Close to 18 years ago, I got it into my head to buy an airplane and I knew what I wanted: A taildragger. I started some refresher training (I had tailwheel time from the 1970s) at an outfit at the airport in Lawrence, MA. I checked out in a Piper L-4 (military version of a Cub) at about $33/hr, wet. I did most of the landing training at a narrow airport not far from there, which closed soon afterwards because as we all know, We Cannot Have Too Many Shopping Malls. (Anyone who tears up an airport for a shopping mall has a blasted soul and will burn in Hell until the heat death of the Universe, if I had my way about it.)
They also had a Stearman which rented for $150/hr. I took two very expensive lessons. On the first one, we did landings at a grass airport. A public road ran right by the runway and, each time that we landed and taxied back for takeoff, a few cars had pulled over to watch. I commented to the instructor that "this isn't the airplane to use for a buzz job."
Two lessons were all I could afford. Flying along in that airplane on a summer's morning, looking out over the landscape, turning the airplane from time to time with the control stick and wearing a cloth flying helmet and sunglasses was about as close to a Walter-Mittyesqe think that I have done in my memory. It probably was the most fun I've ever had with my clothes on. Or "off", for that matter.
No comments:
Post a Comment
House Rules #1, #2 and #6 apply to all comments. Rule #3 also applies to political comments.
In short, don't be a jackass. THIS MEANS YOU!
If you never see your comments posted, see Rule #7.
All comments must be on point and address either the points raised in the blog post or points raised by commenters in response.
Any comments that drift off onto other topics are subject to deletion.
(Please don't feed the trolls.)
中國詞不評論，冒抹除的風險。僅英語。
COMMENT MODERATION IS IN EFFECT UFN. This means that if you are an insulting dick, nobody will ever see it.