Post Branson Convention Rap Up

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Home from Branson today after a marathon 3 leg flight. Left Branson this morning at 6:11 and arrived at home base in Quakertown just after 4 this afternoon. We are an hour ahead of Branson at home so the trip took 9 hours of which 7.4 were in the air. Had to outrun a few storm cells in front of us but had a tail wind all the way. Mostly flew at 7500 feet which for me might as well have been 20,000 ft. (We helicopter pilots don't like it much over 2000 ft agl. )

My total flight time for the convention including the trip there, .4 hours in the pattern at Branson, and the return trip was 17.3 hours which included a .5 hour false start and return to home base the first day.

I push my plane hard at 2600 rpm and 22.5 inch mp at 3000 ft and do not aggressively lean though I do pull the mixture a bit. I burnt 200.03 gallons of gas or 11.56 gallons an hour. I paid as much as $5.50 a gallon and as little as $4.85. Total cost of fuel was $977.25.

Oh yes I blew 6 quarts of oil through the engine in that 17.3 hours or a quart every 2.8 hours. Lets just say nothing on my aircraft belly from the firewall to the tail wheel will never corrode. (Frank are you taking notes here )

The convention was terrific. We managed to keep ARDave occupied form most of it though he did escape for one night.

Velvet (and all the volunteers) did a great job. Can't wait till next year in Duluth MN. If you haven't joined us at a convention please consider doing so. They are great fun.

More later from me I'm sure after I've had a nap.

[lowNslow]

Bruce, 11.56gal/hr. You sure you don't have a fuel leak?

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Yes I've been thinking about that. Just put those numbers together quickly and I probably messed something up. Yep, found at least one error and my burn rate is now down to 10.7 per hour.

Most of the 9.5 hours there I ran about flat out at 2600 rpm and 22.5 inchs of manifold pressure at or below 4000 ft. On the way home I never reduced throttle from full throttle at take off but climbed to 7500 feet where I was running 2600 rpm with 19 inches of MP with the engine leaned just a bit.

[AR Dave]

Left Branson at noon - went to Gaston's and had a nice lunch. Take off around 2pm was a bit long, had slight wind at back, 90 degs heat, and myself, wife, sister, & niece (they'd came back to Branson with us Fri). After that we flew across the Ozarks and found my Brother-n-law, nephew, dad, & mom, in two canoes floating down the southside of the Ozarks. We're just a bunch of Hillbillies! Tell ya what - We looked real hard for a potential backcountry landing strip. I would love to have a dozen cabins on a grass strip, in the midlle of nowhere, with names like GAR, POKEY, & Fly-Low, painted on the roof tops. Nough from me!
Thanks for staying on us about attending the convention - we really enjoyed getting to know everyone!
Dave & Traci

[170C]

Becky & I had a terrfic time at Branson. Velvet, Carol, Bob and all the many other volunteers did such a good job putting this convention together. We enjoyed all the activities and getting to visit with old C-170 friends and meeting new ones. We are already making plans for Deluth in 2009.

[Kyle Wolfe]

Ditto from us in MN! We had a great time. Velvet, Bob and Carol did a super job of organizing the event. Always so nice to renew friendships too. So many nice people.

We had a slow trip home at just over 5.5 hours. Landed with winds 22 knots gusting to 29. Fortunately they were only 20 degrees off the runway. Slowest landing I've ever made!

Again, thanks to everyone who took time to help or volunteer at the convention. Lots of people doing lots of work! It is appreciated.

[hilltop170]

OK Bruce, you've had time to take a nap. Now, what was the outcome in the Rat Catagory? How tough was the competition? The rest of us flying rat 170s want to know the story.

[SteveF]

A further question Bruce -

Did OLE GAR bring his plane or just another doctored picture??
If he brought the plane did he fly it or truck it to Branson?

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Richard there wasn't much competition with my plane for Rat Plane King. We definitely missed your plane and it's owners.

Steve it was worse than that with regard to Gar's plane. Not only didn't be bring it he didn't bring fresh pictures either. He choose instead to rely on our memory of that doctored picture.

He did assure us it will run, at least as far as a primer shot with get you. Maybe that wasn't far enough out of the hanger to get it in the light of day to take another picture. You will have to get more details from Gar.

[flyguy]

WLA I GOTS TU TOLL U- - - SUMBODI TRY TU MAKE ME INNA TU A JUGE OF SUM PURTY FINE SPECYMINS OF C170s. ITS ALMOS MAKE MY HED SPIN ROUN - - ALL THAT SHINEY METAL AN PAINT AN SPERIOR POLSTRY - - IFN OLE VELVET HAD MAKE PERVERSION FUR RATTY PLANES ITSA NO BRAINER WHOODA WUN

THU ONLIEST THANG THAT SAVE ME FRUM DI-IN WITH JELOUS WUZ OPININ UP THU DOARS ON OLE 49ALPHY. BOY THAT SMELL OL USE UP OIL AN GAS AN MAYBE SUM RAT PEE - - AN ALL THEM TOOLS AN PARTS SCATTER ROUN ON THE FLOR JES MAKE ME FEEL SO HOMLY SIK I WAS BOUT TO CRY. ANN BIDWAY - - IFFIN IDA FEL BAK TU MY MEANLINESS AN SINNIN WAYS IDA TUK A PICHER OF THU MESS AN POST IT HYEAR BUT THU DEBIL DINT COTCH ME SO U JES HAFTA PICHER IT IN URE MINE.

[c170b53]

Just a quick note to all, Maryanne and I had a blast. Thanks to all. Lynn Benedict called me this morning wondering if I was alright as I was last seen leaving Chante Kansas in low ceilings and rain. I'm now armed with a few more tall tale materials. Total tach time 40.7 hours. 20.7 to 20 back. Went through the mountains at noon and it took 3 hours at home before the bedroom stop moving. Cost? not counting daily spending and food/drink (cause I do that at home as well) aprox 600 for activities, 960 for hotels, 1200 for gas, spending a week with the "family", priceless.
More later
Jim Mcintosh aka c170b53