mesquite

[Jeffco]

Does anyone know if the will be a event at Mesquite this year ?  Missed out on Kanab so was wondering if it was going to hapen.

Jeff
Long ez
Hawthorne ca.

[Joe Dubner]

Does anyone know if the will be a event at Mesquite this year ?

Jeff,

Ya, ya, you betcha!

The flyer I received from Char Spencer earlier in the year states:

October 21 22 Mesquite, Nevada
Casa Blanca Hotel/Casino (phone number was unreadable; I believe it's (800) 459-7529

Saturday: Arrive
------------ Poolside Social (Casa Blanca)

Sunday: 9:00 AM (local) Airport Ramp Timed Events
----------- (afterward) Depart

Now you know as much as I do :-)

I believe Mesquite is in the Pacific time zone; that should ease the confusion for the occasional soul who gets out of sync at Jackpot and Wendover.

Char is the one to contact to find out if there are any last minute changes.  Rather than post her phone number (without permission), I'll give it to anyone who Emails and asks me (jdubner @ yahoo.com).

Since I have such a long flight (4.0 hrs) to Mesquite, I'm going to make it worth my while and stay in the southwest for Copperstate the following weekend.  That means I'll be looking for Canardian friends with hangar space for my Long-EZ (and maybe even a bunk for a day or two) in CA, AZ, and/or NM.  So be forewarned: if you see 208-305-2688 on your Caller-ID, don't answer unless you're prepared to have the bite put on you :-)

--
Joe

[Joe Dubner]

On the topic of Mesquite, does anyone have the latitude/longitude of the "tour" turnpoints?  I'd like to do my "homework" before departing.

--
Joe

11 Oct update: I now have the course information and will share it (textual description and Google Earth .kmz file) with anyone who Emails me.  Use Email please -- not the PM function of this site.

[Joe Dubner]

Took of yesterday (a day early) for Mesquite.  My plan was to spend a day at Sunrise Skypark in southern Idaho which would put me 1.3 hours flying time closer to Mesquite.

It was a good plan but the clouds from the previous day's rain hadn't cleared out and I had to climb to over 15m and deviate many miles in order to cross Hell's Canyon.  Fortunately the clouds cleared up south of McCall so I didn't have to spend much time in the 10-degree F air up there.  

The engine liked the cold air well enough.  Even with some luggage, 30 gallons of fuel, and my "blond ballast" in the back cockpit the O235 Long-EZ still wanted to climb.  And the 40K tailwind (at times) helped recover from the lost time in the weather deviation.

You can see a Google Map with the flight track and parameters (groundspeed, course, and altitude) from my GPS at this link:
http://mail2600.com/Tracks/Track_ID40_Trip.html

Later this morning we're flying a 3.0 in good VFR to Mesquite.  If there's computer access at the hotel and I have a chance, I'll post that leg of the trip too.

--
Joe

[Jeffco]

Joe
So how was mesquite?  It seems like the gods were against me, Hawthorne was solid IFR in fog on Saturday morning and then I discovered some radio problems with my NAVCOM.  I just can't seem to get it together.  I saw the link on your progress, pretty good speeds.  What do you do to stay warm in the airplane at high altitudes?  It's starting to get cold in Utah, the plane is still in Southern Cal. and I have put it up for sale, hate to let her go, but I have no time to fly.  Maybe if I found a hangar in the Salt Lake area, too cold to keep it outside.

Regards
Jeff
Long ez N141

[Joe Dubner]

Jeff,

Sorry you were fogged in; guess it can go either way this time of the year.  Yesterday as I flew over Hawthorne on my way home (CORRECTED:  http://tinyurl.com/y2qpl5 ) there wasn't a hint of a cloud within 500 NM.

Mesquite was good, perhaps even great, but could have benefitted from more participation.  I understand the 20-year reunion of the Voyager personnel may have diverted some.  This was my first time flying this particular course and the closely-spaced turnpoints with two laps made it fast, fun, and easy.  This year there were staggered starts to eliminate the sloppy (dangerous) formation joinup of the past.  FWIW I finished in the top three at 193 MPH (average ground speed over 120 SM).  (Don't ask me how many flew the course :-)  And I'm not kidding myself; when Bob Eckes returns to the circuit he'll clean my clock :-)

Afterward, some of us briefed and flew formation to KSGU (St. George, UT) for lunch.  The next day I flew to SoCal and later in the week to Arizona for Copperstate and visits to noted Canardians Shirl and Dorothy Dickey, Gary Hertzler, and Bob Eckes.  Dorothy did a "tune-up" on my aircraft cover -- works much better now.  Back to SoCal after Copperstate so the Blond Ballast (tm), Harriet, could drive my newly purchased pickup truck home for me.  Life is good!

The good life continued as I took on 40 gallons of $2.99/gallon 100 LL at KTSP.  Almost half of it was still in the tanks when I landed at Lewiston, ID later in the day.   I bucked a slight headwind most of the way and my feet got cold so I had to stop for lunch and a warmup in Nampa, ID.  I use heated socks in the winter but this early cold weather (14F at altitude) snuck up on me.

Yes, you definitely need to find a hangar -- staying outside sucks big-time.  I'm in a rented T-hangar and it's not much better than the ramp this time of year (cold!).  If I could find an affordable place at a residential airpark in the western US (except CA) I'd move there in a flash.

--
Joe

[Jeffco]

Sounds good Joe, my radio problem I discovered is from lack of use. It is an old Terra tri nav with push buttons for selecting frequencies. If not used for a while it gathers dust on the contacts and that can be worked out by pushing the buttons over and over.  At least that is what I was told. It really could use a new radio though. I have actually tried to sell the Long ez even though I am trying to come up with the funds to buy out my partner who never fly's anymore.  Lots of guys asking and a few looking but nobody serious, maybe they can tell I don't really want to let go of my baby.  I have been living in Sandy Utah during the week and got a chance to see Ric and Shari Lee's berkut project nearing completion, what an awsome aircraft that will be.  He has been at it for many years, I just really admire the determination. Anyway, thanks for the reports, I got my flying fix going from SLC to PDX yesterday in the Jump seat of a Delta 737.  Got to load the FMS and was blown away.  Take care

Jeff
Long ez 141