It's a new year:  2016. A lot has changed since Gary last posted here, and I'm going to try to hit the high points. First off, we are homeless. Last March, we sold our home of 28 years, gave away most of what we owned, and moved into a 32 foot long RV.  The few things I couldn't bear to part with are in a storage facility in Terre Haute IN. Gary spent last winter in Arizona again, working for Jason Stephens at Estrella Sailport, towing gliders and wrenching. I stayed in Minnesota and took a part time job at JCPenney. When we left MN, we went to Terre Haute for the summer to see if we liked it there. The benefit of TH is that Gary's family live there, and it would be really nice to live close to them since they're really nice people. But the plan was to do the National Aerobatic Championships, and then head to Florida for the winter. I keep telling people that I don't want to shovel snow when I'm an old woman. I want to live close to the ocean. So in September, we headed to Texas, where Gary was in charge of putting on the Championships. They turned out quite good, and we made a little money for the IAC. He has one more year to be the contest director, and then he's done. After the Championships were done, we headed to Pensacola FL where we stayed for a month. I think we've found our new home. We both love it there. There's a lot to do, and the beaches are wonderful. We took a lot of moto rides along the coast, and spent time sticking our toes in the sand. Gary wanted to go to Sebring Fl for the last contest of the year, so we stayed in a nice RV park there for a month. I wasn't thrilled with the place, although I was able to spent a lot of time with my dear friend  Odette, whom I've known since 9th grade in Panama. That was great. We moved up to Winter Haven FL after that, thinking that Gary would be helping a friend get his Pitts airplane repaired and back in the air. Well, that went nowhere. The friend never got the airplane to Florida so there we were, in Florida, but no ocean anywhere around. After a month there, we decided to try to get a spot at the Famcamp at Patrick AFB over on the east FL coast. We weren't holding our breath, because we were told there were no spots available, but when we arrived, they had just opened up some newly renovated areas and we got a nice spot right away. We will stay for a month and then head back up to Pensacola. I'll get some of our travel photos posted, and give you a peak into future plans later. Right now, it's late, and I'm going to bed.

Arizona Soaring

Back at work at AZ Soaring in Maricopa AZ.  I am living in my motorhome which is parked next to the world-famous bunkhouse here at the gliderport.  It is so quiet out here at night, pitch-black if the moon is not out, you can see a billion stars, the space station when it passes, shooting stars, the works.  Currently doing a couple Annual Inspections on the sailplanes along with towing gliders into the Wild Blue.  Flew 96 hours last month - a new record for me.

Will be leaving here sometime in May to go home and prepare for the 2014 Aerobatic Contest season.   More later along with some pictures.

Have been down in Tennessee doing the Annual Inspection on Tom and Kelly Adams Panzl.  She was in great shape!  Kelly will fly her back down to his home in Texas when the weather is better.  Kelly had taken off all the flight controls to refabric and repaint them.

Im back home in Lakeville now, but headed up to Crystal Airport to do the Annual Inspections on Craig Giffords Panzl and Stadaucher (I'm sure I misspelled that one)...

Headed back to AZ on Saturday.

OK, its been a LONG time since my last post so here are some pictures and updates:  The Pitts is finished and flying.  She is not yet painted, that will come later when I can afford it.  She will be painted in the standard Pitts paint scheme but reversed from Red with white trim to white with red trim.

I traveled all over the US this summer to Aerobatic Contests usually working as the Technical Inspector and Starter.  It started in Keystone FL, then Borrego Springs CA, Ohio Open, Grenada MS, Rome GA, Kokomo IN, Apple Valley CA, Salem IL, Oshkosh WI, Spenser IA, Delano CA, then on to Sherman TX for the US Nationals and WAC (World Aerobatic Championship) and finishing off the year with the Tequila Cup in AZ.

This coming Summer I will compete in the Pitts at the Ohio Open, Kokomo IN, Spenser IA, Oshkosh WI and of course the US Nationals in TX.

At the Nationals I was offered a job by Jason Stephens as an aircraft mechanic/tow pilot at his place in Maricopa AZ, just S of Phoenix (Arizona Soaring Inc).  I drove our motorhome W to AZ right after WAC while Chrissy headed North to Minnysota.   I'll be working in AZ all this winter, leaving in May for the Aerobatic Contest Season.

Below are some pictures:

OK, back on my website.  My junk computer has been down since last March.  I now have a new computer (MAC Pro) and will be updating this site in the next couple days.

Pitts Progress & Keystone Acro

A lot of work has happened since my last post.  The engine is very close to test run.  Today I will fabricate and install all engine control supports.  We are still waiting for the exhaust pipes which should arrive this week.  Got a propeller spinner from my good friend Grant Nielson - its huge but looks GREAT on the Pitts.  If everything checks out OK on the test run this week I will start working on the engine cowling.  With that done she will be ready to move out to the airport for final assembly and test flights.

Over the weekend I flew down to Keystone Heights FL.  for the Season Opener (Aerobatics).  It was a small turnout due to weather.  I think we had less than 20 pilots.  Chief Judges Fred and Liza Weaver ran the registration and judges line.  Alain Aguayo was the Contest Director and did a great job despite fighting a cold.  The Primary catagory was won by Marcelo Sabat who flew in from Brazil just for the contest.  Great job Marcelo!  Sportsman was won by Michael Breshears of the Embry Riddle Team.  Intermediate by Foster Bachschmidt flying his new Extra 330, Advanced was dominated by WAAC team member Marty Flournoy and his Giles 202 and finally Unlimited was taken by Hector Ramerez flying his Extra 330.  We had one other new competitor, Col. Marcus Cade flying his new (to him) Pitts S2A who managed to place 3ed in Sportsman.  All in all it was a fun contest and I will see most of my SouthEast friends again at the Nationals in Sept.

Pitts Progress

Spent all last week replacing oil and fuel hoses.  Still have more to go but waiting on parts.  Called Ellison Fluid Systems to order an EFS 4-5 throttle body to replace the old Bendix PS-5C.  Was advised they are no longer in production - so I am stuck with the PS-5C.  Found out the throttle set-up would not work with this carb as it is a reverse mechanism - so will spend this weekend fabricating a new throttle quadrant and ordering new throttle and mixture cables.  So, thats my update for this week.  Next weekend I will be in Calyfornia for another IAC Judges School, this time in Apple Valley.  It will be fun.  Over & Out!