About the time I graduated from kindergarten, my Uncle Leland returned from his enlistment in the newly created United States Air Force. Hanging out and making model airplanes with him ignited a passion that would burn in my heart for the rest of my years. About a decade later in Air Force ROTC I had my first flight – in the back seat of a four-place single-engine airplane. We hadn’t even cleared the runway when I was hooked. In these posts, I’ll share some of the highlights of the next sixty plus years of learning, flying and teaching in numerous planes.
One Step Back and Two Steps Forward
1986 Reassessment Although the FAA had certified me to fly a five thousand pound twin with 570 horsepower through the sky at more than 190 knots (220 mph) in all kinds of weather, a streak of burnt rubber on the pavement and a mashed up runway light off to the side left me not so sure. Much ...Read moreThe Best Year Yet – Part 2
1988 Flying my own plane had a collateral benefit. I found myself reaching out to people just so I could share my love of flying with them. Here are few of my favorite stories: Susan finds herself Southwest Minnesota State University In the spring of 1988, Susan, near the end of her gap year, realized her passion lay in ...Read more1988 Best Year Yet – Part 1
Flying the Mooney for a year and a half had given me just the remedial practice I needed. By this time I had logged more than 800 hours. Now, it was time to simply enjoy flying to the max. Getting in the plane had become as natural as getting in a car. If a destination ...Read moreMy first trip across the Rockies
1988 Road tripping in a plane Sara, a close friend of Jeff’s, was hanging out at our home one evening and talking about the fun times her family had on road trips. Seeing her joy, Jeff, with a touch of envy, said we never did that. She immediately countered, “Of course you didn’t. You flew everywhere with ...Read moreThe Red Baron
1988 The next step In the preceding two years, I had logged more than 300 hours flying my Mooney all over the country, in all kinds of weather, over all kinds of terrain, and into airports small and gigantic. I was itching to get back into the kind of experience I had in the Baron. And I ...Read more