Working on the Bucket List

It has now been just over 119 years since the Wright brothers made their first flight, and a trip down to Kitty Hawk (FFA) to see where it all happened is on most pilots' bucket lists, if they haven't already been. Despite it not being that far away, I had never been, so with the 119th anniversary falling on what was predicted to be a beautiful Saturday, I decided it was time to go!

There was a program that began at FFA at 9 AM, so I planned on arriving around 8 AM to give us some leeway for delays and to ensure we had time to figure out where the program was actually held. I was up early prepping for the flight. Good thing I did another check of the NOTAMS, because there was a new one at FFA which showed a runway closure from 8 AM until noon. Well, that ruined my plans. I had already been looking at a takeoff well before dawn, and plenty of time flying in the dark, albeit over somewhat familiar terrain. I had no intention of now bumping our takeoff up an hour. Instead, Allen and I decided to content ourselves with an afternoon arrival. We would miss the program, but still make it in to FFA on the anniversary and have time to tour the monument and museum.

It was a nice day for flying, if a bit cool. Staying high and taking advantage of the mostly calm winds, we were able to fly right over Norfolk and Portsmouth, staying above the Class C.

Flying over Portsmouth and Suffolk

Not knowing what awaited us at First Flight, or how crowded it would be, we elected to stop for fuel at Currituck County (ONX) before heading out over the outer banks. As a note if you're ever in the area, they have cheap gas and a nice FBO!

The Outer Banks and Pine Island Airport (7NC2)

Now for the fun part. We crossed Currituck sound and flew down along the narrow strip of land that makes up this section of the Outer Banks. It is such a narrow strip of land that all the beach houses on it seem to lead a tenuous existence at best, but they are plentiful! There is even a private airport that was somehow squeezed into the meager land there is, Pine Island (7NC2), a mere 15 NM north of First Flight.

And then there it was before us! First Flight Airport (FFA) and the Wright Brothers' memorial! We made it!

First Flight Airport and the Wright Brothers' Memorial

I had been afraid that on the anniversary there would be difficulty finding a parking space since I knew there were only about ten spots. There was no issue with parking, but maybe being late for the ceremony helped.

Tied down at First Flight with the monument in the background

The flight home was uneventful, with only a quick-turn fuel stop at Williamsburg (which they still charged us a small handling fee for). Flying lower to avoid a slight headwind, we enjoyed watching the sun set from the plane, and the Christmas lights turn on. The whole trip ended up being about 5 hours of flying.

Sunset over the river

That's one bucket-list item down: flying my first plane to First Flight for the anniversary of flight!

Oshkosh 2022 - There and Back Again

 After an exciting journey to get to Oshkosh, I was finally here with my beloved 1947 L-16A Champ ("Rudolph"). Though this wasn't my first Oshkosh (I had been twice before in the Bellanca, and once with a friend in his Citabria), there was SO MUCH to see and do and not enough time for all of it! 

Part of the L-bird lineup (L-R): Rudy, an L-16A with an authentic paint scheme, L-5 Stinson Sentinel, L-1 Stinson Vigilant

First, a bit about that L-1 on the right: it is HUGE! It dwarfed just about all of the other L-birds. What I found most interesting about it though are the zippers on the underside of the wing in place of inspection covers. I had a chance to speak with the owner briefly and he said it seems like a really great idea...until you go to use them. Then you are trying to carefully bend the fabric without cracking the paint while sticking your arm up in a hole with metal zipper teeth on the edge chewing it up. 

Underside of the L-5's wing with zippers

The Vintage area is near and dear to my heart so when I had some free time, I wandered around there. Part of what took up my time at Oshkosh was helping out in the Vintage hangar at the Aeronca Aviators and Bellanca Champion Clubs in the afternoons, so on my wanderings, I took many pictures of Aeroncas, Bellancas, and a couple Champions (though many are too new for Vintage).

A beautiful Aeronca Sedan with an enviable campground setup

I even made some new friends in a young couple who just purchased an Aeronca 65-TAL in Maine and were on their way home to Montana when they had to divert towards Oshkosh for weather and decided to stop in and see what it is all about! Talk about an adventure!

Aeronca 65-TAL on its way to its new home in Montana

The Ultralights area was quite busy with a wide mix of flying machines.

Ultralights area

Rotorcraft seemed to be very popular this year.

Stryker SP single seat gyroplane

The Gyro Technic lineup

Microcopter SCH-2A - part 103 coaxial helicopter

Bushplanes were also popular. I was surprised to see a new folding-wing ultralight bushplane that I had never heard of before - the Badland. Well, as it turns out, this is the former Belite part 103 aircraft, which I found out while writing this was formerly the Kitfox Lite. bydanjohnson.com gives more information on the aircraft and its history.

Badlands ultralight

Savage Norden (definitely not an ultralight)

I did get time to go to a type club forum for Aeroncas, and to do something I've been wanting to do for a long time - a Stewarts System fabric covering workshop. It was a great workshop with plenty of hands-on experience (almost 5 hours of it)! And better yet, I got to take it with my new friends with the Aeronca 65-TAL.

With many more things that I still wanted to see and do, Saturday came all too soon, and before I knew it, I had to leave. Still wanting to do a few last things at Oshkosh Saturday morning, I did not get an early start, but the weather was forecast to be perfect all day and I was still hoping to make it home by that evening. Departing runway 27 at OSH, you have to stay on a 270-360 heading at while departing the class D. Unfortunately, this was in the exact wrong direction from where I wanted to go, so I turned as close to due north as I dared until I cleared the airspace, then turned due east and climbed out over Lake Winnebago. After crossing the lake, I headed southeast until I hit the shore of Lake Michigan, then flew down the coast past Milwaukee and Chicago, landing at Michigan City, IN (MGC) for gas. 

Chicago skyline

With perfect weather, my mission today was to cover as much ground as possible. This meant straight lines through the blissfully flat midwest and quick fuel stops: Van Wert, OH (VNW), Knox County, OH (4I3) and then Clarksburg, WV (CKB). Clarksburg is a class D airport, with airline service (which was obvious the next morning when I looked out the window of the FBO and saw an airliner loading passengers at the terminal next door). By the time I left Knox County, I realized I was going to have to spend the night. The sun was going down and I did not relish the thought of trying to cross the desolate mountains in West Virginia in the dark in an airplane that was only very minimally equipped for night flying. I hadn't ONLY picked Clarksburg for the cheap gas (and they did have cheap gas), I also picked it because I knew they were open until 11PM. 

The FBO (V1) was very helpful. They knew of a hotel that the air crews use which offers a shuttle ride to and from the airport and has a bar across the street with good food. They called the hotel for me, made sure they had rooms, and waited with me while the shuttle came. The tower both on arrival and departure was friendly and accommodating, so this was definitely a great stop!

Climbing out from CKB at the start of the last leg of my trip home

When I woke up in the morning and looked out the window, I wished I had pushed on in the dark. It was dreary. A check of the weather showed areas of low ceilings and rain. I had a leisurely breakfast at the hotel and then caught their shuttle to the airport. The weather wasn't great, but I saw that by deviating to the north, I could get around the lowest ceilings and highest terrain and make it safely over the mountains. After 2 hours of dodging stray clouds and a few rain showers, I made it safely back to Culpeper, VA (CJR). What an adventure! Total time was 12.5 hours there and 9.2 hours back of flawless performance from my trusty Rudy. And I would do it again!

Oshkosh 2022 - Getting there

 After years of saying "I'll fly my Champ to Oshkosh someday", I finally did it! With the Bellanca still undergoing an avionics upgrade, it was the perfect year to go...well...once I got my work commitments straightened out. Despite not taking off until noon, (Hey! It was a long week and I had to pack/get gas Saturday morning!) I was off to a good start, with no issues on the way to my first planned fuel stop, Upshur County (W22). While on the ground there, a check of the weather showed the need to divert to the south to get around a front. Watching the radar in flight as I headed west, I had to divert farther south until I was heading towards Charleston, WV and hoping to beat the front there so I could hopefully grab a crew car and wait it out in comfort. I tuned into their frequency and headed for the airport. Then, I heard much larger and more capable (i.e. IFR-equipped) aircraft being diverted from Charleston, and decided that wasn't going to happen. From the ADS-B radar showing on my phone, I still had time to make it to the airport, but what I was hearing on the radio said otherwise. This was a great reminder that ADS-B data can have quite a large delay.

Weathering the storm at Summersville, WV (SXL)

Turning due south, I headed for Summersville, WV (SXL). I tied down just in time as the sky quickly turned dark and huge wind gusts swept the airport. There was very little rain. Looking at the radar, the airport luckily ended up in a gap in the front, with a band of heavy rain on both sides of it. SXL has a double-wide trailer turned FBO that is open. When you walk in, it feels like walking into a house, not a business, like an apartment that comes partially furnished and is currently between renters. It is a nice homey airport though, with two red crew cars, the keys for which are in binders on the kitchen table. Once the worst of the storm passed, and I was assured of my airplane's survival, I took one of the cars and headed out to find some dinner while I waited for the ceilings to lift. As it turns out, SXL is in a beautiful location on a lake and seems to be a popular vacation destination. Hiking, camping, and the campground's "General Store" were all within walking distance of the airport gate. I made a mental note to come back and explore sometime!

Summersville Lake on departure from SXL

I had time for one more leg before dark, so I made a beeline for Pickaway County Airport (CYO) in Ohio. The airport seemed to be deserted except for a large turbine Air Tractor. I tied down right at sunset, and settled in on the FBO couch for the night. Except for a helicopter that flew in for gas around 2 AM, I slept great! 

Air Tractor at Pickaway (CYO)

The crop dusters were up early, loading up the plane. I took off right after them, headed west. I had planned for my next stop to be on the southwest side of Fort Wayne, IN. While enroute though, I heard some familiar voices on the radio headed for Smith Field Airport (SMD) on the north side of the city. Since it appeared weather would have me spending some time in Ft. Wayne, I opted to change my plan and meet up with my buddies...even if they were flying Cubs. We ended up getting the crew car and grabbing brunch while we waited out some weather. Then, once the worst of it had passed, we launched into a light drizzle towards our next stop - Valparaiso, IN (VPZ). 

Two of the Cubs I met up with at Smith Field (SMD) (the Cirrus was not with us)

After VPZ came the most scenic part of the trip - flying up the Lake Michigan coast past Chicago. The sun was finally starting to peek out and the air over the lake was smooth. It was wonderful!

Cub over Chicago

The Chicago skyline, low and slow

We landed at Burlington, WI (BUU) for a very quick fuel stop for the shortest-legged Cub and then headed for Dodge County (UNU), hoping to fuel up and make it into Oshkosh that evening. Alas, it was not to be, as the "conga line" of aircraft to get into Oshkosh stretched over 40 NM southwest to Endeavor Bridge and then almost 30 NM south to the edge of the Madison Class C. So, we opted to stay overnight in Portage, WI (C47), about halfway between Endeavor Bridge and the Madison Class C, then head into Oshkosh first thing in the morning.

Departing Portage (C47)

We were at our planes bright and early and back in the air before 7 AM headed for Oshkosh. Already, the traffic on the route was considerable. I was leading the way with the Legend Cubs bringing up the rear and the ADS-B-less "real" Cub in the center for safety. Having slowed to Cub speeds, we were getting passed on all sides. We weren't able to pick up the arrival ATIS before takeoff. The distance was too far for the radio, the phone line wouldn't connect, and the liveatc wasn't working. I was finally able to pick up OSH approach about 30 NM out (I never was able to get the ATIS) and was shuffling my NOTAM papers getting ready for arrival, when suddenly I was rocked by strong turbulence. I quickly glanced up to see that an aircraft had passed directly over me at what seemed to be about a 50 ft vertical offset! I am not sure he even saw me! Which brings up another good lesson about ADS-B: just because you have ADS-B out does NOT mean other aircraft will see you! Yikes! At this point, I was swearing off Oshkosh all together saying this was the last year I was going.

Oshkosh Runway 27

After the hairy approach, landing at OSH was smooth and uneventful. I made one booboo when ATC told the "yellow high wing" to "start your descent". Apparently there was another yellow high wing ahead of me in the pattern and I was yelled at for descending too early. Oops. Well...no harm done! I was given the green dot on Runway 27. My landing was definitely not a greaser, but I was RIGHT in the middle of that green dot! From there, since my beloved Rudy is a genuine L-16A, it was an easy taxi to the Warbird parking. We had finally arrived!

Parked in the L-bird area at Oshkosh! Finally!

Tower Practice

I recently had the opportunity to fly to Hagerstown, MD (KHGR) for work. The weather was expected to be gorgeous the day of the flight except for a few bumps in the afternoon, so there was no way I was going to pass this opportunity up and suffer through a two hour drive! The only downside was that I had to get going early. Very early. I am not a morning person, so this was one of the very few pre-dawn takeoffs I have ever made...I'm more of a sunset flyer, to be honest. But this flight reminded me of some of the benefits. There were no bumps, I had a decent tailwind, and the sunrise was beautiful. I even saw the V formation of a flock of what appeared to be snow geese in flight right off my wing.

Beautiful sunrise flight

Sunrise over Harper's Ferry

I also experienced a first on this flight - I was in the air less than ten miles from HGR when the tower opened for the day. Yes, tower. I know many of you avoid towers like the plague, and I usually agree with you, but this was my third trip to HGR and I have found a few very good reasons to keep coming back despite the tower. Besides, the tower is friendly, accommodating, and understanding for those who may be a bit rusty at this. Don't ask me how I know that. It is a large airport with two runways that form an X. The shorter runway (2/20) is closed when the tower is closed, but they are open just about all day every day - check the information on the edge of the sectional chart for their hours.

The FBO is in the northwest quadrant, and there is the Hagerstown Aviation Museum in the southeast quadrant. Let the tower know where you are headed and they'll help you get there.

KHGR

Arrival at the FBO

So about that FBO: It is called Rider Jet Center, and they certainly seem to have enough jets there to live up to that name. There was a big one there when I pulled up, and even though I topped off at a whopping 5.3 gallons, they still brought out a literal red carpet for me.

The FBO is NICE. Ridiculously nice. The woman at the desk was extremely accommodating and apologized for the cookies not being quite ready yet. They have full serve fuel from the truck that you can order at the counter. It is expensive, but if you are eating at the restaurant and ask nicely, they might be able to give you the self serve price off the truck. Or, taxi around the corner and they have a self serve pump.

Did I say restaurant? Yes! They have a great restaurant called the Grille at Runways right in the FBO! When you are standing at the desk, it is literally right behind you! Could not be more convenient. They have a large menu and delicious food! (and a full bar, in case you are trying to convince a passenger to come along with you for a ride)

When I walked out on the ramp to leave, there was another surprise: Rudy had made friends with a Cirrus Vision Jet.

 

Rudy and the Vision Jet

Now about that museum. This is where the A-10 Warthogs were built! They hold several open airplane days throughout the year, and their big event seems to be the Wings and Wheels fly-in which is planned for September 10th this year. I made it to this last year and it was quite fun! Lots of aircraft and some exhibitor booths. There were also lots of neat old cars and some food stands. They seemed to be pretty successful in getting non-aviation locals to attend as well. Hopefully building some good will towards the airport with the members of the community. Check out their website at https://hagerstownaviationmuseum.org/ and go visit!

Michigan Grass Strip Tour

 In August, the opportunity arose for me to travel to Michigan for work in my Champ, Rudolph. The weather for the trip there was expected to be fantastic, and it was an easy two-leg flight. The one complication that arose was airspace. I was trying to get to the north side of Detroit, so my options were:

• Go around the west side of Detroit's class B airspace,
• Stay below 2500 ft over the city of Detroit and fly through a narrow corridor between the inner ring of the class B and Canada,
• Join the fray and contact Detroit to fly through their airspace, OR
• Overfly western Lake Erie...and Canada

I decided to overfly Canada. Was this the safest option? Perhaps not. It did involve flying over quite a bit of water. I was definitely not within gliding distance of a shoreline for a while. But, there is an island chain, which means I was never out of sight of land. Also, to overfly Canada, you have to file a flight plan, squawk a discrete transponder code, and be on flight following. So, if I did end up in the lake, at least someone would come looking for me...theoretically. In the arguments FOR taking this route: the islands sounded pretty, and I had never overflown Canada before (or even filed a flight plan in about 10 years). This seemed like a easy way to "get my feet wet" with some international flying, while hoping that remained a figurative statement.

I departed Virginia on a beautiful morning, but unfortunately had more of a headwind than was forecast, causing me to land at Barnesville-Bradfield Airport (6G5) in OH, short of my planned fuel stop, but still leaving me plenty of gas to get to my destination in Michigan. I also felt right at home with the big "Bellanca" sign on the hangar by the fuel pump. I will have to stop by again sometime in the Bellanca and find out the story behind that.

Hangar with Bellanca sign at 6G5

Filing and activating my flight plan in my app (iFly) was a non-event. Then I just had to fly on until I got close enough to a tower to pick up flight following at my (low) Champ altitude. I was able to pick up Cleveland approach as I neared the outer ring of their class B airspace. As I approached the lake, they smoothly handed me off to Detroit, who I stayed with until I was back in the US. If not for that line on the chart, I never would have even realized I had been out of the country.

Approximate route of flight across the lake and over Canada

And those islands? Beautiful. The water had a somewhat turquoise hue, reminiscent of the Caribbean (not that I have been there, but it is on the list!). 

The Bass Islands, in Lake Erie

Pelee Island, with the airport's (CYPT) east-west runway visible

My destination in Michigan was Ray Community Airport (57D). They claim that it is the "Friendliest little airport in Michigan" and from what I saw, that claim is accurate. It is a very low-key airport full of people who are more than willing to help out a fellow aviator. They even have a grass crosswind runway! Even the gas is a good price for the area. To demonstrate how helpful the folks at the airport are, I messaged someone through their Facebook site, who was able to put me in touch with someone who found me a hangar to rent for the two weeks I was going to be there. I arrived before the guy whose hangar I was renting and spent the time wandering around the airport. I quickly made some new friends. There is a very active EAA Chapter on the field, and interesting airplanes in (almost) every hangar! Stop by if you're in the area. You won't regret it!

Rudolph on the ramp at Ray (57D)

The most fun part of the trip though, came on the one day I had off. I met up with the airport crowd at the terminal for some hangar flying, and then set off to explore some grass strips. There are plenty of grass strips in Virginia, but for the most part, they're private. Michigan is dotted with a plethora of grass strips...and many of them are public! I took a look at the chart, made a loose plan, and set off to find and land at as many grass strips as my gas would allow. I made it to seven. Every single one I went to was putting-green-perfect and an absolute joy to land at! I always love flying my airplane, but it had been a long time since I had quite this much fun.

I was off to a great start with Sharpe (2E2). It seemed deserted, but when I took off, I saw a couple (the Sharpes maybe?) waving at me. I rocked my wings, and was on to the next strip.

Sharpe (2E2)

Next up: Gavagan (48G). Landing directly behind the house really underscored the fact that most of these strips really are the backyards of friendly people who just love airplanes.

Gavagan (48G)

Yale (D20) is in a farm field. Straight, wide, smooth, and with no obstacles anywhere close to the runway, this was a beauty!

Yale (D20)

Next was Para (4Y8). I looked this one over VERY carefully - circling a couple of times before landing, as the chart had it labeled as "OBJECTIONABLE". But it appeared to be mowed and in good shape. This was the hilliest runway I landed on all day, as the center's elevation is noticeably higher than that of the two ends. It still rates as one of the nicer grass fields I have landed on though.

Para (4Y8)

Cowley (96G) was next on the list, and at 38.5 NM from Ray, the northern extent of my wanderings. This was another nice, obstacle-free airport in a farm field.

Cowley (96G)

Next up was Arnold (55G). This was the biggest of the grass strips, with a large ramp area and several hangars. A guy on a golf cart did drive up and wave as I was lifting off. I wish I had stayed on the ground a bit longer so I could have given him a proper greeting.

Arnold (55G)

Last but not least: Flugplatz (7MI), right by the lake. With a large house and hangar overlooking the runway, and the beautiful blue water of Lake Huron for a backdrop, this must be every pilot's dream. 

Flugplatz (7MI)

After this, my initial plans had been to visit a couple more strips (Avoca - 39G and David's Landing - 5Y5) but I was so enchanted by the lake that I instead flew down the shoreline to where Lake Huron ends in the St. Clair River. I'll have to add those other strips to my list for the next trip!

The Blue Water Bridge connecting Port Huron, MI and Sarnia, ON

After two hours of flying, I returned to Ray and parked the plane until it was time to head back south for Virginia. When the time came, my trip home was not exactly uneventful. After waiting at Ray for ceilings to lift, I headed south in the early afternoon. Due to the still low ceilings, I didn't feel comfortable crossing the lake, and after speaking to some local pilots, opted for the gap between Detroit's class B and Canadian airspace. This was not as hairy as it had first appeared to me: just stay below 2500 ft and close to the west bank of the river. This route also provided some great views of downtown Detroit.

Detroit

In another example of how friendly the aviation community is, I only made it as far as OH that day, then ended up spending two days waiting out weather in OH with a wonderful couple I met at the Aeronca fly-in a few years ago. 

We in aviation truly are a lucky group. Even though things don't always go according to plan, trips like this are what really remind me of why I got into aviation in the first place, and also that I shouldn't take it for granted. Thank you to everyone who has helped me along the way, including the people who maintain all of those gorgeous strips!

 

Martinsburg (KMRB)

 Monday, December 23rd was a perfect day for flying: calm, clear and most importantly, a vacation day for me. It was a day that Allen and I just had to fly somewhere. Our thoughts initially went to one of our staples, Cumberland (CBE) with the Hummingbird Cafe right on the field. Checking their website in advance, we saw that they are closed on Mondays. Though initially disappointed, this led us to try a new place we hadn’t been to before: Martinsburg. This would be our first visit to the airport because we (and I’m guessing many of you do this too) avoided it due to the control tower. Spoiler alert: Don’t! The guy in the tower was patient and friendly.

We departed Warrenton (HWY) in the early afternoon and headed north in the glassy air. Even flying over the ridges there was hardly a bump. With the GPS showing a flight time of under 30 minutes, we diverted to the west to lengthen the incredibly delightful flight. Still, all too soon, we were checking weather and calling the tower at Martinsburg.

The Martinsburg airport is shared use, with a large West Virginia Air National Guard presence on the ramp. That means there are some really cool, really big airplanes (C-17 Globemasters) to see there. That also means that they have a really big runway – 8,815 by 150 feet! Almost wide enough to use the width of the runway instead of the length in a strong crosswind! 

The Martinsburg tower and National Guard C-17s

Now to what I’m sure has caused most of us to avoid this airport: the control tower. Yes, the airport has a tower. No, they are not difficult to talk to. The most important thing to remember is that the controllers are just humans too. Not rigid, unrelenting machines. We called them up and told them we were headed for the restaurant. After touchdown, they directed us to the brick terminal building in which the restaurant is housed. Hint: turn away from all the National Guard planes. The restaurant is on the other side of the runway.

The terminal building is very nice, and set up like a museum with display cases and informational plaques spread throughout. It is definitely worth a look! If you happen to catch the airport manager there, he is friendly and enjoys chatting with visiting pilots! Look for his office on the first floor.

Terminal interior: passenger waiting area and displays

Terminal interior: hallway displays

View across the runway from the restaurant

The restaurant, called the Crosswinds Cafe, is located on the second floor and has a great view of the runway and ramp area. The service was excellent, as was the food. Bring a designated (airplane) driver and enjoy the full bar! The menu featured a number of interesting appetizers, as well as salads, sandwiches and deserts. The owner has a restaurant located in town as well, but is looking to consolidate into the airport location, and so will be expanding the menu as this is done.

Frank Noe, Kurt Mohr, Lucy Ooi and Allen Whatley in the Crosswinds Cafe

Our dining companions' rides as seen from the restaurant

We also had great company for our meal. In the chance meeting of the decade (or at least the past couple of weeks) when we were entering downwind, the tower warned us about a gyro in the pattern. This warning was very welcome as I couldn't see it, so the tower made sure to keep us well separated. The voice of the traffic in front of us sounded familiar. When we landed and pulled up to the restaurant, sure enough, it was THE Frank Noe (as seen in AOPA Pilot magazine) and a fellow Flying Club 1 member. He was meeting Kurt Mohr there. Aviation sure is a small, but friendly world!

Kurt Mohr, Allen Whatley, Lucy Ooi and Frank Noe