Sometimes the sky calls...

Di, Ben and Mick were in Katy today for a soccer tournament, which left Chris and me to ourselves. After church, we talked about flying over the fields in Katy, but without knowing which exact fields they were at, and with my GPS having been sent back to Magellan for the crystal to be replaced, I convinced myself that it might be a bad idea.

So we had all but decided not to fly and just went out to CLL to see if any interesting planes were on the ramp.

And then I heard it. 785 was calling me.

"Fly me...fly me," she called from the very farthest parking place on the new portion of the ramp. I smiled.

"What do you think, Chris? Feel like a ride?"

He grinned back and helped me lug my flight bag while I got the keys.

785 was the plane I learned in mostly, and I haven't flown her since May 20. Her rudder and brakes were a little off, but after getting permission to taxi around the ramp from Ground, I figured out how to make things work.

It was decided that Madisonville would make a nice short trip, so we ran it down to runway 34 and before you knew it we were off!

I had forgotten how fast 785 flies...we were turning 2400 on the tach and registering 106 KIAS. Straight out to the NE (45 from VOR 113.3) at 2000' brought us to 51R in about 20 minutes. By the time the airport was in sight, Chris had turned down his headset and was dozing.

Made a really sweet patterned approach to Rwy 36 and brought it down nicely, though the small crosswind and funky rudder/brakes made handling on the runway an adventure. Back-taxiied to 36 again, and once more we off (a happy pilot and sleeping passenger).

Back in the same radial to CLL (watching for parachutists at CFD as ATIS requested), called a two-mile right downwind and landed #2 behind a student doing touch-and-goes. Meat-footed the ground maneuvers again, but kept 785 moving in the right direction until we were tied down again, safe and sound. Chris woke up during taxi.

"I let you sleep...is that OK?" I asked hopefully.

"Yes," he replied, still drowsy. Then he opened an eye a little wider and looked over to me.

"Dad," he added, "thanks for the ride."

That's what flying's about.