Pilot Life: Taking My Friend, Megan Flying!

Off the heels of a successful Instrument flight lesson with my instructor earlier this afternoon, I went up for another flight in the early evening hours to take Megan, a long-time friend here in Oregon flying with me! After picking her up from the train station in Albany, I brought Megan back with me to the Albany Airport where I did my pre-flight and passenger briefing.

Second flight of the day in N5174E!

After a warm engine start, I taxied out to Runway 34, did my run-ups and we got airborne, much to my passenger's excitement; this was her first time flying in a General Aviation aircraft! We headed south and I picked up VFR Flight Following with Cascade Approach and made our way to Eugene where I shot a few touch-and-go landings. I was instructed to enter the right downwind for Runway 34R on the east side of the airport, clear of the evening commercial airline operations that were taking place.

After doing some touch-and-go landings, I took us back north to Albany; on departure off 34R we had a SkyWest CRJ-200 heading to San Francisco depart alongside us on the parallel runway! I cancelled flight following once Albany Airport came into view and made an uneventful landing back home. After clearing the runway, I taxied over to the fuel truck since the self-serve fuel pumps were still out of service due to the ramp rehabilitation and repaving construction work was still on-going. I called up the FBO manager to let him know we needed fuel and he promptly assisted! While we waited, we took a selfie!

Obligatory selfie after returning to Albany while waiting for fuel!
(Photo credit: Megan Brooks, my passenger and longtime friend!)

After refueling was complete, I restarted the engine and taxied the plane back over to the hangar, where I put it away and called it a successful outing. Afterwards, I drove Megan home.