With 6 months to go until retiring from the military, I’ve been attempting to get my ducks in a row for the civilian Pt. II of my life – on the list has been getting my ATP-H prior to dishing out resumes.  Off to a military friendly 141 operation in Denton, Tx.

     I waffled between driving and flying (largely due to the summer convective activity over pretty much my entire flight path.  Watching the long-range closely, it was looking promising for flying – 6 hours vs. 2 days…  The point of no return – 2 days before my start date – the forecast looked good.  Sunday AM, the morning of departure, was a slightly different story.  Beautiful at home base, but shortly west – around Montgomery – fairly socked in.  My VFR fuel stop in Louisiana was looking good for my ETA.  I decided to file an IFR leg from Montgomery forward to an IFR gas stop as back up if needed.

Hard to get a better morning for departure:

Almost on cue, the weather begins coming down over Montgomery, so I pick up my IFR over MGM VOR:

Pretty soon I’m over a solid overcast:

Closer to my fuel stop, it begins to break up and build up with the mid-day heat:

I decide to cancel my IFR (VFR fuel stop much cheaper), descend, and land at my VFR location.  Getting low beneath the scattered layer – bumpy and hot!!

Can’t miss my field, it’s just past this little landmark on the Louisiana side:

Welcome to Oak Grove, La. and $3.85 100LL:

I decide to file IFR for the second leg and have to use FSS.   Been a LONG time since I filed with a briefer – no WIFI is sometimes the price of cheap fuel in the middle of nowhere -  it was almost nostalgic in some sense.  Also a price of cheap fuel is being able to reach ATC at a reasonable altitude.  Luckily I was able to continue my climb VFR until able to get Memphis center and receive my clearance.  I initially filed 6000’ but asked for 8000’ in the climb to clear tops.  Looks just about right:

I filed a V airway route that kept me fairly north of DFW – my destination being NW of DFW.  Probably due to approach corridors, perhaps, I was fairly quickly given the DODJE4 arrival.  Only issue with this is that the route took me in a slightly southwesterly direction – the direction that most of the CB were coming from.  A look ahead was no Bueno:

Just like icing in the winter, embedded TS is a real concern for summer time IMC.  A cancellation of IFR once again brought low, hot, bumpy flight zig zagging around these the rest of the way:

I LOVE anything related to flying, but with all the course deviations due to cells and looking out for the other traffic doing the same, I was glad to land and call it an evening.  The RV in good company – I think that may handle the bumps a bit better:

First stop was the grocery store.  Mmmm – must be in Texas:

Can’t say I was too choked up about leaving the southeast – ugggghhhhhh:

Got one day of training in before a guy named Bill came for a visit.  Timing has never been my thing.  More importantly, I was really hoping for no more hardship for the citizens of this fine republic.  Can I get some training wheels?  A little bit different than the 20,000 lbs and 3500 SHP  I’ve been flying for a decade:

The next couple of days were filled with this:

Which was actually a blessing as it gave me the time and focus to some of this (much needed):

Another kink in the plan was the Denton airshow altering the training schedule.  But hey, free airshow and some free Tex-Mex courtesy of the FBO:

Unfortunately I had to depart prior to Falcon Flight, but did catch some RV-8 aerobatics.

A couple days and Bill moved on and I was greeted with fair weather for another couple days of training:

I was always taught no hats at the table – I wish I knew about the Texas exception when I was a kid:

I entered the restaurant with a friendly sky and left looking at this:

Ugggghhhh – more delay.  Another night in the hotel, another day paying for a hangar and rental car…  Finally, albeit a bit longer than planned, the morning came for the check ride.  I’ve taken a bunch of check rides, and would like to say they don’t bother me, but to this day, I still get ‘check ride it is’ – and pretty bad, too!  Happy to say I kept it under control and got to snap a victory pic with CFII on left and DPE on right:

I’ve eaten plenty of sandwiches in my RV, but this one was especially satisfying heading back home after a successful mission:

Still hours away, but home isn’t looking so hot – or maybe I should say it’s looking too hot:

Think the area as seen rain recently?

Speaking of hot…back in Oak Grove, La:

I’ll buy the feels like 100, but only 66% humidity…  Good gosh was it miserable on the ground:

Fuel up and climb as quickly as I can:

Looking much better at 9500.  Even though I gained no GS advantage, the cool air and silky smooth ride was well worth the climb:

Carefully watching my 11:00:

Give these guys a wide berth:

I absolutely love it up here.  I tell people, “Every time is like the first time”.  Some get what I’m saying, some look at me like I’m an idiot…

A better view of Montgomery on the return trip:

So thinking back to this picture – 4 hours previously –

The no wind was great for the flight, not so great for movement of a weather system.  All the way from Texas and stopped :30 out.  Nothing to do but sit on the FBO porch and enjoy the evening heat and humidity.  Hazelhurst, GA:

I was really considering spending the night – been a while since I’ve flown at night, so I did not want to add rain, night, lack of night recency, fitfull sleep the night prior (check ride), and a long day all together.  Sounds just like something someone would be reading in a magazine in a couple months.  Radar was looking good to give me a window to land without rain just at dark.  Taking off for the final :30.

Got the RV tucked away and arrived home around 2200.  A LONG day, but great day, cause I came home with my ATP rating!