We made it to the Circus

This is what my husband often says about our part in the state of General Aviation in America. We are so lucky that we live in a country that allows us to take off and fly. We don't even have to tell anyone where we are going.

However, GA has come under attack recently and there are people out there (GASP) who would like to take away our ability to fly. Well, despite the cost and future headaches of owning a small plane, I am glad we made it to the circus before they closed the Big Top. I am enjoying the ride.

Thankfully there are names out there much bigger than mine that understand the importance of GA to our country. Thankfully there are people like Harrison Ford who are willing to stand up for his beliefs.



The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) has kicked off a campaign to alert the rest of the country about how important GA is to many small businesses. They created the Harrison Ford spot and the other spots are just as good. Check out their website at GA Serves America. Get involved.

Matagorda Peninsula

We recently joined some friends at their beach house on Matagorda Peninsula. There are two ways to get there - by boat or by plane. We choose to go by plane (this is a blog about flying) and had a wonderful mid-morning flight down to 72TA.

FAA Identifier: 72TA
Lat/Long: 28-27-31.0000N / 096-17-31.0000W
28-27.516667N / 096-17.516667W
28.4586111 / -96.2919444
(estimated)
Elevation: 5 ft. / 2 m (estimated)
Variation: 06E (1990)
From city: 6 miles W of PORT O'CONNOR, TX
Time zone: UTC -5 (UTC -6 during Standard Time)
Zip code: 77483

Airport use: Private use. Permission required prior to landing
Activation date: 11/1992
Sectional chart: HOUSTON
Control tower: no
ARTCC: HOUSTON CENTER
FSS: MONTGOMERY COUNTY FLIGHT SERVICE STATION
Attendance: UNATNDD



We landed on runway 12 since the wind was directly on the nose. We had been told the runway was narrow, but I was a little surprised to see it was about the width of a one lane road. Tire safety is also an issue since the runway is lined with cactus.

The cabin we visited had a little running water from a shallow well, but no electricity. We grilled hamburgers and hot dogs (don't ask me how they got the propane there - I wouldn't put a tank in the back of my plane) and then spent the afternoon on the beach.

The remains of hurricane Ike are quite visible. The beach is littered with debris - mostly plastics. We saw enough old lawn chairs to furnish a house and more than enough plastic bins and trash cans to clean up the rest of the area. However, the water was superb and with a perfect breeze there were very few mosquitos.

I love the beach and I love the beaches of the Florida panhandle. Texas beaches are not like those. However, I can give up the clarity of the water for the remoteness of the spot. Except for our group of friends we did not see another soul until we took off.

Here's the runway:



Here is the view from the bck porch overlooking the "ramp:"



And here is the reason to visit (besides good friends) - the view of the beach:



On the way back we dodged a few thunderstorms and I have begun to see the value of a Garmin 496. AARGH! The cost!!

It's what's inside that counts

Didn't your parents tell you that? It is true. Even more so when it's a plane. Maintenance and avionics upgrades will eat up your savings faster than you can imagine. We considered a number of planes before we purchased Bella, and then a close family friend told us not to buy a G** D*** project. I am so glad we listened. We have already spent close to two years of college education on her, between the annual and adding one piece of avionics. Thankfully, we listened and got a plane in good shape with almost everything we wanted in her.

We made two lists before we set out to purchase an airplane. The first was a list of requirements:

Maximum price
Mechanically Sound
100+ hours in last 24 months
1350 or less SMOH
1974 or newer
NMDH - all logs
Glove Box intact
80 gallon tanks
Less than 5000 TT
Autopilot

The second was a list of preferences:

HSI
Stormscope
Garmin 430 or better
Graphic Engine Monitor
Shoulder Harness
Dual Yoke
1100+ pounds useful load
ADF
S-TEC
GAMI's
3 blade prop
1000 or less since major overhaul

Here is her instrument panel at the time of purchase.



And this is what we got with her. She had everything on our list except one thing.

A wonderful airplane that had been well taken care of and used well. She hadn't been sitting in a hanger. She had been flown. That matters because an engine that sits will just go bad.
900 SMOH
1976 (big baggage door)
NMDH (all logs)
Glove Box
80 Gallon tanks
Less than 2000 hours TT (more on this in a later post)

We also got these.

HSI
Garmin 530 WAAS
Shoulder Harnesses
Dual Yoke
1100+ pounds useful load
ADF
S-TEC autopilot
GAMI's
3 blade prop

Since then, we have added a JPI Graphic Engine Monitor. She flys like a dream. My husband says she just feels eager to lift off the ground. Even I can tell our girl would rather be in the air than sitting on the ground. Her panel is well-laid out and easy to read. She is a joy.

Meet our Girl

I don't know why I think of her in the feminine sense. In so many ways she is a very masculine piece of equipment, but she is my girl. My guess is because the first time I saw her I said to myself, "She is so beautiful." So let's call her that. Bella. Here she is, and I think you will agree. She is beautiful.




As I shared in my profile, Bella is a 1976 F-33A Beechcraft Bonanza. We are Bella's third owner. The second did some extensive work on her and we are reaping the benefits. She has been treated with kid gloves most of her life, and we intend to continue the tradition.

My husband grew up with airplanes, but this is my first experience with aircraft ownership. The positives of airplane ownership outweigh the negatives, but I hope to show you both sides of the story.

For now ... let's just look at her. Isn't' she beautiful?