ETLB Squawk Forums — Archive

First Part

Like the fast food commercial states "I'm  Lovin' it!"  Same goes for me during my Kansas sunset flight Sunday, 10-14-12.

Home Sick

However, the day didn't start out very well.  I awoke sick with intestinal flu which had its way of keeping me on a short leash to the bathroom. With a miserably sick and nauseated feeling, I moped around the house all day occasionally looking outdoors at the bright sunshine and brilliant hues of the colored fall leaves. I thought, what a beautiful day to fly, and here I am, shackled to the porcelain god.

By late afternoon I had consumed  enough Kayopectate to stop up the Suez Canal while increasing my "cycle time" to a bit over two hours.

After completing a 5:00 "pit stop", I decided to make a run for it---to my hangar, that is.  I just couldn't stay cooped-up any longer and the waning sunshine and lowering wind were calling me---loudly. Actually, they were screaming at me.  Fifteen minutes later I was at the Selby Aerodrome, had opened the hangar door and pushed my AirBike out into the harsh late afternoon sunlight.

Takeoff

A little before 6:00 I was rumbling down the sod runway, climbing above the treeline and flying over the recently harvested circular soybean field. Reaching 500 feet AGL I began a local flight that for the next hour would include landings at Cook Airfield (K50) and Cherokee Strip (18KS).  Dust from another soybean field, this one being harvested, lazily drifted upward from the gleaners as they crept forward like movie monsters. Loaded wagons and an empty semi truck/trailer were nearby.

Throttling back to 5500 rpm, I crossed the Arkansas River (what was left of it after two years of drought) then flew over the circular barn landmark.  L-o-n-g shadows stretched out from the Osage Orange trees bordering every field.  Their crops of beans, hay, corn and Milo, each contributing to the textured surface in which they were confined. A pilot needs to "read" the crops in the event of an off-airport emergency landing.

Only land in a cornfield if it has been either chopped for silage or picked. Never land in a green soybean field, the tangled bushes will stop you cold and flip you instantly. That would be major damage to the plane and you. A dried bean field will work because it has reduced flipping power.  Never deliberately land in Milo.  The seed heads are as large as corn ears and will beat you to death. A harvested hayfield is the best choice. It is almost like landing on a sod runway. However, watch out for the contoured terraced mounds. Like waves in the ocean, land parallel to them, not perpendicular. That is likely more important than wind direction.

Smokin' pass

Reaching Cook Airfield, I had hoped  to see Brent Boggs lifting off in his PPC.  Unfortunately, no one was flying, although a couple of hangars were left open and empty. Entering left downwind, base and final legs, I skimmed the sod runway 01 and let out a stream of smoke its entire length.  Pulling up and over the power lines, I checked my mirror and noted the smoke's brilliance as it was backlit from the setting sun. It was a beautiful snowy white and it's shadow showed clearly on the ground as it trailed me.

Off in the distance I could see the water tower that belonged to Udall. Nearby was Cherokee Strip on which lived Rick Girard, our EAA newsletter editor. A side wind caused me me to crab about 10 degrees to stay on course.  The low sun emphasized  the agricultural fields' contour strips while making red barns and aluminum painted roofs contrast sharply to the terrain.

Continued  on the next panel

Second Part of "I'm Lovin' it"


Admirers

An advantage of flying low is you get to see things on the ground. The corner of my eye catches motion several hundred feet below.  There are four kids standing on a homemade dock extending part way into a watershed.  They are waving madly. They see me and want to be seen by me.  It is sort of a universal need for communication.  I oblige by turning on the smoke system and wgging my wings.  They jump around more. To a pilot, this is like a trucker responding with an air horn blast to a kid pumping his arm at roadside when a semi approaches.

Silently (sort of) gliding in for a landing at Cherokee Strip I pass Rick's house and hangar, touch down, roll, then power up again.  Circling the field I came across Rick's home and made a low smoking pass.  Apparently no one was home but it did scare the dickens out of his free range Ginney chickens. Now on course for Selby Aerodrome, I squint into the setting sun and climb for altitude.

Goin' Home

I love flying from late afternoon and into sunset. The air is still, temperatures fall and the ground takes on a different character. Although the sky is still light, the ground becomes black, broken only by tower strobes, farm lights and vehicles on the roads.  Occasionally a "movie monster" can be seen sucking up a crop illuminated by headlights and a backlit cloud of dust. It reminds me of the scene from the movie Cars where the combines chase 'Mater and Lightening McQueen through the cornfields.

The sun is nearly touching the horizon, the orange ball almost seems liquid as it shimmers like a piece of red hot iron ready to be quenched. Realizing a Kodak Moment, I position the plane to be in the foreground while shooting directly into the sun. Snapping the camera shutter several times, I hope at least one turns out to be a keeper.  This is such a beautiful time to fly, it just begs to be shared.

Entering  the Selby Aerodrome pattern, I cut the throttle and descend to the runway, transitioning from downwind, to base, and then final. I glide closely over the trees at runway's edge, I can almost see the leaf veins. Glide path set, throttle to idle, and my "spot", fixed, I hold that attitude until a few feet above the ground.  In doing so, I pass out of the warm air and suddenly into a pond of much cooler air. It causes me to shiver. It is similar to swimming into deeper water at the summer camp lake.

Touchdown!

Holding a gentle flare, the AirBike settles to the ground touching on the mains and tailwheel simultaneously.  Wow, a perfect (I think) three-pointer!  And unfortunately---no one around to verify it. Oh well, it sure felt good to land like that. A light grip on the brake handle slows me enough to turn off the runway at midfield and taxi to the hangar. As usual after stopping, I let the engine run a moment to cool while I mentally disengage from pilot mode to ground-pounder mode. Then I run through the various switches and valves turning things off one at a time securing the plane, I like to  do that.

I was back on the ground at sunset, good planning!

While completing my post-flight check and securing the plane in the hangar, I hear the unmistakable sound of Don Forse approaching in his Titan Tornado.  He then taxis up the ramp and through the open hangar door stopping once the tail has cleared the threshold.  I mouth "welcome back Don", he waves in acknowledgment from his closed cockpit while shutting down in a manner similar to me.

Mission accomplished; I feel exhilarated, satisfied, and fulfilled. And, I'm Lovin' it!"

Now it is time to hurry back home because my two-hour window is about to close.

AirBike Ace
10-14-12

PS  This started out with the idea of posting a  couple of photos and  their captions.  But it kinda got away from me.  However, I know Dick Rake will like the story. I hope you do too.

Wonderful Story and Pictures,Glad to see you enjoying your bird again.

Paul,

Your stories are never "out of hand". They are always interesting and fun to read. Just the right blend of humor and facts (?) mixed with those things that other pilots can appreciate. Good work my man, keep those stories coming.

Gary

Thanks for your comments David and Gary, it is fun to fly, write and share aviation stuff.

Below are a couple more photos that illustrate the fun I had. However, the smoke photos were taken two days earlier at the same twilight time by Mary Shortridge (EAA Chapter 377 of Garden City, KS) when she and a couple of aviation friends visited the aerodrome.  The house and lake photo is a favorite of  mine and was taken during October of last year.  It helps to illustrate what the landscape was like before the sun set.

AirBike Ace

Hi Paul;
As always, great stuff. Glad you are back in the air again too. That means more pictures and stories, LOL.
Bob

Hi Paul!!
Great photos and an even better story!!  You have a way with words that I envy!!  Beautiful countryside where you live.  Keep enjoying it!!  

Claude

Great story Paul.  I don´t know if I´would have the nerve to take off with such an unstable stomach....Well, maybe in the airbike an emergency situation of that kind would be easier to manage  LOL

Feel like I came along for the ride with you. Thanks Ace.

Paul, you may have missed your calling!  You are a superb writer!  I think you should
write a book on your Airbike travels and adventures.  It would make for very enjoyable
reading.  I know you have traveled to a lot of places on the airbike, and I hope you
have kept some kind of log or diary of your travels.  Maybe some day you will compile
them into a book for all to enjoy!

Second !!

Gary and Kurt, a book of my flying adventures is in the works...sort of.  I have a collection of over 50 stories, some of which have been posted here.  They all deal with some aspect  of AirBike Ace's struggle to win the upper  hand against the Huns and  save the fair maidens on the Eastern Front.  This among other flying  topics make up the book's content.  I appreciate your suggestion to put them into a book, my fear is that not enough people would  enjoy them  to offset the  cost of publication and effort spent editing them.

However, I will increase  my thoughts on this project and try to get something organized and published.  Thanks for your motivating comments.

Paul Fiebich

I think a book would be a great idea!  It may be worth checking into the options available for self publishing or possibly getting a small run of books printed.  I have no idea what services are available, or at what prices though.  You can count me as a future customer should you make it happen though.

Paul,

In this computer world publishing occurs with the push of a few buttons. There are many cases of publications that have never been on a printed page. I don't know how it is done or how you could profit from it. Worth checking into. Know anybody in the journalism world at a local college ? If you are not interested in the profit side you could do it online and direct it toward aviation inquiries. I've seen many web sites with the authors body of work on them. My wife has downloaded stories on her Kindle that can't be found in the book stores. But my knowledge of the workings of such things is totally inadequate. The online route removes most of the cost issues. If you do get the project off the ground will a discount be offered to bonafide "Buzzards" ? lol

Gary

Hey Paul...I suggested a book 5 years ago...thats why I thought you were adventuring in the airbike to fill the chapters with all the good fun and facts....!

regards Arthur

I am just hoping that if he writes a book all the names will be changed to protect the guilty.

Quoted from Avenger I am just hoping that if he writes a book all the names will be changed to protect the guilty.

Because of something like this?

Hi Paul;
If you write and publish a book, I want one. I will be a permanent customer. I enjoy reading your stories. I would be proud to own one of your books, and any future ones.
Thank you for taking the time to write the stories for us.
Bob

Quoted from Ricardo

Because of something like this?

In a word......yep

It's obvious the Air Bike Ace has the fun meter PEGGED every time he takes flight! Imagine the stories if he had a... Tandem Airbike!... a tandem airbike with a... a REAR facing seat! Yeah that's it! A tandem airbike with a rear facing seat, and... say.... AVENGER as his tailgunner! Wouldn't that be some good material for a story! Just listening to them two on the intercom would probably be a gem!

Now that is an interesting concept, a gunner to cover your six. Would the Ace give Avenger the call sign of "Goose" ?? lol

so which one speaks german...?

and I thought you guys were my friends.....lol   the advantage of a rear facing seat is you won't see what is coming.... which has happened to me a few times in a front facing seat.... my call sign would probably be... crash or boom... or watch this.....

I'm not  so  sure I  would  want  to put a gun in Avenger's hands, expecially if he sitting that close to me.  I have seen what he can do to a hangar with  the MiniMax "weapon".

Paul Fiebich

Well, if the Ace goosed the "Goose" in the rear seat he might speak some unknown language. lol  Not sure it would be German. Maybe they should go with an Airsoft gun to avoid any unplanned destruction. Could you take a hanger down with those little rubber balls ? LOL   Ahh, I can see it now Paul's first book title "The Tandem Adventures of Airbike Ace and Mini Airbike Ace."  rotflol now. "he,he"

Gary


Hey Avenger, the Southern version is "Hey Y'all Watch This". That is usually heard just before the sound of the sirens on the ambulance........

Pretty much the same way here... I might not be a redneck... but it might be pink..... mini airbike ace.... that is a hoot... I am on a diet so soon I hope....

well as long as those little rubber BB's don't puncture the fabric, otherwise you would have to watch out that he didn't shoot their own tail feathers off. all the huns would have to do is get directly behind them and then save ammo and let him shoot themselves down, lol.

[quote=991]well as long as those little rubber BB's don't puncture the fabric, otherwise you would have to watch out that he didn't shoot their own tail feathers off. all the huns would have to do is get directly behind them and then save ammo and let him shoot themselves down, lol.[/quote

All y_all of little faith....Because of AirBike and I Huns are as scarce as jack rabbits in Alaska  Oh sure one sneaks in once in a while but we have them covered.  Since we got the pumkin launcher we even get one from the ground ever so often.  If you load it with cantalopes you get a shotgun effect, a nice pattern.

Maybe Ace and Mini Ace should collaborate on the book. Both seem to have a knack for humorous writing.

Gary  

Quoted from Garyk Maybe Ace and Mini Ace should collaborate on the book. Both seem to have a knack for humorous writing.

Gary  

Every word written by the Ace and I are fact.... true in every respect.. not a bit of stretching of the truth has pass our keyboards.... as far as anyone knows or can prove.... I swear on Ace's landing gears....really