LEARNING TO FLY

Hello!

“FOGGY” here 🙂

I am an American FAA licensed Private Pilot; Airplane – Single engine, Land; Control Tower Operator – KNJK; Aircraft Dispatcher; and my latest ‘green card’ acquisition, Light Sport Repairman, Inspection ~ N75617. I soloed in my very own airplane (an AERONCA 7AC Champion) in September of 1969, which was purchased in April of that year.

A little over a year later, I took my Private Pilot checkride with 130 flying hours in my logbook.

 Four airplanes later (an Aeronca Champ, a Cessna 120, a Cessna 150A and a QCU ChallengerII), I wound up with a Powered Parachute, and relegated myself back to the world of  Student Pilot.

Six Chuter SP 103 single seat Experimental Light Sport Aircraft.

My “Real Airplane” logbook shows just under 800 hours total time over a 45 year period. That’s a little over 17 hours a year “in the air”.

A “milestone” flight in my so-called life occurred in 1977. While I was flying the Champ across the Country (an actual “cross Country” cross country) from Oxford, Maine to San Diego, California, people at the fuel stops would keep asking me if I was going to “OSHKOSH”. I had plenty of time, so …..   Why Not??

“OSHKOSH” is the short term for the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Annual AIRVENTURE FLY-IN CONVENTION; the world’s largest aviation event  dedicated to us aviators with holes in our shoes and pockets.

So here I was, a “Proud Pappa” at the 1977 Fly-in at Oshkosh, Wisconsin with the airplane I’ve had for the last eight years. I was 31 years old

 

……. and here I am NOW ~ a “wee” bit older, and an enthusiastic student powered parachute pilot (technically, a Private Pilot with a Powered Parachute solo endorsement).

I went up twice with my instructor during the Arlington Fly-in; both times flying outside the airport traffic pattern for some airwork.

Winding up the flight on final approach on the “off duty”.

The following weekend, I got an hour’s worth of pattern work and numerous “touch & go’s”.

This July (2016), it will have been two years ago since I went flying

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Building the Chute off the deck ……..

………  once it’s overhead and checked for proper inflation, the student adds full power and is airborne.

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The Weekend of Aug. 1st to the 3rd, 2014, I’ll be going back to Arlington to attend a Two day, 16 hour course to obtain my Light Sport Repairman _ Inspection (LSR-I) certification, so as to obtain an FAA LSR-I certificate; which allows me to sign off Conditional Inspections on my E-LSA registered Power Parachute.

the Van and the Great Pumpkin; which will haul “POOPYCHUTE” ( which is an offshoot  of “poopybag” ~ what Navy blimps were called  back in the day), a Six Chuter Powered Parachute

 

As of this time  (2015-16 and ? ), an unexpected business commitment has totally halted all aviation activities for me.

So  will I ever fly again?  I hope so! Only time will tell, and I don’t have much of THAT left.

ARLINGTON

At this stage of my life, I “put up” with events, rather than enjoy them.

The bureaucracy (or me) is getting worse each year. There are those for whom “Total Control” is a gift from God. If someone isn’t where they’re supposed to be, or the camper pass is not correctly inserted onto the stalk of the vehicle’s rearview mirror as it is being driven in an “unauthorized” area; AND (God forbid), the driver is not wearing an authorized wrist band (signifying payment of admission fees), and gives some “Lame” excuse that he is camping in the “Light Flight”area ~ ~ ~ Who-Y, all Hell breaks loose.

Was it worth the one hundred twenty bucks* to be abused?
No. *(especially if the price breakdown includes:
– Camping fee, forty bucks + the price of one admission .. also forty bucks; which also makes sense, because SOMEONE had to drive the darned thing into the camping area —

BUT WAIT !

I was also charged an X-TRA admission for (?) — the “car”?. Another forty bucks. Grand total = $120 for a 3 day “airshow”.
Therefore, I argued that since my car paid a $40.00 admission fee, my care should have every right to roam around the airshow area – JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE. After all, (and the Supreme Court made it legal) if Corporations are people, then admission-paying vehicles are people too, and should be granted the same rights and privileges as other airshow-going people (Madam Empress of Arlington didn’t “buy it”).

ONE GOOD THING; HOWEVER:

I got to fly a Powered Parachute for a couple of days (in the early morning calm and stable air), and am scheduled for further training; so I can attain my “SOLO SIGN-OFF”, and happily fly my single-seater PPC until such time as “EYE” feel comfortable and confident enough to pass the Oral / Practical (otherwise known as the “Checkride”). I’ve got a couple of hours under my belt so far. Mark is a great instructor. Let’s me work at my own (slo) pace. There’s a two day LSR-I certification course I plan on taking the first weekend in August, so I will be able to do my own Annuals.

It’s going to be plenty busy for this “retiree” in the next few month$. If I don’t dew this now, I will never do this.The Six Chuter will NOT be another Challenger.

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This is my “baby” – a 2007 Six Chuter SP 103 single seat Powered Parachute.

 

This is the inside of my Van.        Next time I go to Arlington, I’ll be sleeping in this  ………..  no more cold grounds and short tents. Anybody got an electric outlet??

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THE VAN   …

……is a 2004 Pleasureway Lexor TD class B motorhome. Basically, a 2004 Chevy Express 3500 Cargo Van decked out to the “9’s“.

 

The VAN, on her return from OSHKOSH 2010 at the municipal airport in Valley City, North Dakota.