AirVenture 2012 - Transit Home

It was deja vous all over again.  Wednesday afternoon I got a weather brief from the Flight Service Station in the FAA hangar.  Wittman Field was forecasted to be IMC Thursday morning.  I crawled out of my tent at 6:30AM and sure enough it was misty/foggy:  IMC.  But magically, ten minutes later it burned off leaving clear blue skies.   We packed up our stuff and took down the tents.  Bruce drove me over to the RV which I untied and loaded.  I guess I beat the traffic rush because I was able to taxi fairly quickly to 36L and take off behind a Mooney. 

When you take off on 36, you turn to 150 prior to the Control Tower.  The Mooney must have been heavy, because I passed him fairly quickly.  Next I passed a Cessna, and a Cub (not to hard in an RV).   Then I noticed the SBD Dauntless up ahead.  And I was gaining on him.

  
I pulled even about 200 yards to the side and snapped this picture.  Sweet!  Then he turned east and I continued south to Chicago. 
  
Pictures of the sky and clouds rarely capture what you see.  But this one does.  It captures the magic of flight where the pilot sees things unviewable from the ground. 
  
Some big mansions on the Lakeshore north of Chicago.
  
I always take a picture of my friend F(X)'s house when I fly by Chicago.
  
Airliner coming in overhead to Chicago O'Hare. 
  
Approaching the city skyline.
  
On final at Porter County.  Again, a quick stop for gas. 
  
Departing Porter County Airport.
  
I climbed up to 11,500 feet and headed east.  Once I passed through this squall line just east of Porter Country, the weather was excellent.  I enjoyed a nice tailwind, averaging 220 mph all the way home.
  
Overhead Essex Skypark.  Mission complete.
  
 
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