Evening All: I have been away for a couple of months as I had problems signing on--I think I have the handle now. Nancy and I went to the Sebring EXPO in January and that was our last real trip. The fourm had a space and I met Russ and others and engaged in some stimulating conversations. In addition, the weather in Pensacola was really ratty in Feruary, so not a lot of additional flying.

However, during a wind storm on 1 March, an unused storage shed, next of my parking space, blew down and damaged N840KN enough to ground it. The 50 year old shade hanger was solid and remains undamaged, but who the heck would figure an old shed, made of nailed up walls and a sheet metal door would come down, NOT ME.

I would post pictures if I knew how, but the the falling wood and door did damage the passinger side of the plane. Cracks on the base of the rudder grounded the A/C, but there were other gouges and cracks on the leading edge of the elevator; the tail skid, wheel pan also had dings. And, on the flap and aileron there were some puncture type of damage. However, as I had wing covers (Bruce's) and a FD fuselage cover, a lot of cosmatic damage was averted.

The insurance adjuster came two days later and John Hurst of Sebring Aviation came by and he took photos and communicated the FD in Germany concerning how the fix the damage. The the trailer came form Lockwood and as I had the aircraft defueled, the guys stayed with us (Spring Break weekend -- no rooms) and the next day they had the aircraft dismantled and packed in theri trailer in three hours and off it went. N840KN remains in Sebring, awaiting determination of what to do next.

Now that we are six-plus weeks past the accident, I still do not have a firms estimate of costs, completion dates, and my input to the process seems to be ignored. While I really appreciate the immediate response and the movement of the airplane quickly, the rest sux as it appears everyone runs scared with a crack. I wonder if Cirrus has the same problem. I finally spoke to Phil Lockwood and he promised to look into the matter. Now, I suppose I understand the need for being sure, but being out of the loop is not my favorite position. Besides, not having the plane is disrupting out travel schedule, for example; if you can believe it--we had to drive to Sun-N-Fun.

We plan to attend the Page fly-in, as there is not enough time to gett ready for the California soiree. Oh yes, I submitted a companion article to Sport Aviation Magazine to compliment my one in the December issue,recounting how we came to purchase the CTLS. Because in our travels we have talked to many folks who are chary, goosey, or believe that cross country in an LSA is some how scary or not viable for them, well we said hog manure. So the article details how I(we) fly cross country, we exhort peopel to do it. Besides, i have been flying XC in the military and GA for more than 50 years and I think we have the principles down pat.

Anyway, we want you to know that we are alive and well in Pensacola, playing a lot of disc (frisbee) golf, enjoying the return of hot weather, and Nancy is making noises about repainting the inside of the house. So we need to be on the road again (with apologies to Willie Nelson) and allow the walls to retain theis current patina.

See ya, Ken and Nancy Nolde, N840KN (271 hours and hoping to add more soon)