LSA business flight
Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2008 11:53 pm
Not too often we hear about any LSA flying for business.
Lets here some stories. here's mine from this morning.
Flew the PA-11 from Tunkannock to a little farm strip north east about 35 miles this morning. Cold and windy but the cabin heat worked. Odd thing it warms the entire right side of the cabin wall. I felt heat coming out under the throttle. Flew about 600-800 AGL whole trip. climbing with the terrain. Looking more down than up at houses, trees, other strips, turkeys, deer, around Elk Mt. etc. I took a bunch of tools, compression tester and mag timing light. Tossed them in the back in a cardboard box. Flew over checked the biplane wind tee and landed. Strip just wider than the gear, up hill, trees on end and side, strong crosswind, muddy and has a pond on one side. The old 11 slipped in over the trees and plopped down on the mains. I added power and taxied up hill with the nose gear in the air until I found a dry patch to set it down. You can hold the nose off at walking speed. Parked just over the runway crown for a negative angle of attack. (wind deterrent) Chocked it in place and went in the hangar to work on a Cub. Mechanics can make house calls.
Came out later. It had dried up some. Turned her around, hit the starter and taxied down the hill, Slowly around the pond, turned 180 with the tail and wingtip sliding over the brush. Poured on the coals. Dog leg right around the little pond. Just a little back pressure to lift the nose and hold the angle of attack in the sweet spot. Controls come alive quickly. No airspeed is needed. The old fat wing tells all. Flew away in around 250ft with the cross wind. 85 hp. metal prop. No flaps installed. 15 gallons fuel. Indicated airspeed around 90 at 2300 RPM on the way home. What a neat airplane. Magical quality of control harmony, visibility and stability. Almost hands off all the way home. Bumps just seem to be a temporary disruption. Airplane takes care of itself. The oil temp came up. A challenge in any Continental during colder weather. Mind wanders. Always paying attention but... Look at that field. I could put a strip there. Let's see what color should the new hangars be. Every color combination of steel buildings are available for viewing. Settled on white walls with red roofs for visibility. Look at that lake. Big enough for floats maybe. There's the Railroad beds. And the old road, and the new road, and the interstate. Seems they would just use the same route. Here I am looking at this progress in a 1947 airplane. Airplane has the same instruments it came with in 47. Working fine. Wonder how it would be to fly this thing across the country. I'd do it from this altitude. Wonder if Piper had though of a maneuvering speed back then? never saw one listed. Same redline and structure as the J-3 but it cruises much faster. Hey look down there can we get in that field later this winter on skis... hmmm. glad no phone rings in the airplane. I'm glad to be up solo with nobody to instruct or explain things too. My course looks like piece of spaghetti as we wander from one colored steel building to another. basic flying the airplane is not given a thought. Only go over here, go over there and control pressures. I'd rather just hop from one strip to the next all day long but there is a list of things waiting.
Daydreaming when flying alone. Probably should not teach that one to the students but it happens.
Back home the pattern has two Vagabonds and one Cub practicing. Nobody has a radio but who cares. We drop to pattern altitude two miles out and slide in behind the cub. He lands on the grass and is taxing back. I take the pavement. Roll out and turn off without any brakes. Back to the shop to fix a delaminating Grumman tail, more instruction and a few rides.
Fun.
Lets here some stories. here's mine from this morning.
Flew the PA-11 from Tunkannock to a little farm strip north east about 35 miles this morning. Cold and windy but the cabin heat worked. Odd thing it warms the entire right side of the cabin wall. I felt heat coming out under the throttle. Flew about 600-800 AGL whole trip. climbing with the terrain. Looking more down than up at houses, trees, other strips, turkeys, deer, around Elk Mt. etc. I took a bunch of tools, compression tester and mag timing light. Tossed them in the back in a cardboard box. Flew over checked the biplane wind tee and landed. Strip just wider than the gear, up hill, trees on end and side, strong crosswind, muddy and has a pond on one side. The old 11 slipped in over the trees and plopped down on the mains. I added power and taxied up hill with the nose gear in the air until I found a dry patch to set it down. You can hold the nose off at walking speed. Parked just over the runway crown for a negative angle of attack. (wind deterrent) Chocked it in place and went in the hangar to work on a Cub. Mechanics can make house calls.
Came out later. It had dried up some. Turned her around, hit the starter and taxied down the hill, Slowly around the pond, turned 180 with the tail and wingtip sliding over the brush. Poured on the coals. Dog leg right around the little pond. Just a little back pressure to lift the nose and hold the angle of attack in the sweet spot. Controls come alive quickly. No airspeed is needed. The old fat wing tells all. Flew away in around 250ft with the cross wind. 85 hp. metal prop. No flaps installed. 15 gallons fuel. Indicated airspeed around 90 at 2300 RPM on the way home. What a neat airplane. Magical quality of control harmony, visibility and stability. Almost hands off all the way home. Bumps just seem to be a temporary disruption. Airplane takes care of itself. The oil temp came up. A challenge in any Continental during colder weather. Mind wanders. Always paying attention but... Look at that field. I could put a strip there. Let's see what color should the new hangars be. Every color combination of steel buildings are available for viewing. Settled on white walls with red roofs for visibility. Look at that lake. Big enough for floats maybe. There's the Railroad beds. And the old road, and the new road, and the interstate. Seems they would just use the same route. Here I am looking at this progress in a 1947 airplane. Airplane has the same instruments it came with in 47. Working fine. Wonder how it would be to fly this thing across the country. I'd do it from this altitude. Wonder if Piper had though of a maneuvering speed back then? never saw one listed. Same redline and structure as the J-3 but it cruises much faster. Hey look down there can we get in that field later this winter on skis... hmmm. glad no phone rings in the airplane. I'm glad to be up solo with nobody to instruct or explain things too. My course looks like piece of spaghetti as we wander from one colored steel building to another. basic flying the airplane is not given a thought. Only go over here, go over there and control pressures. I'd rather just hop from one strip to the next all day long but there is a list of things waiting.
Daydreaming when flying alone. Probably should not teach that one to the students but it happens.
Back home the pattern has two Vagabonds and one Cub practicing. Nobody has a radio but who cares. We drop to pattern altitude two miles out and slide in behind the cub. He lands on the grass and is taxing back. I take the pavement. Roll out and turn off without any brakes. Back to the shop to fix a delaminating Grumman tail, more instruction and a few rides.
Fun.
