Author Archives: digits

There’s nothing left to write; the flying was done. The next 20 hours spent on airplanes and airports would be as a passenger. A whole different style of travelling. In these 20 hours I would travel roughly the same distance as the trip between Texas and the north pole. It just wouldn’t take 15 days. It makes you think about the relativity of distances. About how small the world actually is, how fast you can travel.

And that as a matter of fact, nothing is really impossible. Except maybe finding a pilot job.
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The morning started early, to make it in time to our breakfast. First, I was a passenger and I could observe the power and performance of the sleek designed Lancair. Pressurized, fast, high service ceiling, retractable gear and even speed brakes. Wonderful airplane! Continue reading →

The last day of my trip. Every flying day had started with the same routine: planning a route, checking the weather, reading through pages of irrelevant notams, preparing the plane, loading all my gear and paying the airport bill. And yet, I never grew tired of it. To realize that this was the last flight caused some double feelings. I was happy that my trip’s successful end was near, even a little eager to go home and rest, yet I realized that the kind of peacefulness of just “having to fly” all day was soon to be a thing from the past. Focusing on the positive side was much better for my spirit, so I proceeded with a smile. Continue reading →

It was even a few degrees hotter than yesterday. The lemonade in the airport’s pilot room was once again very refreshing. A few minutes after take-off, I had to stop my climb to fly level and increase the airflow over the engine to cool down the oil. 15 minutes later, I could climb a few thousand feet again. This process was repeated 3 times to reach my final cruising altitude. Continue reading →

Whether it was unconsciously planned or not, the fact remained that I was lost again while driving from the hotel to the airport. Remember that I was driving the Ford Mustang, so again, I was perfectly fine with that.

Today, I was flying from a very hot place (36° C) to an extremely hot place (42° C). The airplane was suffering in the heat. The oil temperature approaching the red line dangerously close. To block the sun, I decided to use the sun block screen during flight. I found my way back to Dallas Executive airport and taxied to Wayne’s mechanic to return the fuel tank and pumps. Continue reading →

The last time I visited a mall was while gathering all my supplies. Now it was time to find something decent to eat as breakfast. McDonalds (really ?) chicken burgers did not fall in that category. Some bread from the desolated mall did. I survived the morning as well, and the same taxi driver as the night before, drove me back to the airport. Continue reading →

Today was a day of mixed emotions. On the one hand, it was a sign of success. I was leaving Canada to return to the US, with a successful North Pole flight in my logbook. On the other end, it marked the end of the Canadian chapter on my trip. I met a lot of wonderful, interesting people. Most of them I wouldn’t see again anytime soon. Continue reading →

This supposedly lazy Sunday was spent getting the plane ready for the departure the next day. An oil change and a quick checkup made sure I’d reach New Mexico in due time.

In the afternoon, Kevin borrowed me his truck so I could switch to real tourist mode once again. The high way took me from one little town to the other. All was well until I noticed the little red fuel indicator approaching the zero dangerously close. And that is how the big fuel adventure started. Continue reading →

It was a lazy Saturday morning when Kevin’s other daughter barged in. She thought I was the computer fixing guy.

The rest of the day, Kevin showed me around and I met some of his friends. The ride in his floatplane was unfortunately impossible, since the propeller still needed to be attached to the engine… Continue reading →

The morning consisted of the normal drills: packing my stuff, paying the hotel bill, fuelling the plane and preparing for take-off. I noticed a map on the wall in the FBO indicating the still burning forest fires. After take-off I paid attention to the surface underneath me, and saw the damage of the fires quite well this time. Another important task on this flight was to empty my ferry tank. It would be uninstalled in Muskoka. The pumps were using their strength to pump the last drops of precious fuel into the main tanks. Continue reading →