Thomas,
Yes it is a wonderful airplane!
I love my Delta (as she is known) We have been together now for over 10 years and about 1000 hours of intimate flying time. She is very tame and willing. The only time she acts up is in gusty crosswind conditions. Which leads me to this short story.
Last weekend we had an EAA Young Eagles fly day. A cold front had just blown through North Mississippi leaving clear blue skies but cold and windy. I really did not want to get Delta out of her hangar and ask her to fly us in a 15 knot, 90-degree crosswind, but there was only one other pilot. I loaded three eager youngsters up and out we went to RWY 36. The takeoff was very exciting, I must say, and it left me with the knowledge that the landing would be a challenge. We flow around Tupelo and it was so rough that it was not one of those enjoyable flights. The kids LOVED IT, of course, why not; a little bouncing around is fun, right. Okay, time to land! I seriously considered going to a near by airport with a 29 runway but thought that might alarm parents or the kids.
I set up for a long final approach to a wheel landing. With two notches of flaps and at 80 mph I plan to fly her with speed right on to the ground, and then some. Delta is bouncing and bucking as we crab into wind lining up for 36. Tower calls the wind 290 at 14 gusting to 20. I lower the left wing and let her feel the right rudder; she straightens out and points her nose down the centerline.
Delta is still bucking as the wind rolls and tumbles with us relentlessly as we fly over the numbers. I am quite busy making many split second corrections, one hand on her yoke the other at the throttle and both feet working furiously trying stay aligned with the centerline. We bounce and yaw about as if we are nothing to this wind. I have total control of Delta and she is responding, yet the wind is mindlessly trying to take that away. Screeched, left wheel down, now it gets more interesting. Right rudder, left rudder, gentle forward pressure as I ease out of the power. More aileron less aileron, less rudder more rudder, right main down a touch of brake, more brake, less brake. Ahh, tail wheel down, full back pressure, I take deep breath as if I had been held under water and then taxi to the ramp moving the ailerons as required.
Pull the mixture and the C145 sputters to a gentle stop. The kids jump out with huge smiles, oblivious to what Delta had been able to do for them on a day like this. I know the hangar is where Delta should be headed when a buddy says "we've got two more" I ask "is there no one else flying" "NO" is the reply.
Okay, load'em up!
The second flight is very much the same as the first. With one or two exceptions... The wind is 270 at 16 gusts to 20 and the 10 year old youngster up front with me, who is the nephew of the FBO owner and I assume with a bit of flight experience, said after the landing. I THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA CRASH. My reply " ME TOO"
Delta went back into the hanger and I eat a well-deserved hamburger.
You gotta love kids that are interested in aviation and...
God I love my airplane.
Good Luck with your new airplane adventure Thomas.
