Dubya is moving

[Kyle Wolfe]

Hey Dubya - did you and Richard get as far as the Iowa border today!

Send trip reports!

[hilltop170]

Hi Kyle-
Willie and I made it a full day in the Champ, 7.3hrs with 4 stops from Pipestone, MN to Oklahoma City. We had to dodge some fairly severe thunderstorms across Kansas and naturally had headwinds all day. Our groundspeed varied from 65-85 with the last leg the slowest. Yesterday, the winds were 30G35k out of the southeast so today's 10-15k winds were welcomed. Tonight we are staying with Willie's sister. We had a nice dinner at a place called BJ's which I had never heard of, and we are relaxing before bed.

We have about 4.5 hrs flying time left and tomorrow is supposed to be marginal to IFR improving to MVFR and VFR later in the day along our route. So we're not pushing to get an early start. As usual, we will have a headwind the whole day but that just gets us more flying time.

So far the plane is running good and I'm surprised it performs as well as it does on 115hp with both of us, 40lb of gear, and 25gal of gas. We're having a great time, thanks for asking.

Willie's Champ at Pipestone, MN, KPQN

Fuel stop at Wayne, NE, KLCG

Dodging thunderstorms across Kansas

[hilltop170]

Well, Willie's Champ "Mickey" is safely in the hangar at his new home at Freedom Springs, TA66, west of San Antonio! It was an interesting two days dodging thunderstorms, low clouds and visibility, and those darn headwinds.

The day started rainy in OK City but by the time we left Willie's sister's house and got to Sundance Airpark, KHSD, a window opened up long enough for us to get out ahead of the next wave of thunderstorms. We flew in good conditions until the Red River but once into Texas, the ceilings and visibility steadily came down until we were forced to stop in Bowie, 0F2, northwest of Ft. Worth. We had made plans to meet Past President Paul Wood for lunch west of Ft. Worth at Weatherford, KWEA, but there was no way to go beyond Bowie. So Paul called his cousin Jim in Bowie who came out to the airport and picked us up for a very enjoyable lunch.

By the time we got back to the airport, the conditions had improved enough to continue on to Stephenville, KSEP, again dodging a solid line of thunderstorms to the west. After getting gas at Stephenville, it was looking bad on a direct line to Freedom Springs, TA66, but there was a "hole" in the line so we jogged to the west toward Brady, KBBD, to get behind the easterly moving line. At Brady, we looked at the DC-3 I fly for a private owner then we got gas. Heavy rain was still falling to the south but the line had started moving east at a good clip so we took off direct to Freedom Springs. By the time it took to fly the 100 miles with a 65mph groundspeed, the rain had moved east and we landed in calm conditions right at sundown.

It was another great trip with a good friend. We had several challenges along the way but the little Champ had run flawlessly the whole way for 12.4 hours. The 115hp engine makes a nice performer out of the Champ and with both of us in the plane, we needed the extra power.

Flying in a "glory"

Murky conditions at Bowie, TX

AWOS at Bowie

Dodging thunderstorms again on the last legs

[hilltop170]

Successful ending to a great flight

Mary Jo, Willie, Meg the dog, and "Mickey" at Freedom Springs

Sunshine at sunset

A good trip with a good friend.

[W.J.Langholz]

Richard

Thanks for a nice trip report, it was a fantastic trip with you. Thanks for your friendship!


W.

[Kyle Wolfe]

Glad you guys got there safely!

Good recap Richard.

Dubya - you must've been traveling WAY too much lately. Every picture with Meg has her looking at someone else! At least Mary Jo looks happy to have you back home!

[johneeb]

Willie,
Great adventure! Is there some significance to your N-number other than easy to remember?

[W.J.Langholz]

Willie,
Great adventure! Is there some significance to your N-number other than easy to remember?

Just came that way..... good for and old fart like me. My radio call is usually "Champ 21" left down wind for runway..... That might not be 100% by the book but any body will know that I'm low and SLOW

[GAHorn]

Welcome HOME, Guys! (That' a beautiful dog!)