Springtime Flying - Getting Ready

At about this time of the year there is a stir in hangars across the country. Engines that have been sitting quietly are running up, heating the oil so it'll drain more quickly to make room for fresh oil; wood props are being re-torqued; pulleys and pedals are lubricated and flexed; cable tensions, safety wires, cotter pins, all checked. It's the gradual wake-up for spring flying and it's a sure sign that there are pancakes and barbecue and eggs and grits and bacon at little airports within 100 miles of wherever you are (unless you are in someplace where elbow room is 100 miles or more).

If you've found a place on the web called "Social Flight", you've found a good place to look for flying goings-on. The Western North Carolina Air Museum breakfasts on the first Saturday of the month are found there (the first one this year -2018- will be in April) but other local happenings aren't - you just have to know somebody who knows somebody who knows. 

Mornings in the North Carolina mountains can be misty, rainy, wet, icy or beautiful when it comes to flying weather. My go-to page for up to date weather has been the government's page, but there are others. I'm old school and like to read prog charts but that's not everyone's cup of java.

Long story short, there is flying to be done and fun to be had doing it and if you don't get out there and do some of it you might just as well take up - ulp - tiddledywinks.