Home again after 23 days!
Today we flew what feels like the last leg of the trip (but is not, technically) from Liberia, Costa Rica to our home base (for Carolyn and me) of Austin, Texas. I have flown this general route several times, so it almost felt like being home even before we crossed into the US.
The route for today was flight planned at 1,477 NM, but we got a few short cuts...
Our carriage was raring to go at the Liberia airport, although she needs a bath when we get home...
Over El Salvador...
Over Guatemala near Antigua...
Carolyn and I hiked Pacaya way back in 2012 when I was doing some teaching in Guatemala City (old 2012 photo, not from this trip)...that is Volcán de Agua and Volcán de Fuego in the background...
Giuseppe did a whole series of cool pilot oriented videos from the right seat today and Carolyn did shorter videos of just the take-off and landing.
Getting the clearance at Liberia (audio is a little low)...
https://youtu.be/6UStIQa1DD0
Departing Liberia and climb-out...some great view of the scenery including Peninsula Papagayo which includes a very nice Four Seasons resort...
https://youtu.be/j9awRJsYC_c
A much shorter take-off video from Liberia by Carolyn...
https://youtu.be/y6Fg0mRIyzs
Enroute over El Salvador by Giuseppe...
https://youtu.be/qDJRQgd-PxA
Enroute, Carolyn decided to stretch out on the floor...
A short and sweet video of landing in Austin by Carolyn. She sounds happy to be back home, but I am sure that is just faked and she'd really rather head back out for another 100 hours of flying over three weeks...
https://youtu.be/baxEU_x7R6I
A much longer video of approach and landing in Austin by Giuseppe...
https://youtu.be/Zt9jv0jGolQ
While Austin is not the official end of the trip for the FAI requirements, it feels like "mission accomplished." The whole crew (except our beloved aviation Yoda, Jerry)...
Just the pilots (sans Jerry)...even coaxed a smile out of Josh...
Almost done!