Leg #9 - El Dorado bound - Charissa's fly-by & the penultimate stop

We are looking forward to closing out this race. I kind of wanted to make it to Mobile by the original 1700 deadline, but it proves too much.  We decide not to push that limit and to enjoy the ride a bit more....IF you can call flying low in 100F temperatures "fun." The race is FUN, but the flying conditions are not always fun. It's the conditions that can drain your physical energy. Our emotional energy is still running on high...full steam ahead.

We launch from Norman and head to ELD...it's one of the longer legs at 300 statute miles...approaching Stop #9 on our Grateful Dead Reckoners Summer Tour...

Charissa and I have been sharing the flying duties throughout the race, but Charissa has not yet flown her first fly-by. The time has come. We discussed it before the Norman OK fly-by. I reminded her that her options were OUN, ELD, or the final fly-by in Mobile (BFM). She declines OUN, but I secured a commitment for El Dorado. I tell her that she can't fly this race without doing at least one of the fly-bys. ELD it is!!! We review the procedures, and she takes the controls for the 20 miles leading into ELD and the fly-by. I'm in charge of the radios and the calls. I'm calling the timers and announcing our approach...lights on...Charissa is getting set at 300 ft above ground...wings level...she is racing at top speed left of runway 13...holding the altitude...and then we're climbing left to pattern and landing. She did it!!! Great job!!! We're taxiing to the ramp to refuel and reset for the final push to Mobile.

As we land, Classic 13 is heading out...Pirates of the Mississippi are racing to finish. However, as we walk into the terminal, we hear them calling that they are returning to land without their fly-by to continue. Luckily, they're off the clock, but we learn that they've been battling mechanical issues. They thought that it was a go, but they make the call to put it on the ground for safety reasons. That is always a tough call, but it's the right call...a heartbreaker for them.

We review the maps and decide to putter around a bit longer to time our final leg taking into account weather and the MOA. We should miss the storms, and the MOA closes down at 1730. It is hard for us to leave the Pirates behind, but we know that Peggy's husband is coming from Mobile to pick them up and fly them into BFM to join all the other racers. We are thankful that no mechanical gremlins have attacked 51-Charlie. We're pre-flighted and buttoned up...we're off to Mobile...