Godspeed Boys!

So the 2009 version of the Providence Aviation Trip has commenced. I went on this trip last year and it was a great time. We stopped at such tourist spots as:

• Tekamah, Nebraska (for fuel on day one)
• Augusta, Kansas (for a two day stop and tour of the Beechcraft factory)
• Dallas, Texas (for a 3 day stop and visit to Wycliffe and American Airlines)
• Gulfport, Mississippi (to work with MDS on building homes and to dip our toes in the Gulf of Mexic0)
• Waxhaw, North Carolina (a visit to JAARS)
• and Dayton (more like Xenia, but who's checking), Ohio (for a stop at the amazing Museum of the Air Force) this last one ended up being a couple of day stop due to weather.

It's a great trip, and I really wish I was on it this year. They're going west this year whereas we went east last year. I know the guys that are going this year better than I knew the guys I went with, because I took all of my first year courses with them last year, but was far enough advanced on my 2 year program (they're all on 4 yr degrees) to go. I had contemplated taking our schools DA40 and flying circles around these guys their entire trip, or even leaving hours later and beating them to their destinations due to the Diamonds superior speed, but it didn't end up working out.

To console myself, I just keeping reminding myself that though I could use the hours, I really don't need them that bad. Plus, I'm going to Kelowna, BC to do my seaplane rating on saturday (this'll be a blast!!!). I'll be flying with Air-Hart flying service out of Kelowna on their 172SP, though I want to see if I can make a flight or two in their 182, just to get some High Performance time if I can manage it.

If any readers want to keep up with the Prov trip its blog can be found at: Providence Aviation Trip 2009 Blog