I've been absent here, for quite some time. Managing a family, a small business, all the work needed around the house, and all the work that goes into flight training to get back to being current, proficient and ready to get some paying work as a pilot. So, long story short...I haven't been at the bench in some months.
Last week, for the first time in 20 years, I was able to get a fair amount of "stick time", that didn't cost me. I didn't get paid (other than a lunch), but that's not at all what this is about. Since the very beginning of my flight training, I have wanted to fly with a charity organization, delivering patients to their appointments and/or back home. Last Monday, I got a call from a guy that was working on his multi-engine rating at the same time I was, nearly ten years ago. He needed another pilot, for a flight on Tuesday. I got myself signed up with "Wings of Mercy"...met up with him, early on Tuesday to get current in his 310R. Fantastic airplane!!!
We flew down to Ann Arbor (Michigan), to pick up the patients....a young lady that had an organ transplant, and a 7 year old little girl, also organ transplant, along with her gramma. We took off for the first stop...Sawyer, up in the middle of the U.P., also a former SAC base.
We got into some ICM at 6000'...ended up getting 7000' and skimming the tops of the clouds. AWESOME!!! WE shot an approach into Sawyer, breaking out of the clouds at 400', lined up perfectly with the center line!
As we came in, I noticed what looked like a C-141, as we got closer...nope...that's Russian!!! Here's the story on it...https://www.wired.com/2009/09/soviet-tanker-abandoned-in-michigan-not-just-an-ilyushin/
We dropped off the young lady, got our flight plan filed for the next leg, into Houghton-Hancock...just a little further up the U.P., to drop off the little girl and gramma. IMC all the way, other than the last 400' again.
We got outta there just in time! We had to alter our route just a bit, to beat the weather...sorry for the blur, it wasn't exactly a smooth ride there!
Couple nice shots along the trip home...once we got out of IMC.
All in all...I ended up with 5.5hrs with 2.2hrs actual instrument time and a 4.2hr x-country time. More importantly, we got some people back home.
I have another flight scheduled for this Saturday. Heading across the lake to Waukegan(just north of Chicago) to pick up a couple patients and get them home to Grand Rapids.