Aviation day

My mechanic from Wichita, Wade, is here in Seattle getting training on the new 767 Tanker for the USAF.  We were both available today so we hit a lot of aviation related places at Paine Field.

We started with the Museum of Flight restoration center and then toured the Boeing final assembly building, home of the 747, 767, 777, and 787.  Then we did lunch at Azteca, followed by a great tour of the Historic Flight Collection.  Next up was Paul Allen’s Flying Heritage Collection.  Then the Boeing Everett Modification Center where the 767-2C becomes a Tanker.  Finally, we went to the Future of Flight center.

I took a lot of pictures.....here are a few. My favorite spot today was the Historic Flight Collection.  Take a look if you are ever in the area.

TravelAir 4000, which Walter Beech, Clyde Cessna, 

and Lloyd Stearman developed.  The Beech 

Staggerwing is in background, Walter’s first design

on his own (and best in my opinion).

DC-3 at Historic Flight

DC-3 cockpit

B-25 cockpit at Historic Flight

GB QED at Historic Flight 

Wade and me 

Staggerwing cockpit

Staggerwing at Historic Flight 

That’s how you carve a pumpkin!

Goodyear F2G-1 Corsair at 

MOF restoration center 

Cockpit of Comet 4C At MOF

Restoration Center

All about the numbers

I was entering time in my log book yesterday after taking the twins for a ride and saw I was less than an hour from 1600 total hours and only 6 landings from 3000.  So, this morning I went up to accomplish both.  It was bouncy and gusty, but the wind was down the runway.  I got 5 touch and goes in and decided I needed to cruise around another 10 minutes so I could land with the right number of hours and landings,

I climbed up 2000 feet where I saw a 41 knot ground speed, or almost a 50 knot headwind.  When I turned back to the airport I was doing 148 knots ground speed!

So, I now have 1600 hours and 3000 landings.  I have 590 hours of Stinson time, 186 hours in the current one.  About half my total time is cross country, about 100 hours is night, and about 100 hours is instrument.  The conclusion?  I spend a lot of time flying local during the day in good weather.  I have also done a lot of takeoff and landings either in practice or as an instructor.

Getting some twin time

A cold front went through yesterday and the rain cleaned all the dust out of the air.  We awoke to sunny skies and light winds....just the type of day I had been waiting for.  First up was Emma.  After takeoff she raised her hands over her head like on a roller coaster.  She also did a rendition of "patti-cake" occasionally in flight.  She willingly took the controls and found it fun to roll from one bank to another.

Then it was twin sister Amelia's turn.  Amelia's song of choice was "Do you know the muffin man."  She also enjoyed banking the plane, but was a little more aggressive compared to her sister.  As we turned final, she broke out into a chorus of "Alleluia" which seemed appropriate for the beautiful day we had to fly and view His creation from the air and the special people to share it with.

Emma applauds my great takeoff

Emma....let's go over there

Amelia at the controls

Amelia leaned into the turns

Randy and Amelia

Justin's farm

A Stearman biplane coming in to land

Beats working

We had a meeting with the FAA and USAF today.  Afterwards, my friend Tom and I went to Benton for a Stinson ride and late lunch at the Stearman Café.  It was a nice change of pace for both of us!  Afterwards, I dropped Tom off at the airport for his flight back to Seattle.

Avid airplane enthusiast

Our youth minister’s son is almost 3 and crazy about airplanes.  He got a sunrise flight in the Stinson this morning and loved it......his first small airplane flight.  He has flown in an airliner once before.

Going for a spin in the pedal plane afterwards

Evan up front, Mathew and Stephanie in back

Another Stinson Pilot

I am back for some FAA meetings with a co-worker, Gonzalo.  He is also a pilot, though he has never flown a real airplane......one with a tail wheel.  We were up and ready to fly at sunrise today in the Stinson, though it was a little cold compared to what we are used to.  We did some touch and goes at El Dorado and Gonzalo did a great job.

A little ground fog scattered around

Gonzalo at the controls

Oshkosh early years

My brother transferred some of my dad’s slides awhile back and came across these.  They are from the EAA fly-in at Oshkosh either 1971 or 1972.  A friend of my dad’s, Art Swango, took me for a ride around the fly by circuit a few times in his J-3 Cub.  If you compare it to recent photos, you will see just how much the show has grown over the years.  A lot of tents were used in that time period, the old tower and brown arch were show center, the camp grounds were north of the airplanes parallel to approach end of runway 18, and the transient parking along 9/27 was much less than it is these days.  The fly-in had moved to Oshkosh in 1970 from Rockford and never looked back.

I am in front, age 14 or 15