Ocracoke, NC

We met some other SERV members at Ocracoke for lunch at Howard's pub. It was perfect weather for it. We had a nice tailwind at 5,500', giving us ground speeds of more than 185 knots and just over an hour of flight time from Twin Lakes. There was the occasional burble of turbulence, especially near the coast, but overall it was smooth.

Cherry Point's R-5306A was the only controlled airspace we had to deal with while east-bound, and once we gave them a call on the east side of Kinston, NC, they gave us a squawk code and cleared us right through it. Thanks.

Total over-water distance when going direct to Ocracoke was less than thirty miles, but it sure seemed like more. I'm going to have to get use to that before I entertain any thoughts of flying the RV-8 to the Bahamas or something. And approaching Ocracoke was weird too. We've driven the Outer Banks before but it looks even narrower from the air. And the airport is tough to see until you are on top of it. Anyway, it was a fun experience. This is a picture while on a left downwind for 24 at Ocracoke. Notice the full ramp. It was a popular destination!

Ed was first to arrive in his SR22, so he contacted Howard's for a short ride to the restaurant. It's definitely a walkable distance, but we rode instead. Here we are all settled in, ready for some great seafood.

After departing Ocracoke we flew north along the Outer Banks and up to the First Flight monument. The significance of flying a plane I built in my back yard over the very spot where the Wright Brothers first flew more than 100 years earlier did not go unnoticed!

The flight back was nice and uneventful. We turned west over the monument and hugged the south shore of Albemarle Sound to stay out of the restricted areas, and then direct back to 8A7. Total flight time was 3.6 hours and I filled up with 33.5 gallons when we landed. Not bad for about 500 miles in an afternoon! Keep squashing those rivets, it's all worth it!!

Here is a little movie of our flight up the Outer Banks.