The departure day has come!  Months of preparation are finally coming to an end as the last details are finalized.  N6511Y has undergone a thorough inspection, oil change, and service of all critical systems.  The life raft & survival pack is secured in the back passenger seat.  Engine oil supply, spare parts, and tools are securely stowed in the baggage compartment.  The Jeppesen Airway Maps & Manuals, flight computer, backup flight computer, backup GPS, and backup radio are checked and secured.  The final moment of departure is approaching rapidly!

The weather in Houston is 35 °C and I am loading clothing in the baggage compartment for negative 20 °C weather!  I can’t help but smile as I marvel at the thought of where this journey will take us!  N6511Y and I have explored many beautiful places in North America from Texas to the coast of California, from the Teton & Yellowstone National Parks to the Colorado Mountains, from Chicago and Ontario to Boston & New York, from the North Carolinas to New Orleans.  But I can’t begin to imagine the marvelous adventures that are waiting for us on the route from Canada to Greenland, Iceland, Scotland, and Europe! 

As I load the last bag in the baggage compartment I get a big smile from N6511Y who has been patiently waiting for this moment.  Texas has always been her home and she thinks of her friends who she will miss dearly….the T-38 astronaut training jets, the Guppy, and the Weightless Wonder.  But she will be back soon with lots of great stories to share.

A great aviator once told me….just go with the wind!  That may be exactly what we will do!  But how will the weather patterns unfold?  Will we stay in Iceland for a few days for the weather to clear or will we make it across in just a few days?