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!