Ocean City with the New Prop

The prop is back from Aerocomposites. The leading edge guard has been replaced and all the blades repainted. The whole thing looks brand new.

I decided to take the family to Ocean City for a day at the beach. The weather was perfect and the 22 minute flight was a lot easier to take than the usual 2 1/2 hour drive.

We left at 11:30 and were standing by the plane with tie downs hooked up and everything unloaded at 12:05. Not bad.

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It looks a lot better in finish paint than it did in the green primer on our last visit.

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Everybody packs up and heads to the terminal. The red biplane in the background goes up and down the beach all day giving rides.

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A quick change into my bathing suit, out the front of the terminal and off to the beach - only a 3 block walk.

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Not bad. We took off at 11:30 and are walking onto the beach before 12:30.


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I think I like flying to the beach more than being on the beach, but the kids have a great time building castles and riding the waves. By 5:00, they are worn out and we walk back to the airport, to go home for dinner.

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Here is a short video of the takeoff from Ocean City.

This is the reason you want a constant speed propeller on your Velocity.  Four people, half fuel, baggage and only a 2,975 foot runway with a crosswind on a humid 85 degree day.

As you will see, we only used around half of it to get off. My technique has improved since last time. Taxi into position, hold the brakes, full throttle until you hear the prop governor catch up, then let her go.  Steer with rudder, not brakes, hold forward stick to keep the elevator neutral until rotation speed is reached, then .... off you go with a little back pressure.

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Over the Delaware river and only 20 minutes home. We thread between Philadelphia and Wilmington, then point the nose at Chester County and home.

That's Philadelphia with Center City at the top of the river in the top photo and looking back at Delaware in the bottom photo.
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...and it's pretty easy with all the info from the 4 screens.

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Back at the hangar at 6:00 and home in time for dinner. This is exactly the sort of mission I have always wanted to be able to do. A one hour round trip makes a day trip to the ocean fast, easy and fun.

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