Just what I needed, another airplane!

I just couldn't resist this. I've been in the low and slow tailwheel airplane fram of mind recently. So, when this little Starduster became available, I flew the RV-7 with my son, Alex all the way to Hartford, Wisconsin to check it out.  After a very brief inspection and taxiing around the airport, I bought it. No fuss, no muss, just give it to me.  Well, I actually have to go back and get it next week, since I can't fly two airplanes home.

Murky conditions along the route.

I almost didn't make the trip after checking the weather this morning at 4 a.m.  Lots of color on the radar with a convective sigmet over my route just west of Chicago. But there was a pretty good window which just required about a 30 mile deviation over to Davenport, Iowa. I filed an IFR flight plan, leaving Dewitt Spain at about 0530.  So, with the help of my trusty Garmin 696 with its XM weather radar (and some very helpful air traffic controllers who allowed me to deviate as I needed), Alex and I launched and made it to Hartford in a little over 3 hours.

Convective sigmet means deviation.

I enjoy this type of flying, too. That's the thing about aviation, whether it's speeding along cross country playing cat and mouse with thunderstorms, flying the pipeline in the helicopter, or just poking along in a little open cockpit biplane, it's all just so much fun!

The previous owner of this aircraft recently passed away. I promised his wife that this little plane has found a good home with me, and I mean it. I feel like I've adopted someone's pet. I can't wait to get it home!