Catching up on the tour!

Our hosts in Smoke Town drove us to the airport early in the morning and helped us load the plane. We have had a chance to meet many wonderful people on the tour and value the new friends that have been made.

Final Approach to Morgantown

After leaving Smoke Town we flew to Morgantown, WV where we had a lunch meeting with old friends, Jamey and Cara Gremillion, as well as a small group from their church. It was fun to catch up with them again.

After lunch we took some time to show them the Spirit of Paradise before heading off to our next meeting that evening in Virginia

We filed an IFR flight plan out of Morgantown and headed to Brownsville, Virginia. It was the first time we had flown this plane in actual IFR conditions and everything went as planned.

We arrived in Brownsville in time to set up for our next presentation. The airstrip at Brownsville was short with trees on each end. It made for an interesting landing but an even more interesting departure.

We made the presentation to a small but friendly group that included old friends Phil and Margaret Estes and even the Mayor of Brownsville.

The next morning Phil and Mark drove the cargo over to Orange County, VA so we would have a safety margin for take-off. It was a short flight and then Phil was given a ride that included a "splash and go" on lake Hanna.

We were soon met by Jay Johnson and his friend Mark. Jay is the inventor of the Glass Craft Spider Gun that sprays fiberglass. He and his wife, Margie, are dear friends and it was a privilege to catch up with them again and take Jay and Mark flying in the 206. Jay is an amazing pilot with an aviation history that includes friends such as Chuck Yeager and Burt Rutan.

After our visit with Jay and Margie we rented a hangar and put the "Spirit of Paradise" to bed. The first leg of the tour was successful and long. The next morning we flew out of Regan National on a jet and headed home to Colorado to spend time with our families and get caught up at the office.