ETLB Squawk Forums — Archive

Flight window opened

Sunday evening the wind dropped down to 10 MPH by 4:00 and was forecasted to be light and variable by sunset.  Shortly after sunset a weather watch was predicted with winds up to 50 MPH.

With weather like this, a light plane pilot needs to act fast.  Six of us pilots converged on the Selby Aerodrome almost simultaneously and without any prior arrangements.  Four of us were prepared to fly, others were doing maintenance or making upgrades to their machines.

Brian had already flown, Don was getting ready, Bill was changing oil and Krista was pondering the sequence of reassembling her LSA (looks like a Quicksilver tandem).

After some initial socializing, Andy Garrett and I decided that if we were going to get our flight in, we needed to get a move-on. Brian had already flown and Don was getting ready. Pushing our planes into position, we each refueled in turn then moved out of the hangar to do our pre-flights.  

Andy started his engine first and taxied to the runway's end, I soon followed. When he reached the other end of the runway at about 200 feet AGL, I took off and followed him twice around the pattern.  Both our engines ran well and the weather was smooth and cold---almost like a brass toilet seat in a North Dakota privy. This is January in Kansas.

As Andy made another downwind approach I cut my ground track short and came abreast of him.  He got the message that we were now ready to go on a short reconnaissance mission. Heading west into the setting sun and maintaining 700' AGL, we passed near the Derby oil refinery with our intended target of intersecting ICT's extended runway 19R.

Occasionally swapping Point and Wingman positions to photograph each other, I eventually pulled ahead as I knew where the target was;  Rucker Airfield.  It is named after Mr. Rucker who has since Gone West. Descending to near ground level I zeroed in on Rucker's grass strip.

Passing between the trees at runway's end, I continued my descent until making a touch 'n go midfield.  Andy followed doing the same. Climbing after crossing the runway's other end, I made a 180 turn and began a strafing run at the Huns hiding in the ditch paralleling the runway. One of the residential landowners came out of his house and waved a big thank you to both of us airmen.

Mission accomplished, we climbed for altitude again and headed West for Haysville.  The watertower at the town's edge was our landmark.

Being in Point, I angled north so we would overfly Andy's house and then follow the Big Ditch bordering Haysville's northern edge.  Once past the two 2000' tall lighted towers, I banked south and soon had Selby Aerodrome in sight.

Entering Right Downwind with reducing altitude and speed, I made a pre-landing check: headlight on, navigation lights on, fuel valves on, seat belt tight, area clear of traffic.  I soon entered Right Base then Final. Once over the threshold, throttle to idle and let her float in for a full stop landing.  

While taxiing to the hangar, I saw Andy made a smooth landing and followed me into the hangar.  After a de-briefing session and post-flight inspection, we put our trusty steeds away.  I patted my AirBike's nose cowling in appreciation for bringing me home safely.  

Now it is time to head for the nearest bistro for some relaxing bottles of liquid wing-leveler and swooning from the red-headed nurses.  Man, I love this flying stuff!

AirBike Ace
a.k.a. Paul D. Fiebich

I can confirm this story as I was there doing some work to the T-craft, was a great night and good to see the planes up when the winds were down.  Course the weather is always confusing here at Selby airdrome.... it was in the high 50's when they flew... and 17 degrees the next day.  I must admit the landings were a sight to see all smooth as glass which was a bit unexpected since our flying time has been very hit and miss so far this winter.  We do have a new female pilot to be at our place and she is building a tandem plane that Don used to own some years ago.  She is starting ground school soon and hopes to have her license by this time next year.  Good to have a fine looking woman at our place even if it did mean cleaning up the place a bit and the flowers Paul put by her plane was a nice touch.  Always a gentleman Paul is... or a silver fox... sometimes hard to tell.

You guy's have true grit.

Paul is too generous in his account as most reluctant heroes are.

Indeed, I heaved my 40HP steed into the air first. I turned crosswind and then downwind only to see that Paul was already airborne. I did not see his familiar red, white and blue roundels anywhere despite much neck cranking. I completed two circuits of the pattern waiting for him to take the agreed upon lead. Not knowing where he was, I made slow and obvious maneuvers without changing altitude. Soon enough he made his presence known with a descending pass across my nose from upper right to lower left. Separation distance was closer than we had flown before, so at first, I wondered if he saw me, but when he glanced right at me with that barnstormer's grin, I knew I was just being schooled.

I followed his lead off of his right wing and a bit high and behind, always making sure I could see his head. That way, I knew he could see me. I lost sight of my flight leader a couple of times as the setting sun was in my not-clean-enough windscreen causing a troublesome glare, but I was able to re-acquire quickly each time. We approached Rucker Field and began our descent. Paul mowed the grass and I trimmed the trees. His climb out was snappier behind his 50HP beast, so by the time I had made my 180, he was already strafing those pesky Huns. The small arms fire from the ground was pretty fierce, but if you've even been next to the 'world's most experienced Airbike', you know that bullet holes just add the charm.

As we made altitude and flew over my house, I did a quick perimeter check of the property. Comforted that all was secure on the home front, I followed the Ace's flashing beacon to separate the tan and brown single seat boredom-fighter from the similar colors it was cast against on the ground. Like any good flight leader, he led the approach to our home base being more careful than I was to avoid the airspace of the local AFB.

I stretched out my pattern to give the 'Airbike Ace' plenty of time to clear the active runway and made my own touchdown with an extended rollout just for effect.

Thus ended this recon flight of the venerable 'Selby Squadron'. As the resident ELSA rookie, I look forward to many more lessons from the master. Bring on those red-headed nurses.

Hmm wish I was there...!!

regards Arthur