FROM RAGS TO RICHES
November 07-08, 2009PREFACE
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| Jack Brown's Seaplane Home Base |
So, how does a pilot go from rags to riches in 3 days? First, you schedule a flight in a WWII P-51 Mustang, located in Kissimmee, Florida. That's the "riches" part. Afterwards, you realize you will only be a 35-mile drive away from a highly respected seaplane training base located in Winter Haven, Florida, offering a Single Engine Seaplane (SES) rating in two days. So why not go for your SES rating at the same time? After all, I started training in seaplanes several years ago but only flew 1.5hrs in a Cessna C206 float plane, but never completed the training for legitimate reasons. I've never given up the idea of achieving a SES rating some day, so, I decided to do it now. Next, you schedule a two-day training course for your SES rating in a Piper J3 Cub on floats for Saturday and Sunday, prior to your P-51 flight on Monday. That's the "rags" part, since a Piper Cub is covered with fabric, or as I call it, "rags". So that's where the "Rags to Riches" title comes from. Next thing to do is, execute your plan. This is the story about the SES rating in the "Rags" Piper Cub float plane.
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| Super Cub Piper J3 on floats |
THE STORY
Brown's Seaplane Base (F57) is located on Lake Jessie just West of the Winter Haven Airport (KGIF). In fact, it is adjacent to the threshold of runway 04. It has an imaginary water runway aligned as runway 01/19 which crosses the approach path of GIF runway 04. Something to keep in mind, I tell myself. I arrive at the Base just before the scheduled time of 0800hrs Saturday morning, introduced myself, and was given some paper work to fill out. Showed them my credentials, and I was ready to go. Morgan Araldi was the ground instructor for me and another CFI pilot from Emory-Riddle University in Daytona Beach, Florida. After the ground briefing, it was wait a while until the airplane was back and ready to go.
I was introduced to my Flight Instructor for the course, William "Wil" Hickman, a native Floridian from Winter Haven, who had previously flown for commuter airlines, flying "Caravans" on floats, in and around the New York area. So, around 1130hrs, we were ready to fly.
After a brief "walk-around-inspection" of the plane, I jumped into the rear seat. "Wil" manually spins the prop of this 80hp Continental engine a couple times, then, engine start. These airplanes don't have electric starters so you spin the prop from the back side standing on the right float. I learned to fly Aeronca Champs many years ago and had to spin the prop, but it was from the front side, not the back. I can wait a while before I try to start this engine. I'm in no hurry. After the start-up, "Wil" jumps into the front seat, seat belts secure, headsets on and checked, hatch is open, and away we go.
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| Water Taxi to Take Off |
The wind was pretty stiff from the East, about 15kts and gusting, so the water surface already had substantial ripples on it with some small white-caps and wind streaks beginning to form. "Wil" has the controls and talks me through each step, checks engine ops, and turns, by weathervaining into the wind, and a takeoff on a heading of about 080 degrees. It was pretty bumpy with turbulence but I took the controls after a couple minutes and climbed to 1500ft on about a 030 degree heading at about 60mph, where I did the normal turns, Dutch Rolls, and stalls, to get the feel of the plane. Then it was off to a nearby lake at 500ft agl for my first attempt at landing this airplane on water.
Reading the water and surrounding area for clues as to which way the wind is blowing is a bit challenging at first but it doesn't take long to figure it out. Picking out your landing spot is another matter, but that too, comes pretty quickly. Then the downwind leg, base leg, and final approach to land. What is supposed to be a Normal Landing is really a "Rough-Water" landing today, but it turns out OK. Once landed comes additional maneuvers. The "Water-Plow Taxi", then the water "Step-Taxi" then position and ready to takeoff again. This goes on for nearly two hours at different lakes with a total of 12 Takeoffs and Landings. Then, we head back to Home Base. After "ramping", shutting down, and de-boarding, we hear that all further flights are suspended for the day due to the high winds. So, "Wil" and I went to lunch and had a nice, relaxing time together, talking about everything we had done this morning. So, with 1.7hrs logged, I drove back to Kissimmee with the agreement to show up tomorrow at 0730hrs to get started sooner before the winds picked up.
Sunday morning I arrived at the Home Base on time. By 0745hrs, we are in the air again. The winds were anything but calm. Judging by the tattered wind-sock, they were in excess of 15kts. This time, after start-up, I have the controls. I do the engine check, taxi into position and takeoff. "Wil" points me to a lake he wants me to start my exercises for the day. Over the lake I check the wind, obstacles, noise abatement, towers, traffic, and line up for a downwind approach to the selected landing point. It goes well and I continue this for the next 2.9 hours. This time "Glassy-Water" landings are added in the agenda which is really funny given the waves are nearly 12 inches high by now. "Plow and Step Taxi" with turns are added, just to make the day more challenging, and finally, "Sailing without power", but all that goes OK. After 15 landings and takeoffs at various lakes, we head back to Home Base and land. Checking weather, the winds were 20kts gusting to 30kts. No wonder I'm pretty tired of getting beat-up by turbulence at this point. I'm still short 0.4 hours, the minimum time required before the FAA flight test and the base has once again been closed to further flights because of the wind. I'm yet to to do "Confined Area takeoffs and landings", and "Beaching and Docking" exercises. But, because of my schedule tomorrow, to fly the P-51 Mustang, and no time to extend my schedule, I had to suspend further training. NO RATING TODAY! Nevertheless, this has been truly a story of "Rags to Riches" that I wish everyone could have the opportunity to experience.
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| P-51 Mustang "Crazy Horse" |
So, that's the story, my friends. Perhaps sometime in the future I will be able to complete my SES rating. But for now, this rating will have to be put on hold until another day, another time. I will say that I learned a lot and got some valuable flight time in. Additional experience is never wasted when it comes to flying airplanes. Many thanks to the courteous staff of Jack Brown's Seaplane Base. JoAnne Alcorn and Francis Brown, ground instructor Morgan Araldi, flight instructor William Hickman, and Jon Brown, Owner and FAA DE. They were all most generous with their help and assistance during my brief stay with them.
You can read the story of my flight in the P-51 Mustang by clicking on the following link:
http://www.babesandairplanes.com/babes/gipperp51.html
Cheers,
Harry "Gipper" Morris
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