dell30rb
Final Approach
Saturday I flew a Cub up to Virginia to visit my parents and do some fishing on the Chesapeake.
Its a 1941 clipped wing J3 with no electrical system. Battery powered handheld with an external antenna. I have about 60 hours in the plane and taildraggers in general. It just returned Friday from two months in the shop. I've been wanting to make a cross country trip in the plane and finally got the opportunity.
The trip to VA was a lot of fun. I left KTTA Saturday at 7am with a 30kt+ tailwind and rocketed up towards my destination (W75 Hummel). 12g24 southerly winds were forecast after 10am so I wanted to get there early. Nearing the VA border it was gloomy and a call to FSS showed IFR was reported at KFYJ (15 mins short of destination) likely due to heavy rain showers.
Had the tailwind to make it non-stop but with a 12 gallon tank I did not have enough fuel with the weather situation and possibly backtracking to divert. So I decided to stop at Halifax airport just short of the VA border. I had been before and knew they had 24 hour self serve.
I lined up on final for what would be my first cub landing in over two months, probably crabbing at least 15 degrees and getting bounced all over the place. At 300AGL the crosswind disappeared and at 20agl all of the bumps went away. I made a passable three point and taxied to the fuel pump. The ramp was surprisingly busy, they were setting up for a fly-in. One of the volunteers tried to marshal me into the vintage aircraft section but I waved him off and went to the fuel pump on the other side of the ramp. He was a bit offended but I needed to be on my way
After filling up I taxied past the marshal who once again tried to park my airplane, zipped by him and departed from the middle of the 5000ft runway. Off in a few hundred feet, turned crosswind and downwind in one sweeping turn and climbed back into the incredible tailwind. 20 minutes later I was crossing the James river, then coming up on the York river at 1500AGL doing about 110kts over the ground.
I could pick up the West Point (KFYJ) AWOS and it was reporting VFR with 10miles visibility, but over towards my destination it was looking murky (no WX, small airport). As I approached the york, I decided to make a left turn and follow the river up to FYJ and see how it was looking. There was a heavy rain shower about 5mi north of FYJ and nothing good over towards my destination, so I decided to pay them a visit. I had about a 10-12kt crosswind from the left, dropped the wing and put it down on one wheel about 5 feet right of centerline. Not pretty - bounced once, then again and added a little power and back pressure to stop the developing PIO. I flew back on centerline and set it down one wheel, pinning it and setting the other wheel down with a properly timed push on the stick. Only used up 2000 feet of runway!
Got some coffee from the nice guys at the FBO and checked the radar. Bunch of fast moving pop-up showers. 15 minutes later it was looking fine so I flipped the prop and got going. The wind is up to 10-15 now direct crosswind at FYJ. Fortunately it should only be 30 degrees off rwy heading at destination so I was not too concerned. Still w75 is 2300x45 so I could not repeat my 2000 foot bouncing circus performance. Lucky for me the tall trees on the left side of the airport shielded most of the xwind and the net effect was about 12kts right down the runway. I made a nice power off slipping approach and three pointed it right on the numbers. Great way to end a flight!
Later that day I went fishing. Caught and released some stripers and puppy drum on light tackle
Coming home yesterday was a bit of a slog. I got a late start - departing about 4PM. It was cold at altitude and the gap in the left door had wind blowing right in my face. I steered with the rudder and stuffed a sectional in there. It is now likely in a tree somewhere in southern VA, as it departed the aircraft through the gap at some point.
A cold front had passed early in the AM and the wind was blowing from the NW. Most of the runways are 02-20 or 03-21 so this meant crosswinds. a 12g18 kt direct crosswind is not exactly a cakewalk in a J3, and i'm a bit rusty. I pointed the nose at my planned fuel stop at halifax, nc and had an unforecasted headwind. It was also bumpy. I wound up making two stops on the way back. First at wakefield, VA. Then at halifax. I made wheel landings, they were not pretty but safe and I had an excuse. It takes a lot of work to get a J3 down on pavement in gusty crosswinds.
Made it home 30 minutes before sunset, wiped the bugs off and put the plane away, completely exhausted. It was a challenging trip and I really enjoyed it! In another airplane I would have considered it routine but the cub made me work hard at both stick and rudder + ADM.
Its a 1941 clipped wing J3 with no electrical system. Battery powered handheld with an external antenna. I have about 60 hours in the plane and taildraggers in general. It just returned Friday from two months in the shop. I've been wanting to make a cross country trip in the plane and finally got the opportunity.
The trip to VA was a lot of fun. I left KTTA Saturday at 7am with a 30kt+ tailwind and rocketed up towards my destination (W75 Hummel). 12g24 southerly winds were forecast after 10am so I wanted to get there early. Nearing the VA border it was gloomy and a call to FSS showed IFR was reported at KFYJ (15 mins short of destination) likely due to heavy rain showers.
Had the tailwind to make it non-stop but with a 12 gallon tank I did not have enough fuel with the weather situation and possibly backtracking to divert. So I decided to stop at Halifax airport just short of the VA border. I had been before and knew they had 24 hour self serve.
I lined up on final for what would be my first cub landing in over two months, probably crabbing at least 15 degrees and getting bounced all over the place. At 300AGL the crosswind disappeared and at 20agl all of the bumps went away. I made a passable three point and taxied to the fuel pump. The ramp was surprisingly busy, they were setting up for a fly-in. One of the volunteers tried to marshal me into the vintage aircraft section but I waved him off and went to the fuel pump on the other side of the ramp. He was a bit offended but I needed to be on my way
After filling up I taxied past the marshal who once again tried to park my airplane, zipped by him and departed from the middle of the 5000ft runway. Off in a few hundred feet, turned crosswind and downwind in one sweeping turn and climbed back into the incredible tailwind. 20 minutes later I was crossing the James river, then coming up on the York river at 1500AGL doing about 110kts over the ground.
I could pick up the West Point (KFYJ) AWOS and it was reporting VFR with 10miles visibility, but over towards my destination it was looking murky (no WX, small airport). As I approached the york, I decided to make a left turn and follow the river up to FYJ and see how it was looking. There was a heavy rain shower about 5mi north of FYJ and nothing good over towards my destination, so I decided to pay them a visit. I had about a 10-12kt crosswind from the left, dropped the wing and put it down on one wheel about 5 feet right of centerline. Not pretty - bounced once, then again and added a little power and back pressure to stop the developing PIO. I flew back on centerline and set it down one wheel, pinning it and setting the other wheel down with a properly timed push on the stick. Only used up 2000 feet of runway!
Got some coffee from the nice guys at the FBO and checked the radar. Bunch of fast moving pop-up showers. 15 minutes later it was looking fine so I flipped the prop and got going. The wind is up to 10-15 now direct crosswind at FYJ. Fortunately it should only be 30 degrees off rwy heading at destination so I was not too concerned. Still w75 is 2300x45 so I could not repeat my 2000 foot bouncing circus performance. Lucky for me the tall trees on the left side of the airport shielded most of the xwind and the net effect was about 12kts right down the runway. I made a nice power off slipping approach and three pointed it right on the numbers. Great way to end a flight!
Later that day I went fishing. Caught and released some stripers and puppy drum on light tackle
Coming home yesterday was a bit of a slog. I got a late start - departing about 4PM. It was cold at altitude and the gap in the left door had wind blowing right in my face. I steered with the rudder and stuffed a sectional in there. It is now likely in a tree somewhere in southern VA, as it departed the aircraft through the gap at some point.
A cold front had passed early in the AM and the wind was blowing from the NW. Most of the runways are 02-20 or 03-21 so this meant crosswinds. a 12g18 kt direct crosswind is not exactly a cakewalk in a J3, and i'm a bit rusty. I pointed the nose at my planned fuel stop at halifax, nc and had an unforecasted headwind. It was also bumpy. I wound up making two stops on the way back. First at wakefield, VA. Then at halifax. I made wheel landings, they were not pretty but safe and I had an excuse. It takes a lot of work to get a J3 down on pavement in gusty crosswinds.
Made it home 30 minutes before sunset, wiped the bugs off and put the plane away, completely exhausted. It was a challenging trip and I really enjoyed it! In another airplane I would have considered it routine but the cub made me work hard at both stick and rudder + ADM.
