THE “EVERYDAY” AIRPLANE

The venerable Cessna 172. The stablemate student trainer for a majority of flight schools. Now with gross weights being looked at more carefully, as well as today’s peeps being a bit taller and fatter (and older) than the student pilots of the olden days; the turn away from the old two place Cessna and piper aircraft has extended the life of theis – perhaps the oldest continuous production airplane – fron 1956 to the present day.

AHHHH !!! – the “olden days”. Those of the mid 1960’s through the early 1980’s, an era where I blossomed into an FAA Rated Private Pilot, so I can work on my Commercial rating, courtesy of Uncle Sam and his Vietnam Era G.I.Bill.

Long live the Cessna 172. For it is in this airplane that I have been taking my BFR rides (in spite of operating as a Light Sport Pilot).

The Vans “RV” series of airplanes – today’s largest number of small General Aviation aircraft being built. And they’re all built by individual “homebuilders”, who built these kits from Vans Aircraft in Aurora, Oregon. Over 6,000 of ’em, I think.

The neatest Vans (imo) is the slick ,Light Sport RV12 – either kit built by the individual (ELSA), or factory built by Vans Aircraft as a ready to fly SLSA.

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THE REAL LAST FLYER

My last opportunity to once again be “in the air” has been further cut in half.
Behold the Powered Parachute. a parachute designed to go UP as well as Down.
The Van has been sold to pay off a debt that is currently being re-utilized to keep a going business financially alive. I have no “bug-out” vehicle to tow the PPC to Arlington to obtain the training necessary for my solo sign-off. I have no time available due to business obligations. One day – Sunday – is available to do anything I want. Most of the time, it’s sleeping and tidying up the back-logged weekly business summary . Every now and then, I’ll venture about 25 miles south to a unique airport in Independence, Oregon; have an extraordinary breakfast at the airport cafe, then venture outside on a bench besides the fuel pumps, and photograph the stuff around me.

For now, the PPC resides in a 10 foot high Schneider Orange trailer inside a fully enclosed and insulated aircraft hangar.

“Flare to Land”

BACK TO BASICS

Older than powered flight itself, the glider is the earliest form of fixed-wing flight. Today the Schweizer 2-33 sailplane is the quintessential primary flight trainer in the U.S. Most people want to start out flying airplanes. A student has to be at least 16 years of age to solo an airplane – 17 to obtain a Private Pilot’s rating. The neat thing about gliders is this. Because they are simple and safe aircraft, and to get students to WANT to start flight training, the FAA will allow a 14 year old “kid” to solo in a glider. Something a 12 or 13 year old could aspire to. Even us old farts can have an opportunity to be “in the air” without any mandated medical requirements, albeit the old geezer’s ability to honestly ascertain his abilities to fly safely without medical issues getting in the way.