I am once again thinking of an airplane that might grace my hangar. But which one? There are so many to choose from. Classics, biplanes, taildraggers, zippy quick composite machines, and the stalwart aluminum monocoque models of the mid-20th Century all take up space in my imagination from time to time. But the perfect airplane has to have the right price and fit the mission for this stage of my life.
Any old airplane will do
Here’s a bit of a secret you may not have picked up on in all the years I’ve been writing for General Aviation News. I rarely write about aircraft. Sure, it seems like I do, but I don’t. Not really. Rather, I’m far more fascinated with the people I meet, the experiences that come my way, and the happy accidents that stick in my memory so well.
From here to there, one decision at a time
There are many considerations, of course. You may have a few of your own that are worth passing on to others. The lessons you’ve learned might be the exact information some other reader will benefit from.
Mind your momma
The visual stimulation of flight coupled with the almost completely unfettered freedom the airplane gave me made me glad I zigged when others zagged. I fastidiously kept my nose clean while some of my peers went another way, to their ultimate detriment.
They didn’t teach me that
On his student pilot cross-country flight, Eric realized he needed fuel. But he was at a non-towered field where his only option was a self-serve fuel farm. Having never pumped his own fuel before, this presented a bit of an issue. It’s a question many a flight student might find themselves asking — how do you fuel an airplane?
The big things are easy
The big things are easy. The procedures are clear. It’s the little things — the artistry of being a pilot — that really makes things interesting and totally unique.
Real adventure doesn’t require massive horsepower
Finally, after years of hoping, planning, and dreaming, Jorge Navarro is a pilot and an aircraft owner. I have no doubt he’ll eventually realize his dream of flying for a living, too.
An appreciation of the classics
“You’re going to meet some fascinating people at airports,” I told them. They nodded as one. I don’t think they have yet come to realize that they will be fascinating themselves.
The birds and the bees and any given airplane
Literally overnight, a bird of indeterminate breed had begun to set up shop in the engine compartment of my lovely little flivver. Just one night was all it took for a feathered fellow flier to begin to pile kindling onto the face of the oil cooler, in close proximity to a cylinder head, in an effort to establish a warm, safe, weather-protected shelter for herself and her soon-to-be offspring.