The Rocky Road To Chattanooga

Ricky Brown Sent this news flash in about his latest adventure with Jon Smith:

Jon Smith and I joined forces in his Pipistrel Virus to Chattanooga’s KCHA airport to catch the first concert of a new tour of some of his old colleagues. The Thatcher has too many squawks to warrant a long voyage, but we had considered a two-ship flight. The wind was not forecast for a pleasurable flight, but there were no other weather factors preventing the flight, so off we went.

Miserable indeed, we had a 30kt headwind all the way down at 3500 and did not dare test the air over the mountains, so we went the long way around to CHA to the southwest. With light to moderate turbulence the whole way, we kept airspeeds modest. With the longer route, headwinds and derated cruise, travel time was 2 hours enroute. Wilson Air at CHA was accommodating. $20/night and $25 handling fee without minimum fuel purchase. Somehow they did not have tie downs available.

The concert was splendid as was the imbibing. We got to meet the performers briefly.

The weather the next day was supposed to be even better and so it was. Wind the first half of the leg was calm at 9500 and so we went direct over the mountains direct 0A7.

Ed. note: Jon's Dynon display has everything! A beautiful, readable, comprehensive collection of everything a pilot needs, right in front. (John’s hat in the upper picture reads “VERMIN”, an oblique reference to Garmin).

About half way we started getting some light turbulence and accompanying mountain wave, but at least a 10 knot tailwind was our consolation. The ground speed difference between the legs was 70 knots. Return leg only took 1+11. 

One mildly amusing tidbit was the CHA approach controller never did figure out our type aircraft after telling them 3 times. “Traffic 11 O’Clock, 3 miles, Westbound, a………..” And he just moves on to the next transmission LOL. On the way out I just told ground our type identifier as a PIVI and the approach controller had us pegged as a Pipistrel straight away.

-Thanks, Ricky, and thanks, Jon.-