Quick round trip to Savannah

A month a go I had a scheduled trip to Savannah with a seven day stay. I hadn't made up my mind whether to stay for the seven days in Hilton Head or catch a commercial flight home. Had I not just experienced a lousy commercial flight experience it would have been a definite trip home. As luck would have it, the decision was made for me. One of the principals of the company needs the airplane on Tuesday for a 3 day trip. So, like it or not today's trip turned into a "stop and drop" or "quick turn". These terms are used to notify the FBO at our destination that we want to minimize the ground time. Mother Nature provided some cooling rain for my departure as she has done for the past 12 days in NJ.

As you can see from the picture of the Pilot's flight display below:

All the color at the top right corner of the screen is rain and thunderstorms from Trenton -north and east for about 100 miles.

The states are defined by the dotted lines. The miniature airplane (that's where I am taking the picture) is in the vicinity of Norfolk.

You can see the circle and the letters TTN showing the Trenton airport. If you're interested in the other information on the screen:the bottom line of information is the GS (ground speed) in knots(428) about 490 mph, the TAS (true airspeed) 446 knots, the SAT (static air temperature) in Celsius (-50) -58F. and the ISA(International Standard Atmosphere) +7 - that the outside temperature deviation from standard. Basically, as the numbers increase on the positive side, the aircraft performance decreases.

To make a long story short, we left rainy Trenton and landed 90 minutes later in 96 degree sunny Savannah, uploaded 450 gallons of jet fuel, ate 2 chocolate chip cookies and bottle of water, compliments of Signature Flight Support and took off for home.

Taxiing for takeoff you pass the manufacturing home for Gulfstream Aircraft. There were quite a few of parked new airplanes, waiting for an improved economy (aren't we all?)

And, as my luck has it, the rain that was passing north and east of Trenton on my departure was being replaced by rain coming in from the west. It would be over Trenton just in time for my landing.

If you've gotten this far, I don't have to explain the photos. This was the returning scene.

A thunderstorm in my path, topping out at about 45,000 feet and I'm on a descent for the arrival into Trenton.

95 minutes after departing Savannah, I was on the ground in Trenton, in plenty of time to go to dinner and celebrate a special birthday.