross country time to be closer to the required 50 hours before starting on my instrument rating. These aren't really pressing though and it has been too easy to let other activities take priority over flying. I finally decided that I need a serious project to get me in the air and, since the instrument rating is my next big goal, starting on that seems like the best choice. I can get the extra PIC hours from the training and can always take some extra flights with Georgia to make up any cross country time I don't get in training. So, I scheduled 3 hours with CFII Pete and 2 hours in a club C172P for yesterday.

My extra hour with Pete got wiped out early in the morning when I learned I had a noon meeting to go to. Unfortunately, work is one thing I still have to give priority so, I got to Stick & Rudder at 2 pm instead of 1 o'clock as originally planned. Pete and I still needed some time to talk over the training and our plan so, that extra hour cut into my flight time. As it turned out, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

To start with, Pete explained his IR training philosophy and procedures. He believes that actual experience is the best teacher. Whenever possible, we will fly in the ATC system. That means that, for every flight, I will file an IFR flight plan and I will talk to ATC for at least part of the flight. For the first few lessons, we will cancel IFR early in the flight so we will have to be in VMC. As we get further into the training, we will be getting more time in actual IMC.

There will be three phases to the training. The first, and hopefully far shortest, phase is basic attitude instrument flying. I will be doing the same maneuvers I have been doing VFR but, without outside reference. That means turns, climbs, descents, slow flight, stalls, etc. with the foggles on. My climbs and descents will be at specific airspeeds and vertical rates. I will be learning much more about how to use attitude and power to get the performance I need.

Phase two is the navigation stage and will require the most time. It will include VOR tracking, airway navigation, NDBs, radar vectoring, GPS navigation, etc. Holding patterns and approaches are also a part of this phase. This is the nitty-gritty of safely getting from where you are to where you want to go.

Phase three will put all the previous training together to master operating IFR in the ATC system. While we will be doing much of the same things in the earlier phases, this part will include more emphasis on the fine points of flight planning, communication and cross country instrument flying. It will end with preparation for the instrument practical test.

Plunging right in, Pete went through a flight plan for a flight from Waukegan to Kenosha and had me call Flight Service to file it. Then we went out to the airplane for a thorough preflight. There are a few new items, like pitot heat and antenna inspection that are different from my usual preflight. The fuel tanks were low so we pulled the airplane over to the pumps and I filled it up.

In the cabin, I started up and got the ATIS. Then I called ground for my first IFR departure. The controller told me our clearance was ready and I let him know I was ready to copy. I actually got it all down except for the departure frequency which Pete fed me:

"Cessna 5232K is cleared to the Kenosha Airport via radar vectors. Climb and Maintain 3000 feet expect 5000 feet 10 minutes after takeoff. Departure frequency 120.55, squawk 5331."

I read it back without a hitch and we were told to taxi to runway 23 via C and A. As I made the turns on the taxiways, I checked the magnetic compass, DG and turn indicator for correct movement. I pulled off at the last intersection so we could do our runup and system checks. This is more complete than what I was used to. We set and checked the volume on every com and nav radio, set the ADF and tested it, setup the GPS even though I wouldn't be using it for this flight. This airplane only has a VFR certified GPS so I can't use it for primary IFR navigation. Pete would use it later to vector me though.

I turned on the lights, set the transponder, told tower we were ready to go - and go my first "hold for release." We were waiting for Chicago departure to make a space for us. I had been behind other aircraft holding at the runway but this was the first time that it was me. About 5 minutes later the tower called; "Cessna 5232K turn right 270, cleared for takeoff," and away we went.

I made the turn to the west at the end of the runway and, as I did, tower sent me over to departure. That's when I made my first radio mistake of the day. I switched frequencies, listened for a few seconds then said; "Chicago departure Cessna 5232K with you 12 thousand for 3 thousand". Yep, instead of one thousand two hundred I said one two thousand. I suspect that that was an immediate tip off to the controller that he was talking to a trainee. Pete got on and corrected me then reassured me that everyone did that at some point and it was no big deal.

I still didn't have the glasses on so I continued flying west and climbing visually. Soon we got the instruction to turn to 340 and climb to 5000 feet and I replied correctly this time. Once on the new heading, the controller sent us over to Milwaukee approach. I had set the frequency on the ground so I switched to it and made the call. The new controller reported us in radar contact and asked our intentions. Pete told him we would be canceling IFR in a couple more miles and, a couple minutes later he did just that. Once we were squawking VFR, he took the controls and had me put the foggles on.

For the next .8 hours, Pete was my controller. He told me that, whenever he is playing ATC, he will use standard phraseology and expects me to do the same. In particular, if he calls me 5232K I should respond with 5232K if he says 32K is should do the same. So now, I have to pay close attention to what he says and to keeping my heading and altitude correct. This is already hard work!

After a few minutes straight and level to get settled down, Pete started giving me new headings to turn to. This airplane does not have a heading bug so I put the headings into the ADF to keep track of them. Pete gives me the heading, I set the ADF, reply to his call and start the turn - all at the same time. After a few level turns, Pete started adding climbs and descents so that I was turning and changing altitude at the same time. I think I did pretty well for the first lesson. For the most part, I held altitude within 50 feet and heading within 5 or 6 degrees. That seems like a good basis for future improvement. Pete kept assuring me I was doing fine so I guess I should believe him.

After only a half hour or so of this though, my altitude started wandering by more like a 100 feet than 50. Pete noticed and told me it was a sure sign that I was getting tired. He would turn me back to the airport and, in a few minutes have me take off the glasses. One more climb to get us above the Kenosha airspace and then I was out from under the foggles and could see the ground again. I kept us heading east at 3500 feet while Pete filled me in on what we would do next.

On every flight, including this first one, we would make an instrument approach back into Waukegan. For now, we will always fly the ILS 23. This first lesson, I flew the whole approach without a hood so I could relate what was happening on the gauges to what was happening visually. I set both nav radios to the localizer frequency and got the ATIS, which was reporting 5 knot winds with runway 05 in use. Not a problem, we would fly the approach as long as possible and then enter the pattern for runway 05. Pete gave me vectors out over Lake Michigan and onto the localizer.

Once inbound, he called the tower and told the controller we wanted to fly the localizer inbound to the pattern. We were instructed to report 2 miles and enter the left downwind for 05. As we got closer, the glideslope needle came alive. I did my best to watch both needles and the runway too. It was look down, look up, look down, look up - all the way in. Before we got to the 2 mile point, the controller called again. He said the winds were under 5 knots and he had no one else in the pattern. If we wanted to, we could continue straight in for runway 23. We wanted to and did. I continued on the ILS until we were about 500 feet and then landed visually. I had been concentrating on the needles and hadn't been paying enough attention to my speed. I came over the numbers a little fast and with a slight tailwind so I touched down long and missed our usual turn off. No big deal, we had plenty of runway and I got off at the next taxiway.

With the airplane secured, we went inside to talk over what we had done. Because of my late start, the whole flight was only 1.2 hours with .8 simulated IFR time. I wasn't dissapointed at that though. I was worn out. Pete joked that the real purpose of instrument training is to build up stamina for instrument flight - or maybe that is more truth than joke. We were both pleased with how this first lesson had gone. IFR lesson 1 is in the book! Next time we will do more of the same but add more maneuvers to the basic flying repertoire.

Jetrecord Online Logbook

2009-06-10T07:53:00.002-05:00

Thanks to Todd over at MyFlightBlog.com for posting a review of the new online logbook service called Jetrecord. I was able to create a new account and import my LogShare records within just a few minutes. In addition to Logshare, you can import from other online and computer based logbooks as well as entering flights manually. For now, I will maintain both online logs - you can't have too many backups.

Jetrecord has some nice features like integration with Flickr, Twitter and Google Maps that look very interesting. I will be exploring ways to make good use of those features to share my flights with friends and family. For now, I have added a widget to track my hours to this blog. I will be watching the web site and the Jetrecord Blog for new features and tips.

You can open your own free account at https://www.jetrecord.com/signup/Lindy.

Back From St. Louis and Looking Forward to Oshkosh

2009-06-01T07:29:00.003-05:00

Georgia attended the Klic-N-Kut digital die cutting seminar in St. Louis over the weekend and I tagged along. She learned a lot while I got to relax for a few days. I did help out with some video recording of the sessions and helped the ladies carry their machines but, for the most part, I took it easy. It is nice to just get away occasionally.

This morning, I booked a hotel room in Oshkosh for the last weekend of AirVenture. We wont be there for the whole week this year but we will at least catch the last couple days.

Waukegan Air Show to Return

2009-05-22T07:59:00.003-05:00

Good news! After being canceled last year, it looks like the Waukegan air show is back on for this year. An article in today's Lake County Sun Times gives September 19 as the date. If you are in the area, please try to attend. We need to support the event if we want it to continue in the future.

Hawaii Cruise - Part 4

2009-05-11T10:01:00.111-05:00

Waikiki, Oahu - Friday morning, April 24, our cruise ended. We left the ship, collected our luggage in the terminal and caught a cab to the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach. We would be staying there for the next three nights. We checked in about 11 AM but our room wasn't ready yet so we took the opportunity to get some lunch. The hotel has three restaurants and a sandwich shop. We chose Duke's Canoe Club for lunch and were pleased with the service, the food and the view of Waikiki beach. After lunch we got our room keys and went on up. We had an ocean view room on the eleventh floor. From the balcony we could see a portion of the beach on one side and the shops along Kalakaua Avenue on the other.

After we unpacked what we would need for the next few days, we went back down to the street level and checked out some of the shops both in the hotel and along the street. We came across several signs announcing Spam Jam coming up Saturday night. We knew that Spam is very popular in Hawaii, just check the menu in any McDonald's in the islands, but a festival to celebrate the canned meat was something of a surprise to us. That was something we would have to see. We didn't have a lot of time for exploration because we had to get back to the room to get ready for our evening at Germaine's Luau.

The bus to Germaine's left from the next street over but we weren't sure exactly where. We walked over there a little early and located the place. What we found was a whole block where buses line up for many tours. There were other people going to Germaine's as well as those going to different luaus and sunset dinner cruises. We got it all sorted out and got on the right bus with our guide Holly. Besides acting as our hostess at the luau, it was also her job to get us in a party mood before we arrived. She did well at both tasks.

Once on the Germaine's grounds, We watched the pig being pulled out of it's cooking pit then enjoyed a couple Mai Tais while we waited for the buffet dinner to get started. While we ate, we were entertained by the musicians and dancers on the stage. The audience participation bits were especially funny. We enjoyed the dinner and the entertainment but, it had been a long day. When we got back to the hotel we were exhausted. We had to be up early in the morning for a tour of the island of Oahu so we had to sleep fast.

Early Saturday morning we were back at the bus stop to catch the Grand Island Circle Tour. This was a full day trip that took us to Diamond Head, Nuuanu Pali Lookout, Waimea Bay, lunch at the Dole pineapple plantation, Byodo-In temple, views of the offshore Rabbit Island and Chinaman's Hat and many other locations on Oahu.

Our driver and tour guide, Dave, did an outstanding job of keeping us entertained and informed along the way.

The vog was finally almost gone giving us the clearest day of our trip. The view from Pali Lookout was fantastic with the green hills against the blue sky and water. This is what Hawaii is supposed to look like and does most of the time.

When we got back to Waikiki, the Spam Jam was getting started. The street had been lined with food booths and music stands and was packed from sidewalk to sidewalk with locals and visitors alike. We looked around but decided to have dinner at Duke's rather than at the festival. After our long day we wanted a real meal.

On Sunday, our last full day in Hawaii, we took the opportunity to relax. We started off at the International Market Place across the street from the hotel. This pleasant shopping area, covered by palm and banyan trees, has hundreds of shops and food stands. We didn't buy much but we enjoyed the window shopping anyway. For lunch, we even found a place called Hank's Haute Dogs that sold Chicago style dogs.

After lunch and a little more shopping, we crossed the street and visited Waikiki Beach. We took our pictures of the Duke Kahanamoku statue and waved at the web cam. Duke's Canoe Club restaurant at the hotel is named for this same man and the walls there are covered with Duke pictures and memorabilia. Duke was an important factor in making Waikiki the tourist attraction it is today and references to him are everywhere.

Georgia was still recovering from her last foot surgery and had to stay out of the sand and water. That meant no swimming for us on this trip. We didn't really miss it though. It was fun to just relax in the sun and watch the people on the beach. The weather was perfect. This was a great way to spend our last afternoon of the vacation.

Dinner was on one of the patios of the Cheesecake Factory where we could enjoy the warm evening air. Then back to the room to back our bags for home.

Home again - Monday morning we got the airport shuttle from the hotel for our flight home. Due to some crew mixup, our flight was late leaving Honolulu but, they made up most of the time and got us to Los Angeles just a little late. We still had plenty of time to make out connecting flight which left at about 12AM LA time. That got us into Chicago a little before 6AM local time on Tuesday. By the time we got home it was 7:30 and we were worn out. Travel is fun but exhausting. I needed all of Tuesday to recover before going back to work on Wednesday.

Hawaii Cruise - Part 3

2009-05-04T08:34:00.384-05:00

Kailua-Kona, Hawaii - We had no pre-planned tour in Kona so it was a shopping day. Getting off the ship proved to be more difficult than expected though. This was another tender port but rough waters were making getting everyone ashore a slow process. At one point, tendering was stopped while the crew switched the operation from the port side of the ship to the starboard side where the boats would be more shielded from the wind. Since we didn't have to be on shore at any particular time, we just waited until the lines to disembark got shorter.

When we did get down to the tendering platform we could see just why the process was taking so long. The lifeboat tied to the platform was moving up and down with waves that were close to five feet high. The deck of the boat would drop to over two feet below the platform and then rise to more than two feet above it. We had to time our step so that we made it as the two surface came into alignment. Two crew members on the ship side and two on the tender were helping everyone make the crossing safely. They did an excellent job but, it was slow going as each passenger had to wait for just the right time to make the transfer. Everyone was understanding and patient with the process and eventually we left the ship. The landing on the shore side was much easier than the loading. The boat docked in a sheltered area where the water was almost flat.

Georgia had been looking forward to a trip to Hilo Hatties so we got onto one of the stores free shuttles just as soon as we got off the tender. After a couple hours at the store we, and our shopping bags, took the shuttle back to the pier. Our priority now was lunch so we asked around about a good place. Quinn's seemed to be the popular choice so that is were we went. It is a friendly place with nice atmosphere and good food. If you are in Kona, I recommend you try Quinn's Almost by the Sea Restaurant.

The area along the shore is lined with small shops so we did more shopping there after lunch. Kona was our shortest stop with the last tender going back to the ship at 4:15PM. We didn't want to get caught in a long line so we caught a boat at about 3:30. The sea was much calmer by that time so the transfer back to the ship was no problem.

Nawiliwli, Kauai - Kauai was our third island of the trip. The tour for the day was a two parter. First up was a Wailua River boat tour. On the way to the boat dock, the tour bus made a photo stop at Opaeka'a Falls Lookout for a look at this double water fall. There is no boat or trail access to this waterfall so the lookout is the best spot for viewing it.

We continued on to the dock and boarded the tour boat. The trip is about thirty minutes from the dock to the Fern Grotto. A trio of singers and a lovely hula dancer entertained us on the way there. Once at the grotto, we got off the boat for a short walk from the dock to the actual site. The grotto is a popular location for weddings so, our entertainment group treated us to a performance of the Hawaiian Wedding Song while we were there.

The trip back to the boat dock was the narrative portion when we learned about the history of the area and about the plants growing along the banks of the river. Like so many places in Hawaii, we also heard about all the movie scenes filmed along the river bank.

Part two of the day's tour was a bus trip to Waimea Canyon State Park. Along the way, we made stops at the Spouting Horn blowhole, Koloa Sugar Mill (ruins of Hawaii's first sugar mill), Captain Cooks monument, and a fantastic lunch stop. This buffet lunch was absolutely the best we had on any of our tours. After lunch, we continued on to the canyon lookout.

Waimea Canyon has been called the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. At 10 miles long, a mile wide and 3,500 feet deep, it is impressive. The wide spectrum of colors in the rock and vegetation makes for some spectacular views. We spent close to an hour at the look out but it still wasn't enough time to take it all in.

Our driver was silent has he concentrated on the winding road back down to sea level and soon after we were back at the ship. Tonight was another elegant night dinner and tomorrow would be our last full day on the ship.

Honolulu, Oahu - This was our fourth island and our last port of call. The Spirit would be spending a few days here so debarkation wouldn't be until the second day in port. For the first night, we could use the ship as our Honolulu hotel.

I tried, but I couldn't convince Georgia that climbing down into a small, confined space that sinks to the bottom of the ocean was a good idea. So, I would be taking a ride on the Atlantis submarine by myself. I had wanted to try a trip in one of these subs for a few years so, I was looking forward to this excursion.

A trolley picked the group up at the pier and took us to Waikiki where we got on a boat for the trip out to the submarine. We watched the vessel surface and the previous group of passengers get off and board our boat. Then it was our turn to enter the sub. The seating is close but not cramped and each seat has a view port for good visibility. With everyone seated, we cast off and sank beneath the surface. By the time we got to the 50 foot level, almost all the color to the red end of the spectrum had disappeared so everything looked greenish blue. It is actually easier to see objects than it is to photograph them. The camera just doesn't record as well because of the lack of contrast from the compressed spectrum. The human eye and brain do a better job of compensating.

We passed by several artificial reefs, two sunken ships and a couple sunken airplanes that were all swarming with sea life. These are not wrecked vessels but were sunk intentionally to provide underwater habitat. Without them, the ocean bottom off Waikiki would be pretty barren as we could see in the areas in between. When the submarine touched the bottom at 120 feet, there was nothing to see but sand and rock Near the structure though we saw fish, turtles, starfish, eels and more.

Back on the surface, we exited the sub and re-boarded the service vessel for the ride back to shore and the trolley trip back to the ship. While I was gone, Georgia had packed most of our suitcases. We would be putting them outside the door later so the porters could have them in the terminal when we exited the ship in the morning. Before that, we had one last dinner with Paul and Sally and caught our last show in the Pharaohs Palace. Our cruise was coming to and end but, at least, we still had more vacation to come.

Hawaii Cruise - Part 2

2009-05-04T08:33:00.428-05:00

Hilo, Hawaii - After our five sea days, we made our first port call at Hilo. I was out on the balcony as the ship entered the harbor and tied up to the pier. I wanted to see the mountains inland but, a moderately dense layer of vog limited visibility. This cloud of sulfurous volcanic gas would be with us for most of the trip. Usually, the gases from the Kilauea volcano blow out to sea on the trade winds. A few times a year though, the islands get a Kona wind which blows from the south east and spreads the vog up the island chain. That is what we had for the first several days of our visit.

Georgia and I had an early breakfast then got off the ship. Our excursion wasn't until 10AM but, because of the same Jones act that had forced us to board the ship in Mexico, everyone on board had to report to the Pharaoh's Palace theater, with photo ID in hand, to clear U.S. immigration. We presented our passports and were given a sticker to wear where it would be visible when we again presented our photo ID upon exiting the ship. Bureaucracy in action.

As soon as we got through the immigration line, we went directly to the gangway and off the ship. Both of us were anxious to get our first close up look at Hawaii. There is no passenger terminal at Hilo but local crafters and merchants had set up sales tables in the warehouse building that was being used a temporary terminal. This was also where our first greeting by hula dancers. Before we knew it, it was time to check in with Blue Hawaiian Helicopters for the Circle of Fire tour.

A van took us to the Hilo airport where we got a short safety briefing and then were led out to the ramp to join our pilot and one other couple in the helicopter. I lucked out and got the front seat which not only gave me a good view outside but also of the aircraft's panel. It was fun to follow along on the instruments and GPS.

After takeoff, our flight took us over the city of Hilo, and the harbor where our ship was docked. We saw streams and waterfalls, fields of banana, guava and coffee and much more.

The main attraction of the tour was the volcano and the lava fields and that is where we spent the most time. It is a pretty bleak place with clouds of volcanic gases escaping through vents in the black lava. We saw the former location of the town of Kalapana and the Royal Gardens subdivision which were buried by a 1990 eruption. A paved road just ends at a ledge of lava with nothing but the new rock beyond. The only house now remaining in the area is a Bed & Breakfast owned by Jack Thompson. The consensus is that, sooner or later, his house will also be lost to the hot lava.

Our volcano tour ended at the coast where we got a close-up look at the columns of steam and gas that we had seen from the ship the day before. From there we followed the coastline back to Hilo and the airport. After we exited the aircraft, our pilot Wes invited me to try out his seat. It is awkward to get in around cyclic stick but, once in, the seat is roomy and comfortable.

Back in the office, we purchased a video of our flight then were taken to the pier in the Blue Hawaiian Helicopters van.

Kahului, Maui - Our second full day in the islands brought us into the port of Kahului on the island of Maui. We had to make an early start because our tour for the day would last for over nine hours and started at 8AM. We were taking the Heavenly Hana tour along the road to Hana and beyond. The road to Hana has over 600 sharp curves and 54 one lane bridges. Once past Hana the road gets even worse. It is very rough and even unpaved in some sections. The vog was with us here too so the visibility wasn't the greatest. The haze obscured clear views of the mountains but the scenery was still spectacular. We had thought about renting a car for the drive but, in the end, we were glad someone else was concentrating on the tricky road so we could enjoy the scenery.

Even this early in the morning, the wind was starting to pick up and the surfers were out. We saw many of them as we passed the beaches near Kahului. Our trip was a little late in the season so, these were about the best waves we saw. The really big ones come in the winter.

As our drive continued along the shore, we got away from the sandy beaches and came to more rocky shorelines. The contrast of the black lava rock and blue sea was striking. Shortly after this photo spot, the road started climbing and we got away from the ocean for a time. This is where the curves really started.

We kept our eyes moving from side to side to catch one beautiful scene after another. Small streams and waterfalls were common and the water action is what is carving this spectacular landscape. We made a stop at the Palapalo Ho'omau Church Cemetery in the little town of Kipahulu where we visited the grave of Charles Lindbergh. Just a few miles past that, we arrived in Hana itself and stopped for lunch at the Hana Ranch.

After lunch, our tour continued past Hana. In addition to several photo stops, we visited a flower farm, a winery and Ulupalakua Ranch Store before we arrived back at the pier in Kahului. We had made it back just a few minutes before dinner time and had considered skipping the dining room but, as we walked back to the gangway, Georgia and I heard someone yelling our names. We looked up to the seventh deck of the ship and saw our our dinner table mates, Paul and Sally, waving to us. We made a quick stop to drop off our cameras in the cabin and then went on to the Empire dining room where we were just a few minutes late but able to share the days activities with our companions.

Lahaina, Maui - The main activity for today was whale watching. Lahaina was the first of two tender ports meaning that the ship anchored offshore and the ship's crew used the life boats to ferry us ashore. Our tour would leave from the same pier the tenders docked at but not for a couple hours. We located the tour company slip and then did some exploring of the town. The courthouse square near the harbor is the location of Hawaii's largest banyan tree and it really is impressive in size. The day was getting warm so a few minutes in the shade of the tree were welcome.

We made the short walk back to the pier and boarded the Lahaina Cruise Companies boat Kaulana Maui for our tour. Late April is the end of the whale watching season but, there were many of the animals still in the area. In fact, I had seen a couple from the ship that morinng. From the whale watching boat, we saw ten or twelve. I was hoping to see some breaching but we only saw a couple babies jumping and tail slapping. Still, they were big enough to make quit a splash. A couple rain squalls came through while we were out forcing us inside the boat for a while. They were short though and soon we were back on the deck watching the whale show. The tour was over too soon and the captain turned us back toward shore. As we cruised back into the harbor, we got a good look at the Spirit anchored off the Lahaina shore.

Hawaii Cruise - Part 1

2009-05-04T07:22:00.013-05:00

Chicago to San Diego - We left Chicago O'Hare for San Diego early on Saturday, April 11. Our cruise didn't start until Sunday but we flew out a day early to avoid any airline delays that might cause us to miss the ship. Spending the night at the Hilton San Diego Airport/Harbor was our insurance policy. We checked into the hotel early in the afternoon and had time to relax and explore the harbor shore before dinner in the hotel restaurant. We spent the rest of the evening organizing and tagging our luggage for the cruise and just unwinding. I did get outside to take a few photos though.

San Diego to Ensenada and embarkation - I woke up early Sunday morning and saw that the Carnival Spirit was already in port. It was strange to have the ship we would travel on so close but know that, because of the Jones Act, we would not be able to board here in San Diego. Although Carnival is a U.S. company, it's ships are flagged in Panama. For that reason, they cannot embark passengers at one U.S. port and disembark them in the same, or another U.S. port without a stop in a foreign country. So, we would have to travel to Ensenada, Mexico and board there.

About 10 AM, we watched the Spirit sail out of San Diego harbor and head for Mexico. Shortly after, a hotel shuttle took us to the San Diego airport where we handed our luggage over to the Carnival porters and made the short motor coach ride to the Port of San Diego. This was our first experience checking in for a cruise at an empty pier. Shortly after check in, we boarded the first coach out and headed for the Mexican border where we hit a short delay.

Three Carnival employees were on the bus with us. They would help with the embarkation process in Ensenada and then return to San Diego. Because they would be working in Mexico though, they had to get off the coach at the border and apply for temporary work permits. That held us up for about a half hour. By then two more buses had arrived at the border and, when we left as a group, we had an escort consisting of a Mexican army pickup truck and a Tijuana police motorcycle patrol man. The recent border violence between the drug cartels and the Mexican government called for extra caution. They stayed with us until we were out of Tijuana then left us on our own for the rest of the trip down the beautiful Baja coast.

Boarding the ship in Ensenada was a quick process and soon we had dropped our carry on bags in our cabin and were enjoying a very late lunch on the Lido deck. By 8PM, all the buses had made it down from San Diego and we set sail across the Pacific for the Hawaiian Islands.

Five days at sea - For five relaxing days at sea we could do as much or as little as we chose. With nothing in sight from horizon to horizon, the ship was our whole world for those five days. The voyage started with seas running twelve to sixteen feet. Georgia and I weren't bothered but many passengers did suffer from mild sea sickness. By late afternoon of the second day though, the ride became much smoother.

We divided our time between strolls on the open decks, shows and activities in the lounges and just kicking back in our cabin or on our balcony. I really enjoyed the talks by the ships naturalist. He gave a different one every day covering topics of interest to Hawaii's visitors. The one on volcanoes was especially interesting but I liked them all.

We went to dinner in the main dining room every night and got acquainted with our table mates Paul and Sally. We got along well with them and really enjoyed their company.

We had our first elegant night dinner and captains cocktail party on the second night and the past cruisers party on the third night. There were shows in the main theater every night and deck parties on the Lido on most nights. The highlight was a luau night with roast pork and traditional Hawaiin dishes.

During the afternoon of the fifth day, the shoreline of the big island of Hawaii appeared on the horizon. As the island grew larger in our view, we could see the steam vents where lava from Kilauea was running into the sea. As darkness fell, we made our closest approach to the south shore of the island and could see the orange glow of molten rock through the skylights in the lava tubes. The captain stopped the ship there and turned it completely around so those on both sides could get a look. We turned in that night looking forward to our first port call in Hilo, Hawaii and to a closer look at the volcanoes.