Just an Earth-Bound Misfit: The Rantings of an Aging, Armed, Pinko Chick

Words of Advice:

"If Something Seems To Be Too Good To Be True, It's Best To Shoot It, Just In Case." -- Fiona Glenanne

“The Mob takes the Fifth. If you’re innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?” -- The TOFF *

"Foreign Relations Boil Down to Two Things: Talking With People or Killing Them." -- Unknown

“Speed is a poor substitute for accuracy.” -- Real, no-shit, fortune from a fortune cookie

"Thou Shalt Get Sidetracked by Bullshit, Every Goddamned Time." -- The Ghoul

"If you believe that you are talking to G-d, you can justify anything.” — my Dad

"Colt .45s; putting bad guys in the ground since 1873." -- Unknown

"Stay Strapped or Get Clapped." -- probably not Mr. Rogers

"The Dildo of Karma rarely comes lubed." -- Unknown

"Eck!" -- George the Cat

* "TOFF" = Treasonous Orange Fat Fuck,
"FOFF" = Felonious Old Fat Fuck,
"COFF" = Convicted Old Felonious Fool,
A/K/A Commandante (or Cadet) Bone Spurs,
A/K/A El Caudillo de Mar-a-Lago, A/K/A the Asset,
A/K/A P01135809, A/K/A Dementia Donnie, A/K/A Felon^34,
A/K/A Dolt-45, A/K/A Don Snoreleone

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Away

I'm visiting my mom this weekend. It is a five-hour drive to get to her place or a 1hr, 40 minute flight into a brisk headwind (slowed me down by 30 mph) plus an hour and fifteen minutes to get to the airport, preflight the plane and then tie it down at the other airport, so you can guess which I chose.

One thing about older airplanes is that they have a heating system that is as efficient as a 1950s VW, which is to say, "you freeze your ass off." I had on an insulated mechanic's jump suit, gloves, a watch cap and a lap blanket wrapped around my legs and it was fucking freezing at 5,500'. No photos from this flight, it was too bloody cold to even think of opening the window.

Soon it will be too cold to even contemplate such a flight, so I got this visit in as late as I'd want to.

5 comments:

deadstick said...: Try soaring to FL350 in the Pikes Peak Wave sometime. Not even a make-believe heater...just snowmobile suit, electric socks, pressure-demand mask and a scraper to get the frost off the canopy.

Marvelous fun...; 10/18/2008 5:03 PM
Phil said...: Insulated coveralls are a gift from on high when you are outside in the winter, or flying an airplane with a piss poor heater.

I may get another set this winter.; 10/18/2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...: I'm sitting here trying REALLY hard not to be jealous.

And failing.

Hope it was a great flight.; 10/18/2008 8:38 PM
Comrade Misfit said...: Don't you have to be on an IFR flight plan to fly a glider that high? ("Clim and maintain FL 350...")

It was a great flight. The return later today may be shorter, I might have a decent tailwind!; 10/19/2008 7:58 AM
deadstick said...: No, you operate in a high-altitude window that is established in wave-producing areas (like just east of Pikes Peak) by a Letter of Agreement with the FAA. ATC will route IFR traffic around the window and open it to gliders, on request, for some designated number of hours per month.; 10/19/2008 7:26 PM