A Flying Story (sorta)

[solo1]

Having read DDT's Dixie story and his problems with timing, I thought back to a day when I had a similar problem.  Here's the story.


                                  The TB Incident  ( Tiny Bladder)

Some years ago, a friend that I knew from work asked me if I wanted to do a short flight in his newly acquired light plane.  I said “sure”
                           
I met my friend at Smith Field, a one mile square of airport with three short runways.  Today, this airport is surrounded by homes but it's still in operation, but I digress.

My friend had bought an Aeronca light plane somewhat on the scale of a Piper Cub but seating was side by side.  The Aeronca back then was fondly known as the “Airknocker”  Powered by a relatively low horsepower Continental (I think) it was a little past the stage of being a glider with an engine.

The climb rate was leisurely and the speed wasn't much more frantic.

Anyway, with no electric starter, Jim proceeded to tell me how to flip the prop to start it. I suspected that I was invited go flying so to take the place of an electric starter.  After the usual warnings and instructions we went though the drill. “Mags Off” I pulled the prop through to prime the engine. “Mags on”  I gave the prop a heave and the engine fired right up. I stepped back and gave myself a figurative pat on the back  for my first ever propping.

I eased myself in, closed the door, and Jim pushed the throttle forward, we started rolling.  At the runway intersection he gave a final look with his head on a swivel, checked both mags, and pushed the throttle fully forward.

The Airknocker didn't take long to gain the air even with the 55 or 60 HP  handicap.  We gained altitude at a leisurely pace and banked and turned north, then east, then southeast. As I looked down I saw that we were leaving the fringes of Ft. Wayne and flying into open country at a speed of about 75 mph.

We dawdled around the NE Indiana area and, just for kicks, flew into Ohio and turned around. At this point, I was regretting the coffee that I drank. Two cups had evidently turned into a mind and bladder boggling amount of two gallons (well, it seemed that way). My eyeballs were getting squeamish from floating, my mind was screaming “I gotta PEE!”

Now the Aeronca, as I said, wasn't the fastest thing in the sky and it was some distance back to Smith Field.   I had to do something. I turned my head to the left and told Jim something that he didn't want to hear, “I need to Go!' 

Jim was a perty calm guy. He assessed the situation, and started looking. We were just passing over the small town of Woodburn, He noted that there was an open field next to the town that wasn't planted and didn't have any ditches running through it. One pass to check and he turned into the wind and brought the old Aeronca in.  The field was a little rough but the landing speed was low enough to not work the simple suspension too much.

WE STOPPED!  I opened the door stepped out and let 'er fly. It was a little chilly and the slipstream was doing its best to keep Willy small (the engine was kept running). Hanging on to the strut with one hand I did what was necessary.
Woodburn was a small town but even then, we were attracting some attention. No matter. Back in the Airknocker,  We still had enough room on that field to take off, bless that Aeronca!

We headed back to Smith Field and  landed on a smooth runway without incident.  Funny, Jim never asked me to go flying with him again, Couldn't blame him.

The Rest of The Story. I've taken many rides on the Valkyrie past that field outside of Woodburn and it still is the same as it was back in the Sixties. No development there. For those who know NE Indiana the field is on the west next to Woodburn and near the turn of 101 as it goes into town.

Maybe a marker with a suitable inscription, Naw, I won't go there.

Wayne, Solo1

[Patrick]

Thats flying, isn't it !

Planes like the Champ [ Aeronca Champion Airknocker], J3 Cub, etc are great airplanes. [ Learned in one]

Little taildraggers are made for pastures and using them like that is great fun. Very few folks can talk about that today.

The climb rate as being 'leisurely', is a perfect description !

[Firefighter]

My flight instructor said to me while flying a J3 cub, "should remove the air speed indicator and put in a calendar". Learning was most fun for me. I haven't been flying for years, as today it is so expensive that I can't have fun, watching the hour meter run.

I like the part about the field being the same as back in the sixty's. Everything I know has changed, and I find myself  living in the past. I really enjoyed the old days.  Thanks for the story.

[DDT (12)]

We gotta do what we gotta do... and nobody is exempt from that relief issue! Ever wonder if the reason that field never got developed might be it's now a biohazard?  Enjoyed the story, Wayne...

DDT

[Patrick]

We still maintain a grass strip and love to lounge around in the J3. Years ago a friend decided to stop and try some grapes that looked pretty good from up above. We got down alright without ending up upside down. Ate a few grapes [ we're in wine country] and decided to leave. The grass so so tall that little Cub didn't want to move, even that critter needs at least some airspeed to leave the ground. We had to get out and keep walking a path to trample enough of the grass to getting going.
Other fun on a nice sunny day  is to  steal up behind a car driving along and put our shadow on his hood or windshield and wait to see if he figures out what is going on.
Another was the day when a woman called the Sheriff dept to report an airplane stuck in the air.

[RP#62]

My father in law soloed in an Aeronca 7AC Champ and the last airplane he owned was an Aeronca Chief (the Chief was two-seat side by side and the Champ was two-seat tandem).  The Champ had a 65 horse Continental and I think the Chief had 85 horses.  I still have the crankshaft as a living room ornament.  When he and I used to go flying I can remember being over the interstate and seeing the semi's going faster than we were.

-RP

[solo1]

That reminds me yet of another time. Same Field. My buddy had rented a Stinson two place, maybe a Voyager, it had full flaps, and a big tail.  He came in for the first landing, the wind got under the wing and we almost did a ground loop.  The Delta shaped wind indicator had been tied down.  My buddy should've looked at the sock on the hanger roof.

Another instance, another friend worked for Jim Kelly, who was a dealer for the Globe Swift (beautiful high performance light plane). Kelly also rented planes at his dirt strip makeshift airfield.  I watched my friend three time prop an engine in a Taylorcraft.  Each time the engine was hitting on only three. The fourth time the engine fired on all four.  The renter took off. Seems that the exhaust valve would stick on one cylinder.  I don't think that even the Tcraft would be that forgiving on take off.

On yet another occasion, someone flying out of the same field in a Globe Swift. lost his life when the plane's wing folded over the cockpit. Three of the four main bolts on the wing, were missing, I heard.

[RP#62]

Forgot the story I was going to post in my last post.  Back in '49, two guys in an Aeronca AC-15 Sedan broke the light plane endurance record by staying aloft for 65 days out over Yuma for which they received national acclaim.  One of them said that their most asked question was once when they went to bathroom, what did they do with it.  He smiled and said they would fly a little west and dump it over California.

-RP

[solo1]

I like it, the thread has turned into one on vintage light planes.  Here is a pic that I took sometime around 1948 I think.  The pic was taken with a .59 cent Baby Brownie using 127 film. I retrieved it in photoshop. I can't believe the resolution of the lens.  The pic was taken at Smith Field, in the background is the company's hanger where they rented planes.

All metal, is it a Luscombe or Cessna, i can't remember. Beautiful plane tho.

[Serk]

This thread really drives home the shift of civil aviation from being something the every-man could approach to being just the purvey of the wealthy (Or extremely dedicated.)

Sad shift to see too. I've only made one flight in a small plane, and I was piloting it (Unofficially, long story) but it was a blast, but there's no way I could afford to do that regularly.

Thanks for sharing some stories from the golden age of civil aviation!

[solo1]

Dug up one more photo. This was taken by me about 1949 at Baer Field in Ft. Wayne. It was an air show. I don't remember the camera but I do know that my riding buddy, Vic, missed the shot as this plane was moving toward us fast!.

The plane is an F82.  A twin Mustang.  History tell us that this plane was developed too late for WWII as a long range escort fighter. It was originally powered by Rolls Royce engines. They were later replaced by Allisons because the British license became too expensive and we went to American engines.
The only case where the F82 trainers were faster than the fighter version. The first three North Korean planes shot down in the Korean War were shot down by the F82.  The world's record still stands for the longest distance traveled by prop driven aircraft goes to the Rolls Royce version of this plane, 5000 miles from Hawaii to New York non stop.

 It was flying into a stiff wind, note the lady with the dress (H'mmm) and moving along smartly.

[Black Pearl's Captain]

I like it, the thread has turned into one on vintage light planes.  Here is a pic that I took sometime around 1948 I think.  The pic was taken with a .59 cent Baby Brownie using 127 film. I retrieved it in photoshop. I can't believe the resolution of the lens.  The pic was taken at Smith Field, in the background is the company's hanger where they rented planes.

All metal, is it a Luscombe or Cessna, i can't remember. Beautiful plane tho.

That's a Cessna 170B Wayne. Nice new plane picture!

[Black Pearl's Captain]

I wish I still had my old Luscombe 8A. Fun and super cheap plane to fly around. 65 horse Continental engine and used auto gas. I got my licence in that plane in 2001.

The only video I can find of the Luscombe below. It took me a loooong time to climb that high, no mixture control on the old 8A so it just coughed a lot the higher you went. I made it to 12,000 once and it was barely running. I think this was maybe 8,000 feet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQ_gVurgCmA&feature=youtu.be

[old2soon]

At one time I was a member of the Civil Air Patrol. I believe my first flight was in a Piper Tri Pacer. We had just cleared the ground and were at about 1800 feet and the Pilot sez to me-follow thru with me on the controls. He does a couple of gentle maneuvers and pointed out the gauges I needed to pay ATTENTION to and sez-you got it!  And I WUZ hooked! At the time I was 14 or 15. And these day flyin more expensive than ridin!  BUT both are a lot of fun in their own unique way. While not light aircraft by any stretch of the imagination my Cat shots and arrested landings in Uncle Sugars Canoe Club were fun too!  RIDE SAFE.

[RP#62]

The world's record still stands for the longest distance traveled by prop driven aircraft goes to the Rolls Royce version of this plane, 5000 miles from Hawaii to New York non stop.

Wayne, I am really enjoying the pics, but not sure where you got the record info.  The Navy's P2V Neptune "Truculent Turtle" had the distance record from 1946 until 1962 - non-stop from Perth, Australia, to Columbus, Ohio -  11,235 miles.  It held the record until it was broken by a B52H.  The Navy crew were actually going for Bermuda but hit some weather on the west coast and used more gas than anticipated.

http://www.navalaviationmuseum.org/attractions/aircraft-exhibits/item/?item=p2v_truculentturtle

-RP

[RP#62]

Hey old2soon.  Thought you might like this one.  Ran across this while going thru old pics after reading Wayne's post.  This is from the late 70's when I was working at NAS Boca Chica.  Those are OMD's SAR birds.
-RP

[RP#62]

Found some pics of my father in law and his Aeronca Chief
-RP

[Patrick]

I like it, the thread has turned into one on vintage light planes.  Here is a pic that I took sometime around 1948 I think.  The pic was taken with a .59 cent Baby Brownie using 127 film. I retrieved it in photoshop. I can't believe the resolution of the lens.  The pic was taken at Smith Field, in the background is the company's hanger where they rented planes.

All metal, is it a Luscombe or Cessna, i can't remember. Beautiful plane tho.

Thats an early model Cessna 170 before they added the 195 dorsal fin giving that model the very distinctive look that made them so popular.

[Patrick]

Dug up one more photo. This was taken by me about 1949 at Baer Field in Ft. Wayne. It was an air show. I don't remember the camera but I do know that my riding buddy, Vic, missed the shot as this plane was moving toward us fast!.

The plane is an F82.  A twin Mustang.  History tell us that this plane was developed too late for WWII as a long range escort fighter. It was originally powered by Rolls Royce engines. They were later replaced by Allisons because the British license became too expensive and we went to American engines.
The only case where the F82 trainers were faster than the fighter version. The first three North Korean planes shot down in the Korean War were shot down by the F82.  The world's record still stands for the longest distance traveled by prop driven aircraft goes to the Rolls Royce version of this plane, 5000 miles from Hawaii to New York non stop.

 It was flying into a stiff wind, note the lady with the dress (H'mmm) and moving along smartly.

Thats a nice picture of a great airplane.
The early P51s were fitted with Allison engines and had to relegated to low level operation because of poor altitude performance and lack of power. The Brits wanted the plane and once the Merlin [ Rolls or Packard] engines were installed it became the plane of such fame.
Once the Allison's were installed in the F82s the same thing happened, performance fell off.

[old2soon]

Hey old2soon.  Thought you might like this one.  Ran across this while going thru old pics after reading Wayne's post.  This is from the late 70's when I was working at NAS Boca Chica.  Those are OMD's SAR birds.
-RP

          NOW-Imagine yourself on a flight deck at night with 10 or 12 of those ready for launch. Then about 20 minutes after launch you now recover 8 or 10 of them. Oh-and while yer at it-the helos have to launch and recover also. Thanks for the picatures. Brought back some fond memories. Was on wikipedia yesterday looking at the Stoofs and the C-2 Greyhounds. 2 fine examples of U S Navy carrier capable aircraft built by Grumman Iron Works!  RIDE SAFE.

[Firefighter]

That F-82 photo was a long time ago, FAA wont let you fly over the crowd any more, wish they still did. I have lived in Harlingen Texas all my life and we had the Confederate Airforce here for a lot of years, they moved to Midland. CAF started in Mercedes about 15 miles from Harlingen with a couple crop duster pilots who could not stand to see all the warbirds destroyed..

They had a Twin Mustang at Harlingen in a hanger flew one airshow that I can remember, and then was sitting for years, cool plane.