Justin’s Pilot Reports (PIREP)

Joey Hemming is my friend, cousin and fellow aviation nut. His passion for all things that fly has always been an inspiration. Joey joined me for my first flight after earning my pilot certificate and has joined me on several adventures in the air.

Joey next to 810SA, a 2003 Cessna Skyhawk SP

On Sunday, it turned out that it had been nearly three months since Joey’s last flight with me. Heck. We couldn’t let that stand!

Information Mike, the San Antonio ATIS, gave us a green light for a chilly but gorgeous day in the air: “Wind 070 @ 11, Visibility 10 miles, 25,000 Broken, Temperature 2, Dewpoint -10, Altimeter 30.57”

This is an excerpt of A chilly but fun local flight….
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Today marked a very special moment in the air for me as I had a very special passenger…

My dad.

Dad last flew with me on April 14th, 2002 so it felt like I was taking him up for the first time again. His last flight occurred shortly after I earned my wings.

The flight was incredible. The air was smooth. The visibility was good and…did I mention, I was flying with my dad? I was so proud of him for joining me…and honored by his presence.

My father, Jack Easton Moore, at 3500 feet MSL

This is an excerpt of A day in the air with Dad….
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Just returned from a business trip to Houston, Texas. I flew, but not as a pilot in a Skyhawk. I was a paying passenger on Southwest Airlines.

I can’t remember the exact date I last flew on a commercial airline but I do know it was pre-9/11. My first hint came when the security guard asked me to take off my shoes and run them through the X-Ray machine.

I was lucky. A stone’s throw away I saw passengers - most selected at random -who were getting introduced (or reacquainted?) with the more “thorough” security review.

This is an excerpt of 20,000 feet in a Boeing 737.
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There is something very special about flying in a 1946 Aeronca Champ.

The fabric covered airplane is the essence of simplicity. Cruising at 80 miles per hour ensures that the view out the window won’t rush by in a blur. It’s the aviation equivalent of stopping to “smell the roses.”

Today I joined my friend Brad Marcum for a quick flight in his Champ to the New Braunfels Municipal Airport (KBAZ). Brad was my Instrument flight instructor and it is always a pleasure flying with him.

This is an excerpt of A CHAMPION of the Sky….
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The beginning of a flight-filled weekend began today with a solo flight in the local area. My steed for today’s adventure was Skyhawk N321WF, a nice 2000 Cessna 172R Skyhawk rented from Wright Flyers Aviation. What began as a day filled with a thick overcast almost - in minutes - became CAVU (an acronym for Ceiling And Visibility Unlimited - aka CLEAR skies!)

The TAF for San Antonio had been calling for scattered clouds at 2,500 feet which was going to be perfect for a nice, afternoon IFR flight.

This is an excerpt of A hazy solo flight.
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HAPPY NEW YEAR!

My friend Brad Marcum sent me the following link in an e-mail yesterday: Eagle Camera from the Discovery Channel

You MUST check this out. It is some of the most amazing video I’ve seen. Scientists have trained a Golden Eagle to wear a micro camera which gives you the experience of literally “flying with an eagle”. You see the world from the eagle’s perspective. Very impressive.

Also amazing is seeing the eagle “warping” its wing. Something NASA has been working on and something the Wright Brother’s knew about from the very beginning…