The warmer weather outside brought happy chirping from birds beckoning me to leave my laptop and thoughts of being productive. Must write something – it’s been too long, and I must get back into the rhythm after being under the weather with COVID longer than I would have liked.
A small engine sounds low outside, a text comes in on my phone “RU on the porch,” it asked.
“No, but I can hear the birds outside,” I responded as the small engine sound began to circle adding “I see you,” as I ran out the back door.
Waving at the small maroon and white airplane, circling overhead another text chimes “Going to Moraine, wanna go?” I respond “Sure, I’ll head that way” and received one last message.
“Bring your headset.”
Forgetting anything productive, I head to the airport with my headset.
Pulling up at Moraine (I73), I see the pilot and the airplane that had been circling, a clip-winged Piper Cub, waiting.
“I’m sorry, know you said you were going to get some writing done today. The weather is too nice and tomorrow’s not looking good” he explained giving me a hug.
The aircraft restorer is smiling ear to ear after his fight. The 75-horsepower Cub has been in his family since he was a kid.
I asked if he wanted to look at anything on my Bonanza while here, he said no – lets go fly today, we can work on what he calls sis another day.
When good flying weather happens in winter, it is savored. The aircraft restorer wanted to show me New Carlisle (3OH0), knowing I was concerned about the runway. The paved runway is thirty feet wide and two thousand feet long, more constrained than I am used to, even when proficient. The grass runway parallel is a more forgiving one hundred and fifty feet wide.
The route of flight goes through a corridor in Dayton International’s (DAY) airspace. We go over a PDF of the letter of agreement with the route stated textually.
Pulling up Foreflight on my phone, it is not listed. So different from Chicago having the Eisenhower corridor for VFR traffic between ORD and MDW airspace depicted on the TCA chart.
Entirely within the class C airspace around DAY, the corridor is below 2400 feet. Following the river north to downtown Dayton then looking for the golf course with a smokestack next to it. Then on to the intersection of 202 and I-70 and finally on to the brown water tower then exiting the airspace, it steers clear of Wright Patterson’s class D airspace completely. I switched between the VFR map and the aerial map on my phone getting a feel for the course. Okay, this looks doable.
My first time in this aircraft, the restorer goes over the airspeed for takeoff and landing, 65mph, adding “You’ll do fine. This airplane hasn’t seen anything crazier than you’re capable of doing.”
I belted myself into the back of the clipped-wing Cub, putting my heels onto its brakes and toes onto its rudder pedals. Throttle in left hand, reaching right hand up to the magnetos as he calls for “Brakes and Contact”
Mags turned on and heels firmly on the brakes, I respond with “Brakes and Contact”, and he hand props the airplane.
Belting himself into the front of the cub and closes the door and I began to taxi, making slow S-turns left and right to see in front of the airplane.
When we get to the end of the runway and do run up, I gave a radio call as we take the runway and began our takeoff roll.
Stick back in my lap as I keep the nose going down the centerline, pushing forward on stick as airspeed increases to takeoff which pushes the tail off the ground its main wheels joining in the air soon after as I pulled the stick back.
We climbed out to the west to gain altitude then turned to the northeast careful to keep the radio towers upon the large hill to the north in sight, all that remained was to follow the river north toward downtown Dayton.
The smokestack next to the golf course was a good landmark! The golf course came into view and keeping that below, Wright Patterson airspace was well away from the airplane. I continued through the corridor to the McDonalds arches conveniently placed at 202 and 70 and finally to the brown water tower which seemed so far and so close at the same time from the beginning of the flight.
Finding the airport was easy after a moment or two – having been on the field recently, I could picture the hangars to one side with the narrow pavement and wider turf runways between the buildings and the parallel road.
Narrow and shorter than I’m used to, the restorer thought this would be a good day to expand horizons.
Lining up for the wide grass runway, my landing bounces several times as I’m concerned about overcorrecting and focusing primarily on keeping the immaculate Cub going straight.
After taxiing back for takeoff off the narrow pavement seems like no big deal and a bit of a deal with the direct crosswind. He suggested using the pavement on the side as a sight picture from the window making a triangle. That worked wonderfully! The narrow pavement was nothing to be concerned about after all!
Two more takeoffs and landings on grass before refueling than one more before heading back to Moraine.
The small private, public use airport was orderly and well picked up. Fueling then heading back out to take off once again. To the aircraft restorer, New Carlisle is home. He grew up there with the very clipped wing Cub we were flying along with several Bonanzas over the years.
Along the way, we pass over where McCook field had been on the river close to downtown Dayton. Technological advancements were tested and proven there before operations were moved to Wright field in 1927. Seeing Wright field in the distance, with the National Museum of the United States Air Force sitting alongside its rarely used runways surrounded by Wright Patterson. The modern runway for the base massive compared to the runways still visible.
At Moraine, I did a go around as I was not comfortable with the approach and continued around the pattern once again to land, much better.
Over three takeoffs and landings to a full stop done, I’m current! Someone knew exactly what he was doing.
After shutting down, Airplane Dad put his arm around me and said for not flying much I didn’t do too bad. He added afterwards that he was sure I would be good friends with the clipped-wing Cub before long. He reminded me to take it easy as I am still recovering and will figure out what I need, take care of you first. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself and it will work out.
I had often told runners when pacing that the max cruise speed of an early Learjet is .82 Mach while reducing airspeed to .78 Mach its economy cruise doesn’t seem like much of a difference, the distance the jet can fly before needing to refuel is tremendous. Guess this is a reminder for me to take things more slowly too.
Compared to this time last year, when I was in the middle of a house remodel and not sure what was going to happen with my Bonanza, my life is completely different. The days may seem the same from one to the next but when looking back the reality of progress becomes apparent.
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