The Domesticated Man

I can add something to my list of things I can do. Today I made my first batch of Apricot Pineapple jam; 20 pints in just over 2 hours....and it even tastes good! It was so easy that I'm eyeing my Plum tree and thinking about making Plum preserves in September. Move over Emeril...

John Mildon...Everyone's Friend

My friend, everyone’s friend, John Mildon passed away last night. He is known in local flying circles as the “curmudgeon”, but don’t let that word fool you. John was a gifted pilot, writer, and a skilled craftsman. John had the vision to see how things should be, and his incredible wit always brought a smile.

Since I met John about two and a half years ago I have always known him to be a straight shooter; he always told it like it is. I overheard a conversation he was having with another pilot at the airport. John related how good the conditions were for soaring that day. When asked why he came down John replied, “I had to pee.”

I told John that I was having some difficulties with another pilot who was critical of my flying. Before I could finish he said, “Who the h___ is he?” I tried to continue my story of how I had a long phone conversation with this person. “That was your first mistake”, he said. Trying to regroup I said that I followed up the phone call with a very long e-mail. To which he said, “That was your second mistake.”

As I was getting ready to fly my plane I sat in the cockpit fiddling with the flight computer. My friend, Dan Thirkill was watching as I fumbled through the screens. Then he said, “If John were here he would say to just fly the #$%^ plane.”

John told me how my wife is such a sweetheart. When I would visit him in the hospital he would always ask where Peggy was. I said, “John, I think you like my wife more than you like me.” With a laugh he said, “Of course I like Peggy more than I like you!”

John preferred a personal visit and a handshake rather than a phone call. He didn’t like e-mail but liked letters because you could hold it in your hand. He didn’t like cluttered instrument panels filled with gadgets, just the basic instruments. I think we all could learn something from him.

John, I’m going to miss you.

Back in the air again

As I write this I’m still trying to wrap my arms around what really happened yesterday. I had lot of “firsts” along with some disappointments, but overall it was the most rewarding flight I’ve ever done on my own.

Takeoff
My best yet. I had the flaps at -10 degrees which gave plenty of aileron authority. I rolled the flaps to zero and the plane hopped off the ground. I had to hold the stick forward a little to keep from going too high but otherwise it was very nice. I even remembered to make the call out at 200 feet.

Tow
Shortly after starting tow, Stan McGrew, the tow pilot, called me on the radio and asked how the speed was. I said it was just fine. Actually, I didn’t look at the airspeed indicator because my eyes were fixed on the tow plane. I didn’t want to risk getting out of position just to look at my speed. I passed through a couple good thermals but decided to take a high tow. At 8500 feet the variometer was showing that I was going up about 1000 feet per minute. I felt this would guarantee 500-600 fpm lift so I pulled the release.

Soaring
It didn’t take long to lose 1000 feet and that’s not what I wanted. I finally realized that I needed to be a little closer to Big Mahogany because the lift was not in front of it but on top. I stayed there and flew figure eights in and out of two areas of lift. I finally got high enough that the lift was starting to get smoother. For the first time I felt I was starting to relax.

Dan launched after me and it was nice to have him close by. After I got up to about 11,500 feet he said to try going on the lee side of Durst Mountain, something I had never done before. The lift was stronger but the air was rough. I didn’t do very well and was losing more than I was gaining. After a few minutes I thought it best to get back on the windward side. I had lost some altitude trying to fly the rough air, and though I could have made it over the top of Durst, I decided to fly around it on the north side. The remainder of the flight was spent on the front side of Durst and Big Mahogany.

Landing
After flying a lap around the airport I made the radio call and flew the pattern. I could feel my heartbeat pounding as I knew there were a lot of eyes on the ground watching me; Peggy, Dan Thirkill, Lynn Alley, and who knows who else. “Don’t screw this up” I said to myself. Without going into a lot of detail I’ll just say that the landing was ugly, but it was less ugly than the previous flight. The good part was I touched down where I wanted.

Disappointments
I could have flown much longer had I made better turns. That will come in time. I’m still trying to figure out this plane.

Firsts
Most time spent in the air – One hour, forty-five minutes
Most time spent ridge soaring – One hour, thirty minutes
Most altitude gained – 3000 feet
Max altitude – 11,500 feet

Lessons learned
Don’t be afraid to use a steeper bank angle in a thermal.
Fly a wider pattern.
Don’t rush the landing.
Most importantly --Don’t think about what others may think of your flying. Once upon a time they were a young pilot too.

I have been very blessed and I am very grateful to be able to fly. As I was passing through 11,000 feet I called Peggy on the radio and said, “You should see the view from up here!” On the horizon I could clearly see the snow capped Uintah Mountains (and they were beckoning to me). I can hardly wait for the next flight, to have new firsts, to achieve even more than I have on this flight. Truly, soaring is the poetry of flight.