Birthday Flight
In search of the $100 birthday hamburger - and pie
August 4, 2010

July 15 is a birthdate shared by my flying/Southern Bell buddies Jim and Chuck. Ricky works in Martinsville, VA
which has a restaurant colocated with the FBO at Blue Ridge Airport. It was August 4 before our
schedules worked out and we could take the day for a little flying adventure to celebrate.

First I flew to KEHO (Shelby) to pick up Jim. Climbed out over a few low clouds, ATC gave me direct right
over CLT, and the clouds cleared for a visual approach to Runway 23. Jim then flew right seat as we headed
to KSVH (Statesville).

Viz was bad enough due to a lingering front over the mountains that we filed KEHO-KSVH and shot the
ILS RWY28 at KSVH. They were reporting 800 and 2 but it was more like 1400 and 4 by the time we
landed in a light rain.

Chuck took the back seat for the next leg to KMTV (Martinsville). Since he's still carrying that Airborne blood
we reminded him that this is not a C-119 and he should not anticipate a "Stand in the Door" command.

Yep, here's a collection of gray and missing hair from all three of us. About 100 years of telephone experience
and around 75 years flying little airplanes. .

Low scattered layer to the west as we flew toward Martinsville.

Doesn't look much better ahead. No convective activity, just muggy, hot, hazy - like August in the South!

Pilot Mountain shrouded in the haze.

Same view but enhanced with the wonders of PhotoShop to cut the haze. Now if they could only figure out
how to get that view out the windshield of the airplane! Oh wait, they have. It's called $ynthetic Vision. Never mind.

I know the charts and the 496 says we are at least 1500 feet over those towers on ridgeline, but they sure look closer!

Now a Birthday doesn't get much better than this. Lunch at the Blue Ridge Diner on the airport grounds at KMTV.
The Birthday Boyz had coconut pie for dessert and personal Birthday Service from Sissy (aka Angie) who should
be the spokesperson for the Martinsville Chamber of Commerce. Ricky joined us for lunch here.

Ricky, Jim, Chuck, and Ron on the ramp before departing KMTV in N64328. Linked by flying, running,
cycling, telephone work, and any other adventure we have been able to rustle up over the years.

Looking back on the FBO and restaurant as we departed Rwy 30 and climbed on course back to KSVH.

15 minutes after departing KMTV it was a little hard to spot Pilot Mountain in the soup.

Back on the ground at KSVH.

.

Chuck and Jim picked out their next airplane. It's a Bombardier BD-700-1A10. You can pick one up for
around $45 million.

We thought at first it might be the Krispy Kreme corporate jet but it is registered to Kohler. That's a lot of
bathroom fixtures sitting on the ramp.

Makes the 172 look a tad diminutive. We took solace in the fact that the Bombardier probably burns more fuel
taxiing out and taking off than we burnt the entire day.

After dropping Jim off at KEHO I was fortunate enough to get a direct route back across CLT and downtown
Charlotte. Here is what downtown looked like in the afternoon summer haze.

And the same view cleaned up in PhotoShop!

A few video clips of the day's flying - hazy, muggy, HOT - summer
aviating in the South!.

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