fiebichpvJanuary 30, 2011, 1:51am
It happens every year. Sometime during January in Kansas, we will get several days of warm weather with very little wind which breaks us out of this usually cold and windy month. The "thaw" this year peaked on the 28th and 29th, achieving high temperatures of 72 F degrees one day and 70 F degrees the next. This broke an old record and tied another. Having not flown for two weeks (my last flight was only 15 minutes in 33 F degree temps), this nice weather's temptation to great to ignore.
With "honey-do's" for the day completed and my Tiger Moth being on hold while waiting for a mid-project technical inspection, I headed for the Selby Aerodrome (35KS) to do some flying! After uncovering my AirBike and doing a pre-flight inspection, I pulled the Armstrong starter. She fired off on the first pull---only to die 20 seconds later. A second pull resulted in a "4-cycling" engine which soon settled down to the staccato noise typical of my Rotax 503.
Completing the pre-flight engine check, I saluted Don Forse who also came out to fly and then taxied to runway 17. It was a beautiful day, bright sun, blue sky and a direct crosswind of 5-10 mph. Aileron into the wind, throttle fully advanced, my takeoff roll quickly resulted in liftoff. I separated from my shadow. Adjusting for windage, I crabbed while climbing to 300 feet AGL anticipating a pleasant hour of flying and visiting.
First stop was a 15 minute flight (at 75mph---nice tailwind) to Udal's Cherokee Strip (18KS) where I visited Rick Girard who was working on his Kolb. En-route I took a couple of photos while passing over the Arkansas River. This is always a pretty flight, even in winter when everything is a dull brown and there is no snowcover. There was no ice on the river, the water was low and the sand bars were huge at each of the river's bends.
Because Kansas is quite flat, no rivers run straight, they all meander. Sometimes they double back on themselves creating islands where the river breaks through the small land bridges. Once the land bridge is breached, the river never returns to that loop. The water surrounding the island gradually silts in and dries up. The land eventually is returned to cultivation.
Flying low over the sand bars, one can see ample evidence of winter life: Deer and dog tracks, tire tracks from ATVs, and occasionally, human footprints. Once in awhile there are two wheel tire tracks having no obvious start or end. Could they be from a really daring ultralight pilot doing a touch and go on a sand bar? Or perhaps a UFO landing there while trying to steal our women?
Leaving Rick's place at Cherokee Strip, I took off in the opposite direction I landed. With the crosswind at his runway same as mine, flight direction didn't matter. This also shortened the travel time to my next destination, Pilot Point 10 minutes away. My low pass over that runway let folks know that AirBike Ace was out securing the territory and protecting women and children.
Next fly-by was Alley Field in Douglass, better know as the "Alaskan Bush Country" airport because of being on a steep hill. It is much more than an "incline." I made two passes and observed that "the lights were on but no one was home." Time for me to go home.
The low slanting sun's rays highlighted the slight twinge of green created by last fall's planted winter wheat. A definite clue that winter's waning.
The setting sun shone directly into my eyes making looking into it not only difficult but painful. Casting my gaze sideways and down I noted familiar terrain while flying in the direction of Selby Aerodrome. At 5800 RPM my ground speed was 56 MPH into that previously useful tailwind now an obstinate headwind. In twenty minutes I entered Selby's pattern. Three practice landings later I had filled my fun-quotient for the day and taxied to the hangar.
One of the resident hangar landing judges, Bill Bailey (a.ka. "Avenger"), was sitting at the picnic table when I stopped at the hangar's concrete apron. With the engine shut off, I could hear him say "Two out of three Paul, not bad but I had expected better out of you." Bill can be quite critical at times, hell, nothing broke or fell off the plane during landing. Wasn't that good enough?
AirBike Ace
With "honey-do's" for the day completed and my Tiger Moth being on hold while waiting for a mid-project technical inspection, I headed for the Selby Aerodrome (35KS) to do some flying! After uncovering my AirBike and doing a pre-flight inspection, I pulled the Armstrong starter. She fired off on the first pull---only to die 20 seconds later. A second pull resulted in a "4-cycling" engine which soon settled down to the staccato noise typical of my Rotax 503.
Completing the pre-flight engine check, I saluted Don Forse who also came out to fly and then taxied to runway 17. It was a beautiful day, bright sun, blue sky and a direct crosswind of 5-10 mph. Aileron into the wind, throttle fully advanced, my takeoff roll quickly resulted in liftoff. I separated from my shadow. Adjusting for windage, I crabbed while climbing to 300 feet AGL anticipating a pleasant hour of flying and visiting.
First stop was a 15 minute flight (at 75mph---nice tailwind) to Udal's Cherokee Strip (18KS) where I visited Rick Girard who was working on his Kolb. En-route I took a couple of photos while passing over the Arkansas River. This is always a pretty flight, even in winter when everything is a dull brown and there is no snowcover. There was no ice on the river, the water was low and the sand bars were huge at each of the river's bends.
Because Kansas is quite flat, no rivers run straight, they all meander. Sometimes they double back on themselves creating islands where the river breaks through the small land bridges. Once the land bridge is breached, the river never returns to that loop. The water surrounding the island gradually silts in and dries up. The land eventually is returned to cultivation.
Flying low over the sand bars, one can see ample evidence of winter life: Deer and dog tracks, tire tracks from ATVs, and occasionally, human footprints. Once in awhile there are two wheel tire tracks having no obvious start or end. Could they be from a really daring ultralight pilot doing a touch and go on a sand bar? Or perhaps a UFO landing there while trying to steal our women?
Leaving Rick's place at Cherokee Strip, I took off in the opposite direction I landed. With the crosswind at his runway same as mine, flight direction didn't matter. This also shortened the travel time to my next destination, Pilot Point 10 minutes away. My low pass over that runway let folks know that AirBike Ace was out securing the territory and protecting women and children.
Next fly-by was Alley Field in Douglass, better know as the "Alaskan Bush Country" airport because of being on a steep hill. It is much more than an "incline." I made two passes and observed that "the lights were on but no one was home." Time for me to go home.
The low slanting sun's rays highlighted the slight twinge of green created by last fall's planted winter wheat. A definite clue that winter's waning.
The setting sun shone directly into my eyes making looking into it not only difficult but painful. Casting my gaze sideways and down I noted familiar terrain while flying in the direction of Selby Aerodrome. At 5800 RPM my ground speed was 56 MPH into that previously useful tailwind now an obstinate headwind. In twenty minutes I entered Selby's pattern. Three practice landings later I had filled my fun-quotient for the day and taxied to the hangar.
One of the resident hangar landing judges, Bill Bailey (a.ka. "Avenger"), was sitting at the picnic table when I stopped at the hangar's concrete apron. With the engine shut off, I could hear him say "Two out of three Paul, not bad but I had expected better out of you." Bill can be quite critical at times, hell, nothing broke or fell off the plane during landing. Wasn't that good enough?
AirBike Ace