It's Sunday the thirteenth of December. I dread Christmas and look forward to it. I learned last Sunday that General Aviation is not dead! One week ago today I had the pleasure of attending a "winter hangar party" at Massey.
This is a grass strip in the northern Eastern Shore that is a quiet little place until there is an event! Sunday December 6th was forecast to be perfect weather. A lot of pent up energy among GA pilots deciding when to put their airplanes away for the winter. It was a perfect storm of activity. My friend Brian flew in to my strip to pick me up on his way to Massey. He has a beautiful Cessna 195. An antique well suited for Massey. As I watched him circle and land I had my hand- held Icom transceiver tuned to 122.9. I could hear a constant chatter from aircraft at Massey 40 miles north of me. It was a beehive of traffic and the fly-in was not due to start for another hour! Brian let me steer the 195 all the way up and that was fun. It was so crowded we just couldn't slot into the pattern. After three go arounds we finally got in. Brian did a great job and kept his cool, and I and the other two passengers felt safe, and Brian really rolled it on. I heard later that there were 170 airplanes at this "little" fly-in. The four hours just flew by. (pun intended). There were so many airplanes, they were parking them on the sides of the runway, on the cross wind runway, and the infield was packed. The famous Lindbergh 1930 Bird Winkle was there. Bush planes, RV 8's 12's 4's and more, Stearmans, Great Lakes, short wing pipers, 3 195's, Lances, Saratogas, Bonanzas, Cubs of all variations, all the usual stuff and more. So many folks I knew I could not greet them all.
The food is always great at Massey. The buffet line went all the way around the hangar. As folks waited in line they were all chatting and catching up on all the projects. It seemed as if everybody knew everybody. My wife and her dog came up by car and we sat at the "grassy knoll" and just watched airplanes come and go. The 195 had to get going and I hung around until all was quiet and rode home with wife in the Subaru. There is a Maryland state road, Rt. 313 that runs right by Massey and right by our farm. So instead of taking 301, the big highway, we followed 313 south all the way home. Through farm country. A big sunset.
all the way.
Is my Luscombe done for the winter? Apparently not. Yesterday, Saturday, another Indian Summer day, I flew up to Cheswald, Deleware Airpark It was a hangar party. Small and friendly and a wonderful group. Thanks Trey and Janice!
Cheswald is being remade into a larger airport. I have mixed emotions about that. Flight planning for me to Cheswald is made easy: bearing= 33 degrees, distance= 33 nautical miles, identifier= 33N.
I'm not going to put my plane away yet. It's 67 degrees today.
GAI :::::+:::::
Sunday, December 13, 2015
Friday, October 30, 2015
they still make McGuire's mirror glaze
I guess I haven't posted here in ten months! I still have the Luscombe. I'm still the pathetic poster boy for the "full circle" pilots. I let my 3rd class expire years ago. Ironically I can't fly all the models of the Luscome 8. The later models weigh a little over 1320 lbs. Ironically, the later models are safer, and better. Things like wing tanks, electric starters, a little more horsepower, a little newer, these things would make me safer in the same airframe, but I would need the third class medical.
I won a prize with the 8a this year at w-29. And another at Ocean City. My fly-in was cancelled and so was GED.
I blew off a big fly-in, I don't remember which one it was. But later that big day I did fly the little 8a to GED. I got fuel and ate at the restaurant, It was great. Quiet and laid back. As I climbed out over the town of Georgetown,
I saw the B25 "Ponchito" descending into the pattern. He was returning from Andrews. There were a half dozen other fly-ins that day. But I made my own little fly out. As I've gotten older, and forgetfullyer, and less tech, and less patient, I need to keep it simple. I can be nice and even charming for about 30 minutes, then need to hide.
OK time for a little friendly geezer rant:
Over my fifty years of flying I've cleaned a lot of windscreens. We all have. And I'd like to comment on what I call the "Pledge" phenomena.
I first heard about "Lemon Pledge" for airplanes about 30 years ago. It was a trade secret and apparently if you knew about it, you were sort of an old salt experienced pilot passing on this great wisdom to the rookies. It was described as the best and the only way to go when cleaning an airplane's glass. And what was really cool was that you could buy it in the grocery store, or K Mart. And it cost less than plexi cleaners at "Sporty's". But the way coolest thing about Pledge was that you, the user, were cool. You were helping the ignorant rookie and saw yourself as in on the secret. I've been told about pledge now for 30 years. If a pilot sees you cleaning your windscreen or waxing your leading edges, to this day, he will likely tell you about it. Pilots almost never assume you probably already know about pledge. I don't use Pledge on my airplane, but I have used it over the years, when it was handy. I never recommended it to anyone else, so I didn't get to be in the secret, (not so secret), cult.
One of the least important factors in cleaning a plastic window is the polish you use for the finishing touch. I'm not going to describe how I clean plexiglass. Everyone has their techniques. But no one should use a polish to "clean" a window. Including the sacred Pledge.
A year or so, maybe two, ago, I was using pledge and noticed that it was not "lemon". I was using it on wood, and my wife told me she hadn't seen "lemon" in the stores in a long time. Also she said it wasn't as "waxy"
anymore. I looked at the can. The can was the same, but different. Now there are lot's of Pledge choices in the stores. There is a "multi surface" Pledge. An "Antibacterial" Pledge, etc. I called the 888 number on the can. I asked the man if I could use the "new" pledge products on plexi. He said if it doesn't say it on the can, he can not guarantee it is safe on plexi.
If you stop using Pledge you can still be an old pro. You can continue to warn airmen and machinists about the dreaded Windex and the dreaded paper towels!
GAI :::::+:::::
I won a prize with the 8a this year at w-29. And another at Ocean City. My fly-in was cancelled and so was GED.
I blew off a big fly-in, I don't remember which one it was. But later that big day I did fly the little 8a to GED. I got fuel and ate at the restaurant, It was great. Quiet and laid back. As I climbed out over the town of Georgetown,
I saw the B25 "Ponchito" descending into the pattern. He was returning from Andrews. There were a half dozen other fly-ins that day. But I made my own little fly out. As I've gotten older, and forgetfullyer, and less tech, and less patient, I need to keep it simple. I can be nice and even charming for about 30 minutes, then need to hide.
OK time for a little friendly geezer rant:
Over my fifty years of flying I've cleaned a lot of windscreens. We all have. And I'd like to comment on what I call the "Pledge" phenomena.
I first heard about "Lemon Pledge" for airplanes about 30 years ago. It was a trade secret and apparently if you knew about it, you were sort of an old salt experienced pilot passing on this great wisdom to the rookies. It was described as the best and the only way to go when cleaning an airplane's glass. And what was really cool was that you could buy it in the grocery store, or K Mart. And it cost less than plexi cleaners at "Sporty's". But the way coolest thing about Pledge was that you, the user, were cool. You were helping the ignorant rookie and saw yourself as in on the secret. I've been told about pledge now for 30 years. If a pilot sees you cleaning your windscreen or waxing your leading edges, to this day, he will likely tell you about it. Pilots almost never assume you probably already know about pledge. I don't use Pledge on my airplane, but I have used it over the years, when it was handy. I never recommended it to anyone else, so I didn't get to be in the secret, (not so secret), cult.
One of the least important factors in cleaning a plastic window is the polish you use for the finishing touch. I'm not going to describe how I clean plexiglass. Everyone has their techniques. But no one should use a polish to "clean" a window. Including the sacred Pledge.
A year or so, maybe two, ago, I was using pledge and noticed that it was not "lemon". I was using it on wood, and my wife told me she hadn't seen "lemon" in the stores in a long time. Also she said it wasn't as "waxy"
anymore. I looked at the can. The can was the same, but different. Now there are lot's of Pledge choices in the stores. There is a "multi surface" Pledge. An "Antibacterial" Pledge, etc. I called the 888 number on the can. I asked the man if I could use the "new" pledge products on plexi. He said if it doesn't say it on the can, he can not guarantee it is safe on plexi.
If you stop using Pledge you can still be an old pro. You can continue to warn airmen and machinists about the dreaded Windex and the dreaded paper towels!
GAI :::::+:::::
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Feels so Good
Early in November a big storm was coming and I had rolled the Luscombe into the shed after a flight from Babe Ridge. Everything was OK except the comm. radio was still not right. I was securing the not perfect hangar doors. I grabbed a piece of 1x6 wood and a power screwdriver and battened the two front middle doors together with screws. This really locks the doors tight for the wind. It was kind of early to put the plane away for the winter. We've been warned of a hard winter. So lots of rains came and windy nights. And big dinners were had and eggnog flowed. The RV guys did their Holly Run to Tangier. My friend Clark dropped in in a Warrior. The strip got a little soft, but was OK. Christmas was great in every way, and the weather on Friday after Christmas was sunny and calm and 60 degrees. I could have, would have, should have, flown my little black airplane that day. But Christmas had been so much fun, I didn't get back from the western shore till Friday at 5 AM. and I was a post-Christmas zombie. My wife told me she had seen the forecast and the next day, Saturday, was to be nice too, and then back to the rains and the eggnog. So I got up Saturday and got my new Xmas cordless drill and went out and took down that batten from the doors of the shed and rolled out the Luscombe known as 819, aka "Blackjet", aka "Blackie". I did a pretty careful preflight, sumping fuel and making sure no new hangar rash. I tied the tail. I set the brakes tight. I turned on the fuel, primed four shots. With switch off I pulled her through about eight times. I then added 2 more shots prime and turned on the mags. Then swung the prop through. No hit. Second pull. She fired up and ran fairly smooth. Untied the tail, climbed in and taxied out. Grass in pretty good shape for late December. Even green in many places. I'm not fat on fuel so I must go straight to Cambridge. Take off west and light and solo and it's really fun. Taildraggers are a pain in the ass, but I hadn't been up in seven weeks and it was really fun. I had a great meal at "Kay's" at the airport. And got my fuel. Saw some friends from Sugar Hill. And some other winter flyers. A red sunset was forming and the 10 minute ride home was way too short. I couldn't land into that sun and so I landed east. I let her roll to the end and swung around and took off west and the sun was OK and red and diffused a bit. Had a short low small happy pattern and landed west to make the third landing of the trip. Back into the shed. I didn't screw in the batten board. Because I'm waiting. Waiting for another Indian summer. Now as I type to you my GA friends, it is Wednesday the 31st. New Years Eve. Happy New Year. I plan to fly 819 somehow in both Jan. and Feb. of 2015. Don't put your planes all the way away. Maybe we can all fly out to OC or Georgetown, De. I need at least 40 degrees and no wind chill.
Love, Lloyd
GAI :::::+:::::
Love, Lloyd
GAI :::::+:::::
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Pilots Age Fast go Slow; Airplanes Age Slow go Fast
Well, the "Ides of March" have passed us by. Spring has helped me by increasing my energy level. Today is Saturday and the work party at Horn Point (to which I might have taken the Luscombe), has been cancelled due to rain. It's not raining here yet. I just went out and moved the VW bug out of it's rickity old garage into the hangar. I didn't want to do that in the rain. I have something I am going to do on the VW.
As you know, I don't do mechanic type work. I am going to put on my vintage tags. License plates. Maryland is one of a very few states where you can run vintage tags. Of course you have to comply with a wee bit of red tape and pay a $25 one time charge. Over the Internet I bought a set of 1970 plates for the 1970 VW. Then I had to go to MVA/DMV and comply with the red tape. Now I just have to install the plates. I also have to carry the "real" tags with me in the car. The car is blue with white seats. The tag is white with blue lettering. I think it will look pretty sweet, but the tags are a bit yellowed because they are 43 years old. So that's the geezer plan for today. Exciting aye?
It's interesting. Airplanes age differently from cars. A 1970 car is a classic and we like to see them on the road or at the Dairy Queen. Chevelles and Mustangs etc. They are old cars. But I have 2 airplanes: one a 1946 and one a 1969.
Nobody in aviation or in the work-a-day world really thinks about those planes as being "old planes". They are my planes that I use to go flying for fun or to get somewhere. The fact that the Luscombe is 66 years old rarely comes up. If I give a "civilian" a ride in the Luscombe, it's an airplane ride. Not "OMG look at that relic!"
Let me go a step further. I flew my last DC-9 trip in Nov. of 2004. The passengers and crew were riding in an airliner that was well over 30 years old. With a major airline. In Maryland a car is officially "historic" if it is at least 20 years old! The passengers were just going A to B and wanting to be on time. Nobody thought "hey I'm riding in an historic airplane".
By the way, my last leg as a DC-9 captain on November 9th 2004 was from Flint, Michigan to Detroit. A distance of 49 nm! The exact same distance I will fly my Luscombe one week from today when I go to the Bonanza fly-in brunch at Wildwood NJ. It starts at ten AM. Maybe I will see you there.
GAI :::::+:::::
As you know, I don't do mechanic type work. I am going to put on my vintage tags. License plates. Maryland is one of a very few states where you can run vintage tags. Of course you have to comply with a wee bit of red tape and pay a $25 one time charge. Over the Internet I bought a set of 1970 plates for the 1970 VW. Then I had to go to MVA/DMV and comply with the red tape. Now I just have to install the plates. I also have to carry the "real" tags with me in the car. The car is blue with white seats. The tag is white with blue lettering. I think it will look pretty sweet, but the tags are a bit yellowed because they are 43 years old. So that's the geezer plan for today. Exciting aye?
It's interesting. Airplanes age differently from cars. A 1970 car is a classic and we like to see them on the road or at the Dairy Queen. Chevelles and Mustangs etc. They are old cars. But I have 2 airplanes: one a 1946 and one a 1969.
Nobody in aviation or in the work-a-day world really thinks about those planes as being "old planes". They are my planes that I use to go flying for fun or to get somewhere. The fact that the Luscombe is 66 years old rarely comes up. If I give a "civilian" a ride in the Luscombe, it's an airplane ride. Not "OMG look at that relic!"
Let me go a step further. I flew my last DC-9 trip in Nov. of 2004. The passengers and crew were riding in an airliner that was well over 30 years old. With a major airline. In Maryland a car is officially "historic" if it is at least 20 years old! The passengers were just going A to B and wanting to be on time. Nobody thought "hey I'm riding in an historic airplane".
By the way, my last leg as a DC-9 captain on November 9th 2004 was from Flint, Michigan to Detroit. A distance of 49 nm! The exact same distance I will fly my Luscombe one week from today when I go to the Bonanza fly-in brunch at Wildwood NJ. It starts at ten AM. Maybe I will see you there.
GAI :::::+:::::
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Luscombe out for Spring
Today is half way between the first day of Meteorological Spring and the Equinox first day of Spring. And the first day of Daylight Savings. Yesterday was beautiful and springlike. But I was in such a bad habit of not moving around. Also I had a few things to attend to. I wound up not doing much outside. But today I was ready for it. The first really nice day for a couple of months. My wife's plan was to hang out at home and do some work in the barn and play with her horse and the dogs. My plan was to roto till the garden and clean up fallen tree limbs. And see what was up with the wind damaged hangar doors. And possibly fly the Luscombe. I had done very little since November. Mostly read, watched cable, surfed Internet, ate, napped every day, hibernated. So today I was out of bed at 8:30. Early for me. Then had a pot of tea and snacks and chatted with wife till 11. Which was nice. It turned out it was actually 12 noon. I wandered out to the hangar and I knew I had a flat tire on the tiller. The valve on the wheel is on the inside and hard to get to. So I tried to put air in it and the air was just spilling. The tire was off the bead and I was out of luck I thought. But I put my glasses on and tried once again and it turned out air was spilling because there was still a dust cap on the valve. I didn't curse myself because I was so happy to have those tires inflated. My friend Dempsey the wizard had been over the week before and had pulled and cleaned the carb on the thing and done two or three other things for it. So when I pulled the rope the Honda tiller fired up on the first pull. I got the tilling done and put away and I was getting sore in the legs already. Next I started on the fallen limbs. I got the bow saw and the pickup truck. On the seat of the truck there was this little spray can of super oil. It was about $8. at the locksmith for this 3oz. can. The guy had told me not to use graphite. I sprayed it in the keyhole of both doors and the key which would barely move was now good as new. I started thinking maybe this was going to be one of those days when everything clicks. I had to cut down a few limbs and then pick up a couple hundred limbs from all around the house. That got done and my legs and back are really getting sore. My wife and I are really in the market for a treadmill. So I leave the truck loaded with limbs and brush. I can empty it later. It's time to see about that stuck hangar door. It had been jambed in 50 mph plus gusts in two different storms. I had put some big lumber against the outside of the doors to try to protect them. I am so out of shape and such a wheezing geezer that I had to take a break after wrestling those boards away. Now back and legs even more sore. I start shoving on the most stuck door and it slides normally. And so do the other three neatly into their outriggers. WTF. They apparently survived even though I saw them swinging wildly in the wind, and later were stuck resting on the ground. Perhaps they had been frozen. This is a good omen indeed. So I roll out the Luscombe. I begin a long pre flight. I add a half quart. I check the controls from both inside and out. I walk around the whole thing and get happy. Then I set the brakes and go back to the house. I get a ball cap and my wallet and some ear plugs and a bottle of water. I tell wife I am going for a ride if I can get the thing started. At least I don't have to worry about a dead battery. It has no battery. I tie the tail to the basketball pole. You might think a basketball pole and backboard don't mix with an airplane apron. But I've seen many ramps in my airline career with basketball hoops. Just like the fire department. I have a little cardboard box with foam rubber in the bottom. I put it on the right seat filled with my water bottle, GPS, a half sectional folded up, a roll of masking tape, glasses, etc. I dip a wooden dowel into the gas tank. I triple check the vent to the tank. I turn on the fuel. I give three shots of prime. I leave the switch off. I pull the throttle back to the stop. I pull the prop through about three times. I prime one more time and turn the mags on. Now I see prime fuel dripping. I swing the prop and she fires and runs and quits. Ran on the prime? I pull it two more times, no go. Third pull it starts and runs ticking over at about 600 rpm. I walk around to the tail and pull the chock and untie it. Climb in (which isn't easy). Taxi out with an east wind which is rare. Take my time warming up. Haven't flown in two months. The field isn't as soggy as I expected. For a tail dragger it's fine. As I make my take off roll I have the stick hard back and accelerate quickly. The 65 hp feels as sprightly as the 150 hp on the Cherokee does. Or more so. I don't shove the stick forward to rake her or step her. I just raise the tail off the ground and leave some angle of attack and we are flying. It's fun already. There are trees at the end when going this way so I gently turn right toward another farm in case the little Continental decides not to want to wake up for Spring. I find myself heading south and east toward Hurlock and Sharpstown on the river. I had planned on shooting a few landings but I just kept on going and up to 3500 feet. I went to Art's place about 25 NM away. I didn't land there because you never know after the rains. But I know Art's place is much better drained than mine. It was hazy and getting dark toward the beach and all of a sudden I figured I'd better B line it for home. I had waited too long and gone too far. I had enough light to get home, but I had no time to dilly dally or strafe for deer on the runway. Parked back on the basketball court. Set the brakes. I'll chock her later. I came in to check the weather. It sure got cold again when the sun went down. Weather good enough to leave her out and the hangar doors open and maybe fly again tomorrow. Everything did indeed click. So I decided to write to you my friends. Happy Daylight Savings!
GAInformal :::::+:::::
GAInformal :::::+:::::
Saturday, December 8, 2012
fri sat sun mon
I got the Luscombe to a few more nearby fly-ins before the season ended. There was Greenwood in October and a Horn Point work party in November which I indeed flew into. And a flight up to Cheswald later in November, to say goodbye to a classic airplane which was leaving my sociogram, but never my heart. Then along came December 1st and 2nd. Beautiful warm days that started out foggy. Days that showed G.A. was alive even in December.
For me it started on Friday Nov. 30th. I was having one of my usual nothing days, except the weather was pristine, and warm. I had expected a visit from a friend or two who may have wanted to visit as a part of the "Holly Run" on Saturday and "Massey" on Sunday. But nobody called about that. I got a call at 4PM from my friend the Professor. He asked if I was still going to be having friends over. I said no. He said "Can I fly in anyway?" And I said absolutely but 'tis getting late. Suddenly I cared about doing something. I needed my truck to gather some firewood. I needed firewood because the Professor and I like campfires. The truck was full from another project. I hurried and emptied the truck and before I could start gathering fallen tree limbs, the 152 circled in a gorgeous sunset and I saw it land west where naked bare trees now allowed me to see the airstrip in almost winter. The light was fading and the Professor parked the Cessna and climbed in the truck and he was charged from a great flight as a cap off to a long day and long week for him. So we gathered wood as much as we could grab before dark. Then we laid a fire. Then before lighting it we ran out to dinner. (Suicide Bridge). Then a roaring fire.
Saturday morning wife had been up for hours before I rose. The Prof. still sleeping in. I made some breakfast and I opened the hangar doors and rolled out the Luscombe. It was foggy, and calm, and fairly warm. I started gathering more wood. Soon the Prof was helping me and all of a sudden it was 3:30 and getting late again. We started the Luscombe and I taxied out to go to Cambridge for fuel. Then we got visited by a couple RV's who did beautiful fly bys..... had they been on the Holly Run? I took off and headed for CGE. The Choptank River was coated with an icing of fog. The viz was down in a weird haze. I was considering turning back on a flight that was 12 miles long. My little 65hp engine started missing and my heart jumped. I pulled on the carb heat and it got rougher still but I kept the heat on and it finally cleared up. The Prof had taken off also, but decided to just fly two circuits. I got my fuel and had help with a prop start and was on my way home. I took off and flew all the way home with the carb heat on. It was 100 percent humidity. And I landed and left the airplane outside, and far away from our fire pit. I would be using it tomorrow anyway. I had enough light to gather more wood and lay the fire. We ordered carry out food delivered so we could just hang out in the hazy, damp night by that lovely fire. We made it an early night.
Sunday morning. I had chores to do. The wx was foggy. I was moving slow. I had to go to the store to get breakfast food and my covered dish contribution to Massey. Weather permitting.
It seemed to take forever to get launched. The Prof had planned to take his 152 to Massey, but he asked if he could come with me in the little Luscombe. So we went. The wx had cleared and it was wonderful. The pattern was a bee hive, but we snuck in one hour late and the place was packed we were triple parked.
I saw many of my friends and had a great time. We watched everyone take off. Then we had to hustle to get propped (thanks Dempsey) and get going, these days are short. Then back just in time for one pass to see if we could scare away deer, foxes, skunk, seagulls, dogs. Again I parked outside and 500 feet from the fire pit. And for the third night my friend the Prof and I had a nice campfire. A very early night as he had to leave and teach in the AM and what if there was fog....
Monday morning.... for some reason I awoke at six and couldn't go back to sleep.... so I made coffee and slugged around and watched the Prof go about his Profy, Profy day. He checked wx, skyped his GF in Norway, ate breakfast, the fog slowly lifted. He launched about nine and I was on my golfcart out by the runway saying goodbye on my Icom on 122.9. He flew out of sight in the sun and the mist.
I figured I would go back to bed. But the golfcart took me along the treeline to some brush I had been clearing. I started picking up limbs and twigs. I took off my jacket. It was almost 50 degrees already in the sun. I still had on my moccasins. I put on my work gloves. Did you ever go to a fire that burned all night and try to get it going from the coals with twigs just for the hell of it?
GAI :::::+:::::
For me it started on Friday Nov. 30th. I was having one of my usual nothing days, except the weather was pristine, and warm. I had expected a visit from a friend or two who may have wanted to visit as a part of the "Holly Run" on Saturday and "Massey" on Sunday. But nobody called about that. I got a call at 4PM from my friend the Professor. He asked if I was still going to be having friends over. I said no. He said "Can I fly in anyway?" And I said absolutely but 'tis getting late. Suddenly I cared about doing something. I needed my truck to gather some firewood. I needed firewood because the Professor and I like campfires. The truck was full from another project. I hurried and emptied the truck and before I could start gathering fallen tree limbs, the 152 circled in a gorgeous sunset and I saw it land west where naked bare trees now allowed me to see the airstrip in almost winter. The light was fading and the Professor parked the Cessna and climbed in the truck and he was charged from a great flight as a cap off to a long day and long week for him. So we gathered wood as much as we could grab before dark. Then we laid a fire. Then before lighting it we ran out to dinner. (Suicide Bridge). Then a roaring fire.
Saturday morning wife had been up for hours before I rose. The Prof. still sleeping in. I made some breakfast and I opened the hangar doors and rolled out the Luscombe. It was foggy, and calm, and fairly warm. I started gathering more wood. Soon the Prof was helping me and all of a sudden it was 3:30 and getting late again. We started the Luscombe and I taxied out to go to Cambridge for fuel. Then we got visited by a couple RV's who did beautiful fly bys..... had they been on the Holly Run? I took off and headed for CGE. The Choptank River was coated with an icing of fog. The viz was down in a weird haze. I was considering turning back on a flight that was 12 miles long. My little 65hp engine started missing and my heart jumped. I pulled on the carb heat and it got rougher still but I kept the heat on and it finally cleared up. The Prof had taken off also, but decided to just fly two circuits. I got my fuel and had help with a prop start and was on my way home. I took off and flew all the way home with the carb heat on. It was 100 percent humidity. And I landed and left the airplane outside, and far away from our fire pit. I would be using it tomorrow anyway. I had enough light to gather more wood and lay the fire. We ordered carry out food delivered so we could just hang out in the hazy, damp night by that lovely fire. We made it an early night.
Sunday morning. I had chores to do. The wx was foggy. I was moving slow. I had to go to the store to get breakfast food and my covered dish contribution to Massey. Weather permitting.
It seemed to take forever to get launched. The Prof had planned to take his 152 to Massey, but he asked if he could come with me in the little Luscombe. So we went. The wx had cleared and it was wonderful. The pattern was a bee hive, but we snuck in one hour late and the place was packed we were triple parked.
I saw many of my friends and had a great time. We watched everyone take off. Then we had to hustle to get propped (thanks Dempsey) and get going, these days are short. Then back just in time for one pass to see if we could scare away deer, foxes, skunk, seagulls, dogs. Again I parked outside and 500 feet from the fire pit. And for the third night my friend the Prof and I had a nice campfire. A very early night as he had to leave and teach in the AM and what if there was fog....
Monday morning.... for some reason I awoke at six and couldn't go back to sleep.... so I made coffee and slugged around and watched the Prof go about his Profy, Profy day. He checked wx, skyped his GF in Norway, ate breakfast, the fog slowly lifted. He launched about nine and I was on my golfcart out by the runway saying goodbye on my Icom on 122.9. He flew out of sight in the sun and the mist.
I figured I would go back to bed. But the golfcart took me along the treeline to some brush I had been clearing. I started picking up limbs and twigs. I took off my jacket. It was almost 50 degrees already in the sun. I still had on my moccasins. I put on my work gloves. Did you ever go to a fire that burned all night and try to get it going from the coals with twigs just for the hell of it?
GAI :::::+:::::
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Ya Can't Do It All
This summer really got screwed up as far as fly-ins go. First of all, I cancelled my own fly-in due to events beyond my control. That knocked the wind out of my sails in many more ways than one. We also had a drought and heat wave. And I had family obligations. The Luscombe was supposed to go somewhere every single weekend but it did not. I did get to Greenwood twice. And got up to Sentimental Journey in the CherOHkee for a day trip. And to Horn Point and to Kentmoor in the Luscombe. And just last Saturday, Spring Hill. Which was lovely, but weather threatened away many planes from there and from the Wings and Wheels at Cambridge. The Luscombe and I snuck in and it was great. The food. The folks. Antique tractors. A live music trio. The incredible 310 prize winning Songbird. Thank you JB for your kind and talented hospitality.
Now this Saturday is three days away. I am going to Essex Skypark. It is a wonderful Big/Little Wings and Wheels. It's the best. And I had to choose. Because the same day, this Saturday has: (1.) Bethal ,Pa. which is a wonderful old timey show and fly-in. (2.) Ocean City, Nj. Air Fest. (3.) Wellsville, Pa. the big Aeronca fly-in, and (4) Martinsburg, Wv. the Air Show. I guess one just can't do it all. And Friday night, before this big Saturday, I'm taking my VW to Denton. A town near me. For another small town "cars in the park". If that's not enough, on Saturday night after Essex, I'm driving 2.5 hours to a venue on the Western Shore to see a wonderful retro rock folk country band where people are. Who know me, and some even maybe like me. I don't know if I will have the stamina to do Saturday. But at least I'll do the flying first when I am fresh. And awake.
All of this after spending six weeks of the "dog daze" doing absolutely nothing. Except maybe feeling sorry for myself. And throwing a few friends off the bus because they exhibit the same human frailties that I do.
Somehow I didn't have strength for them. And for myself. In all of that I remained thankful. Grateful. For my troubles are nothing. Lots of folks would love to have my "troubles".
When it cooled off I started eating better and moving around. That gave me the energy to care. I'm going to sell or give away a few projects. I'm going to clean up the hangar. Have a few campfires. And a big bonfire.
Look for me this fall. I'll be in jeans that are coated with grass clippings. I'll be in a black Luscombe, or a blue Beetle. And I don't know this for sure, but I expect I'll be smiling.
GAI :::::+:::::
Now this Saturday is three days away. I am going to Essex Skypark. It is a wonderful Big/Little Wings and Wheels. It's the best. And I had to choose. Because the same day, this Saturday has: (1.) Bethal ,Pa. which is a wonderful old timey show and fly-in. (2.) Ocean City, Nj. Air Fest. (3.) Wellsville, Pa. the big Aeronca fly-in, and (4) Martinsburg, Wv. the Air Show. I guess one just can't do it all. And Friday night, before this big Saturday, I'm taking my VW to Denton. A town near me. For another small town "cars in the park". If that's not enough, on Saturday night after Essex, I'm driving 2.5 hours to a venue on the Western Shore to see a wonderful retro rock folk country band where people are. Who know me, and some even maybe like me. I don't know if I will have the stamina to do Saturday. But at least I'll do the flying first when I am fresh. And awake.
All of this after spending six weeks of the "dog daze" doing absolutely nothing. Except maybe feeling sorry for myself. And throwing a few friends off the bus because they exhibit the same human frailties that I do.
Somehow I didn't have strength for them. And for myself. In all of that I remained thankful. Grateful. For my troubles are nothing. Lots of folks would love to have my "troubles".
When it cooled off I started eating better and moving around. That gave me the energy to care. I'm going to sell or give away a few projects. I'm going to clean up the hangar. Have a few campfires. And a big bonfire.
Look for me this fall. I'll be in jeans that are coated with grass clippings. I'll be in a black Luscombe, or a blue Beetle. And I don't know this for sure, but I expect I'll be smiling.
GAI :::::+:::::
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