Apache

What is my favorite instrumental by "the Ventures" from back in the sixties? It's "Telstar". I will do a blog about that another day, Baby Boomer in the dawning "Space Age". My second favorite by the Ventures is "Apache". The Piper Apache is very underrated. Why is it so maligned? It's old. So no one should expect it to be without flaws. Many folks like me who got their M.E. rating in one have a nice soft spot for the aircraft. I love the Apache. When I was a line boy at College Park, my boss had one of these. Every time I fueled it I would jump in it and fire it up and taxi it over to it's parking place. I loved operating a twin, even if I couldn't fly it. When I got my instructors rating I was able to slowly get in a few short lessons in the "pooch". Sometimes when a regular renter was getting dual I could ride along in the back and get a "free" lesson. Finally I got my M.E. Oddly enough in those days there was not an M.E. Instructor rating. So if you're an instructor in cubs and 150's like I was, and then you get your M.E. - well now you're an M.E. instructor! I knew I was not ready to give dual in the Apache. Also we had a few guys that were senior to me and they were entitled to the M.E. students and more qualified. But a surprising thing happened which got me some PA-23 time in good ole 19P. A few of my Cessna 150 students would simply ask for a ride from me in the Apache. We would just tool around on their nickel and I'd stick them in the right seat. We would have fun and I would treasure the multi time. When people talk about Apaches they usually say they are "underpowered". I disagree. If you're lightly loaded the "Apatch" is a double barreled super cub. Also, put the 160 engines on it and it's better. The other thing they say is that the Apache is "bad on one engine". I don't want to get into a long talk about multi-engine technique. But I think the Apache does just fine . If you're heavy and you lose an engine, you must go down, just like if you lose an engine in a single engine plane. With fuel cost today twins are becoming dinosaurs. They're cheap to buy and getting cheaper. The new Rotax powered twins are going to change things forever at least until we have electric engines. You can buy a mod for your Apache and make it into a "Geronimo". I don't know much about this . For some reason I just don't like the conversion. If you want your Apache to be bigger and better, your best buy is to sell the Apatch and get an Aztec. Piper has already solved this bigger and better thing. And the Aztec is on the short list of best airplanes ever. One rainy day I was sitting around the office because my students were canceled. Everyone had gone home. It was Nicholson Air Services in Cumberland, Maryland. American Screw of Martinsburg had called for a charter. We had no planes and no pilots. But the big boss "Nick" was there. His personal plane was an Apache. I had been riding right seat few times on charters, but I had really just started working there as a CFI. Nick says, "Hey Lou, do you have students today?" I could see what was coming. "Why no Nick, I'm free". Next thing I know I'm off solo in a lovely all original Apache from Cumberland to Martinsburg to Cleveland and back. All IFR. My first PIC charter in a twin. It would be a long time before I got another one. But I decided I wanted to fly the Mail. Solo. G.A.Informal s