The Aviation Thread

[Faith]

Sure! Tell us which fold style you did? Jet, Glider?

quick and simple, prone to nose-dive.

(internet image, may disappear)

I've done more complex ones but, I'm lazy.

[Donica]

quick and simple, prone to nose-dive.

(internet image, may disappear)

I've done more complex ones but, I'm lazy.

Oh yes! The old super sonic jet lawn dart. We used to put straight pins in the nose and play darts  .

[Faith]

Oh yes! The old super sonic jet lawn dart. We used to put straight pins in the nose and play darts  .

scary, we threw them at each other .. that could hurt ...

[Susan Baum]

When I saw the words "Aviation Thread," I just to turn downwind for a quick touch and go.

Steph, I was fascinated by your post and history. I've never flown an ultralight but they've always looked like they would be insanely fun to fly.

As for me, I let my SEL ticket expire a number of years ago and still regret it. My stepfather and mom had a Cessna 182 with constant speed prop that was a dream to fly when one finally got it trimmed out; other than fuel cost, I paid little to use it. After he and mom had a somewhat disappointing trip to MSY, he spent some heavy $$ and had a full IFR package installed and we all started training under the hood.
About the same time I changed careers and my flying budget became very meager, my stepfather started experiencing dementia and sold 77L without telling anyone; unfortunately, the buyer had less than 20 hours and no business wearing a hood when he drove it (thankfully solo) into the hill just below a local runway as he blithely ignored the tower's altitude warnings... I still wonder how he managed to survive.
And somehow along the way, I also managed to log half a dozen hours or so as PIC in a hot air balloon.

Now, where's my logbook...

Susan

[KatieP]

@Susan, Just so you know,  you pilot's license never expires. Your currency may expire, but the license is good forever. It's easy to get back to the left seat. (Well, in a hot air balloon, I guess I don't know what they call the pilot position...) And with the relatively new "Basic Med" the medical part is MUCH simpler for non-commercial flying.

Check out AOPA (such as https://www.aopa.org/training-and-safety/lapsed-pilots ) for lots of great info to help get you flying again...

Kate

[KatieP]

Stephanie!!! That is Aviation Hall of Fame level credentials! Wow.

You mention PolyFiber. For a long time I was based at Flabob airport, which is where EAA Chapter 1 is based, as is Ray Stitts of PolyFiber fame. He was a cantankerous old coot, but I guess he knew a lot about airplanes and covering them...


Flabbob was, and still is, a hive of subversive aviation activities...


Kate

[Chloe]

. . . as I watch fully laden A380s taking to the sky weighing in at around 600,000 kg. It's a pretty cool sight to see.

         Miss my original airline job Jayne, company has been out-of-business since 1991. My father started with them in 1955 so been a part of my life since Day One! Used to luv watching the Concord take off from JFK, especially with after-burners glowing at night! Just about every car alarm in employee parking would be set off BLARING!

Never flew a 747 simulator but found basic engine start procedures here.
Looks like that "nose-diving glider" could use one!

Alternately gotta miss the "sexism" of the early sixties! Never really wanted to be a pilot trained and qualified as a "flight attendant" instead (alas sigh not as a "stewardess"!) When the "cattle car" 747's arrived in the 70's In-Flight Service became an absolute NIGHTMARE!

[Donica]

If anyone is interested in flight simulators other than professional airline simulators, The older versions of Microsoft Flight Simulators are the best and most realistic that I've ever flown. A lot of flight schools actually use them in their training. My flight school used it too. Check on eBay. I wouldn't bother with the version on the Steam website as they just want too mush money.

[Susan Baum]

Thanks for the aopa link, Kate.
While I may be a "Lapsed" pilot, looking at some of the latest digital cockpit displays almost make an old analog flyer feel like a "lapped" pilot.  Is there a whole new ground school for them???
As for the balloon, all I had to do was stand in a corner near the altimeter and reach up. No yoke, no rudders - no problem. The peace and quiet serenity while aloft is awesome but maintaining lift can be a bit loud.

Donica, I still have a copy of the old MS Flight Simulator and hardware - but my newer computers all scoff at them. 

Susan

[Chloe]

Donica, I still have a copy of the old MS Flight Simulator and hardware - but my newer computers all scoff at them. 

Windows 7 Professional will still run most old stuff. Have 32bit version plus a USB-to-9pin adaptor! Speaking of simulators anyone here ever play in Toolsmith's Sandbox?

[Donica]

Yeah, My Windows 10 machine isn't very user friendly with the older stuff. I still have my old XP machine. When I get the urge fly again, I plug it in and fly a 747 from LAX to JFK lol.

[steph2.0]

Stephanie!!! That is Aviation Hall of Fame level credentials! Wow.

You mention PolyFiber. For a long time I was based at Flabob airport, which is where EAA Chapter 1 is based, as is Ray Stitts of PolyFiber fame. He was a cantankerous old coot, but I guess he knew a lot about airplanes and covering them...


Flabbob was, and still is, a hive of subversive aviation activities...


Kate

Hi Kate,

Wow, living at Flabob must have been awesome. It's known around the world for "subversive aviation activities."

I've done (Stits) Polyfiber, Superflight, Randolph (Ceconite - nitrate/butyrate), and Stewart. I am so sick of smelling MEK! Stits is easy and relatively benign except for the MEK in the glue - unless you use the Aerothane topcoat. The isocyanates in urethanes can kill you slowly, so you have to use a breather. Same problem with Superflight, where the sealers and UV coats are all urethane. Randolph is pretty much obsolete, though I had a customer insist on it once. My favorite is now Stewart, all water based and so easy to work with.

I don't remember if I've posted this before,  but this is what I do:

http://lonepalmaero.com
http://groppotrail.com

Stephanie

[Jade88]

I'm so happy to find this thread...  private pilot here since 2011, and have owned my own plane since 2012.  It's a '73 Piper Challenger (aka stretched Cherokee aka 'model A' Archer).  I've been so busy this year I haven't had time to fly much.  Right now it's due for an annual, so looking forward to getting back in the clouds towards the end of September.

Starting to think seriously about upgrading to a Cherokee 6, Lance, Saratoga, etc...  Love my plane but I'd like more load capacity and slightly more speed and range for my normal missions (approx. 400 nm one way).

Stay safe everyone!

Jenn

[KatieP]

slightly more speed and range for my normal missions (approx. 400 nm one way).

Hi Jenn, I am quite impressed that you have a, "normal mission." That makes it worth having a plane. When I used to work more locally, that is, within about 500 miles from home, I often flew to work locations, and it was fabulous. As work expanded to 1000 - 3000 miles from home, the airlines were better/faster. The last year I owned an airplane, I flew it something like 8 hours, which is an evil thing to do to an airplane.

If you are going to upgrade your plane, you might consider one with a turbocharger. My last plane had a factory turbo, and that greatly expanded the missions that were possible with the plane. And, in the summer, it was almost always cool at 17.5K. (Although the plane was certificated to 29,000, little airplanes in the flight levels always scared me...)

Kate

[KatieP]

I've done (Stits) Polyfiber, Superflight, Randolph (Ceconite - nitrate/butyrate), and Stewart.

...

I don't remember if I've posted this before,  but this is what I do:

http://lonepalmaero.com
http://groppotrail.com

Stephanie

Ummm, did I mention what a Studette I think you are??? 

Kate

[steph2.0]

Ummm, did I mention what a Studette I think you are??? 

[emoji15][emoji44][emoji4]

[Jade88]

Katie

"Normal mission" is flying to see the grandkids...  so it's worth anything I have to make it happen...  lol

Jenn

[Donica]

I'm so happy to find this thread...  private pilot here since 2011, and have owned my own plane since 2012.  It's a '73 Piper Challenger (aka stretched Cherokee aka 'model A' Archer).  I've been so busy this year I haven't had time to fly much.  Right now it's due for an annual, so looking forward to getting back in the clouds towards the end of September.

Starting to think seriously about upgrading to a Cherokee 6, Lance, Saratoga, etc...  Love my plane but I'd like more load capacity and slightly more speed and range for my normal missions (approx. 400 nm one way).

Stay safe everyone!

Jenn

I love the Piper Cherokees. I almost got my HP rating in a Piper Arrow. Those were to good days.

[Donica]

Here's a scary event. I went through a forced landing before I started flight school. Just a bit of background. My friends dad built a homebuilt aircraft called the Cygnet by Viking aircraft. It was a two seater side by side, powered by a VW engine. The builder opted for a two speed pitch control prop system with a switch in to cockpit for climb pitch and cruse pitch. The blades were VERY thin. One Saturday morning as we were dropping into the down wind for 26 at CMA, there was a loud bang and the plane started vibrating so bad that it set off the ELT. The pilot immediately called a mayday, shut down the engine and headed for mid runway for a dead stick. The prop kept windmilling until we got down over the runway at about 100 ft. Plenty of time for a safe dead stick. When we climbed out and took a look at what had happened, we found that 1 half of 1 blade had broken off do to a fault inside the blade material. The vibration was so violent that it broke 3 of the 4 motor mounts, with the fourth mount cracked most all of the way through. It was a good thing that it happened so close to the airport.

For reasons beyond my comprehension, the builder replaced the prop with the same type blade??? Well, As you may of guessed, during a test run on the ground still in his hanger, the blade broke in the same place, sending the broken piece through the hanger roof .

It was an experience that taught me not to panic in an emergency, and to fly the plane first. I did go through a few other non-emergency electrical issues with my ex. She liked how I had to rock the wings to get the towers attention and give us the lights to land. I started carrying a handheld after that lol.

Hugs,
Donica.

[KatieP]

Donica, I would think the weight and balance could be thrown off enough to make a plane quite difficult to land, even at an airport. VERY lucky!

I had a friend who built a "VolksPlane" with a VW engine. He had engine failures TWICE, and each time he replaced the engine with another used/rebuilt VW engine. I told him he should have learned from the first failure. Apparently the third engine lasted well enough, and he eventually sold the plane.

His story has always made me think that even though Continental/Lycoming technology was designed in the '30s, it has stood the test of time. Were I to build an airplane, a small Lycoming would probably be a preference, even though Rotax seems to have the Very Light and Sport plane markets sewn up. But Rotax sort of bothers me because of the gear boxes required, and having to add oil to the fuel like a motorcycle. Sometimes new-fangled technology is not as reliable as the old-fangled stuff...