Sharing Flight

I was recently going through some photos on my laptop and came across this one of Sylvester next to my 1961 Piper Colt. Sylvester comes out to Brewton Airport on occasion to fly Radio Control (RC) airplanes. Mike comes with Sylvester because Sylvester says he has gotten really good at buying the RC airplanes but hasn't mastered flying them yet.

On the day of the photo I was washing the Colt to get it ready to show it to a prospective buyer. You can see the water dripping from the lower side of the wings in the photo. The prospective buyer actually became the new owner of the Colt that day.

Well, like any pilot, I was looking for an excuse to fly. I couldn't have water dripping from the wings so I had to take it up and dry it off. Mike was already gone from the airport and Sylvester was just finished packing all of his RC airplanes in his car. I asked him if he wanted to go up and fly around the patch so I could dry the airplane off and he immediately accepted.

One thing I miss about the Colt is its great useful load. Sylvester and I are not small guys and this little airplane jumped right off the ground and climbed out at 1100 feet/minute without a problem. I am lucky to get 700 feet/minute in my Cessna 150 with just myself in the airplane.

We climbed to about 1000 feet and flew around the pattern for one landing. Sylvester was laughing and having a good time. I didn't realize until later that it was a bit of a nervous laugh.
After the first landing I added power and took it up again. This time we left the airport traffic pattern and Sylvester took some aerial photos of the area near the airport.

After we landed the second time I learned that Sylvester had never been up in a small airplane. I asked if he enjoyed it and he said he would be happy to do it again anytime. I am not sure who enjoyed it more, me or Sylvester. It is always fun to share flight with those who haven't had the opportunity to go up and see the world from overhead.

Touch-N-go's

I was covering at the FBO again today for the guy that used to run the place. He has been out since right after Christmas when he had a stroke. A retired guy covers during the week and I cover as many weekends as possible to give him a break. 12J isn't a busy airport on the weekends but I enjoy being around what little activity there is.

Early in the day a couple RAF 2000's (A really neat looking rotorcraft) had been up doing some training and one of the local airplanes based at Brewton, a Stinson, did some touch-and-go's . A young Navy pilot also came up and flew his Pitts then spent a while shining his airplane.

After lunch there was no activity. I kept busy trying to move cars around and make space in some of the hangars to get more airplanes in to bring more money in for the recovering FBO manager.

When there was no more busy work to do, I took my airplane out of the hangar and rinsed it off then tied it down on the ramp. A guy called yesterday and said he was going to come look at it to possibly buy it. He didn't show. I went in the hanger and found an allen wrench and removed my now defunct KX170B radio. It was really surprisingly simple to remove. Turn an allen wrench one complete turn counterclockwise and slide the radio out of its tray. I couldn't believe how simple it was.

I typically hang around the FBO until dark on Saturdays and Sundays so I can run (slow jog) the perimeter of the runways. I can only get away with this on the weekends when the military isn't there training. Most week nights there are military helicopters training until 10:30 or so, a bit late for me to be out running. It's 3.1 miles around the perimeter of the three runways which form a large triangle. That's a pretty good haul for a fat boy. The best part of it is it's completely level..not an incline to be found anywhere. I know, its not challenging enough to get a GOOD workout but I'm working on it. Ya gotta start somewhere.

After the radio was removed I found myself bored again. It was getting close to dark so I jumped in my now radio-less airplane and took off. I only had nine usable gallons of fuel and I didn't want to buy any more so I stayed in the pattern for a few touch-and-go's. I had to redeem myself after the really sloppy/scary landing in Monroeville during the week.

When I came around for my fifth landing another aircraft was on final just ahead of me. I was close enough to see that it was an old J-3 cub. Instantly I was thrown back to my four years in New York when I had an airplane based at Dart Field (D79) in Mayville. In my mind it could have been one of many pilots in Mayville that flew a J-3. I quit reminiscing pretty quick since I was on final and the much slower Cub wasn't very far ahead of me.

The two guys in the Cub were as nice as could be. They had just purchased the Cub in Quincy, Florida and were headed home to the Dallas, Texas area. They complained a little about the slow speed of the cub and talked about seeing cars below driving faster than they were flying. I didn't take their complaining to seriously since they couldn't complain without a smile on their face.

After fueling up the Cub, the only fuel customer of the day, I put my airplane in the hangar and since I had moved things around we put the Cub in with mine. The two Texans took the courtesy car from the airport to a local hotel, I ran my 3.1 miles and we all called it a day.

Back in the air

I flew on the 14th after almost three weeks being grounded due to weather and work scheduling conflicts. I mentioned last entry that I hadnt flown for a couple weeks but my log book proved otherwise. It had been since March 22nd.

When I took off the winds were coming from 270 at 10 knots gusting to 15. Not nearly as bad as the day before. Taking off from Brewton airport (12J) I had a couple of options as far as the choice of runways and I used runway 30 almost directly into the wind. The Navy was in the pattern training as usual but they are always very accomodating to us General Aviation pilots. I announced my intentions and they got out of the way to let me out of the area.
I say I announced my intentions, I was eventually successful announcing but apparently the KX170B radio in my panel is no longer transmitting. Fortunately I had my handheld in my flight bag and was able to pull it out and communicate with the aircraft in the pattern.

I flew from Brewton to Monroeville (KMVC) and landed on runway 03 there. I failed to consider the winds being almost at a direct cross in Monroeville when I started my flight. I guess I assumed they might be different there, or I just didnt consider it at all. I wont say that I am super proficient at crosswind landings but I have done my share of them.

As I approached on final to 03 in Monroeville I had 10 degrees of flaps in. I decided not to use more because of the crosswinds. I was also coming in with a little extra power because of the gusting conditions. At about 250 feet off the ground a strong gust of wind hit my airplane from the left and turned the Cessna 150 wings almost perpendicular to the runway. I have made steep turns but never this steep. I lost over 100 feet of altitude in seconds while trying to level the wings. I added some power and put the 150 down more to the right of the centerline than I am comfortable with.

I parked the airplane and got out to visit a friend for a short time. This really shook me up. I had to sit around for a bit to get my nerve back to go up and head back to Brewton.

Take off back to Brewton was uneventful. With full power it was much easier to control the crosswinds. And of course, landing in Brewton was a breeze with the runway options .
Now, I have radio issues to resolve.

I Should have flown yesterday!

Yesterday started out horribly. It was overcast, dark, windy, and rainy. I haven't been able to fly for a couple weeks due to my work schedule and crappy weather. Yesterday appeared to be another one of those days.

Later in the afternoon though, it cleared up. It turned out clear and calm. I was already at the Brewton Airport (12J) and ran into Bob Barbanes (http://fh1100-pilot.blogspot.com/). I had spoken to Bob only in passing in the past. Bob told me about his blog and we talked about just about everything under the sun for quite some time. When Bob left there was still some daylight to burn and I was still contemplating taking the 150 up. I went in the hangar and admired it for a short time, then decided I would wait until tomorrow. There was no reason not to fly. I just talked myself out of it, rationalizing it away because of how little daylight would be left by the time I got the hangar open, pulled out the airplane, completed the preflight, etc... Besides, if you own an airplane you can fly any time, right?

Well tomorrow came and here I am at the airport. Winds are 290 at 17 knots, gusting to 25 knots, a bit much for my comfort level in the 150. Several airplanes have flown in for fuel today. Most travelling home from Sun-N-Fun. It is flyable, just not for me.

I should have flown yesterday!

Private Pilot

I was inspired to start this blog by another blogger here, FH1100-Pilot.blogspot.com

As a child, back in the early 1970's, I remember going with my parents to park behind a shopping center near Dobbins Air Force base in Marietta, Georgia and watching the military jets and helicopters take-off and land. It was a thrill to see them lift off and blast overhead as they flew down the runway. Later, after moving to Rome, Georgia we sometimes went to Richard B. Russell Field and sat outside the FBO and watched the General Aviation aircraft take-off and land. Sometimes we parked on a country road near the end of one of the runways and got all excited every time one of the old Cessna's or Pipers came across the top of the car on their final approach to land. We didn't know the difference in all the old airplanes. They were all Cessna's and Pipers to us. Mom always talked about taking flight lessons as a child and I think she regretted never finishing her license. Those trips to watch the airplanes sparked an interest in me that never went away.

I began flying in 1995. I was twenty-nine years old and had been married for six years at the time. I was about to take a job with the Atlanta Police Department as a Police Officer. At the time I was a painting contractor. The new job would mean a regular income so I felt it was a good time to pursue my dream of flight. Like the good husband that I am, I asked for my wife's approval to go and spend the money to get my private pilots license. Not so much to my surprise ,she was absolutely against it. Her objections were primarily the cost, and secondarily, the risk. So, being the bad husband that I am, I did it anyway.

I went out to the Russell Field where I had watched the airplanes as a child and walked in to one of the two flight schools that were based on the field at the time. The owner/instructor at the school was more than happy to take me up on an introductory flight....free of charge. We walked out onto the ramp and the instructor, a British guy, briefly walked me around the airplane, an older Cessna 172, explaining the basics of flight and the parts of the airplane. I was surprised when we climbed in the airplane and he got in on the right side. I was in the pilots seat from day one. The instructor took off and we climbed up to about 3500 feet and after little instruction he gave me the controls....I was hooked.

Since I was still painting I was able to sneak money from contracts to get the money to fly. It wasn't right but I couldn't help it. At first I flew very infrequently, maybe once every six weeks or so. Not long after my first flight the flight school went under. Fortunately there was another one at the airport. I went to the other school, Waldo's Flying Service and met my new, second, instructor. Waldo was a very laid back guy and had a couple instructors always ready to take me up. I still flew very infrequently. After only a few flight hours, Waldo sold out to Bob who changed the name of the school to Rome Flying Service. With the change I got another new instructor. Jason was young and always ready to fly. I don't think he had been out of flight school long himself. He wanted to buy his own airplane and start out on his own eventually. Jason convinced me that I was never going to get my license if I didn't get serious about it and fly as frequently as possible. I thought that was what I was doing but evidently he thought I wasn't.

I took Jason's advice and began flying at least once a week but usually twice or more. It was very taxing on our financial situation and I didn't know how much longer I could hide it from my wife. When I had about eight hours with Jason he said he was ready to let me solo. I told my wife I wanted her to come to the airport that day at lunch because I wanted to show her something. She reminded me how we couldn't afford for me to fly but said she would indulge me and come out.

Michelle came out with Geoff, who was four years old ,and Shelby, less than a year old, in a stroller. I had already been up with Jason for about a half hour and landed to wait for Michelle to show up. When she did, we showed her the airplane. She wasn't impressed. She knew I was up to something but thought I was just trying to get her to like it so I could start flying. She has never been shy about voicing her opinion and repeated several times how we couldn't afford it. When I got in the airplane and took off I didn't see the look of surprise I wanted to see but a look of disappointment and anger at the same time. Geoff on the other hand was jumping up and down with excitement...At least one of them was happy for me.

When I got home that evening from work we talked/argued about what I had done. Michelle, not being one to waste money, asked what it had cost up to that point and what I thought it would cost to finish. I told her the cost up to then and grossly underestimated the cost to finish. I know what you are thinking but the underestimation was a mistake, a convenient one but a mistake nonetheless. Michelle floored me when she said "well you have to finish now. It would be a shame to throw all that money away for nothing."

So, over the years I kept training. Jason got his own airplane and I found that I was repeating things I had done in the flight school's airplane. He didn't think twice about letting me fly the flight school's airplanes but when it came to his he didn't let me solo. Rather than stay with Jason I went back to Rome Flight Service to yet another instructor and continued training. I ran out of money several times and had to take long breaks. It seemed I would never finish.

In 2002 after another career change, my employer canvassed for a co-pilot. I thought I couldn't fly commercially without an instrument rating and commercial rating but as it turned out, the federal government has a waiver for co-pilots. As long as the PIC (Pilot In Charge) has those ratings, a government employee can fly commercially as a copilot with just a private license and get paid to fly. We were living in New York in 2002 and I still hadn't finished my license. I needed less than eight hours, including some night flight, a couple cross country flights, and prep for my check-ride. I contacted the PIC and told him my situation and he encouraged me to go finish. He said as soon as I was finished and licensed he could get me in the program and I could start building more time on the job.

The logical choice was to go back to Georgia and finish where I started. I called Bob and explained my situation. Though he didn't believe I would ever finish my license, he and his instructors went out of their way to help me. I took two weeks off work and went back to Georgia. The first week there I did nothing but fly. I got priority for renting the aircraft and we flew until I couldn't take it anymore. The second week I took five days and studied for the written exam. After the written exam my flight instructor put me through preparation for my check ride and I flew to Chattanooga, Tennessee to wrap it all up. In 2002 I became an officially licensed pilot.