L3 Cub flight yesterday - still smiling

alindsay

alindsay

Pre-Flight
Joined
May 24, 2007
Messages
93
Location
Omaha area
Display Name
Display name:
Allan
I posted this on AOPA and thought I would also share it here since I had so much fun!

Yesterday was a great flying day. I got up again under the foggles to get a few practice approaches in since I passed my IR a few weeks back and felt I was getting rusty. Did OK but there sure was a lot of traffic up.

Now for the reason I'm a real pilot. An ex-hangar neighbor wanted to go flying in his L3 cub. How could I turn that down?

After my IR flying I went to 10C (Galt in NE IL) and he was fueling up and a photographer was taking some shots of him and his plane. A crowd gathered since there was a EAA meeting earlier and there was a RC club flying a bunch of RC planes. People in the crowd were saying how cool it would be to fly in the L3 and I was all smiles knowing I was actually going to go up in it.

I had my headset with me and as we got ready to depart, the L3 owner chuckled and said I wouldn't need those unless I wanted to muffle the noise - doh!

We got in and the line guy hand propped the L3 and she fired right away. We did a quick run up and we were off. Low and slow. Boy was it loud and the wind was blowing thru the window - this was flying!

We flew out in the country a bit and then I took over. Never have flown a stick before and being left handed, it was awkward but I did keep the altitude and turns were fun. You can't get anywhere fast but in this plane, who cares?

We ended up flying around for close to an hour and then returned to 10C and landed on the grass.

What a fun time I had flying today!

Allan Lindsay - still smiling I think
 

Attachments

  • l3 cub.JPG
    l3 cub.JPG
    89 KB · Views: 45
Those who live in glass cabins... :)

I love it when I hear someone talk about just going out and flying and enjoying themselves like a little kid. That's great!
 
As I understand it, the L3 is the Army version of the J3. I'm certainly not an authority on this so I stand to be corrected.

Allan
 
alindsay said:
We got in and the line guy hand propped the L3 and she fired right away. We did a quick run up and we were off. Low and slow. Boy was it loud and the wind was blowing thru the window - this was flying!

We flew out in the country a bit and then I took over. Never have flown a stick before and being left handed, it was awkward but I did keep the altitude and turns were fun. You can't get anywhere fast but in this plane, who cares?

We ended up flying around for close to an hour and then returned to 10C and landed on the grass.

What a fun time I had flying today!

Allan Lindsay - still smiling I think
Click to expand...
It's always great when an airplane puts a smile on someone's face. :yes: It's a fun way to fly, low and slow with a stick and landing on grass. :yes:
 
alindsay said:
As I understand it, the L3 is the Army version of the J3. I'm certainly not an authority on this so I stand to be corrected.

Allan
Click to expand...

The L3 was the army version of the Aeronca, the L4 was the army version of the Cub.
 
Oh yeah! I wasn't thinking in those terms. Had it been typed L-3 instead of L3, I would have figured it out. L3 reminds me of the designation for a light sport.
Taylorcraft was the L-2. The L-2 is the hardest airplane to get in/out of.
 
I've flown both (L-3 and L-4), and they sure are fun. Makes for a really affordable way to get into the warbird set, too... but if you find a good one, good luck separating it from its present owner. :D

Ps- the "L" is for "liason", if anyone needs to know. These little ragwings did some of the hairiest flying in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam, not just air ambulance, hack, and artillery and FAC spotting deep inside enemy territory... they did everything from launching and recovering with a hook on a wire strung atop a landing craft to attacking tanks with a bazooka strapped to a wing strut! With no armor and less than 100hp!!
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top