Blast from the past

[Mtns2Skies]

I had a really cool time with my neighbor. He used to be a Private Pilot but his last flight was 41 years ago. His explanation to me was his lack of money straight out of college. I went over to his house to compare our stuff, I brought my Jepp Private pilot textbook, sectionals, E6B, and A/F Directory. We opened up his flight bag which looked more like a briefcase. It hadn't been opened in decades. Took a quick peek in his logbook and saw he hadn't flown since 1969, his last flight was in a Cherokee 6, he trained in a Piper Colt. Apparently CFI cost was $13 an hour then.

He was really amazed that the E6B hasn't changed one bit and that VOR's were still a main form of navigation though he referred to them as "omni's". Pilot controlled lighting was a new concept for him and was quite impressed with it.

Next we pulled out his Airport Facility directory which went by individual state not region, his being Nebraska. There was a good deal less information in it and less detailed pictures. His "textbook" was pretty small in comparison to mine, not much bigger than a POH. He was a little surprised that 100LL is now really the only avgas, He mostly used was 80/87 octane (red) fuel with most of his planes except for select few.

We layed out both of our Denver sectionals on the floor crawling all over each of them scrutinizing what has changed, from airport names to frequencies and city size. Apparently, some mountains have gotten a few feet bigger. Oddly enough there was a 3 degree variation difference on our charts, where mine said 10 degrees East his said 13 degrees East on the same line. His was without contour lines but other than that the format was identical.

I had allotted myself an hour and a half before dinner, I looked at my watch and saw I was 15 minutes late even though it only felt like I was there for 20. It was a really cool experience for both of us.

 

[Laurie]

Awesome! I've always liked looking at the old charts. I have a whole collection of old sectionals and Aviation Training Manuals that were published in the 60's and 70's that I've been given or picked up in antique stores. It's great stuff.

 

[kevin47881]

Very cool. Hope y'all get a chance to get back together and finish the comparison and continue the friendship building!

 

[Dan Thomas]

Apparently CFI cost was $13 an hour then.

He mostly used was 87 octane (red) fuel with most of his planes except for select few.

Oddly enough there was a 3 degree variation difference on our charts, where mine said 10 degrees East his said 13 degrees East on the same line. His was without contour lines but other than that the format was identical.

He paid too much for his instructor. I paid $5 in 1973, and $19 for the 172.

80/87 smelled like real gasoline. Old airplanes that haven't flown in a long time will still smell of it inside. Brings back memories.

The North magnetic pole is moving. The variation is decreasing. Out West here it's dropped three or four degrees in four decades.

Other changes: VNCs used to cost a buck. The AIM used to cost a buck or two and was updated once a year, maybe.

AM broadcast stations were on the VNCs and we used the ADF to both navigate using them and be entertained while in flight. VOR and GPS have no entertainment value at all. Got to spend money on XM and stuff. Those broadcast stations are powerful (up to 50 kilowatts) and you could home in on them from hundreds of miles out.

We flew without headsets. Now we can't hear even with them.

Every landing was a power-off base and final; a forced approach, basically, and we got pretty good at estimating glidepath and touchdown. Now they can't hit the spot even using power.

The airport was covered with airplanes. Now it's covered with weeds and the foundations of long-gone hangars and flight school offices.

Dan

 

[Arbiter419]

That's cool! When are you taking him flying?

 

[Mtns2Skies]

That's cool! When are you taking him flying?

When I have my license :wink2:

 

[Arbiter419]

When I have my license :wink2:

Cool! I'm sure he's looking forward to it.

 

[Tom Veatch]

... VOR's were still a main form of navigation though he referred to them as "omni's". ...

VOR = Very high frequency Omnidirectional Range. "Very High Frequency" because the precursor was the old 4 course radio ranges which broadcast on either LF or HF, don't recall which. Omnidirectional because the old radio ranges broadcast directional guidance only along a few distinct courses, typically 4, and the Omnidirectional Ranges broadcast a signal that could be used for course guidance in any direction from the station.

We called the VORs "Omni's" and they were not just "a" main form of navigation, they were THE main form of navigation, especially in the IFR environment. And if you wanted to go direct, you went VFR and Pilotage/Dead Reckoning, unless you had one of those brand new Rho-Theta RNAV sets that calculated waypoints based on DME distance and radials from VORTAC stations. IIRC, the FAA was scratching it's head about whether or not to allow them to be used in the IFR environment. GPS? What's that? At that time, GPS was little more than a gleam in some researcher's eye, if it was even that far along in development.

Class A, B, C, D, E, & G airspace? Huh? Ain't dealing with the CCA, ATA's, PCA, CZ's, and TCA's enough? Not to mention whatever alphabet soup I've forgotten.

Whack-A-Mole TFR's? Come on, you're kidding, right?

It's been 30 years for me - last logged PIC time in 1980. But, if my medical SI comes through, I'll be back in the air shortly thereafter.

 

[jdwatson]

Tom,
Good luck on the SI. I hope it's processed soon. Be sure to chronicle your flight here.

 

[Mtns2Skies]

He paid too much for his instructor. I paid $5 in 1973, and $19 for the 172.
Dan

It may have been $13 for plane and instructor, I'm not entirely sure.

VOR = Very high frequency Omnidirectional Range.

It's been 30 years for me - last logged PIC time in 1980. But, if my medical SI comes through, I'll be back in the air shortly thereafter.

I know what VOR's stand for, I pointed it out because I thought they were always referred to as VOR's.

Good luck with getting back in the air.

 

[mikea]

I had a really cool time with my neighbor. He used to be a Private Pilot...

Correction: He is a Private Pilot. He just needs a current medical and a BFR.

"You can check out any time you want but you can never leave."

 

[silver-eagle]

Correction: He is a Private Pilot. He just needs a current medical and a BFR.

"You can check out any time you want but you can never leave."

Yeah but back then, to get current was $13. Now you'll spend $200 for the signoff easily not to mention he'd probably have to do 8 to 10 hours of prep.
If you like him DON'T take him flying. Once bit, he'll be spending his retirement money on flying.

 

[Mtns2Skies]

Is that necessarily a bad thing?