A Christmas Adventure (add to the poem)

T’was the night before Christmas
And in a red hangar
Something was stirring
A Lycoming four-banger

I left a big bag of presents
A far distance away
I had to go get them
Before Christmas Day….

But the weather was nasty
It gave me a fright
A red light on the nose
Was nowhere in sight

In the rough weather night,
I felt like a pawn.
Help buzzed by so close,
It was Riudoso Ron.

How could he fly
without that red light
It seemed a disaster
was almost in sight

Then as he passed by
It relieved all my fear,
He had a 496
attached to his rear

An IFR Cub?
Who'd a thunk it, I wondered
And then with a roar,
down the runway he thundered.

He pulled hard on the stick
And up thru the layer
He horsed it aloft,
on a wing and a prayer.

Jon B.

The presents were stashed
At a strip by a river
The thought of the landing
Set my knees a-quiver

A kick to the left
And one to the right
Made sure all the gifts
Were all nice and tight

And way up above
A full moon in the sky
Made sure he could see
Where he needed to fly

When off to his left
there came such a sight
An F-16 to escort his flight

with his nose up high
and his plane all dirty
he did all he could to
stay slow with the birdy

but nothing he tried
could keep him that slow
he firewalled the Falcon
he had to go

with a simple salute
he went out of sight
then Santa remembered
his squawk code that night

he looked at his transponder
and there it appeared
1225 was dialed in clear

he re-checked his code
it was dialed as shown
then he looked and switched it
from STBY to ON

Then up from his right
the same guy appeared
but this time he was moving
mach one or damn near

Santa said thanks
as that pilot streaked by
he knew for his freedom
that pilot was willing to die

Then the Viper punched burner
on that hot rod GE (Dash two twenty nine)
and departed zero zero as if on a dime...

The reindeer all freaked and Santa entered a deep stall...
While presents tumbled through the split door and started to fall.

Pipers and Falcons
And Santas oh my
I thought that I would be
Alone in the sky

That old man and his deer
Just missed me by chance
I barrel rolled twice
From his wake turbulence

I started to wonder
Should I be on this trip?
As I worked the controls
With a white knuckled grip

I tried to focus my mind
As I neared the river
The temperature was dropping
I started to shiver...

The bushwheels were throwing
big rocks all around
And when I stepped out,
I just about drown.

Bouncing my head
like a big rubber drum
I hastily took out my flask
and had a big shot of rum

So with that smart move I knew what to do
Broke out the tent and camped by the slough
Found out that my survival gear really sucks
Wished I had parted with a few more bucks

After the required 8 hours from bottle
I fired up that Lycoming and hit full throttle
With a bounce and bump down the bar on the run
Skipped on the water and off into the air I launched for some more fun

My takeoff was really quite a dandy
but I suppose a few more horses would come in handy

Which makes me think I should tell the old lady
at the top of my wish list is a Lycoming 180

She will say fine I think you should get one
just as soon as you get my new house done

I'll say Honey I have been thinking lately
those extra ponies would increase my safety

She'll shoot me that look cause she's heard that before
The day the Bushwheels arrived at our door

When I tell her my wishes
for my plane later that night,
she narrows her eyes,
and I know we're in for a fight!

But I couldn't believe my ears,
I swear I almost fell!
When she said, "Honey, you can have your new engine,
and a new prop as well...

I was SO HAPPY!
I thought my heart might burst!
until she said,
"...AFTER you equip MY Plane first!"

HA! Good one Tish.

So with my new engine
and a hand on my Coors
I said with a grin :-?
I've got mine, now you get yours

With presents at the river,
and the task still at hand.
I flew out the door,
dodging the pots and the pans.

Christmas story

...out the front door through the yard to the hanger I ran.
Threw open the hanger doors with my survival bag in hand.
I looked at my wife and gave her a wink, then I yelled "I bet you cant hit me with that sink"

Santa had done his preflight
In the dark of night

With this all done
He was ready to make his run

It was Christmas Eve
But old man winter had set up his deceive

For Santa was in Fairbanks at 40 F below
With his sleigh loaded and ready to go

Earlier while he had been dozing
His sleigh runners had frozen

With no boards under his runners he had a great fright
For he wouldn’t be leaving on this dark night

As the sink missed my head I really gave thanks
But Santa was waiting, still stuck in Fairbanks

A quick stop at the river to gather the stash
Landing was tough, hope I dont crash!

Presents were loaded and quite heavy aft
The door wont shut which created a draft.

With full nose down trim
and my hinder a freezin
I thought this reminds me
of last huntin season

When the Mrs. cools down
maybe she'll give me the nod
to go down and get
a new cargo pod

Then I thought
I'll just do whatever I choose
with my sweetheart pissed off
I've got nothin to lose

So off to Fairbanks with marginal weather
I landed so softly, “Damn I’m getting better!”

Santa was cheerful and really not bored,
While reading all the posts from Supercub.org.

I gave Santa the presents and a big towrope too.
He was so darn cold and startin to turn blue.

Rudolph grabbed the rope and took a big bite
“Bite hard buddy and hang on tight.”

Cranking up the engine she started to blow
I looked to see Santa; he was lost in the snow.

The sled was still stuck, as we pulled and we tugged.
Poor Santa and the reindeers looked like they’d been mugged.

Just then I remembered what Steve Johnson had said
“Take Viagra when the going gets rough” “It will relieve the dead”

I dug through my survival gear and found the blue pill
Dropped one in each tank, then made out my will.

Shuddering and shaking, we began to break loose,
300 extra rpm, I thought I was a cooked goose.

But low and behold, ole Steve Johnson was right,
The sled had broken free, that Christmas Eve night.

Whoooah, 3000 feet a minute on my VSI,
Popped the towrope, and it gave Rudolph a black eye.

Reindeer scrambled as they thought they would die,
But I had a big smile, and a tear in my eye.

For the children of the world would receive their presents tonight,
And laughter and cheers will be heard at first light.

Thoughts turned to home and the next winter day,
After all I’ve been through, there will be hell to pay.

I knew all would be well, when I saw a flash in the sky,
Santa streaked out of sight with a wink in his eye.

I took some bits and pieces and added some more.......

----------------------------------------------------------------

T’was the night before Christmas
And out in the hangar
Something was stirring
A Lycoming four-banger

A big bag of presents
Stashed a river away
He had to get to them
Before Christmas Day

But the weather was nasty
It gave me a fright
A red light on the nose
Was nowhere in sight

How could he fly
without that red light?
It seemed a disaster
was almost in sight

As he taxied by
It relieved all my fear,
I saw a Garmin 496
Was part of his gear

As he lined it up
With his clearance in hand
Squawk 1225
Was his last command

He throttled it up
And gave a hasty goodbye
Tail came up
It was time to fly

He pulled hard on the stick
And up thru the layer
He horsed it aloft,
on a wing and a prayer

Above the layer
All nice and level
He knew that river strip
May be the devil

As the GPS waypoint
Came into view
The clouds broke up
He had a landing to do

He pulled the power
To not be so loud
And did a landing
That would make FE Potts proud

All loaded up
And ready to go
He poured in power
But still climbed slow

Up towards the clouds
He started to go
Just as he entered
It started to snow

With a kick to the left
And one to the right
Made sure the gifts
Were all nice and tight

Now up above
The cloud layer below
He realized why he loved
To fly so slow

And way up above
A full moon in the sky
Made sure he could see
Where he needed to fly

When off to his left
There came such a sight
An F-16 to escort his flight

With his nose up high
And his plane all dirty
He did all he could to
Stay slow with the birdy

But nothing he tried
Could keep him that slow
He firewalled the Falcon
He had to go

With a simple salute
He went out of sight
Then Santa remembered
His squawk code that night

He looked at his transponder
And there it appeared
1225 was dialed in clear

He re-checked his code
It was dialed as shown
But he forgot to switch it
From STBY to ON

Then up from his right
The same guy appeared
But this time was moving
Mach one or damn near

Santa said thanks
As that pilot streaked by
He knew for his freedom
That pilot would be willing to die


The next thing he knew
The work was all done
Never did Santa
Have so much fun

One stop left
Flying just above the trees
Santa dropped it in
And threw me the keys……….
.
.
.
.
.
Now, I never did dream
Such A wonderful dream
It makes me wonder
What did it mean

I awoke from my slumber
And to my delight
Out of the window
Sat a beautiful sight

I jumped to my feet
And on my nightstand a note
With the key and some wisdom
From what Santa wrote

Now you’ll never know
What that note said to me
But if it’s in your heart
You’ll get a key

So next time you’re bouncing
In on your wheels
And winging over
Just for a thrill

Just think of the reason
You love it so much
Because Santa gave you
A plane instead of a truck