Murph's Audio Files:
Taxi (14:53)
Departure (19:53)
Enroute (11:09)
Arrival (23:46)

Day 1: Caravan 2000

The third annual Mooney Caravan starts with three regional caravans leaving Southern California, Northern California and the Pacific Northwest.

The start wasn't auspicious: pilots in Seattle awoke to rare convective activity in the Puget Sound, as well as heavy turbulence in the east over the Cascades. Delaying their departure for three hours, the weather finally cleared enough to allow Andy Czernek and Henry Hochberg to depart in N52202, a 1989 Mooney 252.

Two other Caravan organizers also ran into problems: Frank Bowlin, who arranged for more than $12,000 in contributions and door prizes, ran into engine problems in Utah and turned back to Watsonville, CA. Bowlin had been running higher-than-normal CHTs and decided to turn back before crossing the Rockies.

Jody Voss also had engine problems, blowing a prop seal on take-off from his home airport in Austin, TX. Jody normally flies N111MM, a Porsche Mooney -- but had a back-up plan on Saturday. His mother-in-law, Sheila Beck, was also flying to Madison. After repacking two planes into one and serious negotiations over what stays and what goes, they were off.

"There had been some grease being thrown from the prop for several months. I should have paid attention to the warnings," Voss said when he arrived at OSH.

Northwest Caravan landing in Bismarck, ND on Saturday.

Dodging thunderstorms: theme for the week of Mooney Caravan.

Revision: 10/28/2010

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