Pietenpol-List: Summer Morning Flight....
Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2000 10:11 am
Original Posted By: Lutz Gebhardt
Just a note to those still working hard on their dream Piet,I woke up this morning to our hungry 5 month old and made him a bottle a5:30am. The day dawn was breaking and the morning light was beginning toturn the sky gray-blue. Not a cloud in site. I had to make a trip to theairport anyway to drop off my canoe, so I got dressed and headed south 13miles to Springville in our Suburban with the 17' canoe strapped to the top.I rolled the piet out on the ramp as the first rays of sun were hitting thebeacon tower. There is a brand new Chevron windsock at the top and itglowed in the morning sun. I buttoned up my flannel shirt right to the neckand flipped the prop through a couple times. Gas on, throttle cracked,altimeter set, mags to the left, dodge the strut and I find myself choked upon the Sensenich. I pause for just one second at enjoy the silence that I'mabout to disturb. Heh heh. Where shall I go today?...Swing my right leg back and heave down on the prop from the 10 o' clock,I'm back in the thirties. The Continental 65 churns the air, slapping thecanyon breeze. I just love that sound. Ear plugs in, Helmet on and trundleinto the cockpit. The sunshine is blinding though perforated by the prop.I give it a bit of throttle just to cut the dizzying hypnosis. Seat belton. Goggles on, check the oil pressure, start the stopwatch. Hey someonedropped of a Malibu on the ramp since I was here last. A tailwind scoots mealong my mile plus journey to the other end of 30. I wonder if that redtail fox is out again this morning. Mag check, carb heat check. No oneelse in the air, I taxi out on 12 looking straight up Spanish Fork Canyon.The wind is stronger out in the open. Throttle forward to the stop. Heh,no real change in ground speed, but the tail wants to come up. Nice. I'moff way before the first set of VASI lights. 500' before the first hangercomes underwing and I head south. I-15 rolls south and I pick myspeedometer. A cement truck. The funny kind that have the barrels thatdump out over the cab. Other cars pass him, they must be speeding! Nodoubt.Spring Lake is still in the shadow of Mt. Nebo, but I am determined to wakeup a co-worker living there. enroute is Philips Sod Farm. I haven't landedthere for almost a year. Wonder if I'm still welcome... Low pass and awing waggle to the early rising sod cutters indicate that I am. Maybe nexttime, looks like I'd be stuck there all morning giving rides if I touchdown. Climbing again, circle twice over Jim's house, neighbor waves, Jimmust be in the shower. Time to head home. Low pass going the other waydown the sod strip and a sharp pull up at the end for fun. There is no windin the valley, away from the mouth of the canyon. Did you smell that dairyfarm? North through the empty practice area getting bored with the beauty,I wing over to the left and then to the right. A plodding single engineCessna 1500' above heading south. How I love being bored. Back in the 'pattern' I'm alone again. I pretend I have a radio andannounce downwind to the birds and make a tight pattern over midfield. Archaround base to final killing some altitude, everything happening so slowly,and even slower as I roll out to final. My friend the morning canyon windis still dumping air into the valley. Still at 400' and 1/4 mile I see a185 and a Cherokee taxing out. They must be going together, cause theairport just isn't busy enough to have two planes heading out at the sametime otherwise. I show off a bit and extend my landing, and touched down ata crawl. I still had most of a mile or runway left and not wanting to taxiforever into the wind, I pushed the levers forward and sailed along attwenty feet for another 15 seconds. Touch-down the second time was assatisfying as the first even without anyone looking. Slow taxi back to thelight tower and watch the prop wind down as I coast to a stop in front of myairplane shed. Pushed back against the chocks, I fish my pocket for thepitot cover. The radio clock in the car says 7:12 am. The Skywagon lifts off as I exit the airport fence. Keep building. It is worth it.Steve E.NX7229R________________________________________________________________________________Date: Wed, 14 Jun 2000 17:21:23 +0200
Just a note to those still working hard on their dream Piet,I woke up this morning to our hungry 5 month old and made him a bottle a5:30am. The day dawn was breaking and the morning light was beginning toturn the sky gray-blue. Not a cloud in site. I had to make a trip to theairport anyway to drop off my canoe, so I got dressed and headed south 13miles to Springville in our Suburban with the 17' canoe strapped to the top.I rolled the piet out on the ramp as the first rays of sun were hitting thebeacon tower. There is a brand new Chevron windsock at the top and itglowed in the morning sun. I buttoned up my flannel shirt right to the neckand flipped the prop through a couple times. Gas on, throttle cracked,altimeter set, mags to the left, dodge the strut and I find myself choked upon the Sensenich. I pause for just one second at enjoy the silence that I'mabout to disturb. Heh heh. Where shall I go today?...Swing my right leg back and heave down on the prop from the 10 o' clock,I'm back in the thirties. The Continental 65 churns the air, slapping thecanyon breeze. I just love that sound. Ear plugs in, Helmet on and trundleinto the cockpit. The sunshine is blinding though perforated by the prop.I give it a bit of throttle just to cut the dizzying hypnosis. Seat belton. Goggles on, check the oil pressure, start the stopwatch. Hey someonedropped of a Malibu on the ramp since I was here last. A tailwind scoots mealong my mile plus journey to the other end of 30. I wonder if that redtail fox is out again this morning. Mag check, carb heat check. No oneelse in the air, I taxi out on 12 looking straight up Spanish Fork Canyon.The wind is stronger out in the open. Throttle forward to the stop. Heh,no real change in ground speed, but the tail wants to come up. Nice. I'moff way before the first set of VASI lights. 500' before the first hangercomes underwing and I head south. I-15 rolls south and I pick myspeedometer. A cement truck. The funny kind that have the barrels thatdump out over the cab. Other cars pass him, they must be speeding! Nodoubt.Spring Lake is still in the shadow of Mt. Nebo, but I am determined to wakeup a co-worker living there. enroute is Philips Sod Farm. I haven't landedthere for almost a year. Wonder if I'm still welcome... Low pass and awing waggle to the early rising sod cutters indicate that I am. Maybe nexttime, looks like I'd be stuck there all morning giving rides if I touchdown. Climbing again, circle twice over Jim's house, neighbor waves, Jimmust be in the shower. Time to head home. Low pass going the other waydown the sod strip and a sharp pull up at the end for fun. There is no windin the valley, away from the mouth of the canyon. Did you smell that dairyfarm? North through the empty practice area getting bored with the beauty,I wing over to the left and then to the right. A plodding single engineCessna 1500' above heading south. How I love being bored. Back in the 'pattern' I'm alone again. I pretend I have a radio andannounce downwind to the birds and make a tight pattern over midfield. Archaround base to final killing some altitude, everything happening so slowly,and even slower as I roll out to final. My friend the morning canyon windis still dumping air into the valley. Still at 400' and 1/4 mile I see a185 and a Cherokee taxing out. They must be going together, cause theairport just isn't busy enough to have two planes heading out at the sametime otherwise. I show off a bit and extend my landing, and touched down ata crawl. I still had most of a mile or runway left and not wanting to taxiforever into the wind, I pushed the levers forward and sailed along attwenty feet for another 15 seconds. Touch-down the second time was assatisfying as the first even without anyone looking. Slow taxi back to thelight tower and watch the prop wind down as I coast to a stop in front of myairplane shed. Pushed back against the chocks, I fish my pocket for thepitot cover. The radio clock in the car says 7:12 am. The Skywagon lifts off as I exit the airport fence. Keep building. It is worth it.Steve E.NX7229R________________________________________________________________________________Date: Wed, 14 Jun 2000 17:21:23 +0200