Aviation

So, we had this great plan. We were going to borrow a cute little Cessna, fly out to visit family, then fly back the next day. Great plan... until an unexpected event on their end made it a no-go.

No problem. Hundred dollar hamburgers in NH, here we come! (For those not familiar with that phrase, it is a tradition among pilots to fly somewhere, have lunch and fly home - just for the fun of flying. It's called a hundred dollar hamburger because that's the most frequently opted for food and by the time you add up the cost of getting there your $5 burger costs $100. Lol.) My college roomie introduced us previously to Kimble's, an amazing little burger/ice cream place in NH that just so happens to be across the street from a well maintained air strip. Ice cream sounded good to me... until the clouds that the radar service assured us weren't really there pushed safe flying level down below the top of the mountain we were supposed to fly over.

Right. Time to turn around!

Heading towards clear skies, we flew to Seneca Falls (with a brief stop in Oneonta, as my stomach still revolts at turbulence and I needed a short breather - I am so thankful to have a good pilot and a patient man for my husband!).

Here is my handsome aviator on the ground in Seneca Falls. In the background you can see the cute little Cessna we were borrowing. If something with that much power can properly be called "cute".


Our furry flight engineer, who suffers none of his mommy's queasiness and LOVES to fly.


This is a modified Ag-Cat (spelling questionable) that is used for crop dusting. It doesn't show up very well in the picture, but there's a little propeller under the main one that powers the pesticide pump and a string of little spouts rigged up under the wings.

The flight back was pretty smooth, with our autopilot friend "George" taking over the flight controls long enough to snap a picture that turned out much better than I expected!


Aviation days make me count my blessings - my precious husband and nitro puppy, a schedule that lets me fly with them, a stomach slowly acquiring turbulence management skills, access to rental planes and a good flight school for Eric, safe travels and friends to visit all over. What makes you count your blessings?

Antique Aeroplane Education

Today is a wonderful day, because I have received my Tailwheel Endorsement on my pilot's license!

Tailwheel aircraft are a different beast compared to tricycle geared airplanes, mainly due to center of gravity, though many other differences abound. In tricycle geared airplanes, the center of gravity is forward of the main gear, and therefore momentum will force the airplane straight if you're not lined up on a runway at touchdown. Tailwheel airplanes require that you "dance" with the rudder pedals to make sure you stay in line with your track of motion, lest the tail of the airplane swings around in front, and many people laugh at you. It's quite an experience, and shows how a lot of piloting skills are lost, due to the tricycle gear's design that uses the laws of physics to make an aircraft more stable on the ground at the cost of more weight, more aerodynamic drag, and more maintenance.

I decided to get this training and endorsement, mainly because I knew my landings could use some refinement that only a taildragger could offer, and also, I love the taildragger design, especially that of the Piper Cub, Helio Courier, and the workhorse of WWII, the DC-3.

It took me forever to find a school that could offer me such a curriculum, but with the help of a fellow neighbor pilot, I stumbled across the Ullman Flight School in Fulton County. One email later, Dave, my Instructor, introduced me to his 1940 Luscombe 8A. 70 years old, no radio, covered with dead bugs that were wandering near an airstrip at the wrong time, and just enough horsepower to get off the ground when at full gross weight. What a fun plane! And after three weeks of sneaking in flight time between the endless barrage of thunderstorms we've had all summer, I got signed off. It took less than I thought, but I found a really good instructor that was more out to mentor me than place a few hundred bucks in his wallet. And the picture is no joke. It was preferred that I fly barefooted, so that I could have a better feel for the rudder's control. Sometimes less is more.

I really enjoyed this training, and will definitely be flying "Luscombe 734" again soon! Preferably with clearer skies.