It all STARTS with a DREAM!

Whoo-Hooo!! Hour TWO!

Feets back on the ground again... Only just a leetle bit wobbly Just got back down from HOUR TWO in the log book Up in a '46 Aeronca CHAMP with a pilot (and CFI) with over 45,000 HOURS! He taught me how to do a Dutch Roll and took me up and over in a LOOP All kinds of crazy sideways turns, some slow mushy flight and my very first STALL , SPIN and recovery No flaps on this bird, so also experienced SKIDDING to lose some altitude and finished it all off with a nice smooth landing. 8)

WHOO-HOO!!

The day before the fly-in, I had finally gotten a computer hooked up to the internet again. I lost the computer that survived the flood to a lightning strike that was contained within a hurricane feeder band. I was given another computer by a friend with a spare, but hadn’t bothered to hook it up to the Internet for quite awhile. Frankly, I didn’t have time for it. It was a full time job keeping the other property continually ready to be shown during the height of the real estate boom and the grass short enough for all the folks that showed up in less than sensible shoes to walk the acreage down to the river.

We’re too far out of town to have many options other than dial-up. I could run laps around the property waiting for pages to load. The only option for high-speed Internet cost more than I wanted to pay, but I finally decided to go for it after getting somewhat settled into the hangar, reasoning that there would be so much more I could do with the TIME! (Sure, you can build that thing with hand tools, but power tools… oh YEAH!) Well, NOW I’ve discovered a whole ‘nuther flight training tool… There’s a TON of information on-line! Within days, I’ve signed up for a six month trial membership to AOPA and have earned my “Pinch Hitter” certificate. I take a bunch of safety quizzes trying to win a chance for a free radio (STILL trying!). I read my books, conduct research on-line and continue watching the activities around the airport, trying to learn whatever I can and hope that my new friend with the C-140 is a fast reader so he’ll come back and let me fly his plane again.

A few days after the fly-in, I hear the guy across the way trying to hand-prop the engine of the little homebuilt sport plane that had been displayed at the fly-in, but not flown (still awaiting final inspection and other red tape). After several attempts, the prop is spinning and the pilot heads down the runway for some high speed taxi practice. He’s gotten pretty good on the ground by now, nary a wobble as he heads down the runway at a tails-up level attitude. Down toward the end of the runway, something happens… A sudden gust perhaps? A momentary loss of control?? I’m STILL trying to figure out what happened.

All of a sudden, he’s veered OFF to the right and is in the air jumping over a fence and quickly gaining altitude and climbing OVER some trees. He’s FLYING!! OH my God. I don’t think this was a PLANNED flight! He circles around at a fairly low altitude for a couple of turns and then he gets into the pattern. I’m sitting on the gate outside my back door watching the whole thing. The plane is out of sight behind the tree line to the East of the runway. I hear the engine approach and suddenly, the plane is visible again just barely over the tops of the trees lined up for final approach. This does NOT look good. He’s coming in TOO low, mere INCHES off the top of the hangar. The cats lolling around jump up and RUN out of the way and I jump OFF the fence I’m sitting on with a “Holy $%#&! ______ !” He MISSES the top of the hangar and not being perfectly lined up with the base of the runway, applies a little MORE POWER and executes a perfectly executed GO-AROUND!!

Okay, I’m shaking now (and the cats are no-where to be seen). I watch as he circles the pattern again and STAND over next to the gate to watch him come in over the trees. Ah yes… THERE he is again. MUCH better lined up with the end of the runway this time... But OH NO! He’s sinking like a STONE!!! The wings are tearing through the trees! I leap off to the side as his landing gear catches in the gate I was just leaning on. The gate SWINGS around with the plane on it and what’s left of the other wing is caught in the other gate. There is a sudden deafening silence and a STRONG odor of aviation fuel. I run over to the plane… Staring into his eyes over the top of the open cockpit, I ask, “Are you ALRIGHT?!?” He nods and answers simply, “I think so”. I give him a hand and assist him out of the wreckage. He walks with me away from what's left of the plane and the growing puddle of fuel in the weeds. The steel gate is destroyed, but it probably just saved his life. There’s a fairly deep culvert just beyond he likely would have gone nose first into, flipping the plane over onto it’s open cockpit if the gate had not caught him first, both absorbing the shock of impact and keeping him upright.

A few months previously, I’d observed an interesting phenomenon on the runway. It had been a hot summer day and heat waves were rising from the asphalt. An afternoon rain storm blew in from the West. The sun was still shining behind me as the storm approached and rain started falling on the other end of the runway. Steam rose off the hot surface and was stirred up by the wind accompanying the storm.

The human eye has a tendency to connect the dots. It’s a survival mechanism of the species… keeping eyes open for predators blending into the dark shadows...

As the wind stirred up all this steam rising off the runway with the sun still shining, I suddenly saw ANGELS! A whole legion of angels dancing on the runway… Wings swept back, swirling all around, faces tilted back into the light ANGELS! I watched spellbound until the rain finally cooled off the hot tarmac and the angels disappeared from the visible realm. I still think about all those angels on the runway. Today I am convinced it was not an illusion. There ARE angels on the runway.

If you look at the avatar on the left side of the page, you’ll see the post at the end of the fence line that used to support the second half of that gate. There’s a spot on the ground to the left where the weeds no longer grow. 100LL is indeed a very effective herbicide but I would not recommend the application process. I’m STILL picking up little bitty pieces of hand-stitched wings.

No emoticons today... I'm ready for an adult beverage NOW. I'll be BACK... Later!!

Flew cross country in the SUPERCUB this morning! Taxiing through the trees and down the runway is getting much easier. There was a moderate cross wind component on the departure runway and winds aloft to familiarize me with crab angles during ground reference work. Got to aviate, navigate and communicate and we landed on a grass runway about 24 NM away from home. I think I handled a good portion of the take-off from the grass after we'd wandered around the FBO for a few minutes. (didn't feel TOO much imput on the controls from the back seat). Got back home! An absolutely gorgeous day. Flew around with open windows

Books arrived in the today's mail. My very own copy of "Stick and Rudder" so I can return the copy of the one I've been borrowing and "The Compleat Taildragger Pilot"... Both books (used and reasonably priced) are in absolutely pristine condition.

Gonna go read some. MIGHT fly tomorrow if it's not too windy 8)

It's all backwards!

Another day of firsts today. Taxied a '61 Piper Cherokee around the corner to put into another hangar... up and down the runway for practice, but not flown. My first time with a LOW wing :-? , a HAND brake and a wheel on the NOSE instead of on the tail where it natcherly belongs It was really strange... Plus, there was a YOKE in front of me instead of a stick! Looks like the Supercub (and the Champ) is gonna have me ruint for life

I will tell you though, I did feel like Penny at the Flying Crown for a minute whilst climbing on that wing to get inside.
Good thing I was wearing my cowboy hat!

Plus, there was a YOKE in front of me instead of a stick! Looks like the Supercub (and the Champ) is gonna have me ruint for life

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It is true that Cubs and Champs are more fun... and in many applications, more useful (my personal ride is an L-21B), but when the winds in Alaska get to 40 kts. plus, the Cubs, Champs, and most Cessna high wings remain tied down while the durable old Cherokees are still at work. I've learned to respect these old designs... there's a reason that they are still around after many years. Most airplanes, high wing or low wing, have valuable lessons just waiting to be taught to an observant student.

Thanks for your reply skagwaypilot 8) Also many thanks for your recommendation of The Compleat Taildragger Pilot... very well written and highly informative! On my second read now. I'm a long way from flying anything other than a kite on those windy days...

Ironically, the '61 Cherokee is the most modern aircraft I've ever handled! The owner says it's like flying a magic carpet... handles easily and is nearly impossible to stall. I found an interesting article about William Thomas Piper published in Time magazine in the same year (the year the Cherokee debuted at a brand new Vero Beach, FL facility) http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,828739,00.html

The Supercub I'm learning in is a 1955 90hp SC, the Champ is a 1946 (7AC), The C-140 was built in 1946 (does have a yoke) and I've also flown a very rare 1946 Commonwealth Sky Ranger. All tail-draggers... I find the Supercub (Scott tail-wheel) the easiest to taxi. The C-140 was the first... that first time taxiing was REALLY interesting :roll: ... dunno what kind of tail-wheel it has, but I suspect it's not a Scott... nope, just found out it is, just handles differently for some reason, or mebbe it's just me! Learning! The nose-wheel felt strange to me... I know it's supposed to be simpler, but the SC just seems easier and natural even with a more complicated route through trees. Go figure... Do you think I'll need a special endorsement in my log-book to transition TO nose-wheel?

Just remember... each airplane can teach you many things... they can teach you far more than that what is contained in your instructor's syllabus. You are getting a very good start - your experiences include a broad cross-section of aircraft.
Your writings tell me that you have excellent powers of observation. Put those skills to work. Think about the characteristics of each aircraft.
For example, the 90 hp SC wants to fly and will do so quickly if lightly loaded. That's great for getting into the air... but the C-140 will teach you a lot about the skills needed to guide a taildragger down the runway until it is ready to lift off.
By flying different types of aircraft, you'll find that there are additional lessons to be learned which are embedded within your lessons.

Do you think I'll need a special endorsement in my log-book to transition TO nose-wheel?

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I'd request that endorsement from your instructor - I'd be very proud of it! In fact, I'd point it out to the examiner when I took my Private Pilot Check Ride!

Witnessing (and very nearly tangled up in) a CRASH within days of my first time at the controls has kept me VERY interested in learning how to be a GOOD pilot! Fortunately, I am in an excellent place to learn. 8) My literary friend with the C-140 returns to the fly-in library at Hangar One and takes me flying again. He is not a CFI, so I can’t log the hours and there are certain maneuvers he can’t let me do in his plane, but the experience is invaluable.

He encourages me in other invaluable ways too. First, he shows me that I don’t have to be some sort of millionaire in order to fly… Yes, it does take money (How much? ALL of it apparently), but it’s doable if you are willing. He gave up pretty much everything in his life that wasn’t absolutely necessary in order to be able to fly. Every time he made a choice to NOT spend cash on something that wasn’t absolutely necessary, he put the money into a special account earmarked for flying… Every time he didn’t make an impulse purchase, didn’t go out to eat, didn’t go to the bar, etc… the money went into the flying fund. I see what this kind of personal discipline can accomplish. I see it flying and I see it tied down right outside the window. I climb inside it and put my hand and feet on the controls and learn to fly straight and level heading on-course.

Hmmm… luckily I don’t have the shopping gene, but hey! I can give up smoking! Thirty years of non-filter Camels and American Spirits… I quit! That’ll buy a LOT of aviation fuel! Four months, ten days and counting 8) Motivation, what a concept! Opportunities come my way… now I’m thinking how much flying time they can bring instead of cash I don’t necessarily care much about... but another hour in the air? Oooh whee! Now we’re talking I contacted an aviation magazine with an idea for a story. Much to my surprise, the editor calls me up and I am assigned the story. My first published article in a national publication! Cover AND full page centerfold (ooh la la!). My first PAID writing assignment! The money goes directly into MY flying fund… earmarked for my first official flying lesson (or two) and my very own log book.

It is suggested to me that it’s better to have enough money available to be able to go from introductory to check ride as quickly as possible as this will be more economical than a more haphazard approach spread out over a longer period of years or more. I probably have enough in savings to earn my private pilot certificate if I work my ass off, but don’t want to be broke when I’m done or else it will have been a pointless endeavor (got the license, can’t afford to use it!) so I TRY to be patient and keep studying in the meantime.

I’m NOT all that patient. The more I fly, the more I want to fly some more. There are a number of CFI’s around, but I don’t have a plane… I DO have an old Subaru engine and some wood and a bunch of fabric, a handful of assorted wheels and a few cans of old airplane dope but no A&P certificate either, so scratch THAT idea…

One of my neighbors offers to take me up in his Champ someday… sez “I’m a CFI, go get you a log book and I’ll endorse it for you”. Whoo-eee!! I order one on-line immediately and it arrives before all the holiday rush 8) The pilot is a pretty busy guy… our local FAA examiner in fact… then it’s the holidaze upon us again! The little Champ stays in the hangar, the pilot too busy for flying.

SO it’s a while for me staring at the blank pages trying to be patient… NOT smoking… saving up the nickels and dimes… all the while studying the books, trying to learn the sky and dreaming while I can.

There’s another instructor in the neighborhood… one I’d love to learn from as well… Excellent piloting skills, a good temperament for teaching… MAYBE with a little more time for a student… I respect the hell out of him, he’s SERIOUS… but I’m afraid to ask… plus there’s that matter of not having my own plane… that issue of insurance… How the heck can I do this? There are no planes for “rent” here. Obviously, finding something to solo in is going to be an issue, but PERHAPS it might be possible to get in some of those duel hours or maybe just an introductory flight? :-? The blank white pages of my empty log book mock me until finally I get up the nerve. I’ve been working for this man and his wife, taking care of their horses and keeping an eye on the place whenever they are called out of town for awhile. Next time they want to pay me, I ask if they’d be willing to swap for some time in the SUPERCUB! To my everlasting surprise, gratitude and utter total unmitigated happiness, they say “Sure!” and here I am now with about ten hours total time (all in tail-draggers), three hours of which are logged and getting ready for my next lesson on the morning after tomorrow

Life is VERY good.



Dreaming is SWEET!

Building Hours

1.8 more hours logged today... CC procedures, s-turns, turns around a point (found a nice little sink-hole to circle)... Flew into a rather busy GA airport, filled up both wings with 100LL and went shopping at the FBO for a new sectional, E6-B flight computer and practical test standards book. Since all of that was about the going rate for a hamburger, had some vending machine crackers for lunch instead On the return trip, did some power on and power off stalls and recoveries Looks like I might be doing some additional training in the Cherokee 140 so maybe I will be getting that nosewheel endorsement after all. Looking for a TD to rent to solo in at some point (pretty tough to find). Does anyone have any ideas? What about Flying Clubs? Any of these have TD's? Can you join as a student pilot?? How do I find a list of clubs in my area? (not much luck searching on-line) How much of a plane do I have to own in order to be able to insure myself if I go fractional? I've probably got enough set aside for a prop and some landing gear... maybe even some wing tips As much as I'd really like to continue all my training in a tail-dragger, the insurance issue really IS a bear. I hear that rates climbed up quite sharply after 9/11. Just full of questions today! :roll:

Saving enough to go from intro to check ride.

dreamer, From an efficiency standpoint having enough money to go directly to the check ride is probably correct. My life didn't work out that way. I went from $ to $ and hour to hour. I purchased a Cessno 140 and paid cash. I took my chances and purchased liability only. No regrets. It has worked out fine.

It took me nearly two years to get my private ticket. Which is longer than it could have taken, but it has it's benefits too. Your experience is over a longer period of time, weather, seasons, etc. I believe I have five instructor endorsements to private ticket. I learned something different from each one of them. Conversely I knew a guy that learned to fly in thirty days in Southern California off of mostly one airport, from mostly one instructor, in mostly one airplane. Moved to another state, bought a different airplane and wrecked it. He didn't know about soft, off airport, wind, uneven terrain, etc. He purchased another airplane, full insturments, concrete runways, etc, etc. He got into some other, not unusual for this country, conditions and wrecked another one. It ended his flying career. The point is, his breadth of experience wasn't adequate. My advice is to save your nickels and dimes, sleep well, and enjoy the ride.

I knew a guy that learned to fly in thirty days in Southern California.....

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I'm working with a young pilot who has a Private Pilot certificate. His goal is a tailwheel endorsement but I'm spending most of my (his) time teaching him things he should have learned before he went for his Private Pilot check ride. He performs most of the basic activities in an acceptable manner. However, his previous instructor avoided controlled airspace. Accordingly, my student does not know how to talk on the radio.

The point is, his breadth of experience wasn't adequate. My advice is to save your nickels and dimes, sleep well, and enjoy the ride.

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Good advice from andersenroger..

As much as I thought I was moving here for other reasons, it seems that realizing a lifelong dream was in fact at least one of the true purposes of my coming here (so far at least). I am surrounded by experienced pilots with a wide range of experiences and have not one but two of the best instructors one could ever hope for teaching me right now. All I have to do is shut up and listen, watch and seek out the lesson in every opportunity that is presented and work my ass off. It's one of the hardest things I've ever done! I felt some discouragement my last time up. I know that's to be expected at times and I'm TRYING not to be too hard on myself. I felt sloppy at the controls and was having trouble getting the aircraft trimmed properly to maintain a steady altitude. I have an opportunity to go up this afternoon in one of these... http://www.cradleofaviation.org/exhibits/jet/skyranger/index.html You should see the all original instrument panel on this! It's gorgeous! I won't be able to log any time, but will be able to gain some experience and PRACTICE! It's a beautiful day for flying

andersenroger and skagwaypilot, your points are well taken about the importance of breadth of experience. I realize there's certain things I will learn here in Florida and other things I'll have to learn if I travel elsewhere. Every plane is different too. I don't want to RUSH through the process (though I doubt my instructors would let me do that) neither do I want to be months or years between lessons and have to keep re-learning fundamentals everytime I go up (though I do believe one could spend a lifetime perfecting those very same fundamentals). My primary instructor is working with one person who'd obtained a private pilot certificate, but somehow had not learned some real fundamentals of pilotage and got LOST twenty minutes from home on a clear day!

Better keep studying!

Had a great time up the Sky Ranger today. Another hour at the controls (not logged) but great practice on the stick and working on getting that trim set right in changing conditions. I found my way to an airport 24NM away in skies a little bit bumpy and with a fair amount of wind. The ground reference work has been paying off. Flew a halfway decent pattern through three landings (two on grass). Maule tailwheel vs. Scott... hmmm... feels different. :-? Pretty tough seeing over the cowling in this particular plane while taxiing as opposed to the SC... Some differences in TO technique... hmmm...

Well! Next time I dream that I'm flying, I'll have to figure out what plane I'm in too!

Of course, andersonroger had the HUGE advantage of flying in N'braska, which gives one almost every variation of flying imaginable, except for hills, valleys, and mountains. :-? NO, really.

I fly over Curtis pretty regularly, guess it's time for a "precautionary" landing to see what's going on there.

Best wishes to all on their flying.

Thanks. cubscout (Adm., N'braska Coastguard, retarded)

It's a Complex World

The neighborhood had a fly-out today. A bunch of pilots and a couple of non-flying folks who had never been in a small airplane before flew out to a nearby small GA airport for lunch. Strong crosswinds on the runway (20-25 knot gusts) kept a couple of the little vintage tail-draggers grounded, but there were plenty of other planes flying. An aircam that was planning on attending could have handled the wind, but it was just a leettle bit too cold to be flying in such a wide open plane! I had the opportunity to sit right seat in two different cockpits with some really skillful high time pilots... I was in an early seventies Twin Comanche on the way over and a late seventies Cardinal 177RG on the return trip (the most modern AC I've been in yet) ... Got to drive the Cardinal for a little ways, but declined an offer to land it! (yes, I certainly DO have my limits!) It was my first time watching the operation of constant speed propellers and retractable landing gear. Looking forward to my next lesson

That's me in the front seat taxiing past my yard (off the left wing) down on the ground (clear of the active!). The picture was taken by the real estate agent listing the house and hangar across the street and is up on the MLS now. This is the same location I was in the dream except facing toward the runway rather than away. I'm REALLY looking forward to my next lesson!!! Not such a little taildragger this next time... I'm going up in a Warbird! Whoo Hoo! boyoboyoboyoboy!! Well it IS a basic trainer, right?

http://www.supercub.org/photopost/d....org/photopost/data/500/Cub_Driving.jpg[/img]

Back to Basics

Awhile ago the soles came off the old moccasins I was using for flying shoes, so I searched around and found a really cool pair of Apache style moccasins on-line and ordered me a pair... http://www.mukluks.com/apache.shtml They've got smooth edged ribbed crepe soles that won't get stuck in heel brakes and won't slide off the rudders. Boy are they comfortable! Just like wearing clouds! Today I got to wear my new flying shoes for the very first time...

I logged 1.6 hours today in a 1942 Consolidated Vultee BT-13A!! (6.2 hours in the log book now) Now THERE'S some "basic" training! Boy was THAT fun! An incredibly responsive machine... Just the slightest, gentlest control pressure had immediate effect. The morning air was smooth as glass at 2000 feet. I turned a perfect circle about a point without any change in altitude (hmmm... I might just be getting this stuff!).

Attended a meeting of the local warbird squadron, ate a hundred dollar hot dog and headed for home. It was much bumpier in the afternoon sun... "WHOA Nellie!!" I took us straight to the airport without being able to actually see it beneath the wings and told the guy in front "I think it's under us now".

What a great plane! There's less than thirty of them still flying. I'm so glad I had a chance to fly this one.

OK, so it's not a supercub... That's my instructor on the left

OTG

My first time at Sun 'n Fun... Boy was THAT fun! I close my eyes, I STILL see AIRPLANES! Logged more time in the BT, flew in a twin Beech-18 in formation (BT several feet off the wing) to a flyout with a bunch of warbirds at Leeward airpark... did several low passes over a six thousand foot grass runway (whoo hoo!!!) Spent about an hour in a flight simulator... no SC, flew a J3 cub for a few minutes then switched to an Extra 300 and did snap rolls and lots of LOOPS Saw all sorts of beautiful airplanes, talked to all sorts of interesting people and heard ALL kinds of stories. Slept underneath a big old tree for an entire week. One morning, Santa Claus left a brand new lightspeed ANR headset in my cute little house with the zipper door Covered a control surface with polyfiber, made a cool little aluminum hubcap with a hammer and an English wheel <kewl> It's the 8 days a week 25 hour a day nothing but aviation channel! I really DO love the smell of av-gas in the morning Flew home in the BT, helped give it a nice bath and dragged my tired tail back to the hangar. Just when I was really starting to miss the sounds of all the engines, I got a call to go flying in a Beech Bonanza "Debonair" (the one with the square tail) and got to fly THAT for awhile and then helped change out the oil in it. I've been asked to help detail a C-172 XP belonging to another CFI in exchange for more lessons and log-able hours and have been offered some lessons in a CITABRIA! I bought some raffle tickets for an Aviat Huskie with a full set bush wheels. Of course, I can't wait to get back in the SUPERCUB again Really enjoyed meeting all the supercubbers hanging out by the crimsom cub Life is GREAT!

You're hawgin' ALL the fun!

"I'm from the FAA... "

Oh yeah. ALL the fun.

Today I learned that the guy with the blue hat actually DOES walk over and say, "I'm from the FAA and I'm here to help" at which point everyone who's been hanging around waiting for him to show up bursts into laughter.

Heard a few missed approaches overhead a while ago and then a loud bang and a funny crumpling sound and ran outside to see a 172 with it's tail in the air and one wing on the ground across the field. I jumped the fence and ran over, crawled under and found the pilot dangling half out of the plane struggling to free himself. I cradled him in my arms to support him, got the seatbelt unhooked and untangled his legs from the doorway and the seat. When I finally got him extricated (carefully) while the fuel dripped down behind me, he reached up with both hands and grabbed my face and kissed me! So I gave him a big hug and carefully set him down and helped him to his feet. And yes ladies and gents, the pilot walked away from the airplane! So I guess that was a good landing.

Oh my.

Lynne

Well I now own a piece of an airplane... Just a small piece, but it works... I acquired a Cessna "aerotherm", the OAT instrument that is mounted inside the cabin at the wingroot. I am using it right now to measure the inside air temperature of the hangar (Hah! would you look at that! It's a standard day!) The wreckage of the 172 was dismantled and hauled down the runway on a flatbed truck. I watched the whole process and made the final call on a handheld radio as she made her very last roll down an airstrip. I thought about purchasing the plane as a "project" if all it needed was a new set of wings, but it had a lot more problems including a split in the rear carry-through spar from the accident and an illegal tail modification. Oh well... It's a collection of parts.

I am begging a retired A&P a couple of hangars over with an impressive collection of parts and projects to take me on as an "apprentice" in exchange for knowledge and flight time (I'll pay fuel and insurance). He's got more projects than he can work on and both he and his wife are facing health issues. I think I could do a lot to help him out and I know I'd learn a lot from him. There's a little Champ with wind damage I'm feeling like a lovesick teenager over... <sigh>

I dropped a big ole Grummon canoe on my foot a few days after the accident and haven't flown since. I am going stir crazy! The foot has healed up sufficiently to where I could fly now, but my instructor is out of town for an extended period captaining a boat somewhere near the Dry Tortugas while the tarpon are running I am seriously thinking about packing up my tent and camping out in Indiantown for a few days to fly with Tom Bent in a Decathlon... I like the idea of working on takeoffs and landings on a 6,300 foot grass runway

Collecting feathers hoping someday to have enough for wings,

Soaring in my dreams,

Lynne

Sounds like you are having a great time. Sort of brings back lots of memories. First solo was in a 150 H.P. supercub(still my all time favorite) that's More than 30 years ago. Now have flown 60 different aircraft and the adventures continue. Most recent was a 1957 C 172 from Wi. to Nevada for a friend. Keep dreamin and living the dreams. My only regret is most of my dreamin was on a small scale. ----Growing old is manditory-Growing up is optional !!!!! :lol:

Whoo Hoo!

I have an appointment early next Wednesday morning (Wx permitting) in Indiantown for some instruction with Tom Bent in a Decathlon!!

I can't wait!! (hopping up and down and spinning 'round in anticipation)

Hope I can get up in the air with someone around here and get in a little stick and rudder practice before going over there... I'd hate to be flying like I've never flown before



Thanks for the encouragement 12Geezer2!

Hiya Dreamer -

That's gonna' be some story-inspiring "learnin' to fly" logbook you're filling up there girl !

You are getting some time in some FUN and way cool airplanes.

The Decathalon will do a bit snappier on the rolls and spins than the Champ. ENJOY!! 8)

Me....JEALOUS!! :evil:

CloudDancer

Thanks Cloudy Sounds like you've been hanging around the wrong kind of airports lately! :lol:

Passed my physical yesterday! The FAA now has a record of the location of my tattoos

I am SO looking forward to these next lessons. Due to insurance issues, I have never actually landed an airplane nor have I done a full takeoff on my own.

I am living and working on a private airport being taught to fly by an assortment of pilots in their own personal aircraft rather than going to an actual flight school. Someone will have to add me (and my instructor) to their insurance (I will pay all costs) and be willing to let me fly an airplane (I'll help with maintainance and trade work) in order for me to eventually solo. I really don't want to start renting tri-gear AC from the nearest school at this point. I'd much rather put the $$ into fixing up and insuring the little Champ next door for example. My instructor cannot add me to his insurance because as a CFI, his insurance premiums would skyrocket.

I have been learning as much as I can on the ground (with my books and such) and in the air with another PIC. I REALLY want to do ALL my primary training (and solo) in a taildragger. I think I could make a transition to nosewheel later if I absolutely had to... I suppose that would be a worthy endorsement to go for at some point! I couldn't think of a better place to learn takeoffs and landings than a 6,300 foot grass strip with an experienced taildragger pilot. We'll probably get in some unusual attitude training and aerobatic manuevers in-between touch and goes

Might be a good day to go outside with a cape on and see what happens... It's really WINDY out there!

Wheee!

Smile!

Looks like a good day for flying!

What an incredible experience! A couple more hours in the log book spread out over five flights in two days. Lots of touch and goes in brisk gusty crosswinds that were challenging but not overwhelming. I can take off! I can land! Wheee! I can grin like a fool during aileron rolls and loops. I LIKE flying up-side down!

Tom Bent is an amazing instructor. I'm probably the greenest student he's worked with in a long time. Those were my very first TO's and landings... I've followed along on the controls previously, but never gone further. Tom teaches tail wheel transitions, spin training and advanced aerobatics. He's got an older Decathlon and a Pitts S-2A. He put me in the Decathlon for these first lessons. He was trained as a fighter pilot in WWII. Started out in J3s, transitioned to Stearmans, then P-40s and the 5-51. Luckily for him, the war ended at the "tail" end of his training. During the Korean War, he was an instructor in the Air Force training pilots in the T-6. He's flown all sorts of jets and spent many years as a field engineer for Pratt and Whitney. That's just the briefest synopsis of his experiences. How lucky am I to have flown with him. I can't wait to do it again!!

Indiantown is a magical place. Not much in the way of "extras", but who cares! It's a 6,300 x 300 foot grass runway! It's a "private public use" airport that recieves no public funding of any sort. The landing fee (waived with fuel purchase) and other patronage is all that supports the cost of keeping the grass mowed and other maintainace costs. I spent two nights in a tent on the field next to the funky FBO (bring your own water... it's an agricultural well not suitable for drinking). What fun! I met all sorts of interesting characters and can't wait to go back again... I'll be back by the end of next month if I'm lucky

Thank goodness it is finally raining! We lost the horizon in the smoke during the final flight. It was a very smoky trip back across the state in the old Mercedez that I drive. The drought had Lake Okechobee down so low the bed of the lake was not only exposed, but on FIRE! Lake Okechobee is one of the largest natural lakes in the country fed by rain and water that has travelled from the Appalachian Mountains by way of rivers and streams and the underground rivers of the Florida aquifer. Water from the lake feeds the Everglades, which is nothing more than a very wide and shallow river headed to the Gulf of Mexico. Let it rain... we sure do need it. Soon it'll be VFR again!



Lynne

Wheee!

Finally went FLYING again today... I went up last week in a 172 to watch for traffic while a friend practiced instrument approaches at a nearby TOWERED airport and that was quite interesting :-? but today was REALLY cool 8) Went up in a wide open AIRCAM (oooh! multi-engine!) Flew lower than I'm used to (500ft over an uninhabited area), then HIGHER than I'm used to (4000ft+)... That adiabatic cooling rate is quite nice on a steamy afternoon in the tropical sun Practiced basic manuevers and trim setting and airspeed watching etc... (pilot is a CFI), then practiced Dutch rolls and eventually got the nose locked on a spot on the horizon. (oooh... coordinated stick and rudder!). Flew around in circles and such and maintained a sense of direction (that homing instinct WORKS!) What FUN to be flying on such a beautiful day! What a cool little airplane!! Pilot demonstrated a perfect wheel landing and did one more turn about the patch (took off with 1/2 power just for fun) and ended with a perfect 3 point landing. Boy it sure feels good to go FLYING! I'm still flying touch and goes at X-58 in my dreams and hope to be back in Indiantown at the end of the month. I want to learn spin training too <g>. A friend gave me an old Chicago sectional to study (whoa! the world world ISN'T flat!) Hmmm... look at that... there's New Holstein... Isn't that the place where they paint the Supercubs to match the cows???

Still dreaming...