The Stay @ Home-Gardener: aborted landings

I've been doing a bunch of refly work in Iowa. We finally made it out of Kentucky. There was a bit of weather for a few days so we ended up sticking around Springfield, IL. I didn't want to go there. I wanted to stay back in Evansville, In. Why, you ask? Well, I know a bit about how thunderstorm cells function. I told my boss about my reluctance to venture northward due to these two cells that had popped up east of St. Louis. I knew I was going to cross paths with them on my way up... He replies that Im being Ultra Conservative (I have to laugh at that one... not many would say such things) and that they are 70 miles away and small etc. Obviously he isn't aware how these things work....

Begrudgingly and completely on his choice, not my own, I fly to Springfield. In my airplane, I bring along a personal weather receiver that displays radar returns. Turns out those two cells ended up growing and another one that was a bit of green rain off towards the east did as well... Here I found myself flying between the two sets. In aviation they suggest to remain at least 20 miles from one and 40 between two. I skirted the one to the east by 10-15. Encountered rain. Could clearly see the towering giants off to the side of me with its dark fury beneath.

Needless to say when I landed in Springfield I was angry. I called the boss to let him know I landed. He didnt pick up as he always has done. So I called a second time and left a message to the extent of being there and Oh yeah! Those cells we spoke about in which I was being conservative....

I thought about it a while later and decided to send him an email with attached photographs I had taken of the radar returns that I flew through to make a point...

Anyhoot. So I am in Iowa. Heaps of flying all over to do just a few hours of work.

I think you will enjoy this story: I landed at Twin Peaks this afternoon.

The cloudy weather scrubbed my plans for finishing up a project an hour or so out from out base so I landed at this airport I75 called Osceola. While coming in to land on short final...and in my flare before touch down, I noticed this old man on a ride-on mower. He shoots out and decides to mow the grass along the edge of the runway, not giving one iota to my big spinning prop coming at him. Sheesh! I had to smash in full throttle and climb up. I must have been a hundred feet from the guy. Screaming upwards. Retracting flaps. Cursing. I came back in for another attempt. The guy was still mowing about but I had an evil eye on him... He kept away from the runway.

To be honest. I doubt he noticed me. He was in a zone, old, deaf, headphones, listening to Slayer. What ever it was.

Ok, so I taxi over to the fuel tanks. Shut down my engine. Then this dog from afar comes running over. There is something off to its movements. As the dog gets closer, I realize it is a three legged dog! This dog then darts underneath my plane and disappears.

I decide that Im done with this strange airport and no longer need fuel. I call my boss to inform him about landing at Twin Peaks and decided to carry on to a different airport. I had to do a camera calibration flight over to Sioux City, IA.

I see the dog run back towards a building so Im safe to fire up and get the heck out of there. ;/

After a few hours we finish that flight and have to land at another airport for fuel. Mr. Pickles and I take a nice stretch. It was a long day for him having to actually fly the whole day with me due to all the relocations. Poor guy had to stay in there six hours. Luckily he just sleeps.

Oh, Granny, I think Annie is going on vacations because I ran into her at the La Mars Airport. ;)

Anyhow. Kiki and I are all setup for the evening in our tent at Fort Dodge, IA.

What a day!