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Frank Giger
11-12-2011, 03:01 AM
....touch and goes, that is....

Jim (who owns the Champ) took some pictures the last time I flew, but I didn't have a thumb drive with me to get them. Today when I went up for my hour of psychotherapy I remembered to bring one.

In fact, I didn't know he was taking them at the time - he wanted pictures of it landing and went out with his camera. Normally an audience is bad juju, but maybe since I didn't know he (and the other airport guys) were out there it went well.

Slight crosswind - not much to speak of, though...

http://www.darts-page.com/images/tg01.jpg

Eyes on the far end of the runway....

http://www.darts-page.com/images/tg02.jpg

Let it settle...

http://www.darts-page.com/images/tg03.jpg

Rumble-rumble-rumble...

http://www.darts-page.com/images/tg04.jpg

WHAT? No bounce?

http://www.darts-page.com/images/tg05.jpg

And at the center of the runway? Naw...

http://www.darts-page.com/images/tg06.jpg

Let's try that again, it went far too well!

http://www.darts-page.com/images/tg07.jpg

(on another pass)

http://www.darts-page.com/images/Dart_champ.jpg

The leaves are changing color, so I meandered up and down the Coosa river and over the ridgelines just soaking it all in before doing some touch-and-goes.

Joe LaMantia
11-12-2011, 09:33 AM
HI Frank,
What a GREAT little airplane! We had a lull in the wind yesterday morning here in Ohio, so I managed to get some of that same medicine in our club TriPacer. I will be able to hold a positive mental attitude for about a week. Winter is threatening to arrive and that will be depressing, thankfully the Holidays will bring family and enough distraction to keep me mentally stable until spring.

Joe
:cool:

rosiejerryrosie
11-12-2011, 10:18 AM
Hold that thought, Joe. February will be the worst. Thank God it is the shortest....

Frank Giger
11-14-2011, 06:13 AM
My webserver is down for maintenance....pics will return today or tomorrow.

On February, a funny story:

Last winter down here in Alabama was brutal. Temperatures plunged down to the teens at night and only rose to the 20's during the day - not unheard of, but definately disagreeable to our Southern senseabilities.

Jim, my instructor, and I were talking about winter flying and he went on a sort of rant about a student he had during the coldest part.

"So this guy keeps showing up, never once cancelling," he griped, "while I sat in the right seat dressed like an eskimo with my arms wrapped around me and my feet turning to ice, he was wearing a sweatshirt, sneakers, and happy as a clam."

"Wow," I say.

"It was so cold that the examiner couldn't get his plane started and we had to reschedule the check ride," he went on, "and rather than just going home he flew anyway - thank goodness it was solo. Had to of been 25 degrees, and that CTLS doesn't have a heater worth spit."

"Uh, Jim," I say meekly, "that was me, and it was 19 degrees."

:P

"Yeah, well the examiner said he passed you so quickly just to get it over with and warm up a week later."

"Really?"

"Why do you think the oral took an hour and a half for a Sport Pilot? He was trying to figure out a way not to have to fly in the cold!"

Joe LaMantia
11-14-2011, 08:55 AM
Frank,
I don't really mind the cold, having been born and raised in Wisconsin, we're happy when it "warms" up to 20 degrees in January! What I find depressing is the total lack of sunshine from Dec to Feb. Once February rolls around we get some nice bright days and the sun stays up till 5:30 or 6:00. Here in Ohio I rarely see temps below 10 degrees and minus temps are really big news. I don't fly much in winter even though it can be really fun on a bright day. The main problem for me is getting the airplane out of the hanger. The door rails fill-up with snow and that stuff melts and re-freezes to ice, which in turn makes opening the doors close to impossible. Last year I spent several hours getting the airplane pre-flighted and the hanger doors open only to find I couldn't get any traction in the ice puddle in front of the door when I tried to pull the Cherokee out!

I think the cure is to take a winter vacation to Fla. or AZ and get some dual while I wait out the winter, all that takes is time and $. Being retired I have the time, and as usual I will accept cash donations!

Joe
;)

rosiejerryrosie
11-14-2011, 09:46 AM
Huuh, Joe. You didn't tell us where to send the donations..... Frank, apparently, doesn't need donations as he has a very successful advertising business selling space in his signature block....

Frank Giger
11-15-2011, 06:01 AM
When I lived in Montana there were similar problems with snow and ice from late September to (often) late April.

Then I moved back to Alabama.

Problem solved. :)

Joe LaMantia
11-15-2011, 07:50 AM
Frank...Smart Move!
Gerry, All donations can be sent to my attention, ( no sense in bothering my wife) at 749 Crescent Drive, Sidney, Ohio 45365. As of this writing, you cannot take your donation as a charitable gift, but if I receive a large amount I my be able to qualify for tax exempt status! Feel free to dig deep!

Joe
;)

Hal Bryan
11-15-2011, 07:57 AM
My webserver is down for maintenance....pics will return today or tomorrow.

So glad to see them back this morning, Frank! I flew a Champ out of Snohomish, WA, for years, and absolutely adored that airplane. Your pictures and captions really make me miss it...!

rosiejerryrosie
11-15-2011, 09:39 AM
There is a simple joy of flying a simple airplane that all the bells and whistles in the world can never duplicate....

Hal Bryan
11-15-2011, 09:49 AM
There is a simple joy of flying a simple airplane that all the bells and whistles in the world can never duplicate....

Amen to that!

Frank Giger
11-16-2011, 01:48 AM
Yep, nothing like flying a plane without any muss or fuss!

Indeed, we found that messing with the one adjustment - elevator trim - was counter-productive for me. Loads of folks trim the Champ back pretty far before landing to help with the flare, but I wound up fighting this trim, and worse tending to pitch up on the turn from base to final, which is never good.

So I keep the trim for level flight at pattern speed (maybe a quarter inch either way of center). I have much more positive control of the aircraft that way and find I am far less fatigued after an hour of touch-and-goes.

I'm keeping close tabs on the weather for Friday, as the forecasted winds are right up against my personal minimums both in pilot skill and fun factor. But I did break the 40 hour barrier last week! Sixty more and I earn the right to wear a huge, ugly, overpriced watch and pretentious sun glasses.

sdilullo
11-16-2011, 08:33 AM
Nice photos, thanks for sharing! My first solo (http://amileofrunway.blogspot.com/2008/08/lesson-17-solo.html) was in a Champ back in '08 so that little plane will always have a special place in my heart...

rosiejerryrosie
11-16-2011, 09:29 AM
Yep, nothing like flying a plane without any muss or fuss!
But I did break the 40 hour barrier last week! Sixty more and I earn the right to wear a huge, ugly, overpriced watch and pretentious sun glasses.

Frank, I land the same way. Can't be bothered with trimming in the pattern. BTW in addition to the watch and the sunglasses, don't forget to work on your pilot's swagger....:)

Frank Giger
11-17-2011, 08:30 PM
Nice photos, thanks for sharing! My first solo (http://amileofrunway.blogspot.com/2008/08/lesson-17-solo.html) was in a Champ back in '08 so that little plane will always have a special place in my heart...

Outstanding!

Oh, the wife is going to help me get my Passenger Endorsement tomorrow. Turns out the Champ pics were irresistable!

Frank Giger
11-18-2011, 02:24 PM
I had talked the wife into flying with me, but then told her she couldn't come - winds predicted at 12 gusting to 14 would make for a miserable first flight in a Champ!

Not that it stopped me, though. I took the camera with me and just shot randomly out of the open left window and the closed right one, as I had to fly the plane!

I hate waiting! But Jim was teaching a student and making money two ways at once (as an instructor and renting me the Champ). It was an almost perfect crosswind, but slight - the advertised winds hadn't come to pass.

http://www.darts-page.com/images/C_wait.JPG

I put the tail to the runway and did pre-flight checks, turned, and rumbled out after they took off.

He went north to the practice area up yonder, so I went to the east.

Pretty chilly to be on the water, IMHO.

http://www.darts-page.com/images/C_boat.JPG

But then again, it sure was pretty!

http://www.darts-page.com/images/C_bridge.JPG

I stayed clear of the Talledega race track:

http://www.darts-page.com/images/C_track.JPG

And just flew around, enjoying the sites. Maybe not the best emergency field...

http://www.darts-page.com/images/C_tile.JPG

I felt pretty good just tooling around, though when I slipped once the air came through the window it was kind of chilly. Well, I guess it was!

http://www.darts-page.com/images/C_chill.JPG

The wind wasn't as bad as predicted on take off, but I could tell things were gusting up based on being bumped around; my decision to leave the redhead at home was the right one. I used an Alabama windsock to get an update on the wind:

http://www.darts-page.com/images/C_wind01.JPG

Hmmm, that would be what to the runway?

http://www.darts-page.com/images/C_wind02.JPG

Well, straight across, of course! Switched over to the weather radio and heard wind at 11 from 110. Runway is 3/21. Dealer's choice!

I picked 3 just because.

Out and around and into the pattern, taking a closer look at that fire on the way:

http://www.darts-page.com/images/C_wind01a.JPG

Landing was fun! I took the Champ left, then right, then left and then swooshie dippy swoosh to the right, gave her a little throttle and wound up with a really pretty wheel landing right down the center!

Suprised me in that the main just kissed the runway.

Oh, now that rocked! Up and around for another!

Lots of burbly crap on final and then the wind just gave up at the numbers; I three pointed without any fuss. Humph. Up and around!

I heard Jim and his student coming in and knew I had plenty of time; it also confirmed my hour was about done.

Three pointed it with zero drama and got off the runway at the first turn off past the numbers, just in time to see Jim's student do a two-fer. Just weird, though, how my last landing was without having to do anything pilot-y.

We settled up the bill, chatted, and as I drove away from the airport the windsock was laying flat against the pole. I knew that last landing wasn't any sort of mastery - it was a gimme!

Joe LaMantia
11-19-2011, 10:07 AM
Hey Frank!,
Very Pretty Pictures! Kinda reminds me of the "Lake Country" west of Milwaukee where I learned to Fly!

Joe
:cool:

rosiejerryrosie
11-19-2011, 12:14 PM
Yessss. Very nice pics and good commentary. Keep flying and keep posting!

Frank Giger
11-20-2011, 04:50 AM
This Friday's flight is gonna get scrubbed, as my work schedule changed and I'm working Thursday.

I work third shift (2300-0700) and have to be really careful about fatigue, especially since I'm working against my body's normal clock. Lots of times I feel awake and ready to go after work, but in fact I've lost some fine motor skills; I check it by juggling - I normally stink at it, but after a shift am absolutely miserable. It's sort of like drinking coffee after drinking alcohol; one might be awake but that doesn't mean one isn't under the influence.

I grabbed the controlled airspace DVD from Sporty's and am going to take the time to get it to sink in using an old technique instead. Namely I'm going to mark out an airport and the different points where one does stuff in the back yard. Then it's arms out ("I'm and airplane!") and walk in, stopping at each point to rehearse the tasks and expected radio calls, "land," and then "fly" out until released.

If anything it should be entertaining to the neighbors.

It might sound like a silly thing to do, but I used that technique in the Army to teach my guys how to call in close air support and medivacs - it works!

I want to get the controlled airspace endorsement before the plane is finished to open up more airfields to me; after that it's saving up for the basic aerobatics course (Greg Koontz's place is just up the road!). I don't plan on competing or anything; I figure it as a class in precision flying that will put more tools in my pilot box.

Plus I got a real kick out of spin training....

rosiejerryrosie
11-20-2011, 08:51 AM
I like your technique for learning new, complex tasks. It breaks them down into smaller segiments and the physical movement involved helps to sequence the smaller segiments into a coherent whole.

Frank Giger
11-25-2011, 12:17 AM
It gives one a certain level of "muscle memory" in the tasks and puts things into a three dimensional perspective; it's really weird but it actually translates to larger scales and time frames.

The downside is that it is really easy to make it too sequential and rote, and thereby inflexible. Miss one step and you can get really lost if you get too comfortable with the how and lose the why.

bookmaker
11-25-2011, 06:30 AM
Hey Frank.

Looks like you're having way too much fun. Nice photos.

I need to get my butt back in a Champ.

Dale

Frank Giger
11-27-2011, 12:50 AM
Gotta build up the tailwheel hours as I get hot on the Nieuport! It would be a real shame to ground loop it on the first test flight!

I was supposed to go up Friday, but got called into work. It really hurt to make the call and cancel, but I can't find any good reason to fly at 1000 after being up all night. Even though the projected winds of 14 miles an hour crosswind fell to just four actual down the runway, with temps in the mid 60's. CAVU as well, naturally.

Sigh.

I cranked up the wind and gusting in Rise of Flight and practiced wheel landings in a SPAD as a way of easing my pain.

rosiejerryrosie
11-27-2011, 11:46 AM
Frank, it has been said that there are two kinds of tailwheel pilots - "those who have ground looped and those who will". I got mine out of the way early - my first attempt at landing on a paved surface....was drifting a bit sidways on touchdown and from that point on it was just hoping that I didn't hit anything solid....