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Over Michigan last week

Last Monday (03/30/2020) I relocated the Dream Weaver from Florida to Bishop Airport in Flint, Michigan. Then, I took our mini motorhome out of the hangar and drove back to Florida. Eight hours including two fuel stops going up; three days sanitizing gas pump handles driving South.

Michigan and northern Indiana were totally socked in. The photo is from 9,500 ft. Ceilings were 4000; scattered 1300 ft. Outside air temp flitted between 27 and 32F. When ATC cleared me lower for the approach I dove at 2,000+ fpm to pass through the layer as quickly as reasonable. Even so the plane picked up some light rime ice on the leading edges and windscreen. Fortunately it quickly melted below the deck. The approach and landing were uneventful.

The relocation was done because the plane is ten months into its last twelve month condition inspection; all of my tools and hangar are in Michigan, while Dolly and I expect we will be stuck in Florida till late July.

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Today’s Harvest

It was forecast to rain today.  So, I harvested these from our hydroponic garden.  I should have placed a ruler in the photograph.  The central tomato is about 3-1/2 inches in diameter.  Add lettuce, raisins, craisins, dried cherries, shredded cheese and salad dressing.  Yum….  Eat Healthy.  Next week I’ll put on a mask and gloves to go grocery shopping for several head of lettuce.

 

 

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1929 Ford Trimotor

Volunteer Perks:–

Last week Dolly and I volunteered as ground crew for the EAA’s 1929 Ford Trimotor that was visiting Brooksville Florida.  On Sunday the ten passenger plane had eleven flights.  On the last flight there were only nine paid passengers.  From the volunteers, Dolly was selected to fill the last seat.  It was a beautiful yet blustery day.  Winds were 10 gusting to 24.

Dolly”s seat

I worked as flagman, signaling to the starter that my side of the ramp was clear of people.

This trimotor has a 235 gallon tank.  The pilot climbs up through a cabin roof hatch, drops a rope and pulls up the fuel hose.

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Night Ops

The alarm went off at 3:00 AM.  Dolly heard it an woke me.

The plan was to regain nighttime currency, three takeoff and landings to a full stop at night.  We want to fly to St. Petersburg tomorrow to see the Kratt brothers show at the Mahaffee theater, a short walk from the airport.  The return will be at night.

Everything went just as it should.  The tires and tanks were full; all the nuts were on their bolts.  I taxied from the hangar pad and clicked the mike to turn on the taxi and runway lights…clicked the mike to turn on the taxi and runway lights…clicked the mike to turn on the taxi and runway lights…clicked the mike to turn on the taxi and runway lights.  No lights.  I tried both tower and ground frequencies.  I tried three, five and seven clicks.  No lights.  Frustration and nice photo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Happy Hydroponics

I have read about hydroponics for a number of years. This winter in Florida is the first time I’ve tried growing plants from seed without soil. Dolly and I now have a number of lettuce, tomato and pepper plants growing in three different modes:

      • Milk jugs outdoors
      • An outdoor plastic pipe tower with nutrient pumped to the top and trickle down
      • A tray in the garage under flourescent lights.

        Tower with thirteen grow sockets.  Small electric pump is located in Kitty Litter bucket at base of tower.  The pump is on a timer that sequences on or off each half hour.  Seeds were started in small peatmoss or fiberglas cubes at the end of November.

      The same nutrient mixture is fed to the plants in each case.

      Pepper plant outdoors in milk jug. It receives about two hours of direct sunlight per day.
      Pepper plant blossoms and one small pepper. January 9th.
      Tomato in milk jug. Some blossoms appeared this week.

      The tops have been cut off the milk jugs and a 2″ grow basket inserted to hold the plants.

      Initially, the jugs were wrapped in aluminum foil.  Now, the jugs are painted black to prevent algae growth and then silver to prevent the nutrient solution heating in sunlight.

      An unpainted strip down the handle reveals the nutrient level.  I add reverse osmosis purified water as necessary.

      I have been amazed at the growth rate of the lettuce, tomato and peppers seeded in Fiberglas and grown under the florescents.  The plants in the photo above were seeds 28 days ago. An initial charge of nutrient solution is supplemented with additions of plain water to keep the cubes moist.

      Dolly and I should be eating salads in March.  The overall results have been very encouraging.  I am planning a larger installation for next year using LED grow light strips and shelving units in our screened lanai.

      It may not be economical to grow your own on this scale.  Yet, the convenience of picking and eating fresh, no pesticide fruits and vegetables may offset the cost.

       

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A Little History

Karl is a retired chemical engineer, major corporate financial officer, air charter manager, and computer consultant.

He started on his aviation career around the beginning of the jet age and likes to explain that back then the Private Pilots Written Exam was only 50 True/False questions.

Karl has owned a 1964 Mooney Statesman, 1979 Cessna Skyhawk, and more recently a 1948 Temco-Globe Swift.  He and wife Dolly together built their current airplane, a Vans RV7.

Karl holds FAA Commercial, Single Engine Land, Single Engine Sea, Multi Engine Land, and Glider certificates collected in 3,000+ flying.  His Instrument Flight Instructor  rating is lapsed.   Several yeas ago the Federal Aviation Agency presented him with the Master Pilot Award.  He is a member of the United Flying Octogenarians.  He loves to tell hangar flying stories of how he has towed advertising banners at the New Jersey shore; flown night time charter around the Northeast; served as his son’s flight instructor; landed one night at Chicago O’Hare before it was commissioned; crossed the US at night following the old mountain top beacons; and more recently towed gliders for the Tampa Bay Soaring Society.  Karl has piloted 47 different models of aircraft; 32 single and 15 multi-engine.

During the 2011-2013 summers Dolly and son Len with help from Karl, completed a studs out remodeling of an apartment that is now their summer home in Michigan. In 2014, contemplating how bored he’d be without some project, they came to the conclusion that aircraft building is age independent.  He and Dolly together built their Vans RV7 that first flew in 2018.  It was on display at the 2019 EAA Airventure flyin in Oshkosh, Michigan.

Dolly, who also is a member of the Experimental Aircraft Association,  is enthusiastic about aviation and knitting.  Click here to visit her knitting pages.

At the cockpit controls of Howard Hughes Spruce Goose at the museum in McMinnville, Oregon

Photo: At the cockpit controls of Howard Hughes’ Spruce Goose at the Evergreen Air Museum in McMinnville, Oregon

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Manhattan Memories

Dolly had never been to Manhattan.  We were in New Jersey so I gave her a ride up the Hudson River Corridor at 1,500 feet while in contact with NY aproach, Laguardia and Newark towers.  She took a video and I set the music to it.  Click Here and Enjoy!

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Family Reunion

September 16, 2019. Back row: Karl (KJ) Bambas, Paul Bernava, Kirk Swanson, Elizabeth Barry, Sarah Swanson Barry, Patrick (Pat) Barry, Erik Swanson. Front row: Karl Bambas, Margarete (Kindy) Bernava Bambas, Joan Bambas Swanson.