Great Day for Low and Slow!

[dmccormack]

I flew 2.1 hours in the Chief today, It was a great day for flying low and slow in Southwest PA!

I flew and hour in the morning, did a lesson in a Beech Musketeer (nice airplane!) and lunch, then flew another hour from FWQ to MGW this afternoon.

It was a bit bumpy at 3 with plenty of thermals. I landed at my new, temporary base of Morgantown, WV on runway 23 with a beautifully gentle touchdown (winds were 230@8, and after touching down it felt like I rolled 10 feet. Of course I'm doing about 35 when it finally stalls).

Once I taxied over to the ramp and got out, a FO from a Citation that landed before me came over and asked what I was flying. I gave him the tour and showed him the original panel. I went inside to get my hangar lease set up. When I came back out, there were two Jet Jocks looking over my bird!

It's nice to know this 70-year old machine still gets attention!

 

[Anthony]

Dan. That is so cool. That is REAL flying. If you want a real shop that knows fabric, come to my field, N47. Tom Witmer is the man.

 

[SCCutler]

Here, it's a great day for keeping the plane right where it belongs - in the hangar!

 

[dmccormack]

Dan. That is so cool. That is REAL flying. If you want a real shop that knows fabric, come to my field, N47. Tom Witmer is the man.

That's a good tip -- So far the fabric is holding up well. But I see a recover and paint in the future!

Can you land on the grass there?

 

[dmccormack]

Here, it's a great day for keeping the plane right where it belongs - in the hangar!

Mine has been out on the ramp since Sunday evening. We've had a rare stretch of nice weather since then. Will change tonight.

 

[Anthony]

Can you land on the grass there?

Yes, I believe you can. They have a Bellanca fly in every year and lots of taildraggers show up.

 

[Geico266]

There are days when I go flying for a couple of hours and have to pull up to get in the pattern back at the airport for landing. Low 'n Slow is the Way To Go.

 

[dmccormack]

There are days when I go flying for a couple of hours and have to pull up to get in the pattern back at the airport for landing. Low 'n Slow is the Way To Go.

One student of mine is a bit ground shy. So we flew over the tree-covered hills rather low for about 20 minutes -- the colors are peak here, the winds were light, and the day clear.

We had to climb to pattern altitude.

 

[One Short]

There are days when I go flying for a couple of hours and have to pull up to get in the pattern back at the airport for landing. Low 'n Slow is the Way To Go.

I always thought it was odd that pattern altitude was so HIGH. It is annoying always having to go UP to go DOWN to land!

Barb

 

[dmccormack]

I always thought it was odd that pattern altitude was so HIGH. It is annoying always having to go UP to go DOWN to land!

Barb

Very true!

 

[Dr. O]

Most pilots are alike, no matter what we fly... We got weathered on one night and had to land just ahead of a hail storm at Cleveland Hopkins... Spent the night there... All night long these jet jocks flying G5's, etc. would, ask the candy at the counter who the Apache belonged to, and come down to the lounge and talk about, "Hey, I got my first ME rating in an Apache.", and "Someday I'm gonna get me an Apache."etc...... We are all fliers first, and then upscale corporate jocks, whatever, second...

denny-o

 

[steingar]

Do keep in mind as you all congratulate yourselves that most of us can pull the throttle back and fly 500 feet above an uncongested area. It is nice to be able to push it in and go somewhere, though.

 

[dmccormack]

We are all fliers first, and then upscale corporate jocks, whatever, second...

denny-o

Exactly -- I just think it's neat when we can all appreciate the wide range of technical marvels we fly -- no matter how simple or old.

 

[dmccormack]

Do keep in mind as you all congratulate yourselves that most of us can pull the throttle back and fly 500 feet above an uncongested area. It is nice to be able to push it in and go somewhere, though.

Who's congratulating what?

 

[One Short]

Do keep in mind as you all congratulate yourselves that most of us can pull the throttle back and fly 500 feet above an uncongested area. It is nice to be able to push it in and go somewhere, though.

I've gone somewhere, and mostly at 500ft(well actually 800ft)

 

[Dean]

It is nice to be able to push it in and go somewhere, though.

That is true, but its not near as much.