4/30/2015
It was just in the past week that Alicia and I were talking about making a flight to our home town of Marshalltown, IA. A couple days later my Mom called to let me know my uncle Alvah had passed away. Our extended families were very close while we were growing up in Marshaltown and I was very saddened to hear of my cousins loss of their father. So almost instantly I was thinking that I wanted to return to Marshalltown to be with the family for Alvah's funeral services. I started checking the weather to see if a flight would be possible or not. As luck had it the weather was going to be clear for the two days I had available to make the 375 mile trip. The flight to Marshalltown took longer than expected as we were having a headwind and a top ground speed was about 95 mph. The return home the next day was much faster as we had an average ground speed of about 125 mph. Passing over the midwest is quite beautiful as the farm land makes an almost quilt like pattern of fabric. As we finally started seeing Marshalltown come into sight I really had a warm feeling come over me as we saw the familiar sights of our home town. From seeing the big round house as they called at my high school to the county courthouse there was no mistaking that this was Marshalltown. What a fitting moment it was to see Alvah's farm and home place on my left as we turn final for runway 13. I taxied off the runway and parked the Sonex at my hometown airport where I had my first flight as a young boy. It was great to be able to spend some time with our family and remember a truly wonderful man who is very much a part of the fabric of my life.
