Beautiful day for low and slow

flyersfan31

flyersfan31

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Mar 31, 2006
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Freiburgfan31
I flew from Wings up to Blairstown NJ (1N7) today, and decided to do something different. On my way to the airport, the air smelled fresh and spring-like, the sun was shining, and in all it was a nice morning. So, instead of flying normal cruise, at 35oo or 5500ft, I decided to throttle back and open the window and pretend I was in a Piper Cub. I was in no hurry.

65KIAS, window open, 700 AGL - it was wonderful! The airplane trimmed up nicely, I had plenty of time to watch the scenery below (and watch for airplanes coming at me - much slower closure rate!) It's amazing how much detail you can see in the landscape when you're low and slow. It's not that I ever doubted that flying a little taildragger puddle-jumper wouldn't be fun, it's just that this is the first time I've gotten anything resembling that experience.

Try it, you'll like it! :cheerswine:
 
Sounds like fun! I got to ride in a helicopter today (my first time!) and it was incredible... I agree with your sentiment about how much detail you can see when you're down low like that.

What were YOU flying?
 
flyersfan31 said:
Try it, you'll like it! :cheerswine:
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You got that right. I did try it. And I traded my Bonanza in on a Sport Cub.

Going from "high and fast" to "low and slow" I discovered that you get the same sensation of speed. Only the cows are bigger. And it's easier to clean bugs off the leading edges when they're not dead, just badly shaken up.

The only downside is now I have to clean bugs off the trailing edges, too. :D

Last weekend it was finally warm enough to fly with the door and window open, just to try it. At 1,000 AGL over the picnic areas along the Columbia River I could not only see the barbecues, I could smell them.

Photos below: lunch at Elma, WA (4W8); kites on the beach at Long Beach, WA; North Head Lighthouse at the mouth of the Columbia River.

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Welcome to my world!

Two things for those who want to venture into the 500-1000 agl world. One, don't assume slow closure rates -- most of us cruise from 100-130 KIAS at these altitudes!

The other thing when you're playing at helicopter altitudes -- tune a radio to 123.025 -- the helicopter air-to-air frequency. News, police, and other helicopter usually give position reports on this freq.
 
I was flying a T182T.

Thanks for the tips Bob. I was joking about the closure rates - you never know what's up there, but your warnings are right on.

As if someone was trying to tell me something, while I was at Blairstown a regular air-show broke out. First a guy lands in a beautiful vintage Cub with tundra tires after shooting a bunch of t&g's in the pattern (full stop, but they may as well have been t&g). Then 2 Stearman PT17s in full Yellow Peril paint schemes land with an AT6 in trail. Was it a sign that I need to go open cockpit? One wonders!
 
Blairstown is a nice place to visit on a good day... did my discovery flight there many moons ago.
 
i love Blairstown....i stop in to eat once a week...usually breakfast...
they have great pancakes with an airplane shape on them :)
its also fun to watch the glider operations
 
flyersfan31 said:
Try it, you'll like it! :cheerswine:
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Yes, for sure!

A lot of my WI-MT trip in the Ercoupe in 2006 was spent relatively low to the ground with the canopy partly open.

I have flown in a Flightstar two-seat ultralight trainer a few times and boy is that neat, no doors or walls, and when you are on the ground you can reach out and touch the grass.

At Gaston's last year I had my first J3 Cub ride with the door open - now that was cool. The evening colors are really beautiful when there's no window in your way.

One of my favorite experiences so far is my trip from Atlanta to Oshkosh in the Sky Arrow, which offers a view unlike anything else I've ever flown. Sometimes I was up high, but during the smoother hours, I was often 1,000 AGL seeing everything right up close.

One must always consider emergency landing options -- and when there are plenty of those and the air is smooth, low and slow can be a lot of fun. One of these days I am hoping to try out powered parachuting. That might be as low and slow as you can get!
 
Yeah low ans slow is so much fun. Until I did some taildragger time in a Champ I never appreciated how much fun 500 agl can be.

I Just hope you weren't as low as this guy :-)


Pete
 
I loved to fly low along the beach when I lived in Florida. 600-800 feet was the norm although you had to watch out for banner planes. The local ultralights like the one in the picture would usually find an empty spot and fly lower than that. It really is like the postcards!
 

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Tristar said:
I loved to fly low along the beach when I lived in Florida. 600-800 feet was the norm although you had to watch out for banner planes. The local ultralights like the one in the picture would usually find an empty spot and fly lower than that. It really is like the postcards!
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Not just banner planes, but the parasailers launching from the back of the boat, too!
 
I've got a great picture of me down low in a Cub. I was flying down a canal and the trees on the banks are higher than me. I did this over 20 years ago......I like to think I am not only older, but wiser now too.

Unfortunately, I am a newbie and can't post pics yet.........need a couple more posts before I can. I'll try to post the picture when I get access.

Regards,

JimR
 

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Now that's pretty cool. Not quite willing to do that with the Skylane just yet.
 
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