On getting older....

[jetmex]

Had one of those senior moments at the flying field yesterday.  It was solid overcast, and I was going to fly the PBY after an elevator repair.  The airplane is black, BTW.  Took off just fine, and when she got about 100 feet away from me, she turned into a shadow and I almost lost it.  Wally was right behind me, so I gave him the radio and the rest of the flight was just fine.  After he landed, I mentioned that even as he was flying the pattern, I couldn't tell which way the plane was going. I even had a hard time seeing the big yellow stripe I put around the right wing.  Guess the old eyeballs ain't what they used to be and the PBY will have to be a clear day airplane.

Funny, I didn't have that problem last year.....

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Why do you think so many of us old geezers fly yellow piper cubs??    (oops ...my cub is white!!     )

Here is a suggestion for you.....



no sense in letting less than perfect weather keep you grounded....

[Onepoint]

Wait, you are actually supposed to be able to tell which direction these little beggars are going once up?  Heck I thought that was the appeal, you saddle up and hold on until something hits the dirt!   

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...not only that, but that little box you hold in your hands is said to be able to influence where they are pointed.........   I dunno 'bout that.......

[Onepoint]

Apparently it does, but must carry about the same influence as I do with my wife. 

[jetmex]

There's a little box?   

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....only for the wealthy elite......

[jetmex]

A shot of part of the RTAF (Royal Texas Air Force) at our northwest flying field.  The PBY, Corsair, Zero and Mig are mine, the rest of the fleet is Wally's.  We usually run out of batteries before we run out of airplanes...   Not in the pic are Wally's Habu and F-18...

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no wonder you can't see the PBY with that F-117 stealth paint job!!!!! 

Have you flown the t-28??  I was really surprised how well that thing flies.......

[Onepoint]

Yeah, they painted them cats black so they couldn't  be seen.  I guess it worked.  Thats one thing it takes getting used to and has to be kept in mind, a 30" wing disappears awfully fast. 

We had snow last night,  but I will see if I can get a pic of the 109 sometime, it flies really well with the stock set up and 30c 2 cells.

[jetmex]

Stealth is right!  The problem is not so much that you can't see the airplane, it's that it can be really hard to orient it in flight.  It's hard to tell whether it's coming or going.  Not bad in bright sunlight, but it was loads of fun in the overcast.  Might add a few more yellow stripes to the wing. But it's a good looking airplane in that black scheme.  Funny thing, there's a second wrecked one sitting in my shop.....

Wayne, I haven't flown the T-28 yet, but that Wildcat is an absolute joy to fly.  It's a good solid airplane, tracks well and has no bad habits.  Wally re-propped that one from stock and the improvement in performance is amazing.  The T-28 in the picture has flaps and retracts.

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Yeah, that wildcat is really, really tempting, but I think I might be leaning this way....don't know why, but it seems to have a certain appeal to me...

http://www.nitroplanes.com/60a-dy8935-grandcruiser-arf.html

[Onepoint]

My cousin siad I should get that one.  I think it would suffer in the tall grass belly landings with the wing tips

[jetmex]

Cessna 310/320!  Worked on a bunch of those when I was younger and better looking.....

I'm thinking of getting one of those Wildcats after I get the bench cleared of the stuff that's on it now.  She'd look good in a pre war yellow wings scheme....

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I think it would suffer in the tall grass belly landings with the wing tips

I believe, and correct me if I am wrong....that the accepted practice is to land on the wheels