There are two days a year I get my family to focus on me. I know, it sounds selfish but on my birthday and Fathers day I want to have their undivided attention and enjoy their company while doing what I enjoy most. I am obsessed with flying and the girls in the family dont share my enthusiasm. Me and the boys fly all the time.
My wife, that's another story. She has flown one time, (ONE time!!!), with me since I got my license seven years ago. Of my 600+ hours, Michelle has shared approximately .50 hours with me.
Shelby, my daughter, flew with me fairly regularly when we lived in New York. Last year she flew with me in our Cessna from Brewton, Alabama to Rome, Georgia, a 3 hour flight. When we landed in Rome, Shelby stumbled out of the airplane and practically kissed the ground. Besides the flight home, Shelby politely refused to fly with me again. She said, "I have seen enough trees."
Well, yesterday was my birthday and I told my wife and kids I really didnt want a gift from a store. I wanted them to hang out with me at the airport and fly with me. They all came out with good attitudes and pretended they were enjoying my favorite pass-time!!! It was a GREAT day!

Michelle was the last to fly with me and we watched the sunset from 2500 feet. I think it made the flight more interesting for Michelle. She flew with a friend on a date in college and found it BORING.
When the flying was over we headed home for ice cream and birthday cake. I got some really cool gifts. Not only did Shelby fly with me and pretend she enjoyed it but check out the photo of the 10 coupons she gave me! Grant drew a picture of my Colt and gave me some more junk food so I can take up more of my useful load...
Geoffrey gave me a gift I asked for. He said I am hard to shop for. I guess I am. I have everything I want! I made Michelle promise not to buy me anything but to fly to Foley, Alabama with me later for lunch. The best gift was having them all with me doing what I enjoy the most.

A friend purchased a 1961 Piper Colt after hanging around with me, longer than he should have, at the local airport. He and I planned to go to Virginia and pick up his new purchase. Because of several of the many complications involved in purchasing an airplane he had to go to work offshore at about the time we were to go fly the Colt home. Rather than wait until he was off work again, I went to get the airplane alone.
The 9.5 hour flight home was an adventure to say the least.
Both or our airplanes are 1961 Colts. The serial and N numbers are only nine digits apart. Both are also within 100 hours total time and time since overhaul. Someone in the past added droop wing tips to my Colt so they have somewhat different looks.
My Colt has earned the nickname "Droopy" and he has named his "Ugly Betty" This friend is very good at taking old items and making them look new. He actually helped me clean up my Colt and make it look more presentable. I fear "Ugly Betty" will be the better looking airplane before long...

Crash

A pilot friend came up a little short of fuel on this flight home...He sustained minor injuries and had his abilities questioned, tested, and retested by the FAA but he and his passenger walked away from this crash.

The passenger said the pilot remained calm and flew the plane all the way to the ground. They missed a small open field by fewer than 10 feet. The plane ended up inverted because they struck at least two trees on the way down.

I was able to talk with the FAA examiners about this crash. They said the number one cause of small plane crashes is fuel exhaustion.




Two things to remember...always check your fuel and in the event you get into an unfortunate situation like this, stay calm and fly it to the ground.