Route: 40I, Local
Weather: Clear, 67 degrees, wind 150 degrees at 3 knots
Hard to believe, but Gina and I have already been married for almost six months! Ignoring our awesome sightseeing flight around Kauai with an instructor last month, we had not yet flown together as husband and wife. Perfect weather and the end of another workweek made for a great chance to finally go up together in a Cub again.
We took off and spotted a hot air balloon up ahead - I passed nearby and waved the wings to say hello just as I did with Rob last month. Then we turned and headed north towards downtown Dayton. Although I've flown over it many times in the Cessnas, I never had circled around in a J-3 until tonight. With the door open, Gina was able to snap some great photos of the city.
The Great Miami River and I-75 in downtown Dayton
The US-35 and I-75 interchange (currently under construction)
Looking directly down Main Street (OH-48)
The Oregon District's foliage stands out against the rest of downtown
Miami Valley Hospital and University of Dayton Arena in the distance
The closed runway and hangars at the USAF Museum
Having enjoyed the scenic portion of the flight, we both wanted to have a little fun. I climbed up nearly a mile as we flew towards Caesar Creek Lake. Out went a roll of toilet paper and... well, you know how this goes by now. It's always a blast and I sliced through it four or five times as we turned and descended over the lake. Insert usual disclaimer here.
You can see our route away from Stewart and back on the GPS track
Back in the pattern, I planned my usual three landings to extend my tailwheel currency another 90 days. None of the landings were great; the ground was a but bumpy and uneven but some of it was certainly me knocking the rust off. The second time around I caught a rut and was rewarded with a hearty bounce. I immediately added full power and went around - there's no reason to try and save that situation, especially in a taildragger. The final landing was intentionally long to aid in a short taxi back to the hangar.
Gotta love this time of the year... it's what Cub flying is all about.
Flight Track: Google Earth KMZ File
Today's Flight: 1.1 hours
Total Time: 214.1 hours
Posts
Awesome shots...kudos to Gina! I love the first shot of the skyline and the US-35 / I-75 interchange. They really pop.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it that you can throw toilet paper out of the window of the Cub and that's ok, but if I threw toilet paper out the window of my car, it would be considered littering? Just askin'. :-)
I agree, the lighting was great that night.
DeleteAnd as far as littering goes, it's biodegradable and whatnot. Still has to be better then jettisoning fuel into the atmosphere (even if it vaporizes...) before landing, right? ;-)