April kicked
my unplanned year of adventure into full swing. Between social
events, meetings, personal travel, and business travel, it seemed I
was either out of town, or at work making up hours for the majority
of the month. Unfortunately this meant that I only worked on
the plane 1 day during the month. This was incredibly
disappointing, but some adventures are worth it.
The first
Saturday was wrought with adventure when I tried to take some
Young Eagles
for a flight, but it was thwarted by my first
FLAT TIRE. I
landed at the Young Eagle's airport with a flat nose wheel.
Fortunately, all the circumstances aligned such that I was able to
coast in a straight line to a safe spot off of the active runway,
where I was met by Airport Opps and we pushed my ship over to the
ramp. I spent the day hanging out at the EAA hangar, watching
other pilots fly the kids while I waited around for the mechanic to
replace my tire. Overall, it was an interesting experience.
The
following week I traveled to Wichita, KS for my 11th attendance to
the AIAA Design Build Fly Contest.
Unfortunately this weekend too was disastrous, Naturally Disastrous.
For the first time in 13 years, Wichita sustained a direct hit by a
Tornado, which
ripped right through our flight field. While the Cessna field
only sustained minor damage, all roads leading to the facility were
pretty torn up. Some buildings were torn to shreds and power
lines were strewn across the roads. As such, the contest was
CANCELLED for the first time ever. It was a very disappointing
time for everyone.
My original
plan to drive back to Denver from Wichita with my friends was
changed and instead I flew to New Mexico directly from Wichita for a
week long business trip. Upon my return from New Mexico, I
spent the majority of my free time preparing for my next adventure,
the Bicycle Tour to San Diego... and making up hours or lost time at
work :-(
While I thought
about working on the plane, as well as Not working on it quite a
bit. But, I must remind myself that it is all one grand
adventure, and I will finish the plane in due time! :-)