A Day to Remember

[W.J.Langholz]

It has been kind of hectic at work all week, The weather here for the last 2 weeks has not really been conducive to flying, when it was, it was only for and hour or so during the day. I do use our plane some to travel for work if I have a long ways to go (3 hours or more drive time) but mostly have it for the pure enjoyment of flying. I start to get a little "uppidy" like "G" if I don't get to fly. We also have a small farm and run a cow-calf operation so there seems to always be something that needs to get done, and always when the sun is shinning and there is little wind.
Saturdays and Sundays are days when we catch up on this and that, that need to get done at home. Today was no different,hay feeders to fill, cows to sort off for the up coming calving season which starts at the 1st of the year. My son, being in his 1st year of college, is busy also, but was able to help out today.
We started early and things went very well. As we were wrapping up about noon, the sun came out and the wind went down. Even though we had atleast 10+ more things on the to do list, I looked at my son and said, "we are going to the airport and we're going flying!!!!!!!!!!!! My son did 5 Touch and Go's and his log put him over 40 hour mark. He is ready for his check ride and hope he can get it in during Christmas break. When he came back in I got in the pilot seat and away we went. No place in paticular and for the next 2 hours father and son enjoyed just being up in the air,laughing,talking,and sharing the joy of flying together. Now that's what life is all about

This will be " A Day to Remember" for a long time to come.

[voorheesh]

We have had a couple of weeks of fog here in central valley of CA and it finally broke this am. I got up for a flight like yours today and I feel exactly the same way too. My kid just finished 2 years of flying cargo for ameriflight and has been hired as a co pilot to fly P-3 tankers this coming season. He has a month off and loves flying the 170. We are going to be doing the same as you guys as much as wx allows.

[GAHorn]

I don't believe either one of you. I want to see some pictures!

[W.J.Langholz]

We have had a couple of weeks of fog here in central valley of CA and it finally broke this am. I got up for a flight like yours today and I feel exactly the same way too. My kid just finished 2 years of flying cargo for ameriflight and has been hired as a co pilot to fly P-3 tankers this coming season. He has a month off and loves flying the 170. We are going to be doing the same as you guys as much as wx allows.

Wow what a job.... P-3 tankers!!!! Are you a little worried at all? although I think if I was 25 years younger I would be right there with him.Even flying a lead plane would be exciting. A freind of my son's just took a job flying in smoke jumpers out west too.

George,
I was was thinking about getting one of those new fangled digital cameras and leave it in the plane. After some thought, if I leave it there will it become standard equipment ....and then when I take it out I will have to fill out a 337 ......and should I do a new W&B with a new CG and then have to change it all back again.....is it a major alteration.......however it wouldn't weigh as much as my old box camera with all the flash bulbs sitting in the back seat

[voorheesh]

Yes I'm worried but it has been his dream for years. He started as an A&P mechanic for the company and has a lot of experience maintaining P2 & P3 aircraft. He flew the company's Cherokee 6 for a season flying around to all the tanker bases to do Mx checks. He was good friends with the Chief Pilot who advised him to get a CFI, get some time and come back and be a pilot. He did that, flew 2 years in AK, and then returned home to fly for Ameriflight and get multi time. He is just finishing a year of flying a BE-99 single pilot and his old company hired him back to fly fires. He will have to learn that business from scratch and has been paired up with one of their most experienced captains. He is on cloud 9. He is a very serious professional pilot who has studied his butt off to get where he is and he has an excellent attitude towards safety. So I am worried but optimistic. I made my living flying and it makes me feel good to see my son and his generation carrying on the tradition.

[DaveF]

I want to see some pictures!

OK. I took my kids out for a $100 hamburger yesterday. Much to my surprise, my 9-year-old daughter had a grand time, talking nonstop from engine start to shutdown. "This is so cool! How fast are we going? How high up are we? Look, there's a horse! Look how small the cars are! I like flying because there's nobody to tell you where to go or how to do it. The kids at school think it's really cool that we own our own airplane." I pointed her in the general direction of Greeley and let her fly us. She pushed and pulled, making us lighter and heavier, until I was just about sick. Her 13-year-old brother flew us home after lunch. I did a touch and go, then a full stop. The T/G was a perfect wheel landing, which got a "Dad, I couldn't even tell we were on the ground!", but after the somewhat bouncy full stop, "Dad, that one wasn't as good."

It's funny that Natalie was so excited about flying. For the first six-plus years of her life we had a 210 and went everywhere in it, including Alaska. Since we sold the 210 about three years ago she hasn't been in an airplane. That's a long time when you're so young, so I guess it's all new and fun again. And of course, even a child can tell that the 170 is a real airplane. My son, on the other hand, is a total airplane nut for whom the three years of planelessness has been pure agony.

My friends, it just doesn't get any better than this.

Dave

NatalieFlying.jpg

[W.J.Langholz]

very nice!!! I like the T/G part
W.