The Luscombe

Just like the term "full circle" suggests.  Here I am in the learning curve of relearning how to fly a taildragger.  44 years ago I first soloed a taildragger.  It wasn't my "first solo".  That was in a PA-28 nose wheel.  So my first taildragger solo was a "checkout".  Like one would get today.  Except today one gets a taildragger endorsement in one's logbook to satisfy a regulation.  Back when I first soloed that Champ when I was 18 yrs old,  of course there was no endorsement required.  In fact the taildragger was called a "conventional" gear airplane.  Nose wheel was unconventional.  I flew some other taildraggers way back then.  When I was maybe twenty and in college at "Maryland".   I checked out in a yellow Piper J-3.  We all know that airplane.  When I was a kid  the words  "Piper Cub" meant any small airplane.  The guy who checked me out was Jeff Brinkerhoff.  His dad George was a renowned pilot and barnstormer.  I still remember that checkout.  It was a balmy Spring day and we were bounced around and it seemed more kite-like than even the Champ.  After a little airwork and 4 or 5 landings we were back on the ground.  I knew I was rougher in this thing.  You had to fly from the back seat,  I didn't quite have the feel yet.  But I was very happy when Brinkerhoff said he would like me to come back tomorrow and he would fly one pattern with me and if I was ok like my last landing today I would be signed off for solo in the cub at College Park.   I came back the next day and flew with him again and he went around with me just like he said and got out and I took the plane for the rest of the hour and shot landings and tooled over the family house in Lanham.   Little did I know,  a few years later I would become an instructor at College Park and log 400 hours riding in the front seat of Brinkerhoff's J-3's teaching primary students how to fly.  It was a huge honor to know and be friends with Brinkerhoff.

After that, I wasn't quite done with taildraggers.  When I was about 25 I was working at Cumberland Airlines.  I got my foot in the door there because they needed a primary instructor.  Later,  I got a job flying  the US Mail for them.  During that period I bought my first airplane.  A Citabria.  A 7-ECA.  It was like the Champ I had flown.  It was, in fact,  the same airframe as the old Champ.  But all dolled up by a new company called "Champion",  then "American Champion".  But my Citabria wasn't new.  It was a bit worn.  But to me it was wonderful and I could write a hundred blog posts of adventures and flights of fancy in the little 7ECA.

During one winter I guess it was 76/77 I wound up in Pittsburgh flying Air Mail and Emory Airfreight.  It's too long a story to begin to tell here.  What a winter.  It became a huge stepping stone an my aviation career.  I got 175 hours in a Beech 18T.  This was a Hamilton conversion. twin beach with PT-6 turbines.   Although it did not require a type rating,  it was run by a two pilot crew and that was required by the contracts for mail and freight. (And you needed two guys to load the freight!) This was my first "Captain" job.  This Beech was a taildragger.  It was nicknamed a "Kerosene 18".

Ok.  Just one more taildragger from the past.  When I was 27 and 28 yrs. old I found myself flying DC-3's.  I got about 400 hrs. SIC time.  (Not sick time.  I learned all about that at the Major Airlines)  SIC second in command.  Co-Pilot.  Being a DC-3 copilot is an interesting job and you are too busy working to learn to be the Captain.  But that's another story.  I guess I got maybe 6 or 7 hundred hrs. Captain.  So add in another 1100 hrs. tailwheel to my logbook.

So here I am today 30 years later  I wanted to go light sport.  Cheaper, no medical, simpler,  back to the fun.  So sell the Cher OH Key right?  No I'm not ready to do that.  But I wanted a light sport airplane.  The hardest thing about getting what you want is figuring out what you want.  I decided it had to be a 7AC Champ.  It couldn't be a 7ECA,  my favorite.  Because it is too heavy to be a light sport.  Oddly,  like I said above, it is really the same airplane.  I couldn't find a 7AC.  They all need engine overhauls and recovering.  Or they are all done like new and dolled up.  Then they start at $47K if you can find one.

Usually airplanes find me.  That's how I got my Citab.  That's how I got my M10 Cadet.  And that is how I got the Luscombe I just bought one month ago.  A Lucombe for me, for my light sport plane.  Luscombe was not even on my radar.  I didn't think it was cool.  I never paid much attention to them.  I figured since I couldn't find a Champ,  I'd just wind up with a J-3.  They start at $40K.  Anyway the Luscombe came to me from a friend who hated to get rid of it,  but he had too many toys.  Nice toys.  Like a '56 Cessna 310 Songbird straight tail tuna tank gorgeous Oshkosh winner.  So he never advertised the Luscombe.  He offered it to me and I said yes.  Now I own a taildragger,  like my first plane.  I am the "full circle pilot".

A few weeks ago another buddy who is immensely qualified gave me an hour's dual in the Luscombe.  Then I started flying it solo.  I'm learning to fly all over again.  It has been a humbling experience.  I used to be a real hotshot in taildraggers.  I'll never even say that again.  I could do a whole blog post about the details of the various techniques and problems that I have been working on since I started flying the Luscombe.  Before I close,  just let me give one example and suffice it to say I've been working at this!  Every project is more difficult than you expect it to be.  After getting in about 35 landings and maybe7or 8 hours in this thing,  I finally got in my first "wheel landing".  And I hopefully can perfect that as I go so that from now on all my crosswind landings can be wheel landings which makes it go better.  Oh,  and by the way I have loved every single minute of it.  And the Luscombe is basically the same type of light sport classic plane as the J-3 or the Champ except it costs half as much, goes considerably faster, and is all metal.

I took it to the Horn Point fly in.  And the Kentmorr fly in.  And hopefully many more to come.  My Cher OH kee is parked outdoors.  And dirty.  And not flown.  And only gets attention from my nephew and his uncle.  It probably thinks I don't love it anymore.  But I love it very much.  And I newly appreciate it's electric starter and it's nose wheel.

GAI          ::::+::::

More Third Class Blues

I was so excited when I got the word about the AOPA and EAA working together to get rid of the toxic FAA third class medical. It sounded so reasonable. Now I'm a bit worried about the commenters in our ranks. I saw a lot of negative comments about the proposal. And the proposal hasn't even been written yet. The negative commenters all say the same thing. They don't want any limitations put on the new "3rd class medical free" pilots. They don't want the third class to go away in a "light sport" kind of way. They want the new rules to allow the recreational pilot to fly at night, on instruments, in planes up to 6000 lbs. With as many passengers as the plane can hold. Any horsepower etc. This group of commenters are basically in line with the petition that was written a year or so ago, that suggests that the third class is useless and we ought to get rid of it. The petition mentions the 6000 lbs. The problem with this approach is two fold. First, it asks for too much and the FAA will not agree to it. Second, it doesn't take advantage of the "foot in the door" that the light sport rules present. If it weren't for light sport, there would be no flying at all without the medical. (except gliders, ultra light etc). We all know that the 1320 lb. restriction is hopelessly ridiculous. But it at least got rid of the 3rd class on some level. It won general aviation something it needed for a long time. I am gratefull for it. I'll get a classic light sport myself in order to keep flying. I think we full circle pilots and basic general aviation pilots ought to get behind this AOPA/EAA proposal. If it is done with the restrictions, ala light sport, it will likely pass. And a whole bunch of guys will be all set with a whole bunch of nice airplanes. Lets get this done in a way that the FAA can tolerate. The AOPA and EAA lawyers will know just how far to push it and get it passed. After this gets passed, we can always ask for more. I'm surprised we have light sport. And gratefull. Let's let our experts sell this next step to the FAA. It's got a good chance. Let's not blow it just so a very few of us can fly at night and IFR. I'm 62 years old and have 24,000 hours. Now I want to fly for fun. Keeping IFR recency, and charts, and airplane equipment, up for filing IFR is work. Not fun. And single engine at night: On a pretty night, I admit it's fun, but I can live without it. I wouldn't do much of it anyway, for obvious reasons. The same reasons that I don't want to fly single engine IFR. I'd rather have these planned proposal limitations to drop the 3rd class, then no new deal at all. We'll set this deal back, or kill it, if we shoot for the moon. Goodbye 1320 lbs. I sure hope so. GAI :::::+:::::

A Ray of Hope in Third Class Blues

Out of the AOPA Summit in Hartford just today, just now, came a big announcement. An announcement that will hopefully be a lifestyle changer for me. The AOPA in cooperation with the EAA (that in itself is a miracle!), is putting together a proposal to be submited to the FAA after the first of the year. The proposal would eliminate the FAA 3rd class medical. It would allow all licensed pilots to fly with a drivers license for recreational purposes in the way that "light sport" pilots now fly. There will be limitations on this medically self monitored recreational flying. The limitations will be decided in the coming months for the proposal. Examples of the limitations might be: 180hp or less, 4 seats or less, one passenger only, day/VFR. We will hear a whole lot about this in the coming year. The difference for me in having a new, rational, medical situation for recreational flying means I would keep and fly my little Cherokee which I am familiar with. And I would not have to get a light sport aircraft: which I do not want anyway, and which I would not be as safe in, and which I would likely have to hand prop, and which would require some difficulty and expense to set up with radios that I would be comfortable in using in the SFRA and other situations. The EU and the manufaturers of new $120K light sport aircraft are not going to like this no 3rd class idea. Pilots will not be forced to buy their airplanes anymore. I'm sorry if this hurts their business. But I want them to know that I would never buy a little tiny 800 pound airplane for $120K in any circumstance, medical or not. If I see the EU and the light sport manufacturers lobbying against this new proposal, I intend to lobby against them. This new wave of energy to rid recreational flying of the cumbersome medical requirements, which were never needed in the first place, stands to be a huge boon and savior to American General Aviation. We need this. I need this. And I know I speak for many. Anyone who has a "special issuance" knows how absurd the 3rd class really is. Okay my post on this is almost over. I got one more thing to say. I have read remarks made against getting rid of the 3rd class. The remarks may be from people who have something to gain from the light sport manufacturing industry. But some remarks seemed to be from regular general aviation pilots who want their fellow pilots to "able" when they share the sky. These nay sayers need to back up their senseless fears with statistics or shut the hell up. Someone with a medical certificate of any class is just as likely to be incapacitated as someone who is self certifying. And one other thing nay sayer: if you like the third class so much then just go and get a second or first class as much as you want. By the way, you will find all three classes are almost exactly the same! But stay out of our fight to keep flying. We want to fly as long as we are healthy and we want to fly all our wonderful and safe airplanes in the aging fleet such as the Cessna 172. America has the majority of General Aviation aircraft. Our fleet is old and reliable. Our pilots are old and reliable. Let's fly.

8th Annual Fly-In at Lloyd's

The fly in was August 6th. I tried to get ready. We were in a major heat wave. So I didn't really need to mow. I patched fallen plaster. I had three tires from three different vehicles repaired or replaced. I cleaned up my stack of engineered lumber, and in the process Eric and I built eight benches. I hired Eric to work with me for about 30 hours over three weeks. We moved and painted 4 picnic tables. We decluttered the hangar and the hangar's loft. I knocked down some brush and woods to try to create what I called an "Infinity View" in the back yard. My wife and I took 4 pickup truck loads full of junk and clutter from the house to the dump over a 7 day period. The attic is still chock full. We scraped, primed and painted the northwest wall of the house. I added a bed to the man cave. My wife got us ready for eight overnight houseguests. I took my wife to dinner at CGE on Friday, a week before the fly-in in the Piper. Then the next night took Eric to dinner at GED in the Piper. We spent a whole day clearing brush. I primed and painted the hay wagon. On Thursday before the fly in my buddy Brian 3 came over and stayed a week. We extended the stage in the hangar by two and a half feet. We cleared all the storage off the stage and set up the bandstand to get it ready for Jon the drummer and light man. I had a port a potty delivered. My buddies flew in from Asheville Friday night and we started working even harder. We mowed and built a few tie downs and drank some beer. My wife's mom and her husband came in also Friday night.. I visited and kept working. I slept about three hours and got up at dawn and it was fly-in day. I mowed a parking area in the field in front. At about 11AM the planes came in. We had Trey and Janice. The quintessential fly-in attendees. They had the Luscombe. But some day they will bring in thier other plane. A classic 310. Then came an Arrow and a beautiful Saratoga. Another 172. A Decatholon. An Alon A-2 from SBY. A beautiful RV-8, and a Classic Stearman. We had wheels with the wings. We had a bike group led by my buddy Brad. There were nine BMW's from the western shore One of the BMW's was a Triumph. Two of the BMW's were Harleys. These guys are so nice and so colorful. They make any get together a phenomonon. I had two secret celebrities too. Of course, by definition, I can't tell you who they were. We wound up with eleven planes, nine motorcycles, one Quad named "night rider", a bright red Saturn Sky Turbo with the top down, which was a big hit on the flight line. Over eighty people. Most of the kids went swimming and the pool seemed perfect, thanks to my wife who overhauled the robot vacuum and tweaked up the chemicals. Rain threatened all day but never came. Folks from far away like Hancock and Philly started heading out and the bikes rolled down the driveway. The airplanes said goodbye with a flair and a fly-by. The Stearman and the Asheville airplane stayed tucked in for the night. As the sun went down I finally got some takers on my hay wagon ride. With my mentor Steve driving the old International we had a nice cool ride with the moon coming up big and deer at the treeline. We had about twenty people on that wagon. When we got back, we turned on the stage. And Jon's Disco Billy neon train wreck lights. There were three real musicians there: Jon, Gary, and Mikey. And some open mike hogs like yours truly. They played some great blues. I got to sing some ballads. I guess about twelve folks stayed over and we were in the pool to the wee hours. They got me up on Sunday morning and I was a zombie. Another three hour night's sleep. We took two planes and two cars over to CGE and we all ate at Kay's. The Stearman and the Cessna fueled up and we watched them head west in the 9AM, humid already, 80 degree air. Wife and Brian 3 and I drove home. "What are you going to do now Lloyd?" "Sleep and then swim." GAI :::::+:::::

Smoketown

We got a late start yesterday on going up to Smoketown. We arrived at 1PM or so. It was winding down. The weather wasn't pretty. There had been 180 airplanes in attendance. That's a lot despite the weather. We didn't see much. We had our $200 hamburger and went home. I saw a beaver. Not a De Havilland. A little critter that scooted along the ramp when we were refueling. We got delayed about an hour waiting out a thunderstorm. Then there was this lovely flight home with the atmosphere washed clean and everything green. We landed at home and for the first time ever I was in the back seat of my CherOHkee for a landing. I was not to see the 180 airplanes. I was not to get my free T shirt I had registered for. I was not to get much in the way of food. I was not to see many of my friends. But after my two buddies and I landed here at home we went into the hangar and had a drink and sat around and talked, I was very happy indeed. We had parked our two little sports cars right next to eachother in the hangar and had ample room when we rolled in the CherOHkee. It never fit like that before. But I had cleaned house in the hangar and made it bigger somehow. Smoketown wasn't a bust at all. Being with my two good pilot friends made it a very good day indeed. I think you make your own good days. A fancy fly in can't make you happy. You make you happy. I still havn't gotten back to normal since our fly-in here. That was eight days ago. That fly-in got me motivated to de clutter a bit around here. And work toward a goal. That enabled me to make myself happy. Be happy my friends. LloydLou.com GA Informal :::::+:::::

Full Circle Part 1

The term "full circle pilot" has been showing up in the Aviation magazines. I started noticing it about a month ago. It refers to a pilot who has worked in aviation and/or flown lots of airplanes and is now giving up his medical to fly smaller airplanes under the "Light Sport" rules. He is downsizing to 1320 lbs gross weight. 1320 lbs. That's a small airplane. For comparison, the venerable Cessna 150 is 1600 lbs gross weight. The smallest trainer in the industry is now too "heavy" to train light sport pilots. Oh, also, the 150 is too complex! Yes it's too complex. The 150 has flaps. A "Light Sport" can not have flaps. The full circle pilots are a big part of the Light Sport industry. In Light Sport, instead of an FAA Medical Certificate, the airman simply uses his drivers license. So the full circle pilot uses his regular pilots license and needs no FAA medical. There is one "gotcha" here. The full circle pilot must "give up" his FAA Medical by letting it expire. He can not fly under Light Sport if his medical is under denial. OK, you know all this and what is my point. Believe me there are lots and lots of points. I could write ten blog posts about this. For now I'll make my point. Lately there has been talk about a grass roots movement to get rid of the FAA 3rd Class Medical. The FAA has agreed to look into it. I don't hold out any hopes for it. The FAA never "relaxes" any of it's rules. But the FAA is in the process of losing funding and it's budget has been only approved on a month to month basis. Everyone wants the 3rd class to go away. Almost everyone. The makers of new "Light Sport" airplanes do not want the third class to go away. Their customers who buy new "light sport" aircraft are buying little fiberglass European planes that start at $120K. Little planes that weigh 800 lbs empty and can carry only two people. Take away the 3rd class and all the "full circle pilots" and the upstart pilots are going to go back to looking at all the used airplanes in this buyers market. I'm a full circle candidate. I could keep my CherOHkee. Some guy starting out could buy a Cessna 152 and upgrade in a year or two to a 172 and on and on. It's possible that very few folks would buy the little airplanes that weigh 1320 lbs. when we American's have an aging fleet of wonderful airplanes. Here's my point. The "Light Sport" industry is claiming that the FAA Medical has nothing to do with their industry. It's all about fuel efficiency and cheaper flying for student starts and easier requirements. So at the same time they are saying that the FAA 3rd Class has nothing to do with their industry, they are lobbying to see that the FAA doesn't get rid of the 3rd class! Because it has everything to do with their industry! I'm a geezer full circle pilot. I will go Light Sport eventually. But if they get rid of the 3rd class and I get a Tri Pacer, will I remember how to use flaps? . . . . GAI :::::+:::::

Sun n Fun over: the Season Begins at Massey

I got to go over to Massey this last Saturday as was planned. The weather was excellent. I rolled out the Cher OH kee, and alas , it was covered with bird droppings. I have a nest of doves in my lean-to. And I have a variety of birds in the rafters of the hanger. My wife does not want me to harm them. I did a nice job cleaning the windshield, but that was it. I was surprised that there were no birds nests in the airplane. I took off in a pretty good breeze from the north. The skies were cloudy, but trying to clear up. I stopped at Bay Bridge to pick up my buddy and I bought 16 gallons of fuel. We had a lovely ride up to Massey and the parking was really directed nicely, and they had a ground boss on 122.9 in a golf cart. They sorted the airplanes as they came in, and we were put in a line of low wings. There were about 7 or 9 "RV's", all beautiful of course, and they were all in a line. Me and my buddy got the plane secured and headed for the food. This is what we do! They had pots and pots of different chili. I found a pot I liked and systematically ate three bowls. On the last bowl I wandered away from the hangar and the ramp and the planes. I went behind the compound where there are these wrecks and parts piles and junk fuselages and such. I didn't go close to the stuff but I looked it over. I stayed by myself a little while and soaked up the "essence" of the fly-in. Does that sound crazy? The whole place is kind of set up for one to look at. They have a museum which is fairly new and has more each time I see it. They have a DC-3, which is mostly a shell, but has potential. They have some old sailplanes, which they fly. They have a Corsair on a pole as a gate guard which is a big visual statement. They have a working US Gov't, CAA, WW2 or post war, beacon light. With it's own original tower. It was turned on. It looked to me like about 70 or 80 planes came in and out. Maybe more. A great turn out, considering GA is almost dead. My favorite thing was this Curtis Pusher. It was a perfect brand new replica of a circa 1910 biplane that the famous racer and pilot Glen Curtis flew. They flew this plane twice at the end of the day. It was great. It flew low and slow. Like the Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines. My friend the professor flew in in his 152. He's not big on fly-ins, so he's a hard sell. But he was glad he came. He was really interested in the not one, but two, Cessna 195's. They were very pristine. I saw my friends who have a pretty Luscombe and they are experts at going to fly-ins. Large or small. Near or far. Trey, Janice, sorry I hardly got to talk to you guys. But the season is young. Don't you love it? Horn point in two weeks or so. Then a fly-in or event every single weekend through September. I can not afford the gas to go to each one. Brian and I were about the last to leave. It was so nice he decided to overfly Bay Bridge and have a campfire with myself and the professor and Jaker the dog. The winds were calm. The sun was slowly setting. The professor took his airplane back out to just fly a little tour down the river and back. And shoot a few landings. Land one way....roll to the end....turn around and take off the other way. Nice when you can do it! Brian washed down my airplane because the bird do really was bad. I gathered fire wood of dead branches. We had a great fire and a great time. All good things must come to an end. The prof retired to the man cave. I gave Brian the keys to the trusty Boobaru. It felt great to go to bed. I dreamed of airliners and simulators and schedules and sitting at gates in a flight deck. Nightmares almost. (Not that I don't like airliners) But before I fell asleep I daydreamed of my little Cher OH kee. And my friends who never get tired of airplanes. And what the bay looked like in a mare's- tail sky. And that Curtis Pusher with spoked wheels and pennants flying from the struts between the wings. And the guy flying at about 30 mph. My real life was more like a dream than my sleeping dream. Thanks for reading. The season is afoot. I'll see you at Horn Point. Remember, I'm pullin' for ya. Keep your stick on the ice. GA Informal :::::+:::::