The condition inspection is done, the panel upgrade is done, the new glare shield is done, and the interior is done. I will sign the plane off for return to service tonight. The plane has now been down since about the first of December, a long 9 1/2 months of upgrades. And I didn’t even do everything on my list. But I did most of it. Now we need to get back in the saddle and start flying.

However, if you’ve been paying attention, you may have noticed that a couple of weeks ago we lost some friends in plane crashes. On the same weekend Jack Morrison and the Dayton Wright Brother’s Museum’s new Wright flyer (that our EAA Chapter had worked to cover) both went down, with 3 good souls lost. That is sobering no matter how confident you are. To that end I’ve asked our close personal friend and pilot extrodinaire Dave Bertram to come visit us for a few days and fly with my Sweetie, and he has agreed. We just need to work out the dates. I’m sure Elizabeth would be fine on her own, she is a very good pilot, but in the current circumstances I prefer to proceed with an abundance of caution. I suspect Dave is only coming to sooth my conscience, but it’s very much appreciated.