Hello old friend...
May. 13th, 2007 02:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
slipstreamsurfrI've been flying the club 172 out of GPM lately, but today, I took up an old friend...
This morning dawned bight and clear, calm, temp of 70 degree's. What more perfect flying weather. My only problem is that the book with the keys to the 152 are locked up in the flight school.
Ah well, I planned my operation well. The diamond is due back at 10. The owner is flying it. He just so happens to have a key to the office. I can get the book then. Out this morning, enjoying the blue skies and calm wind. I call for a weather briefing. Not because I expect much to change before 1pm when I expect to be done, but to double check any TFR's. Luck is with me today and I only wait 5 minutes before I get a surprisingly good briefing.
To the airport to wait on the diamond to come back when who should arrive just after 10 but Roger. Now Roger has a key and is happy to unlock the office for me. I grab the book and I'm out to preflight. I top of the tanks of the mighty 152, add a quart of oil, wipe down where I spilled. Soon the run up is done and we are waiting to launch.
To the south I go, getting the feel of my old friend again. A bit slow to climb in the 85 degree heat with full tanks and me. Trim for slow flight and I mush around through some turns, add the flaps and it's even more fun. What can you say, 152's are honest little airplanes. I turn to Midway and call on the 45 for downwind for 36 and start the patterns.
It's been a month since my last landing in anything. I've had stick time with friends a few times but that last few feet is where we are all judged. First one around and it's passable, flaring a little high but set it down with a bounce and held the nose up, flaps up, carb heat in, power in, and we are off again. 712 is a good little 152. Not much inside to mess with, it's a fly by the seat of your pants and looking outside type of plane. The next handful of landings are all passable. Nothing dropping in from to high, only one that was a bit flatter than I liked. Had to touch the power for one. The light winds are making it interesting to touch down where I want to.
I haven't been flying long, but it's my time, so on the last one I make it full stop, taxi over and park the plane. Watch a pretty 140 that lives on the field make a landing, they are grinning, waving at me as they taxi by to their hanger. You've got to love airplane people. Inside for water and I run into my DPE, Carol. We chat for a few, grins for both of us. Her asking how it's been going since the checkride. She's off with a pilot in her Citabria to LNC for lunch and I'm soon walking back to 712.
I fold myself back inside the plane. At 240 and 6 foot 4 with size 13 feet it's got to be entertaining to watch it from the sidelines and I'm soon started and down for a quick run up. Runup is completed, doors closed, seat belt and shoulder harness on and I'm quickly headed down 36. I rotate off the ground and start my climb when the pilot side door pops open. You've got to love Cessna door latches in the 150/152's. I trimmed for my climb and decided that I'd not worry about the door until I was established in the downwind. The slipstream holds it mostly closed. No worry about much. I'm belted in, and not headed anywhere. On the downwind the plane is trimmed and I push the door open against the propwash and pull it shut, it latches solid this time. Time to pull my power and start working the numbers again for another landing, and it comes together nicely. Power back in and it's about time to head back to GKY.
There's rain west and south of Midway, so I fly north and turn west just past the Cedar Hill towers, across the top end of Joe Pool lake. Call the tower over the marina and I'm soon in the pattern. They are slow this early afternoon. Just a cherokee and me in the 152. Number 2 to land and I fly by feel again. On my final and things are lined up nicely, a bit of an early flare, fix it, adjust, feel for the runway and roll it on on center. Dump the flaps, carb heat and I'm turning off. Taxi to parking with me say's the tower. Roger, 712.
Putting the plane away I can't help but smile. This is the plane that I did my long cross country in, probably nearly half of my solo time to my ticket was in this airplane. I only stopped flying her solo when I started flying the Cheetah. A pat to the cowl, a quite thank you my friend and we are done once again.
Till the next time...
1.2 just me and the mighty 152
6 landings
lots of smiles
This morning dawned bight and clear, calm, temp of 70 degree's. What more perfect flying weather. My only problem is that the book with the keys to the 152 are locked up in the flight school.
Ah well, I planned my operation well. The diamond is due back at 10. The owner is flying it. He just so happens to have a key to the office. I can get the book then. Out this morning, enjoying the blue skies and calm wind. I call for a weather briefing. Not because I expect much to change before 1pm when I expect to be done, but to double check any TFR's. Luck is with me today and I only wait 5 minutes before I get a surprisingly good briefing.
To the airport to wait on the diamond to come back when who should arrive just after 10 but Roger. Now Roger has a key and is happy to unlock the office for me. I grab the book and I'm out to preflight. I top of the tanks of the mighty 152, add a quart of oil, wipe down where I spilled. Soon the run up is done and we are waiting to launch.
To the south I go, getting the feel of my old friend again. A bit slow to climb in the 85 degree heat with full tanks and me. Trim for slow flight and I mush around through some turns, add the flaps and it's even more fun. What can you say, 152's are honest little airplanes. I turn to Midway and call on the 45 for downwind for 36 and start the patterns.
It's been a month since my last landing in anything. I've had stick time with friends a few times but that last few feet is where we are all judged. First one around and it's passable, flaring a little high but set it down with a bounce and held the nose up, flaps up, carb heat in, power in, and we are off again. 712 is a good little 152. Not much inside to mess with, it's a fly by the seat of your pants and looking outside type of plane. The next handful of landings are all passable. Nothing dropping in from to high, only one that was a bit flatter than I liked. Had to touch the power for one. The light winds are making it interesting to touch down where I want to.
I haven't been flying long, but it's my time, so on the last one I make it full stop, taxi over and park the plane. Watch a pretty 140 that lives on the field make a landing, they are grinning, waving at me as they taxi by to their hanger. You've got to love airplane people. Inside for water and I run into my DPE, Carol. We chat for a few, grins for both of us. Her asking how it's been going since the checkride. She's off with a pilot in her Citabria to LNC for lunch and I'm soon walking back to 712.
I fold myself back inside the plane. At 240 and 6 foot 4 with size 13 feet it's got to be entertaining to watch it from the sidelines and I'm soon started and down for a quick run up. Runup is completed, doors closed, seat belt and shoulder harness on and I'm quickly headed down 36. I rotate off the ground and start my climb when the pilot side door pops open. You've got to love Cessna door latches in the 150/152's. I trimmed for my climb and decided that I'd not worry about the door until I was established in the downwind. The slipstream holds it mostly closed. No worry about much. I'm belted in, and not headed anywhere. On the downwind the plane is trimmed and I push the door open against the propwash and pull it shut, it latches solid this time. Time to pull my power and start working the numbers again for another landing, and it comes together nicely. Power back in and it's about time to head back to GKY.
There's rain west and south of Midway, so I fly north and turn west just past the Cedar Hill towers, across the top end of Joe Pool lake. Call the tower over the marina and I'm soon in the pattern. They are slow this early afternoon. Just a cherokee and me in the 152. Number 2 to land and I fly by feel again. On my final and things are lined up nicely, a bit of an early flare, fix it, adjust, feel for the runway and roll it on on center. Dump the flaps, carb heat and I'm turning off. Taxi to parking with me say's the tower. Roger, 712.
Putting the plane away I can't help but smile. This is the plane that I did my long cross country in, probably nearly half of my solo time to my ticket was in this airplane. I only stopped flying her solo when I started flying the Cheetah. A pat to the cowl, a quite thank you my friend and we are done once again.
Till the next time...
1.2 just me and the mighty 152
6 landings
lots of smiles
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-20 04:38 pm (UTC)Did you start gaining your weight in your early twenties? I'm starting to catch up to you... I'm 214 and climbing.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-21 01:39 pm (UTC)yup
catch it now while it's easier to control