Love for Flying

peeelot · Post by **peeelot** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 12:04 am

To all you people out there who bitch I have one thing to say. We all have the same love for flying we all stop to watch a 747 come in to land or watching a 172 do touch and go's with a student pilot ( great Entertainment) so to all you people I want to read about your great times in aviation.

Mine was doing my commercial cross country. I flew from burlington to ST. Louis. It was one event after another. I flight planned 8500 feet ended up over peelee island at 4500 because of weather. Landed in Toledo Made a Sabb340 overshoot because I was too slow on approach even though i was at 90 kts. Landed got searched throught the airplane and our bags the enforcement officer found a police shirt in my dad's bag and found out my dad was a cop and let us go.

Second part of the trip went without anything happening when we landed at another ohio airport I was parked beside a B-25 now that was cooooool just think a 172 beside a b-25 two airplanes who have lasted through time it was breath taking.

On the last part of the trip my Dad got on my nevres so I showed him how to Nav and that got him off my back for a while. He kept on telling me where we were (I already knew because of the DME) and finally after 8 hours we Landed in St. Louis.
\

I could have chosen another ALT for a quicker trip but I am glad I didn't because I will never forget flying 8 hours by hand no auto and to tell you the truth I would have given up that experiance for the world.

I want to know what other pilot did on their commercial cross counrty.

Wasn't Me · Post by **Wasn't Me** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 7:40 am

I went to Freeport from Belleville Ontario. It took about 26 hours with the detours. Had a ball got lost a few times , Almost landed in a parking lot once in a snow storm, we spoted an airport at the last minute and landed there. Had Cristmas Cake with the controllers after they dug us a new orfice. What can I say I'd do it again in a heart beat. that was over 37 years ago. Still brings a smile to my face. I envy the new pilots who still have that thrill to come and on the other hand I enjoy jumping into the twin filing IFR and getting there faster now.

joebloggs · Post by **joebloggs** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 7:47 am

I look back to my training days with real fondness. You have all these dreams about what you will do when you get out into the aviation world with that little piece of paper. I would always feel a rush as I drove out to the airport before a flight, and driving home after with a warm glow of satisfaction, another mission accomplished. Too bad most of those dreams were shattered withtin my first year actually working in the industry as a pilot, but not all!! Cheers!!

peeelot · Post by **peeelot** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 8:20 am

correction on my post

In the end I made a mistake I wanted to say I wouldn't give it up for anything.

tripleseven · Post by **tripleseven** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 8:43 am

I did a trip to LasVegas with my brother. It took 12 hours, no auto. Landed in SLC with a vis of 4 miles in haze (that was pretty crumby for me). Couldn't find McCarren once we got to Vegas. (Could see the strip from 100 sm away though) I told the arrival controller that I had the field visual. Unfortunately, I was looking a smaller airport about 10 miles further. The controller comes back: G***, turn left, 090 (I was heading west), got the airport?" At that time, I realized I was directly over it, and now was on a left downwind for 09R, instead of a straight in, like originally cleared. It was ok though, it wasn't busy at all, and the funniest part is yet to come. We landed, and the hardest part was coming up: trying to exit the runway amongst the sea of blue taxiway lights. They all looked like taxiways to me, so I guessed wrong and ended up 4X4 ing the little birdie through the Nevada desert!! (I know 737 drivers who had the same problem, only they stayed on the pavement.) Anyway, the ground controller had seen enough, so he tells me to stop and sends out a follow me truck to lead us to safety. Vegas was fun. The return trip was equally eventfull.

... · Post by **...** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 8:52 am

Love and Aviation.....

One time I 'engineered a paper airplane that had no equal...

Her maiden voyage in my grade 4 class was a majestic flight...gosh...I still remember it as if it were yesterday...

With a snap of the wrist she pitched slightly nose up and soar all of 30 feet from the back row to the front row and hit Susy Robins in the back of the head...

she was so impressed with my skill as a paper plane engineer...we were boyfrind and girlfriend for 3 whole (school yard) days.

....good times...good times...

pilotbc69 · Post by **pilotbc69** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 1:57 pm

Did mine on a maule m7 on floats. Fom Kelowna to Portland along the coast. Landing in downtown seattle was amazing. Below the skyscrapers and under bridges to find the floatplane base in portland was the most fun I've ever had. It almost felt naughty

.

Shiny Side Up · Post by **Shiny Side Up** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 2:17 pm

I can remember the first time I flew on an airliner, a beautiful orange CP Air bird. We had real china plates and metal cutlery and everything....

I remember an impromptu instruction on "How to strafe a train" during my commercial training. I mean the IFR work and Nav excersises were Ok, but that was just plain fun.

Landing on a parallel runway at Wichita next to a B-1B at sunset. The 182 we were flying was going flat out to keep up, of all the pictures on the roll that didn't turn out!

I remember one of those dual flights on my private where the instructor says "don't tell anyone we did this" snuck up through a hole in the clouds to see the sun set above the cloud layer.

My first solo on a float plane, I wish I could find PJU and take her for a rip again, I loved that bird.

Landing at Banff once upon a time...

phillyfan · Post by **phillyfan** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 2:37 pm

Finally seeing the god forsaken base after flying for 11.2 hours one Saturday while everybody else drank beers and waterskied. I was some happy to find out that they had not drank all the beers yet.

Or the time the weather went for a shit and I was bobbing around in some swamp for 6 hours while the americans kept drinking and drinking until the point where they became violent and beligerant. I can't imagine why? With five of us paked into a Beaver for 6 hours in the fog and pouring rain. I was sure happy when it cleared up.

I hate to say it but most of my joy seems to come at the end of the flying day.
Oh don't get me wrong. I see plenty of pretty sights and visit lots of nice places but it's usually on the way to dig a hole and cut firewood.

$1.85 driver · Post by **$1.85 driver** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 6:45 pm

my first commercial, solo trip...what a thrill (til I got chucked in the lake, but I guess that was thrilling too, in a way...in May!!)

BRRR!!!

wallypilot · Post by **wallypilot** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 7:54 pm

Went from ZBB, down the west coast, stopped for a couple days in San Fran to visit a friend, drove up to sonoma for a day...had some good wine. Next destination, Grand Canyon, had the arrow up to 12 grand (or something like that) then onto palm springs. stayed there for a couple nights visited friends. On to Catalina Island....first time i ever had to drop down through a hole to make the air strip. Stopped in Santa Barbara and had lunch on the beach in November. What an experience.....like the ultimate road trip, with a better view, and more excitement. Heading north, I remember departing out of Monterray bay, and getting up over the coast mtns south of SFO, at night, with a thin veil of cloud below us making it seem like were on top of a thick layer, and seeing all the airliners lined up for SFO international. we were headed for Livermore, but so cool to be in such high density airspace, at night with all the "big metal".

Doc · Post by **Doc** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 9:03 pm

Ah, Birddog...like it was yesterday, man. How's grade 5 going?
Sure did enjoy my 1.5 hours in the Vampire. Got a ride in a Tiger Cat one time....at band camp...
Did a trip back many years in an Arrow to Spanish Wells from YYZ.
Flew from YYZ to YVR in the Dak during an ATC strike (should strike more often) at 500 agl the whole way. That ranks way up there.
And you're right....we all do pause in whatever we're doing to watch a 150 swoop and dive, in an attempt to do a touch and go....and live through it!
I've even shut a Dak down on a taxi way just to listen to a Connie at full throttle taking off beside us! Pure music.
Fly safe everybody!

compilot · Post by **compilot** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 9:54 pm

The trip started in central alberta and after almost 45 minutes of flying we where storm stayed in Medicine Hat for 6 hours then finally made it across the border to Great Falls, Mont. Our flight school took a fleet of 5 airplanes and 12 students on a convoy down to California and Arizona. visibility was really crapy and we down to 800AGL and it was starting to rain, which is normally alright but it was -5. We stayed the night and woke up to a massive layer of ice on the aircraft, we all being poor students weren't about to pay the $200 call out charge for de-ice--so we pulled out are tie-down ropes (one person on each end) and started to rubbing the wings off....like 2 hours later and once the sun came out we were finally on are way (First day travelled 2.5 hours on an estimated 45 hour round trip, it was looking like it could be a long trip).

all of the airplanes travelled at different speeds, we had 172s and 182RGs and we were continually changing planes. Which was all fine until I forgot the key for the 182RG in my pocket as a jumped into the 172. About 45 minutes into cruise the message was relayed up to me that I had the keys in my pocket. Opps!

Not to bore you i'll highlight a few other events.

-one instructor and 2 pilots cut a corner into a Military zone and a fighter jet dive bombs them shooting flares (a few dirty pants on the flight)

-filling pop bottles, because when you have to go; you have to go

-airplanes landing on closed runways

-taking off in an over loaded 172 at an density alt of 9700--I thought we were going to take out the farmers fense half a mile off the end of the runway (we had a climb of 50 feet per minute)

-More craping wheather and always hugh head winds until it came to landing and then it seemed like the wind changed just for us as we were always landing and taking off with massive x-winds

lots of stupid things done but everyone made it back and we learned alot.

Airtids · Post by **Airtids** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 11:34 pm

Shiny:
I know where PJU is, but it's a sad story I'm afraid...

PM if you want.
I too had many good times in that bird. Evans Lake in the Valhallas is a magical place at sun-up on a cold morning, hunkered down with the girlfriend (now wife) in the trappers cabin, hoping the engine will crank (old batteries don't handle the cold so well) so we can fly out. Breakfast first!

Learning that one of your students has made it to the big leagues.

Terrible weather medevac that tests all your skills and decision making abilities and leaves you exhausted like a wrung out towel, but an incredible sense of satisfaction that you were responsible for a difficult job getting done without a hitch. Makes you feel professsional, and justified in pursuing the dream we did.

Young Eagles flights, Airport Tours for Summer Camp.

Any long distance (2-3 hours) charter when the weather is CAVOK and the machines are running flawlessly.

Shiny Side Up · Post by **Shiny Side Up** » Mon Feb 14, 2005 3:40 pm

Yeah, I heard what happened to her, can always wish though to win the lottery and stuff you know.

The best thing I remember about it was flying to a nearby lake in the morning when it had rained the night before. It had rained so much a campground was flooded and people were standing on top of their pic-a-nic tables. They were all waving at us I think they thought we we there to rescue them or something...

shitdisturber · Post by **shitdisturber** » Mon Feb 14, 2005 6:44 pm

Did you steal their pic-a-nic baskets?

hazatude · Post by **hazatude** » Mon Feb 14, 2005 6:46 pm

Hey boo-boo!

http://www.campjellystone.com/

Cool Rythms! · Post by **Cool Rythms!** » Mon Feb 14, 2005 7:22 pm

The good old days. Sure, I remember them well. I remember the days, when I would pull out the old E6-B flight computer, plotter and a calculator, to plan a cross country trip somewhere. I can't really say that my commercial cross country trip was all that far away. I flew from Montreal to Kitchener, ON in a Piper Warrior. I had one passenger, my mom. It was the first time she had come along flying with me. She enjoyed the trip. We had a little something to eat in Kitchener, I got my log book stamped at the local flying club and then it was off for a short hop over to Toronto, to get my book stamped there, then on to Montreal. My mom managed to get a real nice shot of downtown Toronto, almost postcard quality. One of the scariest trips I ever had as a new pilot, was one in which another pilot friend and I flew to Toronto and got caught in a snow squall at night on the way back. It was amazing, how fast we were losing visual contact with the ground. It's scary enough getting caught in a snow squall during daylight, but at night, with little instrument experience, you'd better have an extra pair of underwear packed in your bag. We ended up dropping down as low as 900 feet or so and could still barely make out anything. I finally got a bearing from a nearby VOR and used it to fly to Oshawa. I had never been so glad to be on the ground. We went to the FSS to see where the hell that squall had suddenly come from. It was caused by onshore flow from the St. Lawrence River. The guy at FSS told us, that another airplane had flown through it, a C172. They were in it for about 10 minutes before coming out. But at that stage, with less than 150 hours, the thought of getting caught in weather that you know you should'nt be flying in, is pretty scary. And underwear isn't all that cheap. Anyways, we blasted off again, to head home, ran into some more isolated snow showers and finally, clear skies. We arrived back in St. Hubert safe and sound at around 1:30 in the morning, tied down the airplane and headed home. So far, in my career, I've flown C172's, Piper Cherokee's and Cougar's, I've flown King Air's, I've trained crews on the CRJ at Bombardier, I've flown B727's and now, I'm flying a Citation II jet. But I still miss those good old days, when I was just starting out. If I had any advice to give to anyone, who has aspirations of becoming a pilot, I would tell them....go for it!