January
2010
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Simple Flying
I dont suppose Im much
different from other pilots, particularly
the ones with the private or recreational
licenses, when it comes to the aircraft
weve flown. While some are
happy to own and fly one or two planes
during their entire adult life, others
have a big collection in their log books.
You could probably count me in the second
category. There are no less than
fifteen different aircraft listed in my
book, including a few ultralights. The
bigger, more complex machines came
because of my commercial license, which
gave me the privilege of flying airplanes
that would be otherwise
unaffordable. Its rare to
have the opportunity for a job where you
can truthfully say, I cant
believe they pay me to do
this.
The bigger they are, the more power they
have, the faster they go and the more
they can carry. But I reckon
thats not the ultimate ambition for
many pilots. Some would rather be
on their own schedule, going to places of
their own choice and staying as long as
they feel like staying. Commercial
pilots cant do that. There
are deadlines, schedules, rules,
commitments, and worst of all, you have
to be there every morning to fly.
As unbelievable as it sounds, some days,
you just dont want to do it.
Full time flying will usually, like any
other occupation, become a job sooner or
later. Im fortunate to be
doing it only on a seasonal basis, and
have not become bored or tired.
Its still something to look forward
to with great anticipation.
Before
going to work and earning money in an
airplane, there were several years of
wonderful, carefree adventures in the air
and at destinations of my choice.
On a typical Saturday, several fellow
pilots would gather at the local airport,
some would bring along a friend, we would
all jump in our planes and away wed
go. Off on a short flight to the
next town where a coffee shop served us
lunch. From there, it was on to
sightseeing over the local mountains or
nearby lakes, then to another airport for
afternoon coffee and more
discussions. We would tell stories,
get and give advice, compare technical
information, and enjoy the scenery, both
on the ground and from above all the
unlucky, earth-bound souls below.
At the end of the day if anyone asked
what we did, despite the hobbs meter
showing maybe only 2 hours, the best way
to answer the question was, We went
flying.
The following day, the Sunday fly-ins and
breakfasts would supply more reasons to
fly.
Nobody had a high-performance plane back
then. We were all private pilots
who flew Cherokees and Champs, T-Crafts
and Cubs, ultralights and
150s. No one seemed to care
about the price of gas, the rules of the
control zones, the nonsense that comes
from Transport and Nav Canada. We
were under the radar, so to speak.
Nobody much cared what we were doing out
there flying off little grass strips and
gravel airports. Rarely did we get
into paved runways, and even then there
were few control towers in our area of
operations. It was all just plain
fun. Many talk about the thrill of
flying low and slow in an open cockpit
plane, and how you can smell the freshly
cut hay, the ripe corn and sweet
strawberry fields below. My first
encounter with an experience like that
was in my Renegade, over a feed
lot. Not so nice. That
Renegade often sought out the eagles and
other soaring birds, then flew in close
below them to enjoy the free lift of a
thermal. There was no place to go,
so why not?
Bill Ross
landing his Renegade at Quilchena.

Every pilot should have his own small
airplane even if its just
once. Maybe an ultralight.
No, lets say particularly an
ultralight. Youll hone
your skills and get the feel of
seat-of-the-pants flying, which will go a
long way in your flying career.
Best of all, youll find a circle of
friends who also enjoy the freedom of
flight. Your summer weekends will
forever be remembered as the lazy, crazy
days when flying was strictly for the fun
of it.
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