Back in the saddle...

[beaky]

My re-entry into active flying status sorta stalled this fall; hadn't flown since mid-September. I needed to get checked out in a C152 (tired of paying for a 172 when I don't need it), so I took about an hour of dual this morning.
Conditions were not so bad as forecast, and actually superb for local flying: high overcast; no wind to speak of; not too cold.
Been a few years since I flew a 150-series Cessna, but despite a tendency to apply rudder when I didn't need to, I did OK. Made some very good landings. The instructor did one, just to review the best procedure for a short-field landing in this type (a little different from what I'd been taught, so I was glad he showed me), and his one landing was not quite as good as my three... I wouldn't mention it, but he admitted I'd done better, so I'm gonna wallow in that...
It's funny- I'd been rather nervous about this flight, but once I was taxiing, I was enjoying myself. Looking forward to some more good winter flights in this little bug-smasher, starting next weekend.

[FLYING_TRUCKER]

Hey well done Sean

The Cessna 150 is a good little bug smasher, cheaper than the Cessna 172 and a little more challenging to land in a stiff crosswind.

Now you are in a good area, look around and see what you can pick up for a good price,

[beaky]

Hey well done Sean

The Cessna 150 is a good little bug smasher, cheaper than the Cessna 172 and a little more challenging to land in a stiff crosswind.

Yep- been there, done that. You can easily run out of power before you check the drift, sometimes. But I like them. They're a little more cooperative than 172s, in general. Except when it's time to climb or go fast...
This one I flew today (1978 model) climbed quite well with about 400 lbs. of human cargo and seemed well-mannered, but the CFI warned me quite solemnly to never stall it. I've flown other 150s that were a little unpredictable in the stall break, so I'll heed that warning ("It'll spin...").
 Got it quite slow in the pattern, so I know it's manageable for normal operations.

Now you are in a good area, look around and see what you can pick up for a good price,  preferably one with manual flaps.

Another good little nose wheel bug smasher and fairly cheap to operate is the Monocoupe, most folks that have one don't want to sell them but you could check around as they are in the same operating range price wise as the C150.

Sigh... if only I were in the market, I'd be looking at Monocoupes and commuters and possibly Ercoupes right now, but I still couldn't handle the overhead. Later, for sure...

So did you give yourself a Christmas Gift of an hour flying?

Good to hear your back in the saddle .

Yes; precisely. I recently had a birthday, too, so next weekend's flight  will cover that, as well as my second payware purchase: the MAAM DC3 package. Can't wait.
Thinking about putt-putting up to the museum some time this winter... you can fly in and taxi to the building, if I've heard right...
 But next weekend is just for practicing.

[FLYING_TRUCKER]

What museum would that be Sean?

Alas I can not go to far right now, our trip out east was cancelled because of our granddaughter on the west coast.

[beaky]

The "museum" would be MAAM, aka the MidAtlantic Aviation Museum... in Reading, PA- at the airport.

http://www.maam.org/

The ideal time to go is during a summer weekend, especially for the shows, but I think it'd be a fun wintertime flight and a good opportunity for some static photos.
For some reason I've never visited that one, even by car. Made the flight in the 152 in the sim yesterday; a nice 64-mile hop, with only the tower at Reading to deal with. Maybe next flight after this weekend will be that one- I think I'll be able to get a friend to tag along, too. To spare the 152 hauling too much weight, I'll ask them to only bring their wallet.
I love the idea of flying-in to an aviation museum... very civilized.

You've got me daydreaming with all this talk about winter bush-flying; get some skis for the Skyhawk and I'll come up and help you put 'em on if you let me fly it a little... ;
I wonder if anyone's ever stuck skis on a trike-gear Cessna?
D  I certainly don't fancy landing a Cessna on wheels in any kind of snow (and forget taking off!!), but a frozen lake would be excellent, if there's an area clear of snow. I'd like to try that sometime.
47N is about 2 1/2 to 3 hrs away as the 150 flies, if I remember right. It'd be faster if it weren't for that big puddle somebody left lying around up there... Have to go around the damn thing.
 I've thought many times of making a flight there; it's definitely on my list. Not sure if I can take these rentals out of the USA, though... I'd have to check on that.

[FLYING_TRUCKER]

Sean forget about the idea of renting and paying downtime, that is out of the question.

Will be going down east in the spring or summer and will check with you.   It you have some time will be able to make arrangements to pick you up.

You can log all the hours you want, that is what the old girl does now, I very seldom put hours in the old log book, for what bloody reason, been there, done that and got the ball cap to prove it. (And I don't even wear hats of any kind now.) LOL

As for skis and wheel ski combinations on nose wheel aircraft, there is ALL KINDS OF THEM.

Anyways buddy, don't worry about having to rent when I decide to go, will call you and we can work something out about dates.  You are working and I am retired so very flexible.

My main concern right now before buying another aeroplane is getting my granddaughter home in good health AND having the old girl back home.  Everything else is on hold.

Right now I find myself on the computer more each day she is away and letting things go or not doing things.  That is not good but have caught myself doing it.  Tomorrow will be different and I shall continue on as if she were here.

Again...good luck in your up coming weekend flying, keep us posted, have a good time '

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug

[beaky]

Sean forget about the idea of renting and paying downtime, that is out of the question.

Good point... but for the 152, they only charge 3hrs/day minimum for overnights; if I flew all the way up to your neck of the woods (a ways north of Toronto, I assume?) the round-trip time would absorb most of it. and if I stayed a couple of days, I'd likely be flying around up there... I could form up with you and you could give me the grand tour. Don't worry about putting me up: I'll bring a tent and pitch it under the wing... my idea of deluxe accomodations, in the summer, anyway.

Will be going down east in the spring or summer and will check with you.   It you have some time will be able to make arrangements to pick you up.

You can log all the hours you want, that is what the old girl does now, I very seldom put hours in the old log book, for what bloody reason, been there, done that and got the ball cap to prove it. (And I don't even wear hats of any kind now.) LOL

Mighty nice offer, but beware: I take people up on such promises.
With sufficient notice, I can arrange to take a short leave from work (plenty of paid vacation days to use up); it's very do-able.
And of course if you have reason to come all the way down here, there's plenty of room for guests here; a bit... bohemian, but it's free. We're about 10 mins. from  Linden Airport  (just south of KEWR) by car. I can't recall if you've ever been to Old Rhinebeck- if not, you'll find it's worth the trip (about 100 miles north of NYC). Then there's the Intrepid, the little museum at Teterboro, the New england Air museum up in Connecticut, and the one out on Long Island...
Another trip I'm considering is out to Dayton, Ohio to visit the Air Force museum... that could be a fun fly-in and good place to meet up.

My main concern right now before buying another aeroplane is getting my granddaughter home in good health AND having the old girl back home.  Everything else is on hold.

Haven't forgotten about your g.d.- hope she's doing well; I know that kind of thing can wear out the loved ones almost as much as the patient- you two must be a bit frazzled.

[Boss_BlueAngels]

I really hate the awkward feeling of those check flights.  I always feel so unprepared. lol  

I have like 4 check outs coming up actually... one for the Cardinal RG, 172SP, 152, and a Champ for some really cheap and fun flying.


And i know how you feel with your instructor not doing as good of a landing as you.  I had two IFR sim sessions where my instructor made similar comments.  Both of 'em were hell! haha

[beaky]

I really hate the awkward feeling of those check flights.  I always feel so unprepared. lol  

Yes; I'd been mentally preparing, but... the thing that throws me off most is when an instructor cheerfully assumes FO duties, playing with radios and stuff (he'd even preflighted and preheated 'cuz I was late)... suddenly I start forgetting things. On a proper instruction flight, I get a little peeved when they start jumping ahead like that- always seems I was just about to reach for something, and they've assumed I've forgotten.But the guy wasn't easy on me exactly- had me track the VOR to Solberg right away (not easy when you're only @7 nm away from the station), then called a go-around as I touched down there. Sneaky devil...
Only criticism he had was that my last downwind was long: I agreed, as I've gotten self-conscious the last few 172 flights, trying hard to not turn base early and wind up high and hot on final. But in the 152, it's not a big deal at all, even if you turn early. He even showed me how well it'll do if you dump 2 notches of flaps at the threshold on downwind, then turn right after it settles down to 70 KIAS. Never saw it done that way before, and it works great, at least in that particular bird.
Took another trip around the pattern after he got out, and realized abruptly on final that I really had to go to the bathroom (first one of the morning; you know how it is), so I parked it. But I was satisfied that I remembered how to handle a 152, so I'm eager to take her up solo on Sunday. I'll probably do an hour in the pattern, then go somewhere for some air work (but not stalls!).

[FLYING_TRUCKER]

Good Morning Sean

Don't worry about a tent or sleeping under a wing, there is lots of room.

We are about ninety (90) minutes north east of Toronto by C172 or about three hours by car from Toronto and that depends on the Week-end Traffic.   June, July, August and September the traffic is terrible.

We have always meant to go to "Old Rhinebeck" but something has always come up and we have never made it.

For years I have wanted to go to the Canadian Warplane Heritage in Hamilton, Ontario along with the Aviation Museum in Ottawa, Ontario.  One can fly into both and yet we have never made it to either one.
The trip would only take half a day flying but still have not found the time to go.

We get so many invitations by friends, relatives and former flying colleagues every year and yet something always is booked prior or something else happens

I really believe we had more free time on our hands before retirement than we do now.  This is something the old girl and I spoke about at 32,000 ft in a spam can on our way to Vancouver, Canada for our granddaughter just prior to Christmas.

It always seems the children, family always have to come here for one reason or another to visit.  We never seem to have time to go anywhere.
Yesterday for example, I never even had time to visit on SimV.  I started running at 07:00 hours and never finished till almost 22:00 hours last night.  I seemed to be behind schedule all the time and now when I look back at yesterday, I wonder what I accomplished.

I guess when the old girl gets home we are going to have to sit down and work some things out.
Perhaps retire from so many Volunteer Organizations would be a start.  
Volunteers don't get much thanks anyways and perhaps it there were not so many volunteers there would be more folks employed.
The way I see it, the more volunteers do, the more these overpaid, underworked, conniving directors of hospitals and such can give themselves a raise.

Oh well, will wait till see what the old girl says when she gets home.

Can you explain to me again why you would dump two notches of flap on downwind again.
Was this just to reduce speed in the circuit, go into slow flight on downwind?
Not sure the reason he did this?

Also do you know if the C150 was the standard trainer and the C152 was the aerobatic trainer?  
I think the C150 and the C172 were around a good many years prior to the C152 were they not?
I also heard someone mention a C175 and that is was a more powerful C172.
Not sure about that one either.
If you have any info let me know when you can.

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug

[beaky]

Very interesting points about being too busy when retired; I suspect you are right that you're over-extended. Remember, this is supposed to be your time... give yourself some more slack. You and your wife don't seem the type to wind up sitting in the rocker with nothing more to say or do... take a coupla irons out of the fire and go have some fun. .. i'm sure you'll think of something.
Regarding the history of the various Cessnas: I honestly don't know. .. but I do know that the 'Aerobat" is basically a 152; that is, with the slightly bigger engine; but also some more beef here and there for stress, as well as the breakaway doors. There may have been a converted-150 version, but I dunno.
The 180-hp c172 I mentioned is the Penn-Yan conversion called the 'Superhawk' or "Skyhawk II"... it's stricly a 172 airframe, not a 175.  I  haven't taken this one anywhere near top cruise at thhe ideal altitude, but that extra 30 horses really helps it get off the ground and clear of the trees. Climbs very well.

 You've got me wondering, though... I need to look all this up.

[FLYING_TRUCKER]

Thanks Sean

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug