Long Hiatus

It's been a very long time since I posted. Lots has happened since then- though flying has been a bit scarce this Spring.
I have managed to do a little, though. Highlights (or in some cases low lights!) include:

• A few forays into the clouds to gain actual instrument time an experience.
• A (VA Aviation Ambassadors) passport stamping round robin that had to be aborted because of a Flat tire on landing.
• A mountain flying lesson in the Rockies.
• Volunteering (for Women in Aviation) at the Joint Services Open House at Andrews AFB
• Developing and studying lesson plans for slow flight, eights on pylons, stalls, aerodynamics, weight and balance, and ground reference maneuvers
• Flying my first real "right-seat" lesson in prep for my Instructor Rating
• Giving Husband a lesson on eights on pylons
• Discovery of a newly reopened restaurant at MRB that is awesome!

The mountain flying lesson was incredible. We tacked it onto a ski trip out to Telluride, meeting up with an instructor in Montrose on our way home. Husband let me fly while he sat in the back. The instructor kept telling me to "get closer to that mountain over there". My response was typically, "Are you sure?!" We flew the entire flight at max power in an old 172 that had had an engine upgrade (to a 180HP). On takeoff, he cautioned me that though the ground looked relatively flat, there was actually a gradual incline (and we were already at something like 7,000' MSL), and that if I did not hoof it up-- and turn at the right place, I'd get caught with not enough altitude or power. And I could tell that he was right, though I'm not sure I'd have been able to see it without him telling me! I'll try to remember to upload the pics sometime soon-- it was beautiful.

I'll post more about the flat tire in another post-- but just wanted to get myself back on a blogging trend. It's good to be back!