A mile of runway will take you anywhere.

Five years later

2013-05-20T22:59:00.000-04:00

Plane: Cub, 85 hp
Route: 40I, Local
Weather: Scattered clouds, 82 degrees, wind 210 degrees at 11 knots gusting to 14

I've reached the Wooden anniversary of my first flight at Stewart! I suppose it's fitting that I'm flying a plane that (used to have) a wooden spar, huh? The big Cub actually got new, all-metal wings last summer. Last year's birthday flight was literally the plane's last before it broke. Wasn't my fault, thankfully! Regardless, this is the plane I flew on my first Cub/tailwheel flight in 2008.

Prior Years: 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012

Highlights from the past year's aerial tomfoolery:

Flying a bit more frequently (51 hours in the past 365 days!)
Having the Stearman pull up on our wing in the Cub last July
Landing at Blue Ash before it was too late
A weekend trip to MI with visits to both my childhood airports and a great view of Detroit
Making a couple more Pilots N Paws trips with pilot friend Mike
Lots of solid practice of the basic private and commercial maneuvers
Getting hit with a laser for the first time (not fun per se, but certainly interesting!)
A bit of formation flying with friends - which never gets old
Annual view of the fall colors that only pilots get to enjoy
Cub on skis!
Logging some cross-country time visiting friends and with friends
Celebrating our first anniversary with a Cub flight
Having the honor of flying formation over a memorial service last weekend

In hindsight, I really packed in quite a bit. I'm slacking horribly on my IR studies, though!

You'd be hard-pressed to determine if this photo is from 2013 or 1943...

Back to tonight, Gina and I trekked down to Stewart after work for the 2013 edition of my annual birthday flight. It was a bit windy but that wasn't going to keep us on the ground. After a few minutes spent getting the engine turning (the 85 hp Cub can be temperamental; hand-propping is sometimes more art than science!) we took to the humid skies around 7:00.

We flew south and circled around King's Island for a couple minutes. Cathy mentioned on Sunday that Cub would be performing down there tonight and they said I should fly over. Not sure if they saw me - guess I'll find out next time I see them!

88 miles over the ground in 1.5 on the Hobbs - not bad by Cub standards

Once we turned back towards the lake, our groundspeed rapidly increased with the now-tailwind and I climbed up to 5,000 feet. I attempted to fly backwards like I was successful in doing a couple weeks ago. Unfortunately, it wasn't windy enough tonight - we only got down to about 20 mph. I did a couple stalls and a brief falling leaf, then we dropped some toilet paper (requisite disclaimer here) and had some fun slicing and dicing with the wings.

I headed west and eventually we flew over a coworker's neighborhood. For the first time in years (I literally fly over his house like every third time I'm up; it's only a couple miles from Stewart) he was actually outside, mowing! I did a couple steep, descending turns and saw him waving up at us. We made one final pass from north to south as I rocked the wings vigorously to return the hello. Air-to-ground communication success!

My first landing attempt resulted in a go-around. It was salvageable but I overcompensated for the wind and tuned base-to-final too soon, coming in a tad fast. Full power, around we went, and the next attempt was just perfect - a nice smooth touchdown even with the crosswind. History suggests I should quit while ahead. So of course I didn't. Landing number two wasn't terrible by any stretch, but where the first was a solid 8 the second was more like a 5. On the Richter scale.

The view as we climbed into my car to head home - never gets old

Final mediocre landing aside, it was still a perfect birthday flight. Flying around with the door open was extremely refreshing on this muggy, almost-summer evening. Stewart's just the kind of place where everything else melts away into pure, vintage aviation goodness.

Here's to the next five years.

Flight Track: Google Earth KMZ File
Today's Flight: 1.5 hours
Total Time: 267.1 hours

Fun with formation flight for a flyover

2013-05-18T22:13:00.000-04:00

Plane: Cub, 65 hp
Route: 40I, Local
Weather: Scattered clouds, 76 degrees, wind 120 degrees at 8 knots

I woke up this morning to a text message from Jamie (CFI at Stewart) asking if I could help out this afternoon. They were doing a flyover for a memorial service and were short a pilot. I've done a little formation flight in the past but nothing to this degree, so I jumped at the opportunity!

Joe flew the Champ, Jamie flew the big Cub, and I flew the little one. We figured out the plan on the ground (Jamie would break off on the second pass as the missing man) and climbed into our taildraggers. We took off in quick succession and slowly converged as we flew south. By the time we made the final turn towards the memorial service, I was in tight on Joe's wing.

We got there right on time and made two passes, then headed back to Stewart. Jamie followed in trail and I remained on Joe's wing until he landed. Then I peeled off and quickly circled back to land number three behind Jamie. It was a really fun afternoon, adding another new thing to the aviatin' experiences list. Totally greased the landing, too!

Flight Track: Google Earth KMZ File
Today's Flight: 0.6 hours
Total Time: 265.6 hours

Backwards flying, free plane washes, and a taco

2013-05-05T14:59:00.000-04:00

Plane: Cub, 85 hp
Route: 40I, Local
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 59 degrees, wind 100 degrees at 8 knots, gusting to 14

Making up for our inability to go Cubbin' on Friday, I drove down to Stewart with Rob and Abby around 10:30 this morning. Gina was working so we obviously said hello once we arrived. It was still a bit windy, but blowing mostly down the runway. I made sure everything checked out and then I hopped in to take Abby on her first flight in the venerable J-3.

Video of Abby's first Cub flight - you can hear me explaining things a bit

We leapt off the ground into the wind and were quickly at pattern altitude. I leveled off and we flew down the valley, past the glider port, and eventually circled around King's Island. My usual sightseeing route, basically.

Rain showers were isolated all over the area - one of those views only a pilot can appreciate. They were easy to avoid as we climbed while heading back towards the lake. We made very slow progress. Due to the headwinds, we were heading east at about 40 MPH.

Eventually we were over the lake and I decided the conditions were perfect for a fun little pilot trick. We were going to try to fly backwards! Not literally, in the air, but across the ground. I slowed the plane, pointed the nose into the wind, and hung there on the edge of a stall (about 35 MPH on the airspeed indicator) while we stared down at the ground. I can't say we could tell from 5,000 feet up, but the GPS track confirmed it... we briefly went backwards!

I do believe the arrow shows where we briefly flew backwards

Such simple things are often such fun. I asked Abby if she wanted to see how a Cub stalls and then pulled the power to idle; we stalled nearly instantaneously and the nose gently dropped through the horizon. Then I went full-power and did a power-on stall. Again, the nose gently dipped and we kept on flying. I think she was surprised by just how tame stalls can be in a Cub.

After some streamer cutting - requisite disclaimer here, I headed back to Stewart and made a less-than-perfect-but-still-acceptable landing. She hopped out (and said she had a blast!) and Rob hopped in. Joe hand-propped the 85 hp Continental and we headed back into the sky.

I took Rob up for about 30 minutes to screw around like we usually do

We did much of the same, sans the sightseeing as Rob's been up with me numerous times. The rain showers had moved closer and we actually flew through one or two on our way out to the lake. A much-needed free plane wash! We leveled off, tried the fly backwards trick (I couldn't quite get it slow enough this time), and then dropped a roll of toilet paper for a little fun.

On our way back to Stewart, I quickly pushed the nose over a couple times for a little weightless flying. As I noted in the caption on the video above, we tend to just screw around and have fun. That's what little airplanes are for sometimes. Especially a Cub.

There was one final item on the to-do list. Gina got off work at 2:00 and I took her for a very quick lap around the pattern. It wasn't just any regular flight, though, as you can see below.

I certainly would've thought my teacher was awesome if she did this when I was in high school

So what the heck was that all about? Long story short, I've been helping her make video lessons to use in her high school cooking classes. It saves a lot of time/money by not having to demo each cooking lab for each class. At the end of one, she took a bite of the wrap she'd made and the students thought it was hilarious. Then she didn't sample the next one and the students were quite disappointed. Apparently they also requested a cameo since I'm always behind the camera.

I told her we might as well have a bit more fun with it. Or maybe I just figured out how to incorporate aviation into something like usual. No comment on that point. Regardless, I thought it would be fun to show her enjoying the taco in flight. Logically illogical enough to a pilot, right?

So that's what we did. It was literally 0.1 on the Hobbs from engine start to shutdown. But we captured the fun on video. Although I'm sure you'd love to learn how to make turkey tacos, I only uploaded the aviatin' to the interwebs. I heard the kids loved it. Hope you get a kick out of it, too.

Flight Track: Google Earth KMZ File
Today's Flight: 1.7 hours (over 3 flights)
Total Time: 265.0 hours

Gusty crosswinds, a new airport, and tasty food - with friends!

2013-05-03T21:08:00.000-04:00

Plane: Cessna 172
Route: 40I-I17-AXV-40I
Weather - 40I: Scattered clouds, 73 degrees, wind 140 degrees at 11 knots gusting to 20
Weather - AXV: Clear, 76 degrees, wind 120 degrees at 13 knots gusting to 19

My friend Rob drove down yesterday with his girlfriend, Abby, to spend the weekend in Dayton. This tends to be an annual visit, and it's never complete without some time spent in the air. The plan was to take each of them up in the Cub before flying to dinner.

However, the gusty winds gave much pause to the idea of untying an 800 lb. yellow airplane. So we shelved that plan, loaded up the 172, and flew north with time to spare. Reverse phraseology, anyone? We were going by air with time to spare!

We're gettin' fancy up in here - video recaps, now a multi-angle camera production! ;-)

I figured we might as well do something fun as we had roughly 90 minutes to make a 30-minute flight. There's no need to be that fashionably early to dinner. So we circled over the lake, Abby took some photos, and then I turned towards Piqua. It was finally time to add I17 to my map.

This thing's always tearing up the acrobatic box over Stewart

Caesar Creek Dam

Requisite wing-meets-sky shot

U.S. Air Force Museum

Huffman Dam and Wright-Patterson AFB

Dayton International Airport

Piqua Airport - Hartzell Field

Yeah, it was windy. And blowing directly across the runway!

The pattern was empty and the gusty crosswind kept my arms and feet busy on final. Power to idle over the numbers and the right wheel touched down a second before the left main. Textbook crosswind landing - it was even relatively smooth. Not bad at all given the conditions. It was actually the best one I'd have all day.

We were back in the air a few minutes later, and entering the pattern at Neil Armstrong Airport less than 10 minutes after that. The AWOS was reporting 13G18 about 40 degrees off the nose. It's always windy as all get-out up there in flat farmville and the winds can be funky on short final, so I made a low approach to check them out. Satisfied that they were relatively stable, we circled back around and I managed a decent landing.

One row down, a couple hundred to go...

Abby seemed to be enjoying herself in the back

Rob + airplanes always results in a smile

Back-of-head shot for me... I was busy piloting, after all!

Turning towards Neil Armstrong Airport over the village of New Knoxville

Short final on my low approach - we landed the next time around

I think we spent about an hour and a half on the ground with Marty and friends. The food and company are always great; today was no exception. I enjoyed a tasty burger, brat, and grazed on the potluckish cornucopia of side dishes. Abby was designated official name tag maker. The best jobs always go to the new guests!

Sometime around 19:00, N2814L's wheels left the pavement and we immediately crabbed into the still-howling wind. Our ground speed hovered around 50 screaming knots during the climb to 3,500 feet. Speed demon, we were.

Russ, another pilot who had been at the BBQ, departed right behind us in his Cherokee. I thought he'd pass us by but we remained side-by-side, offset by 1/4 or 1/2 mile, for quite a while.

Our neighbor in the sky for 15-20 miles after we departed AXV

Russ returned the favor and sent me some aerial shots of us on our way home

Somewhere south of Wapakoneta, heading south

The rate of progress towards home picked up once we were in cruise flight. It still took a while to get there, though. I think we has a solid 20 knot headwind all the way.

Traffic was light - practically nonexistent, really. Right around the time we crossed over I-675, the friendly controller cut us loose and I dialed 1200 back into the transponder. It got a little bumpy as we descended down to 1,800 feet but the air was still remarkably smooth considering the surface winds. I flew at least 15 minutes of the return leg completely hands-off, just making the occasional correction with a light jab on the rudder.

Both my office and former apartment are in this photo - I miss that commute...

An absurdly massive house a few miles north of Stewart

Base-to-final for Runway 8

In what can best be described as my own let's-completely-ignore-the-recency-effect fashion, the final landing was the most... interesting. Watch my face on the video if you don't believe me! I ran out of lift about 8-12" above the ground and firmly planted the plane on the grass. Normally I'd probably have added power. But given the gusty winds, I just let gravity win. I actually thought it was a decent outcome - we certainly weren't going to balloon back up!

Rob and Abby both had a blast. She has about 70 hours in her logbook and was quite close to her checkride five years ago. I think today reminded her why she loves to fly and needs to finish that PPL! It was an all-around fun evening in the air for everyone. As for the Cub flying, we'll have to try again in a couple days.

P.S. Thanks to Rob & Abby for the great photos and for bringing an extra video camera!

Flight Track: Google Earth KMZ File
Today's Flight: 2.4 hours
Total Time: 263.3 hours

More stalls and other fun shenanigans in the Cub

2013-04-26T22:37:00.000-04:00

Plane: Cub, 85 hp
Route: 40I, Local
Weather: Clear, 57 degrees, wind 100 degrees at 4 knots

A friend and I were chatting the other day about Sail by Awolnation - better known as the song that's been used in seemingly every single airplane video produced in the past year or two. I said it would be hilarious to make one with a Cub instead of the usual military squadron. Well, challenge accepted! Here's the amusing - at least to my biased self - result. Hope you like it.

As for the flying itself, after my last flight, I wanted more stall practice. I felt sharp, but I wanted to make sure it wasn't just a fluke. Today I decided to make it a little more complicated with some turning stalls. So that's what I set out to practice in addition to some other maneuvers.

Up at 5,000ish feet, I first did a couple sets of steep turns. Then I slowed the plane down and did some regular power-off stalls, followed by a couple turning stalls, and then eventually a brief falling leaf. Everything was nice and coordinated. Woot. Power all the way in, nose up, stick back in my (smaller than it used to be - but that's a topic for another blog post) gut, and eventually the nose dropped straight down. Repeat a few more times while turning, same coordinated result. Nice. The ol' butt-in-seat turn coordinator sure has been performing admirably this spring!

Heading back to the airport after a battle with a roll of toilet paper (I won!) I spotted a cadre of hot air balloons out west of Lebanon and flew towards them. I zoomed past (a safe distance away, of course) and waved my winds vigorously to say hello. Eventually I returned to the pattern and performed a few different landings. All in all, it was a nice little evening in the sky.

I have video of everything and might edit it into a short video in the future. But as you saw above, I elected to use some of the footage from tonight's flight in a more entertaining manner. Last but not least, when it comes to the streamer cutting, usual disclaimer applies.

Flight Track: Google Earth KMZ File
Today's Flight: 1.3 hours
Total Time: 260.9 hours

71st anniversary of the Doolittle Raid

2013-04-18T10:32:00.002-04:00

I shot this video last year, on the 70th anniversary of the Doolittle Raid. That afternoon, twenty-two B-25s flew to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force and performed a mass flyover to commemorate the event. Four of the five living Raiders (at the time) were in attendance. Sadly, Maj. Thomas C. Griffin passed away this past February.

Although this is from 2012, I haven't posted the video until now. I thought it would be good to share on this, the 71st anniversary of the infamous raid over Tokyo.

Lots of stalls and other Cub fun

2013-04-14T20:39:00.001-04:00

Plane: Cub, 85 hp
Route: 40I, Local
Weather: High overcast, 64 degrees, wind 160 degrees at 8 knots

This afternoon seemed like as good a time as any to put myself through the ringer. Gina was working so I went up solo for a ton of practice in the Cub. By the time I shut the 85 hp Continental off, I felt quite good - my skills were totally up to the task!

Simple, basic video of today's fun - the perfect match for a simple, basic airplane

If you're so inclined, you can see the results yourself in the video. If you trust what I write (at your own peril!) then let me just say I managed some darn good stalls, steap turns, takeoffs, landings, a falling leaf, and a steep spiral. I honestly felt better about my flying today than I have in a while; I really felt like one with the airplane.

The stalls broke cleanly, my takeoffs and landings were decent - not my best, and everything else was nice and coordinated. Even hit my wake when I rolled out of the final steep turn! I've been on a bit of a practice kick lately but it really is nice to feel on top of your piloting game. I think I'm due for some more of this soon.

Flight Track: Google Earth KMZ File
Today's Flight: 0.9 hours
Total Time: 259.6 hours

Chicago, race cars, and pregnant puppies

2013-04-05T21:41:00.000-04:00

Plane: Cessna 182
Route: MGY-C59-AAA-MGY
Weather- MGY: Clear, 55 degrees, wind 340 degrees at 10 knots
Weather- C59: Clear, 43 degrees, wind 090 degrees at 6 knots
Weather- AAA: Clear, 60 degrees, wind light and variable

My friend Mike needed to fly to Wisconsin for the day to check on his new race car in the shop and he asked if I wanted to tag along. Forecast of CAVU pretty much the entire way, springlike temperatures, and lots of flying? Why yes, I will take a vacation day, thank you very much.

Plus, there was another side-benefit. I brought my DSLR along for the ride and took a bunch of photos. That's something I cannot easily (and usually do not) do when I'm the one flying!

We met at Wright Brothers around 12:45 and took off about 15 minutes later. The 182 lept off the pavement and he quickly retracted the gear and we headed northwest towards Chicago. He called Columbus Approach and soon after we had a squawk code for flight following to Gary.

It turned out to be a great day of cross-country flying

Lined up for departure from Wright Brothers

Passing over Taylor University in Upland, IN

A sight that never gets old...

Lake Michigan coming into view over Indiana

Visibility was great today, as you'll see in the photos below. You might have to click on them to enlarge, but you could spot the Chicago skyline from a loooong distance out. In flight, I actually first spotted it with my Mark I eyeballs nearly 75 miles away!

Chicago Skyline - visible from 65 miles away

Chicago Skyline - 45 miles away

Chicago Skyline - 30 miles away

Approaching the city, we flew over the always-beautiful industrial complex better known as Gary, Indiana. Mills and rail yards and other rust-colored objects stretch for miles as you fly along the southern shore of Lake Michigan. Still, it's a very interesting sight - especially when you realize you can see the shoreline stretch to the sand dunes in Michigan, 50+ miles away.

Beautiful Gary, Indiana

U.S. Steel Yard - home of the Gary SouthShore RailCats

Gary and the southern Lake Michigan shoreline

Chicago Skyline - 20 miles away

Chicago Skyline - 10 miles away

This should still be an airport! >:-o Grr. Harumph. Pft.

At this point, we were talking to Chicago Approach and level at about 2,000 feet for the VFR shoreline flight past the city. The last time I made this flight was back in 2010, when Gina and I flew our giant trip around Lake Michigan in the 172. Once again, the view was spectacular...

Around the time we were abeam the Hancock Center, ATC called out traffic rapidly approaching us from behind. It turned out to be the guy you see two photos below. Not sure what they were up to, as they slowed to our speed and hung about 1/2 mile out there off our wing for a few minutes. Eventually, they headed inland as we continued northbound along the lake shore.

Baha'i House of Worship in Wilmette, IL

This guy passed us by as we headed north along the lake

Lake Michigan looking north towards Wisconsin

Finally past the lower Class Bravo airspace shelf, we turned inland and flew directly towards Lake Lawn Airport (C59) in Wisconsin. Mike circled a couple times over the race shop so they'd know to come pick us up. Then we turned around and flew the five or so miles back to the airport.

We definitely flew north - all the lakes still had ice on them!

Lake Lawn Airport (C59) - we'd be landing there shortly

Lindstrand Motorsports in Darien, WI - our first stop

Essentially the entire town of Darien - in a single frame!

Coming in from the west, we entered on the 45 for a left downwind to Runway 36. The wind was out of the east but it didn't make for too strong of a crosswind. A bird flew past us on short, short, short (as in the wheels were about two feet off the runway!) final that made for some excitement; otherwise, it was an uneventful arrival. The airport was completely dead and not in the greatest shape, as you'll see below. Still, you can't beat the convenience of general aviation!

Short final for Runway 36 at C59

Lake Lawn Airport - World's Best Windsock™

Lake Lawn Airport - World's Best Wind Tee™

Fast-forward a couple hours we were back at C59 after a ride back from the shop. We thanked Bruce for the ride and strapped back into 757YG. Ten or fifteen minuted later we leveled off at 6,500 feet (if I recall correctly) with our nose pointed direct to Lincoln, IL.

Crossing over the Illinois River

Burning fields near drainage ditches - we saw a ton of these fires

Base to final at Logan County Airport (AAA) in Lincoln, IL

We made the stop in Lincoln to pick up Ethel, a pregnant German shorthaired pointer mix, who was being moved from a rescue in Illinois to one in New York. Mike and I have made numerous flights for Pilots N Paws before - it truly is a wonderful organization. Support them!

As soon as we landed, we met the lady who drove her to the airport and said hello. Ethel was extremely friendly, if a bit shy, but certainly appeared to be in a good mood. Especially for a dog set to have puppies in about three weeks!

Mike loaded Ethel into the back seat while I fueled the airplane. She seemed quite content in her crate and, other than a little whimpering, didn't fuss around once we started the engine. We were back in the air a few minutes later and I watched her pace for a minute or two before laying down in her crate; she slept or relaxed most of the way home.

Picking up the rather pregnant doggy being transported

Ethel was a pretty happy little dog

Waiting for us to head back to the airplane

Ethel and the volunteer that drove her to the airport

Your impromptu line boy for the day!

Crated up in the backseat, ready to fly to Dayton

Heritage in Flight Museum - it didn't look very busy...

...but they still had a few things out there to class up the ramp!

Logan County Airport - World's Most Useful Hold Short Line™

Although the visibility was great, the tailwinds were not as much as forecast. We climbed from 7,500 to 9,500 feet somewhere around Champaign in search of speed but it made no difference. Not that we were going slow, mind you - ground speed was still about 170 knots (195 MPH).

Passing over Champaign and the University of Illinois

Cayuga Generating Station in Cayuga, IN

Lucas Oil Raceway, just outside Indianapolis

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Downtown Indianapolis skyline shortly before sunset

An hour later, give or take, we were descending for home. As the sun fell below the horizon, we were 10-15 miles from MGY. Mike lowered the gear to slow down and we soon entered the pattern for Runway 2. The landing was a total greaser (as a witness, I certify it's true!) and we shut down at the hangar before walking over to the FBO with Ethel and her crate.

Not a bad view out the back as we descended for home

We were making pretty good time at this point!

We met the volunteer who was driving her (for six more hours into the middle of the night - that's dedication!) the rest of the way to New York, said goodbye, and went back to the hangar to pack everything up. Just another fun day in a small airplane. A wise use of vacation, indeed!

Flight Track: Google Earth KMZ File

The danger of the the skidding base-to-final turn

2013-03-30T16:25:00.000-04:00

This is perhaps the best explanation I've ever seen of what every pilot should permanently file under the What Not To Do category in their skills cabinet. Well worth your ten minutes!

Safety pilot time with Jamie

2013-03-23T13:53:00.000-04:00

Plane: Cessna 172
Route: 40I,-MGY-40I
Weather: Overcast, 34 degrees, wind calm

Jamie, who I flew with last fall and recently completed his CFI - he's now an instructor at Stewart, needed a safety pilot this morning. We took trusty old 2814L out for a couple approaches to MGY under the hood. I kept my eyes open and didn't see much, if any, traffic on this cold spring morning.

Looks like the RNAV RWY 2 approach chart - funny how that works, huh?

After the second approach, Jamie landed (we went missed the first time) and we switched seats. He had me fly back to Stewart and I set up for a short field landing. In a well-timed moment of skill, I totally nailed it with an instructor in the right seat. I slowed to about 60 knots and brought in all 40 degrees of flaps on final, chopped the power as soon as we crossed the power lines, and made an extremely soft landing. Touchdown was less than 100 feet past the threshold and I turned off about 900 feet down the runway. Maybe I'm weird, but that never gets old.

Flight Track: Google Earth KMZ File
Today's Flight: 0.9 hours (0.6 SIC / 0.3 PIC)
Total Time: 258.7 hours

Brushing up on the basics in the 150

2013-03-22T20:52:00.000-04:00

Plane: Cessna 150
Route: 40I-MGY-40I
Weather: Clear, 41 degrees, wind 210 degrees at 5 knots

Some solo flights call for nothing but a bunch of practice. Especially when you're trying to stay current in an airplane. I actually enjoy such things (not sure if all pilots feel this way?) so tonight was a bunch of fun.

Video of nearly everything I practiced tonight - my first edit in Premiere Elements 11

I took the 150 up and practiced most of the Private Pilot maneuvers, leaving Stewart's slightly squishy turf behind with a soft field takeoff. Then it was direct Wright Brothers for three trips around the pattern. I made two normal landings, a normal takeoff, a touch and go, short field takeoff, and did a simulated engine-out. Pretty much the whole gamut in about 15 minutes!

After a climb to 3,500 feet I ran through the rest of the maneuvers - steep turns, slow flight with the stall horn blaring, and a power-off stall. Then I quickly descended the 1,700 feet to Stewart's pattern altitude with a steep spiral. I made one low pass over the runway to confirm all the airplanes were away - we'd been using Runway 26 but I prefer landing on Runway 8 at sunset so the sun isn't directly in my eyes - and saw the Cubs and Champ were tied down. Pattern clear, I made one final soft(ish) field landing and shut down.

Patterns, turns, climbs, and descents...

Overall, every maneuver was certainly up to Private Pilot Practical Test Standards. My steep turns were held within 100 feet (I try and keep them tighter) of my starting altitude; I was satisfied though, especially having not flown the 150 in a while. It was definitely a good, thorough workout in only 0.9 on the Hobbs.

When's the last time you went up for a similar practice session?

Flight Track: Google Earth KMZ File
Today's Flight: 0.9 hours
Total Time: 257.8 hours

Another "why we fly" video

2013-03-20T15:50:00.000-04:00

Because, really, why not? You just can't top seeing the joy of someone the first time they take the controls of an airplane!

h/t - Victoria (via Facebook)

Why we fly

2013-03-14T08:07:00.000-04:00

No further description required! ;)

Android App Review: Avare

2013-03-09T10:36:00.000-05:00

Although I've used a variety of aviation apps on my phone over the past couple years, I haven't reviewed one until now. I suppose the reason is two-fold. First, it honestly didn't really cross my mind. Second, and more accurately, I haven't used anything that so useful it made me say, "I need to tell people about this!" until now.

Avare (pronounced "Av-Air") is a free, feature-rich app on the Android platform. It offers moving map functionality with free downloads of Terminal Area, Sectional, IFR Low Level, and World Aeronautical charts plus Airport/Facility Directory information and more.

I first installed Avare a couple months ago and was immediately taken by just how much functionality was available in a free app. Fast-forward to last month and I finally was able to use the app extensively in-flight. That trip forms the basis for this review.

Avare in use on our trip to Evansville last month

Hardware

Motorola Droid 2 Global smartphone (Verizon)
OS: Android 2.3.4 (Gingerbread)

Features

Charts stored locally; no data connection required to use the app
Airport/Facility Directory information available for all airports
Charts available - Sectionals, Terminal Area, IFR Low Enroute, WAC, Terminal Procedures, and Airport Diagrams
GPS track line to destination, bearing, ground speed, time enroute, and altitude readout
GPS position overlay on Airport Diagrams when taxiing
Track or North Up, Landscape or Portrait
METAR/TAF information displayed over airports on charts (with a data connection)
TFRs displayed graphically and in text form
Press for quick distance/bearing/direction from any point on the map relative to your current position
Nearest airport list

Installation/Data Download

Since it's free, just go to the Google Play Store and install. That's it! Then, download whatever data/charts you will be using. I love that Avare allows you to specify exactly which content you want - down to individual charts. This saves storage space but also makes it easy to determine if you have the necessary coverage for a given trip. The flip side of that, and my only gripe, is that the download process can take a while since the files are large; you'll want to do this over Wi-Fi.

Personally, I install the Cincinnati/Detroit/St. Louis/Chicago Sectionals and the IFR Low Enroute charts covering the same region. Dayton is smack-dab at the corner where those meet up, so I can fly a good distance in any direction and remain covered. I should also note that everyone must download the primary database (which includes the A/FD data) in order to use the app.

Airport/Facility Directory information for EVV

Usage

There are very few buttons on-screen; everything is accomplished within a few small menus or press-hold actions. This is a very good thing. Avare is not a distraction in the cockpit.

Getting started is very simple. Click the Menu button (bottom-left of the screen) and select Destination, enter your airport identifier, click on the airport name, and you're navigating direct-to. It really is that simple. Beyond that, all recently used airports pop up immediately when you go to the Destination screen. I found this exceedingly helpful on our trip; I entered EVV, IMS - our fuel stop, and 40I before takeoff. That meant no typing in flight; all the airports I needed were waiting for me whenever I went to the Destination screen.

Once you're flying, your current bearing, ground speed, distance to destination, and ground track to destination are all displayed at the top of the screen. At times, I wished the green font was slightly more legible (or there was an option to pick your own text color) but the data is presented in a clear, concise manner.

If you have extended runway centerlines turned on, they appear with runway numbers once your destination is on-screen. This proved very valuable on approach to EVV when I initially lined up with Runway 22 after being cleared to land on Runway 18. I knew something didn't look right and confirmed the error with the plane's compass. However, a quick cross-check with Avare was a helpful confirmation of our position.

Approaching EVV with extended runway centerlines enabled

Once on the ground, one of Avare's best features rivals that of its infinitely more expensive competitors - GPS position overlay on the Airport Diagram! This was handy at EVV and could be a godsend at an airport with a complicated maze of taxiways. Obviously you shouldn't count on it as your only source of data, but there's no denying it greatly enhances your situational awareness. Did I mention this is free yet?

Airport Diagram (GPS position overlay works on the ground!)

Note that the terminal procedures and approach charts are not geo-referenced in any way; your current position cannot be overlaid on them. I assume this is for legal/liability reasons but it's certainly not an issue for me as a VFR pilot. Regardless, it's worth noting.

There are some other handy features, including color-coded METAR/TAF overlays on the map screen when a data connection is available. Another favorite is what I'll call the "current position" cheat. Basically, press-hold on any object/point on the chart, and your current distance, bearing, and direction to that point are displayed at the top of the screen.

This is very helpful for radio calls. Instead of an educated guess when calling ATC, imagine a simple press-hold on the nearest airport and being able to say, "Cincinnati Approach, Skyhawk 2814L is 8 miles NE of Madison County Airport, two-thousand climbing five-thousand five-hundred..." Although I haven't really put it to use myself yet, I think this is a great function.

Final Thoughts

Beyond the existing functionality, I'd be remiss if I didn't note how responsive the developers are. There are frequent updates - more than once per week. Requested features are added on a regular basis and bugs are quickly fixed. Software development can be a thankless job but these guys deserve all the praise sent their way. I'm sure they'd appreciate your donations, too.

Normally I may have deducted a star for my minor gripes, but I also realize I'm using the app on a small phone screen. If I owned - and was using this on - a tablet, I think those minor annoyances would disappear. So when you factor in the price and functionality I really can't say Avare has any serious faults. Put simply, it's not perfect, but it's darn close.

For more information, check out the official website.

Rating: 5/5 Cubs

Doolittle Raider, Maj. Thomas C. Griffin, passes away

2013-02-27T11:45:00.000-05:00

Maj. Griffin, the navigator on Crew 9 during the infamous Doolittle Tokyo Raid, sadly passed away last night at age 96. Following the raid, he served in North Africa and was later captured by the Germans and remained a POW for nearly two years. Four living Doolittle Raiders remain.

Although we never met in person, I feel lucky to have seen him at the USAF Museum's Doolittle Raiders Reunion events in 2010 and 2012. Godspeed and tailwinds, sir.

Chili cook-offs and Cubs

2013-02-23T19:29:00.000-05:00

Plane: Cub, 85 hp
Route: 40I, Local
Weather: Clear, 39 degrees, wind 280 degrees at 8 knots

Today was Stewart's (annual?) chili cook-off. I made a pot and we headed down around noon, stuffing ourselves with plenty of tasty food in short order. Gina called before I woke up and reserved the Cub at 3:00 - you can't pass up this kind of a day in February. And we'd already be at the airport, so I think not flying in that situation is technically illegal, right?

It's easy to keep a tight pattern in a Cub, solo, on a cold afternoon!

We scooted off the soft runway and headed out over the lake for a little streamer-cutting fun. Then I did a couple steep turns, some Dutch Rolls, slow flight, and a power-off stall before heading back to the airport. Gina hopped out (and then immediately went for a ride in a Decathlon - not fair!) while I made a few more laps around the pattern.

I was quickly airborne in less than the 200-foot between-cone span, turning crosswind over the departure end of the runway at 600 feet AGL. A couple power-off 180s later, I touched down softly for the fourth time. Nothing like a little pattern practice to sharpen one's piloting skills.

The chili won second place, by the way... good for a free Stewart hoodie!

Flight Track: Google Earth KMZ File
Today's Flight: 0.8 hours
Total Time: 256.9 hours

Can a sim pilot fly a perfect pattern on their first try?

2013-02-15T16:21:00.000-05:00

I had to share this. An airline pilot and fellow blogger (and author of two of the greatest aviation threads in internet history, on Two Plus Two and FlyerTalk) recently took part in an interesting experiment. Long story short, he met a guy with a ton of flight simulator experience who wanted to see if that experience would translate to success in a real airplane. On his first attempt. Ever.

So Tyler (sim pilot) went flying with Steve (airline pilot, not me - he's also a CFI) out in Las Vegas this past November. I won't spoil their experiment here. However, I will say that it's a cool little tale - and lots of fun! Click through to read the introductory Part One on Steve's blog, and then follow up with the flight itself in Part Two.

A day trip to Evansville

2013-02-09T22:05:00.000-05:00

Plane: Cessna 172
Route: 40I-EVV-IMS-40I
Weather - 40I: Clear, 30 degrees, wind 100 degrees at 4 knots
Weather - EVV: Clear, 44 degrees, wind 160 degrees at 8 knots

One of Gina's college friends lives in Evansville, IN. It's not the shortest drive at over 250 miles and four-plus hours, one-way. Wait - you can hop into a 172 and fly straight there in under two? Why yes we will, thank you very much.

Thanks to some very un-winter-like weather cooperation, we had no trouble making today's trip. In the middle of February. That we planned over a month ago! Crazy when things work out, huh?

An efficient mode of travel: 8+ hours by car, under 4 by air!

Departure from Stewart was uneventful... mostly. This warm spell, coupled with recent rain, has turned the turf into the textbook example of a soft field. Most of it's actually still firm but - as we found out, a bit unintentionally - there are some mushy spots up on top of the hill. It took full throttle and a little elevator trickery to get unstuck. Once in motion again, I kept rolling onto the runway and away we flew. Using soft field technique, of course.

My first video edited on my new desktop with Adobe Premier Pro - hope you like it!

Cincinnati Approach was in a friendly mood today, dialing everything in for flight following to EVV and clearing me into the Bravo without any vectors around CVG via Anchorage or Denver. They actually let us putz along direct Evansville at 4,500 feet. Nice group of controllers, those folks.

Further along, we were handed off to Indy Center and eventually Louisville Approach. Traffic was sparse, save for a Cirrus at our altitude somewhere around North Vernon, IN. I spotted him three or four miles out (the controller had called him) as he crossed in front of us, headed north.

This ski area stood out against the winding Ohio River in the background

Perfect North Slopes in Lawrenceburg, IN

Passing over Pakota Lake, the second-largest reservoir in Indiana

Roughly an hour and a half after takeoff, I was talking to Evansville Approach. It took a while to spot the airport; visibility was good but there was a little haze down low. Somewhere around ten miles out I finally saw the field and they sent me over to tower. My new phone app with extended runway centerlines was handy in helping me play airport detective!

Tracking our flight with Avare on my phone (full review coming soon!)

Brief visions of Comair Flight 5191 popped into my head as I initially lined up with Runway 22. You see, tower had cleared me to land on Runway 18! Something didn't feel right as I checked my heading indicator shortly after leveling the wings. Sure enough, it most definitely was not pointing at the large S. I immediately turned right, back onto a proper right base for Runway 18 (as cleared) and all was well.

Unlike that infamous airline incident, we would have been physically ok had we ended up in the wrong place. The same likely cannot be said for my certificate. At the very least, I bet there would have been an uncomfortable phone call. As I say in the video, this is why you always double-check your runway!

Initially lined up with wrong runway

We were a couple miles out on base and already slowing down, so the landing itself was normal and uneventful. I intentionally touched down about 1,500 feet down the runway for a short taxi to Tri-State Aero. Avionics off and mixture to cutoff, 14L's engine quickly came to a stop.

Reid met us inside the FBO and we hopped into his car. He treated us to lunch at Turoni's Pizzery & Brewery, which I hear is a local institution. The pizza and garlic bread were delicious and I found myself almost wishing we hadn't flown, as their beer sounded great! We may have to return for an overnight trip...

Following lunch, he took us on a brief tour of the city and then we hung out for about an hour. It was great to catch up and spend time with a friend we don't get to see on a regular basis. But we soon had to return to the airport - we were an hour behind and it gets dark out sooner than you think this time of year!

It took a couple minutes to raise Clearance and get our departure instructions. Readback correct and taxi instructions received, we were sitting at the end of Runway 18 around 3:30, or 4:30 EST, ready for takeoff. Within a minute, we were talking to Departure, climbing to 5,500 feet.

Paralleling the Ohio River to the south after departing Evansville

My view from the left seat - visibility was quite good!

Flying past Pakota Lake again - this time from the south side

Downtown Louisville from about 30 miles away

We landed at Madison Municipal Airport on the way home to top off the tanks with some cheap 100LL. In hindsight, I should've just had the guys at Tri-State fill us with their five gallon minimum; that would've been more than enough to get us home without a fuel stop. But I opted to save $1.50/gal (responsible renter!) with the self-serve pump at IMS.

Back in the air, I realized it was getting dark a little quicker than I had hoped. Remember that comment I just made about a non-stop return flight? Oops. Hindsight bites again. Anyway, I knew we'd make it to Stewart about twenty minutes past sunset. It wouldn't be bright out, but there would be more than enough light to land. Worst-case, we'd just have to land at Wright Brothers and fly the plane back in the morning.

Gazing off towards Cincinnati's skyline just past sunset

Passing north of Cincinnati about 15 minutes before landing

I spotted the airport at least ten miles out, even in the dwindling twilight. Columbus Approach canceled flight following and I lined up for a straight-in approach. It's not traditional, but I knew nobody else would be in the pattern at Stewart. They don't have any lights, after all.

Turning final about four miles out, I gradually slowed and lowered the flaps. It turned out to be one of the most stabilized approaches I've made in forever - check out the GPS track if you don't believe me! We touched down over the squishy hump in the runway, yoke fully back against my stomach, keeping as much weight off the nose as possible. I rolled into perfect position on the concrete pads less than a minute later.

Chalk up another successful this-is-why-we-fly day trip. Had we driven, and left at the same time, we would have had all of fifteen or twenty minutes in Evansville before it was time to drive home. Pilots always regret passing up weekend days with this kind of weather in the winter. I'm glad we were able to take advantage today!

Flight Track: Google Earth KMZ File
Today's Flight: 4.3 hours
Total Time: 256.1 hours

And so it begins...

2013-02-07T18:25:00.000-05:00

Looks like I've got a bit of studying to do!

Needless to say, it's about time I get started on this year's goals.

Sky time in the Skyhawk

2013-01-26T19:33:00.000-05:00

Plane: Cessna 172
Route: 40I, Local
Weather: Scattered clouds, 28 degrees, wind 350 degrees at 6 knots

Somehow, it's already been over four months since we took the 172 up to Michigan. With a one-day jaunt over to Evansville, IN in the near future (that's plan, at least) I needed to get current. So I bugged out of work a little early for some Friday flying in trusty old 14L.

Other than the cold, it turned into a nice afternoon to fly. I thought about heading over to Wright Brothers to stay off the grass, but in the end decided to stay at Stewart. The ground wasn't too soft and I didn't have a ton of time; five trips around the home patch would have to suffice.

A lightly-loaded 172, with only a pilot and 20 gallons of fuel performs quite admirably when it's 28 degrees outside. I was climbing fast and had to remind myself to knock a few knots off my final approach speed. The first couple of landings were a tad long, though smooth. I didn't like my third or fourth approach and went around. The final landing was a total short-field greaser, with little float and as gentle of a touchdown as one could ever hope for on frozen turf.

I recorded video but, over a week later, haven't had a chance to touch it. Editing software is still on my to-buy list for the new PC. Not that watching me take off and land is particularly exciting, but it's nice to have more than text to share sometimes. I guess that will have to wait until the aforementioned trip!

Flight Track: Google Earth KMZ File
Today's Flight: 0.8 hours
Total Time: 251.8 hours

Classic video of Bob Hoover flying the F-86 Sabre

2013-01-25T16:14:00.000-05:00

If you know anything about aviation, you know about Bob Hoover. He's the ultimate aviator, to say the least. You'd be hard-pressed to find a smoother performance in an F-86 than this one from 1961 at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines. This was posted years ago but I just ran across it today and thought I should share.

On a related note, there's what looks to be an awesome documentary in the works about his life. The teaser trailer for The Bob Hoover Project was released last month and work remains ongoing. Needless to say, I can't wait for it to be released!

Well this was a bit ridiculous

2013-01-11T16:40:00.001-05:00

One could say this is not the expected sequence of events during - and following - a peaceful flight in your glider on a nice, sunny afternoon. Understatement of the year? One could say...

Pilots returned, one by one, to Bermuda High Soaring in Jefferson, S.C. By about 5 p.m. on July 26, 2012, the lift had died and everyone had returned to the gliderport—everyone except Robin Fleming. No one remembered hearing from Fleming since 1:30 or 2 p.m., and Jayne Ewing Reid, co-owner and chief tow pilot of the glider club and commercial operation, was worried.

She called pilots who lived in the region and asked them to try to contact Fleming on their handheld radios. She flew the club’s Piper Pawnee in the direction of Fleming’s last known radio call, but found no evidence of the missing glider or its pilot.

“This is when you get that feeling that something’s not right,” she said. Fleming always called if he landed out. Worried that something had happened to Fleming, an avid glider pilot and instructor at Bermuda High, Jayne Ewing Reid and business partner Frank Reid decided to file a missing airplane report. Neither suspected that Fleming was in trouble with the law.

Fleming, 70, had been arrested for breach of peace after flying his Rolladen-Schneider LS8-18 sailplane noiselessly over the H.B. Robinson Nuclear Generating Station at an altitude of 1,518 feet msl - by his estimates, about 1,000 feet over the power plant’s dome - on his way to search for lift at nearby Lake Robinson.

Read the full article at AOPA Online.

More fun on skis

2013-01-04T14:25:00.004-05:00

Plane: Cub, 85 hp
Instructor: Emerson
Route: 40I-2OH9-40I
Weather: Scattered clouds, 30 degrees, wind 250 degrees at 14 knots

Due to the recent cold temperatures, much of our Christmas and just-after-Christmas snow remains on the ground. This means Stewart has had the big Cub on skis for over a week. That equates to me being overdue for some stick time in the coolest winter flying machine around!

Given that we only saw snow once last winter and the skis never found their way onto the Cub, I certainly didn't want to miss out this season. Although I have a feeling we're going to see more snow than a year ago, you never know. Doesn't feel like it, but the last (and only) time I flew the J-3 on skis was nearly three years ago.

Yet another awesome thing offered at Stewart - a Cub on skis!

It took a minute to pull the engine through but Emerson hopped on board once it was humming and I taxied towards the runway. No feet on the brakes since the brake lines are capped when the skis are attached; you can actually mess them up if you smash on the pedals! The snow is pretty packed at this point and we ended up making quite a large circle, down to the less-packed snow and back, in order to do a 360 before takeoff.

There was a screaming wind by the time I got to the airport (14+ knots) but thankfully it was almost directly down the runway. Between that and the icy surface, this was a perfect day to illustrate the importance of proper control positions while taxiing. The rudder can be less than effective on ice/snow (big skis sliding vs. little wheel digging into the snow) but it was actually possible to turn the plane faster by utilizing the aileron into the wind technique. Basically, I was able to use the aileron to help weathervane the plane on the skis. Handy!

Flying-wise, it's really not all that different than when the wheels are on. Slight forward stick, then gentle back pressure until you gain speed and the plane lifts itself off the ground in the familiar three-point attitude. Landing is pretty similar as well, though I always felt like I was about six inches higher when I flared. But that's the beauty of snow + skis; even the not-so-great landings were quite soft and cushioney. As you may imagine, taxiing requires more throttle than usual, around 1500 RPM. You also have to slow down more to turn in order to let the skis grab into the snow and not slide all over the place.

From 30 MPH on takeoff/landing to 90 MPH on downwind - it was windy!

We landed a few times at Stewart, first on the runway and then on the north taxiway. The runway's quite compacted after a week of skis sliding on top but the taxiway was covered in fresh, untouched snow. Judging by our tracks, we landed in about 100 feet on the fresh stuff. Emerson then had me fly over to the gliderport and we landed there twice. Finally, we headed back to Stewart and called it an afternoon.

You really do pick up the knack of the skis quite quickly. They're not harder per se, just different, especially if you're used to tailwheel flying. As if to follow the general taildragger mantra, the only real differences are on the ground. Regardless, it's still a hoot and I'm quite happy to have been able to squeeze it in at least once this winter.

And hey, I'm already ahead of 2012, when I didn't hop into the left - or back - seat until April!

Flight Track: Google Earth KMZ File
Today's Flight: 0.7 hours
Total Time: 251.0 hours

Happy New Year!

2013-01-01T16:46:00.000-05:00

We begin anew once again - 2012 has come and gone, Gina and I have been married for over a year, and I logged more fun time in the sky. It's hard to believe that we've already reached another new year but I'm optimistic that both my aviation and personal life will see some real positive growth in 2013. Check out my goals below to understand what I mean by that last point.

Prior Recaps: 2010 | 2011 | 2012

The best news is that my hours-flown chart spiked in the right direction for the first time since I passed my checkride back in 2008. I logged, literally to the tenth of an hour, the same amount of time in 2012 that I did in 2010 - a 43% increase over 2011! Even ignoring my 4.5 hours of safety pilot time, it was over 25% better. I still didn't fly as much as I wanted (heck, I didn't even climb into a plane until April!) but I'm quite happy about the improvement.

Total Hours: 40.8 | Solo: 7.3 | XC: 11.5 | Dual: 2.7 | Safety Pilot/SIC: 4.5 | Landings: 84

Aircraft Flown: C150, C172, C182 (Safety Pilot), Cub

New Airports: LIH, ISZ, HAO, PMH, HOC, OZW, 45G, DET, BTL, 2H4, OEB

New States: Hawaii

First Flights: 5 (Jessica, Rob, RosaLia + John, and Jamie)

People Flown: 8 (above, plus Rob, Jon, and Gina)

$100 Burgers: 5 (Sporty's in May, Portsmouth and Urbana in August, and WMU's Pancake Breakfast and Urbana again in September)

Fly-Ins: 3 (MERFI in August and WMU + Triple H in September)

Pilots N Paws Flights: 1 (July)

What I'll Remember: Flying completely around the island of Kauai in April. Taking the 172 up to Michigan to visit family, land at my childhood airports, and fly past downtown Detroit in August. Heading back up to Michigan with Gina the very next weekend, flying over WMU's campus (our alma mater) and getting hit with a laser on our way home. Finally logging a bit of right-seat time as a safety pilot for Mike in the 182. Landing at Blue Ash before the airport closed for good this summer. Crossing the 250-hour mark (barely) on my final flight of the year.

2012 Goals: Log time in the Stearman, log stick time in a glider, ~~take some of our friends flying~~, ~~keep the blog more active than I have over the past six months.~~

^ Uh, well it's good to bat .500, right? I need to get better about working towards my goals, which leads me to...

2013 Goals: Start and complete my Instrument and Commercial ratings. Yup, you read that right. Woo boy, I'm gonna be busy, eh? Here's the thing - I know I want to get them, I've put both off for far too long, and I sure as heck want them done before we have kids if at all possible. The ultimate goal is getting my CFI/II, but doing all of that this year would be extremely hard, if not impossible. Maybe in 2014. I'd also still like to log some Stearman time, get checked out in the Taylorcraft, and maybe finally take that elusive glider flight.

So it's time to get my ass in gear and hop back onto the flight training bandwagon. A lofty goal? No doubt about it. It's time to challenge myself, learn something new, and improve my skills. I intend to recap every lesson just as I did when working on my Private, so expect a significant bump in activity around here!

One final note - this post is my 300th on the blog. Not too bad in just over 4 1/2 years, huh?

Merry Christmas!

2012-12-25T18:09:00.000-05:00

I hope you and your families are having a wonderful holiday season. Gina and I have been enjoying a good, if hectic, month and are thankful for finally having a few days to settle down with our own family. Here's to a great Christmas and New Year for all of you.

And now, a little aviation-themed holiday tale...

T'was the night before Christmas, and out on the ramp,
Not an airplane was stirring, not even a Champ.
The aircraft were fastened to tie downs with care,
In hopes that -- come morning -- they all would be there.

The fuel trucks were nestled, all snug in their spots,
With gusts from two-forty at 39 knots.
I slumped at the fuel desk, now finally caught up,
And settled down comfortably, resting my butt.

When the radio lit up with noise and with chatter,
I turned up the scanner to see what was the matter.
A voice clearly heard over static and snow,
Called for clearance to land at the airport below.

He barked his transmission so lively and quick,
I'd have sworn that the call sign he used was "St. Nick."
I ran to the panel to turn up the lights,
The better to welcome this magical flight.

He called his position, no room for denial,
"St. Nicholas One, turnin' left onto final."
And what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a Rutan-built sleigh, with eight Rotax Reindeer!

With vectors to final, down the glideslope he came,
As he passed all fixes, he called them by name:
"Now Ringo! Now Tolga! Now Trini and Bacun!
On Comet! On Cupid!" What pills was he takin'?

While controllers were sittin', and scratchin' their heads,
They phoned to my office, and I heard it with dread,
The message they left was both urgent and dour:
"When Santa pulls in, have him please call the tower."

He landed like silk, with the sled runners sparking,
Then I heard, "Left at Charlie," and "Taxi to parking."
He slowed to a taxi, turned off of three-oh,
And stopped on the ramp with a "Ho, ho-ho-ho..."

He stepped out of the sleigh, but before he could talk,
I ran out to meet him with my best set of chocks.
His red helmet and goggles were covered with frost,
And his beard was all blackened from Reindeer exhaust.

His breath smelled like peppermint, gone slightly stale,
And he puffed on a pipe, but he didn't inhale.
His cheeks were all rosy and jiggled like jelly,
His boots were as black as a cropduster's belly.

He was chubby and plump, in his suit of bright red,
And he asked me to "fill it, with hundred low-lead."
He came dashing in from the snow-covered pump,
I knew he was anxious for drainin' the sump.

I spoke not a word, but went straight to my work,
And I filled up the sleigh, but I spilled like a jerk.
He came out of the restroom, and sighed in relief,
Then he picked up a phone for a Flight Service brief.

And I thought as he silently scribed in his log,
These reindeer could land in an eighth-mile fog.
He completed his pre-flight, from the front to the rear,
Then he put on his headset, and I heard him yell, "Clear!"

And laying a finger on his push-to-talk,
He called up the tower for clearance and squawk.
"Take taxiway Charlie, the southbound direction,
Turn right three-two-zero at pilot's discretion"

He sped down the runway, the best of the best,
"Your traffic's a Grumman, inbound from the west."
Then I heard him proclaim, as he climbed through the night,
"Merry Christmas to all! I have traffic in sight."

- Author Unknown

Merry Christmas, everyone!