Today I was privy to a neat show.  I’ll let the video speak for itself.

I didn’t like the thought of a $39 sleeve to protect the kobo unit, one made of non renewable plastics and just not befitting of the whole green movement.  I knew there had to be something as good for much less money.  I found it in the bag drawer at home.  It was a bag given out at the local urban outfitters. The bag is made of a soft fabric, almost like that of an ebook sleeve liner.

It’s black on one side and white on the other.  I knew if I folded it onto itself that there would be enough thickness to do a good job of protecting the ereader.  I needed to see if it fit, the one bag fits perfectly to make THREE sleeves!

Next I had to ask the wife f I could borrow her sewing machine.  She cocked one eyebrow initially then laughed and said “SURE! but what are you up to?”  I told her she would need to wait and see.

So flip the bag over and measure in 5 3/4″ from each end.  Draw a dashed line and cut the fabric off at the mark.  Next feed it into the machine sewing over about 1/4″ into the edge up both sides.  I remembered from home-economics classes back in grade 8 that you always sew on the inside of a project then flip it back right side out when done.  I did not remember how to thread a chinese sewing machine!  Thankfully Rica (and the internet) saved me….  So, onto the sewing.

When you have your parallel stitches turn the item “inside out” and slide in your reader.  Perfectly snug fit!

You end up with enough fabric to make three sleeves but the last one will have a “u” shaped cutout where the bag handle once was.

I hope that anyone who reads this dares to challenge the sewing machine and make their own! I sure had fun doing mine.

The training was great and actually quite enjoyable, I have a bunch of excuses why it took me ALMOST TWO YEARS to do something that many do in a week or two.  But it’s now done and I can put a stamp on it.  I feel great so great in fact that I decided that I would take Rica up tonight to celebrate with a beautiful view of the city lights.  I think that there is something magical about lifting above the city into the dark and seeing all of mankind below you.  I also understand it’s a powerful aphrodisiac.  ;)

So I checked the weather….

For the non geeks that says “it’s nice with a bit of a crosswind”  The forecast said…

Which says “it’s about to get pretty nasty out with strong winds and light rain”

Enroute to the airport I called for a briefing and the weather man basically told me that I’d not want to be up flying tonight anywhere near midnight and that it was quite windy above.  I said thanks and decided that if we flew at all it’d be a couple of circuits or a short hop to Gatineau.  I checked the amazing co-pilot app and it showed the winds at 45KT at 1200′!  hmmmm, that’s quite a bit of wind shear to deal with.  I half decided that we would likely stay on the ground.

We went to the aircraft anyways, Rica had not been aboard since Jan 22 and we pre flighted as a Cessna 172 taxied out and took off.  My mind said “well HE made it…” The aerodrome was almost still with the windsock hanging limp, only slightly indicating the evil broiling only 600 feet above.  I noticed during my walk around that the rear position light was out, I tapped the rudder and it came on.  I tapped again, it stayed on.  So I gave it a good couple more and it didn’t flicker a bit so we went on and taxied out to the runway.  The mind said “two strikes does not make three…”

As we rotated into the climb you could already see the twinkle of lights below and Rica was about to say how neat it looked when we hit the shift.  The stall horn went off momentarily and then we were rocking and rolling every which way.  I wasn’t scared at all, it was raw focus.  I have flown what seems like a million patterns so I did as we do.  I flew the pattern, while Rica marveled at the lights.

Climbing up to circuit height I could feel the airplane drifting madly to the left.  I compensated to the right until I was looking forward, out the left corner of the windscreen.  To see the runway, you just had to look out the front window! My little Piper was cocked into that wind a good 45 degrees just to keep it on course.   I saw my landing point abeam (or was that ahead?) and pulled the throttle.  As we glided down it was not easy to keep any real steady path, more updrafts and downdrafts than anything I just worked the yoke and tried to keep my speed right.  I approached the runway and knew it would die down but it didn’t.  I simply worked the yoke all the way down to about 20 feet then nailed a really sweet landing.

Rica loved it, the whole flight had a lot of spirit.  Best 0.3 yet.  Guess I’ll have to wait for this weather to clear to find out about the other thing!

I started this blog for a few reasons, the most selfish one was that I wanted to have an indelible record of my flying.  Not just a log of hours and aircraft types but of the actual feeling of what one experiences while going into flight training and beyond.  I get really detailed in my flight posts (almost to the point of boredom I wonder) but I do this because I would love to be an old man telling these stories to my own grandson.  In turn the posts are intimate and expose a bit more of my thoughts then one might do publicly.

The second reason is that I want to be an ambassador to general aviation.  I believe firmly that these aircraft serve an important and vital role to the spirit of man.  I hoped that by publishing my ‘secrets’ as it were that someday, someone could read what I had gone through and it might help them get through the same thing.

My thanks so far have been many, such as when you post comments and offer me sound advices.  (Thanks cannot be said enough to Tony or David for their shared spirit and graciousness) and I have slowly made inroads into the airport subculture but I recently was lit up in am amazing way when a young lad who was nearing his own flight test leaned over my desk to say, “hey you have a blog right?”  ”Yes.”  ”Well thanks, it helped me to read some of the stuff you went though when I was going through it myself.”   I almost fell onto the floor!  What a great compliment to receive.

That really truly made my day.   It also made me realize that I should post more often…….

In Canada you don’t generally get to shoot a gun as a regular citizen.  In fact most of us only have ever seen a gun on a police officer or in the movies.  That’s why it was such a rush to actually grab some cold steel and fire a weapon at a range while visiting Las Vegas this week.  We went to The Gun Store and R signed up for the “Ladies package” where she was able to shoot a Pink AK 103 otherwise known as the Kalashnikitty!  She also took hold of a Glock 9MM and left with the biggest smile ever!  I didn’t want to miss out on the fun so I took hold of a Beretta 9MM and managed to shoot the hostage!  Ah well it was all in fun and worth every penny, even with my sprained tigger finger.  I’m not advocating we all go out and buy weapons but I can attest it was an intense rush firing one.   Link to video in case it doesn’t open above.

My commercial training says that I need to learn how to spin an airplane.  It would look just like this in a Cherokee 140.  Would you do it?  Or should I just rent the club’s Cessna 150?  Would knowing the airframe had over 11,000 hours affect your decision?

I’d like to say this is a video of Rica’s first landing but it’s not.  She was at the controls for the entire flight but our cheif flight instructor flew this landing.  There was a strong crosswind but he nailed it!

Jeanne’s link here. 

Soon Rica will be the one flying the landings, she just doesn’t know it yet

An outside tap in Ontario is exposed to temps WELL below freezing.  To counteract this most building codes insist on a “frost proof” sillcock.  The thing is cool, it turns the water off from inside the house, leaving nothing outside to freeze.  To install one requires some special tools.

Here is the drill I had to rent.  Yup that’s a size 11 shoe beside it!

The tap looks like this.

See the little rings on the pipe there?  those are crimped on with a tool that retails for $159!  I rented it for $12.

Here is the finished job, ready for spring!

I sometimes hate that my iPhone takes photos sideways….

I loaded them into the car and drove over to perform a chilly pre flight.  It went quickly with all items passing 100%, perfect.  I loaded the young lady in the back and Tony and I hefted into the front of the Cherokee 140.  I gave a passenger briefing from memory.  The aircraft started on three blades of the prop and soon I was performing the run up everything went perfectly!  I was almost in disbelief how smoothly things went, how natural it felt. 

We soon were taking to the sky with two notches of flap the airplane took off sweetly due to the 0 degree air.  I decided to make this a simple circuit to a touch and go.  The air was so calm and smooth a monkey could have flown the pattern but I still concentrated on making a good first landing for my new passengers. 

Turning final, speed at 80 mph, two notches of flaps the aircraft rode the rails right to the number 09 touching down for the go shortly thereafter.  It was beautiful.   On the roll I offered to tour to the North to get to just fly.  All on board were smiles and agreement.

The overcast skies and pending weather were evident in the distance but we droned along up the Gatineau river for a smooth and gentle ride.  A quick turn around the Cascades waterpark showed they were running snow making equipment.  It was neat to see the snow stark against the browns and greens of Ontario in the Fall. 

I considered the 30% probability of light frozen pellets that was forcast and the fact that night was coming in the next 40 minutes decided to turn about and head back to Rockliffe.  The return was just as perfect as the flight out.  I performed a local descent procedure to come overhead and turn downwind for runway 09.  As I turned downwind my cockiness got with me and I said to Tony “This will be a power off landing” I closed the throttle and pitched for 80.  I pulled 1 notch of flaps and turned towards the runway. 

Could this be?  I was undershooting and might not be able to make it.  I relaxed, focused on getting the 75 MPH spot on as I flew a angled base directly towards the runway button.  I considered pulling the flaps back in but pulled an ace out of my sleeve and performed an “engine clearing” adding about 2000 RPM for 10 seconds or so.  Long enough to put me back on profile. Perfect.

I mentioned to the passengers that I would land approx 1/3 down the runway for clearance but if not down will go around.  They nodded.  I clicked in one more notch of flap.  The airplane was approaching the ground and I felt at peace and harmony.  Click, one more notch of flaps and we were soon rounding out into a flare.  I flared and flared and the stall horn beeeeeeeeeeped as the wheels kissed the earth. 

Just Perfect. 

I write this as ice rain falls outside of my window, covering the little Piper’s wings up and keeping her grounded.  I am grateful that I took the initative today, and went for it.  Thanks to my passengers today.  If they had said “No” I might not have gone at all!  I owe you both this one.

One of my flying mentors is a gentleman named David who has stuck with me through apprehensive early PPL time, offered me frozen fingers while we did a “pre-buy” inspection on the ramp of a Piper Cherokee at 0 degrees!  Most recently allowed me to fly his aircraft from the left seat. David has an IFR certification and is able to fly in clouds.  Here is a video clip that shows the kind of experience I can get flying with him. 

Thank you David.  I know I owe you for one broken vent window, don’t let that keep us from flying together soon!

(Jeanne, the link to the video is here, in case it doesn’t open in your browser.)