Flying is Exhilarating!
Do you like to fly? I do!
Shown above is the Mooney 201 that I used to fly. Below that is the Mooney 201 instrument panel. The Mooney is a high performance airplane capable of speeds up to 201 MPH, hence the name. It is a 4 passenger, low-wing single engine airplane with a constant speed prop and the engine is fuel injected. The landing gear is retractable. Once you retract the gear, this plane really rockets forward. This Mooney had a storm scope and auto pilot. It was so fun to fly.
The other plane that I flew for many hours was a 1977 Cessna Cardinal. That is a Cessna 177B. It was a 4 passenger, high-wing fixed gear single engine airplane with a constant speed prop. This thing would cruise all day at speeds up to 145 MPH sipping 10 GPH (Gallons of Aviation Fuel per Hour). There was so much room in the Cardinal, I could stretch my legs out to the other side of the cockpit, unlike the Mooney that was built like a Porsche with not much room between the Pilot and passenger/copilot.
Other planes I built up time in include a Cessna 150, Cessna 152, Cessna 172 and a Piper Arrow. I got my Private Certificate in 1976 and my Commercial and Instrument ratings in the 1990’s. It was so much fun to fly. For several years in the 90’s, I flew Air Lifeline missions for Air Lifeline. When I flew a mission, which was completely free to the passengers, there were two scenarios. I would either pick up the patient and their fellow passenger at their home location in Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine or New York and then fly them into Boston’s Logan Airport. The other scenario would be that I would fly into Boston’s Logan Airport and pick them up there. Then I would fly them to their home location. It was very fulfilling but sad to see that many of the patients were young children with cancer who were getting treatment in Boston. When I flew patients, my airplane call became Lifeguard 34687. For all those missions, I flew the Cardinal.
Unfortunately, due to the high cost of flying, I decided to “retire” from flying. I could still fly today at a moments notice if I needed to step in to land a plane if there was an emergency with the pilot. For me, flying is like riding a bicycle. Once you learn, you never really forget how to do it.
If you want to find out how my dream became a reality, select this link. It will take you to a page I created many, many years ago. In 1997, I created The Outhouses of America tour and this page tells you about how I got interested in flying and how in a weird way, a flying outhouse got into a Christmas Letter.
You’ll discover that dreams really do come true!
Come on! You mean to tell me you have never seen a Flying Outhouse?
Check out the Flying Outhouse and hundreds of other outhouses by taking
The Outhouses of America tour.
Oshkosh!
What in the world is Oshkosh anyway?
See the World’s Greatest Aviation Event now!
If you are interested in what it sounds like to listen to ATIS, pick up an IFR clearance to fly into Oshkosh and then the air to ground communication as I approach and land at Oshkosh, click on the links below and you will learn what it sounds like. Listen to my arrival & departure from Oshkosh by clicking the links below.
For one week in the summer, Oshkosh becomes The World’s Busiest Airport! You’ll be amazed! If You Look Up When You Hear an Airplane…Select this Link!
Picking up IFR Clearance from Flint, MI to Oshkosh, WI – July 1994
Listen as I pick up my clearance into Oshkosh and depart the airport.
Contacting Oshkosh Approach and Arrival to Landing. – July 1994
Listen as I am cleared for the VOR 27 approach and then contact the tower, land and cancel IFR
Wow!!! We have Landed at Oshkosh!!! – July 1994
After landing, the adrenaline is really flowing.
Listen to the conversation as Johnny & I converse about what just happened!
ATIS! Listen in on the current weather and taxi instructions at Oshkosh. – July 1994
See if you can remember everything that is said!
Contacting Clearance Delivery at Oshkosh prior to Engine Start. – July 1994
Think you can copy an IFR clearance at the busiest airport in the world?
Listen as I pick up my IFR clearance to depart Oshkosh.
CLEAR! Engine has started. Now it’s time to taxi to the active… – July 1994
Listen in as I try to taxi to the departure end of Runway 27 at Oshkosh. We are cleared for take-off. Listen as we depart and begin our climb to 7,000 feet.
