Went to see about doing some flying, camera in tow.
Decided to check out Ocean Springs Airport (5R2), which is about the same distance from the site as GPT.
Glad I did- it's a nice little uncontrolled strip out under the high tier of the Gulfport TRSA.
Note the Union Jack under Old Glory on the flagpole: the Chief CFI, Mal, is from the UK. Not sure where exactly, but he says "jolly good!" a lot. 
No escaping these people; they're everywhere, it seems... 

     

A couple of the school's planes: 214 is a brandy-new 172GS, and yes the "G" stands for "Garmin 1000". Nice stuff, but I just want to do some fun flying, and it's a lot more expensive per hour than the perfectly good 1974 M model next to it. Took my little renter's quiz, had a nice chat with Mal and another CFI named Bill, who is originally from New Jersey (no escaping them, either...), and had a look at the planes.

But they couldn't fit me in today, so I will come back after work Tuesday for the checkout ride. May do another short hop during the week with one of the crew, then make a longer trip Sunday, with a stop for lunch somewhere. Hope the wx is as perfect then as it is today...

     





A house/hangar  right next to the airport: I just love that- a two- airplane garage, complete with personalized doors: one for their Aeronca, one for the Bellanca.

     




There's a good-sized pasture just off one end of the runway, but an emergency landing there would put you face-to-face with some Longhorns... 

bok269 wrote on May 20^th, 2007 at 5:48pm:

Yep. 50 years and it's hardly changed at all... which makes me wonder why anyone would pay almost $250K for one. 

bok269 wrote on May 20^th, 2007 at 8:27pm:


My point was really that for that kind of money, you could buy two superb vintage 172s with low-time engines that do just as well and have money left over for a G1000 suite in at least one of them. 


Even without the bells and whistles it's a lot of money for the same old (very nice) design, plus leather and a fuel injection head; look at this breakdown, from an online article about the new Skyhawks:

"...the base price for the standard 2005 Skyhawk 172S is $171,250. The all-conquering G1000 option costs an additional $58,500, and the AmSafe system in the rear seats is $1,500 more, for a total suggested retail price of $231,250."

And thirteen (!) fuel drains... damn those lawyers...

Don't get me wrong; I am a Skyhawk devotee. But for that kind of money, it should do things the old ones can't- like fly safely with full tanks, four adults and over 50 lbs of baggage, and not burn 8gph average doing so. For $230K, I'd buy or rebuild the sweetest vintage Skyhawk on the planet, maybe with a Thielert turbo-deisel on the nose, and be happier about it.