Lake Murray

This was my first time to Lake Murray and what a fun airport it is. 2500 feet, cut out of the woods with a hill in the middle of the runway. Sounds worse than it really is. Because I fly on the south side of DFW the approach and take off from 1F1 was certainly different than what I usually see. That solid mass of green trees under the plane as you slide down final was great! Then the way the trees are groomed on 14 almost gives you a wedge that you fly over coming in to the displaced threshold.

The best was yet to come though. I had gotten there first this morning. No witnesses to my first landing there. Just sitting there with the doors open on the plane, listening to the birds in the woods. The odd chip of a ball from the course behind the tiedown area. Peaceful.

Then I heard an engine and scanned the sky as Dave's voice comes over the handheld. His pretty 120 flys the downwind, pulls the power at the numbers. The putt putt of his motor dies away as he turns base and final. The near silent sight of his plane, that classic tailwheel Cessna, as it glides down the cut on final to a state park airstrip was priceless, awe inspiring. I cursed my lack of foresight to bring a camera, though I have no equipment at the house capable of capturing the sight I saw this morning.

What a wonderful morning...