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The First Flight

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  • The First Flight

    A nice cool morning in Fayette County , TN. Winds at 5 blowing right down the runway! Oh my goodness , you know I had to go fly ! Got 65 pounds off the old girl from removing electrics and some foo foo interior stuff ! The best part is I got 225 lbs of CFI out of the airplane too! Airport manager propped the old girl while I sat at the controls,...excited, alittle nervous,...but way more than ready.
    Pretty chilly out so she took awhile to start getting warm. I think it was her own little personality saying,...hey why haven't you flown me in over a month? A long taxi to the end of the runway. Cropdusters were swarming like a bees to and from a hive at the airport. I had to keep my eyes open for traffic very well today. After a good run up I entered the runway and we started on our first journey together.
    Tail up right nicely! Like a peacock, she was strutting her stuff, and I was grinning from ear to ear. Off the ground and into the air flying south at 1,200. Watching for bees from the hive, and smiling. It just wouldn't go away! To the south I went, I have waited along time to fly over my house, you know? Sure didn't take long to get there, the old girl was cruising nicely at 100mph. I couldn't help but think WOW, I didn't think she could move like that! I looked at the tach,...no not in the red line, this old girl just wanted to fly today. I kept on grinning as I pulled the throttle back to get a 95 cruise. Several circles over the house and I headed back north.
    I could see the airport very clearly from my house as I climbed to 2,000 on my trek to the north. The bees were still there! Sometimes two on the runway at a time, with another coming in for a landing. These guys had worked together before, you could tell. I headed about a mile and a half east of the airport and just circled alittle to watch these guys work. A Citation came in,....WOW FYE is just a regular Memphis International today I was thinking. I made a last circle to the right, smiling, thinking about how long it took to get here....alone with a ticket in my hand, PIC of my own airplane.
    Some pattern work would of been nice today, but decided against it with my "bee" friends really swarming. I got into downwind when I saw a break to get inbetween two of the cropdusting aviators. A little faster than normal approach was on my mind so I could get out of these working pilots way. I turned final at 70, then just put the throttle to idle. Ahhh, starting the fun ride to bleed off speed. Over the numbers I go.
    Starting to want to settle a bit now,...what did that CFI always tell me? AHHHHH Yes,..like I'd forget, PATIENCE ! The Taylorcraft , she will come down when she is ready, be patient,...fly the old girl. Fast glance down , hmm 50....wheels on the ground, she wants to go again but yoke back and she settles out nicely. All grins taxing back up by the Airport office and over to my north hangar. I noticed my grin was alot wider than the Citation pilot's ,....hmmm, he just needs alittle tailwheel time I thought to myself.
    We were back home, she shut down very well, and almost seemed to beg to go fly again. I just had to be stern and tell her," Girl, ya know these cropdusters are in and out today, we'll get out of their way." Grinning from ear to ear like I had done something I went in the office and told the guys how she flew. I was tickled ! My first flight in my airplane as a pilot had ended, but there will be many more. I won't ever forget this one I am sure.
    Patrick Dixon

    1946 Taylorcraft BC-12D NC43328

  • #2
    Re: The First Flight

    Thanks for sharing, Pat. This brings back memories for more than just me, I am sure. Glad you are having fun.
    Cheers,
    Marty


    TF #596
    1946 BC-12D N95258
    Former owner of:
    1946 BC-12D/N95275
    1943 L-2B/N3113S

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