As the first light of dawn broke, Brad and I set forth on our return to KGGG. Brad had the task of returning the rental car, leaving me to attend to the pre-flight preparations. With Brad’s meticulous instructions and the Pilot Operating Handbook in hand, I set about my duties. Each check, each adjustment was performed with careful precision—our bags were stowed, and every detail scrutinized. When Brad rejoined me, we climbed into the cockpit, received cleared at the runway, and embarked on our homeward journey.

The moment of takeoff was a thrill—a surge of exhilaration as we climbed into the sky. The sequence of positive rate, gear up, and prop back from the red line was executed flawlessly, and soon we were on our chosen course. Texas stretched out below us, veiled in a haze that rendered the horizon indistinct. The visibility was so limited that IFR conditions seemed almost inevitable. (If you glance at the gallery from our trip, you’ll see the enveloping haze for yourself). Despite this, Brad, our seasoned Certified Flight Instructor, shared his navigational expertise via ForeFlight on his iPad. I remain a devotee of paper charts, though I have recently embraced Garmin’s flight navigator -- GarminPilot -- for Android—a blend of tradition and technology.

N793D soared with effortless grace. Once trimmed, it seemed to glide as though guided by an invisible hand. This aircraft’s remarkable stability and ease of handling are nothing short of poetic. We had planned a refueling stop in Missouri, but as we descended toward a distant airport, Brad, engrossed in his iPad, abruptly declared, "Forget this airport; let’s head to Sikeston! I’ve heard of a remarkable restaurant there." Thus, our flight path was redirected to Sikeston, Missouri (KSIK).

Upon landing, the airport manager had Lambert’s dispatch a van for us, offering a touch of VIP treatment. We bypassed the long queue and were ushered directly into the restaurant. Lambert’s lunchtime line was an astonishing hour and a half long, but the experience was worth every minute. We marveled at the staff’s playful toss of rolls across the restaurant—truly a sight to behold. The rolls were delightful, and we took a dozen with us, though they did not fare well on the journey back to Philadelphia, becoming rather stale over the days.

With our bellies full and the plane refueled, we resumed our journey, cruising smoothly with Big Boy trimmed to perfection. Leaning out for optimal fuel efficiency, we achieved a cruising speed notably faster than the Grumman I flew in flight school, all while maintaining a serene flight.

Our path veered around some weather, but it posed no significant hindrance. Seven hours after leaving KGGG, we landed at Moraine Airport (I73). Despite the extended journey, including our leisurely lunch, the overall time was surprisingly comparable to that of a commercial flight—considering the additional processing time at airports.

As we touched down, Big Boy bore the faint dust of Tyler Airport. Brad quickly arranged for it to be towed to his hangar, where friends awaited to wash and wax the aircraft. And so concluded the eventful second day of our voyage, marked by both the excitement of new experiences and the warmth of camaraderie.