chuck2shaw
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2006
- Messages
- 1,643
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Objective this morning was to make the hour drive to Front Royal in time to arrive at sunrise, to get at least one pattern before the forecast south wind picked up. Only flew once in November, just not up to it, but feeling good today.
Nearly full moon as I drove west in the dark. High pressure area, but not one with a calm day in the middle. Temperature about 28, much warmer than yesterday morning; promises to be good.
Pre-heat while pre-flighting, and another 15 minutes; definitely daylight now. Pull her out with the quilts over the engine, tie the rope to the tail handle, chocks in place, three primes, four blades, mags on, pull from behind. Nothing. Pull again, one pop. Pull again, she comes to life with a good solid sound, no clattering with the cylinders warmed, and smooth idle.
Nothing moving on the airport, no dogs barking, no roosters. One glider pilot drives up, sits in his truck across the ramp by their hangar.
Wind picking up, ninety degrees from the left, but I think only about 6 knots. Scattered clouds overhead seem to be moving very fast, and the trees start swaying.
Run-up, controls check, watch the sock do loop-de-do's perpendicular to the runway. Sixty-five glorious Continental horsepower pulls us down the runway, going straight, lift off before I know it; she wants to fly. Smooth climb for 100 feet. Then whoaaa! Clear of the trees the yellow wings start dancing, and there's no music except the wind! Took one shot towards the ridge on climb, not too good but shows the sun line on the ridge. Managed to not drop the heavy camera.
Cross-wind and then turned downwind, and found we were back over the runway. Forty-five degree angle to get into the wind, took one picture over the river towards the sun, and time to cut power and complete the pattern. Managed to get nicely lined up with the runway, and watch the flag by the terminal, and the left and right side socks, all point at each other but mostly showing south winds.
Dropping below the tree line, the landing was an anti-climax; no drama in the wind-shadow. But I had decided that one pattern would do, no matter how good or bad it was, so taxied back to the hangar full of flight and the good feeling that comes with being released from this earth if only for a few minutes.
Postscript:
The glider guy walked up as I shut down, and asked if it was rough up there. Seems like he was the ops officer today, and had to make a go-no-go decision for the glider operations. I told him it was beautiful. Then he told me that he saw the Cub bounce and roll every which-way when we got above the trees, and it looked pretty bad to him. I just smiled, and said I never noticed!
Chuck Shaw
Nearly full moon as I drove west in the dark. High pressure area, but not one with a calm day in the middle. Temperature about 28, much warmer than yesterday morning; promises to be good.
Pre-heat while pre-flighting, and another 15 minutes; definitely daylight now. Pull her out with the quilts over the engine, tie the rope to the tail handle, chocks in place, three primes, four blades, mags on, pull from behind. Nothing. Pull again, one pop. Pull again, she comes to life with a good solid sound, no clattering with the cylinders warmed, and smooth idle.
Nothing moving on the airport, no dogs barking, no roosters. One glider pilot drives up, sits in his truck across the ramp by their hangar.
Wind picking up, ninety degrees from the left, but I think only about 6 knots. Scattered clouds overhead seem to be moving very fast, and the trees start swaying.
Run-up, controls check, watch the sock do loop-de-do's perpendicular to the runway. Sixty-five glorious Continental horsepower pulls us down the runway, going straight, lift off before I know it; she wants to fly. Smooth climb for 100 feet. Then whoaaa! Clear of the trees the yellow wings start dancing, and there's no music except the wind! Took one shot towards the ridge on climb, not too good but shows the sun line on the ridge. Managed to not drop the heavy camera.
Cross-wind and then turned downwind, and found we were back over the runway. Forty-five degree angle to get into the wind, took one picture over the river towards the sun, and time to cut power and complete the pattern. Managed to get nicely lined up with the runway, and watch the flag by the terminal, and the left and right side socks, all point at each other but mostly showing south winds.
Dropping below the tree line, the landing was an anti-climax; no drama in the wind-shadow. But I had decided that one pattern would do, no matter how good or bad it was, so taxied back to the hangar full of flight and the good feeling that comes with being released from this earth if only for a few minutes.
Postscript:
The glider guy walked up as I shut down, and asked if it was rough up there. Seems like he was the ops officer today, and had to make a go-no-go decision for the glider operations. I told him it was beautiful. Then he told me that he saw the Cub bounce and roll every which-way when we got above the trees, and it looked pretty bad to him. I just smiled, and said I never noticed!
Chuck Shaw
