Quote Originally Posted by Bunkie View Post
Sorry to hear that, Bill. But be patient. If I've proven anything, it's that patience pays!

Speaking of which, last weekend was supposed to be the payoff for my wife as my very first passenger. I had the aircraft scheduled, the weather looked good and she was excited. Then the AC we had reserved (and based at KMPO) developed a carburetor issue and we had to scrub. We're on for this week in the other AC which is based at N53. I'll get a chance to demonstrate my skills as N53 has a 30 foot wide runway with "alligator" asphalt and a 700' displaced threshold. I've promised her that we will fly over our house which is is high above the Delaware about 30 miles upriver from N53. I've flown out of N53 a number of times and am actually quite comfortable with it. If the crosswind gets a bit too high, I have the option of landing on the grass instead which is much wider.
Bunkie, Congrats on the PPL. Now that you are all official, you can be let in on the unspoken and unofficial VFR pilot motto: "Time to spare? Go by AIR" I took my wife down to the Gulf once (worked it in with a work trip to keep the cost down). It was half the time down there that driving it would be, 4 hours instead of 8 or more, which was really cool in the A/C that we had only owned for about a year at that time. On the morning we were to return, a tropical depression had blown ashore in the early morning hours, we kept catching up to it and having to stop at the most random places. One of them was even a crop duster strip. So I tell everyone it was 4 hours down there and about 4 days back... But you guys will be able to make memories that most just can't even dream about, remember its all about having fun. Don't get yourself in those serious situations (especially weather). My friend Bo, before he passed on, had 900 and something hours and crisscrossed the country 100% VFR and to my knowledge never carrying a GPS. All sectionals, flight following, and good old fashioned navigation.