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Aberdeen MS | Got my private ticket in '78. My brother flew and owned a Cherokee 235, that was my first ride. I needed some elective credits in college, general Aviation ground school and 8 hours dual time gave me 6 credits for an extra $300 over and above tuition.
Got the written test out of the way before coming back home, over the next two years... finished out to get the license. I only stayed current for 2 years. One bad landing (no damage... just busted pride... but could have been a disaster) told me I needed more time in the air to stay safe. Money and time didn't allow it as I got married into a ready made family in 80.
Fast forward to a couple of years ago, my best friend has a fly in resort in Canada and has a Stinson on floats. During the winter he stays down here in the states and does Angel Flights, maybe 3 -4 a year. I got invited along one time as the weather was iffy and he wanted someone that knew what was going on for the radios... gps... etc. I can still fly, the skill hasn't left, but those few times it's not cost effective to be current.
2 years ago, both of us decided, through Angel Flight to sign on with Homeland Security as First Responders. In the event of a national disaster (after 9-11 miltary and Angel Flight volunteers were the only aircraft in the air) we are a 2 hour standby to help out. We guarantee ourselves to be in the air withing 2 hours of a call to go where ever needed.
After Katrina hit LA, Angel Flights through Homeland Security were flying round the clock. A few pilots had to be pulled, they were just racking up too many hours in too short of a time. If the "mess" would have continued for another 2 weeks, we have a very very good chance of being called up.
One time I used the aircraft in the line of agriculture. I worked at a plant that ended up with a frozen batch of Lasso. This was in the day's before bulk.... 1979. All was in metal 5's, 30's and 55's. Rep wanted to walk all the acres we had sold to as we couldn't positively say who was sprayed commercial and who picked up the bad product for self application. That weekend I went up in the Cherokee 180 to see what could and could not be determined from the air. At 500' with a sharp eye, you could differentiate a grass from a broad leaf. We flew for 2.5 hours and covered a tad over 6000 acres to check % of coverage of the Lasso.
Sorry, got a bit carried away here, but I had the money, I'd own a plane in a heart beat. I enjoy flying that much. Weekly trips over the farm with a camera would be high on the list for scouting. It's amazing what can be seen in such a short amount of time. | |
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Farming & Airplanes
