My Start With Black Powder, and First BPCR Match

[DeadEye]

Steve,

A long time ago, the mid seventies, my best friend and neighbour got into flying. Once he got his license the search for a plane began. Budget and inexperience led him to buy an Aeronca Champ, 65 blazing horsepower. The airport was 20 miles away but come winter that wasn't close enough. We lived on a back bay of the Ottawa river and it was great for everything. It was shallow and not much of a current so it froze up real solid all winter. He found a pair of skis for the Champ and next thing I knew it was parked in front of my house on the river. I watched him come and go as the little engine that could got airborne. Then one day I watched as he loaded the ice-auger and fishing gear. There are thousands of small lakes in that part of Ontario and he was going fishing. He flew around for a while until he saw just the right lake and dropped her down, did some fishing and had a great time. Then it came time to leave and he realized his mistake. The lake was too small for a safe take-off. If it had been narrow he would have had to truck it out but it was mostly round. He got as close to the one end as he could gave it full throttle and lifted off but didn't have enough time to climb above the trees. He was able to turn downwind and spiral himself up over the trees and on home safely. Within what seemed like days he had a Piper Super Cub with a whole 90 HP and things were better. Except that come summer he bought a set of floats for that and he was right back in the same situation. Some people never learn. Your 170 HP sounds a whole lot better to me.

BTW, I just realized we shot together in August at Smithmoor. Small world.

Paul

[RK]

That's a.nice looking Cessna 170. Semtav is right about tail dragger pilots being at the top of the spectrum lol. Have you taken it to Oshkosh? I've been draggin tail wheel for about 35 years.

[Aviator]

Hey Paul, that's a good story! Many light planes from that era are marginal on power, mine included. Larger engines weigh more and are more expensive. But a 65 hp Continental Cub or Champ is still a lot of fun!

I may very well have met you at the 22 BPCR at Smithmoor in August! But I am so bad with remembering names ......

RK: Been to Oshkosh every year since the mid-80's! Only have had the C170 since 2004 though. I haven't gotten in trouble and ground-looped the taildragger YET, but you sure don't want to get complacent! I have to say though, this path I've started on to shoot long range has eaten into the available time and money for flying!

[RK]

RK: Been to Oshkosh every year since the mid-80's! Only have had the C170 since 2004 though. I haven't gotten in trouble and ground-looped the taildragger YET, but you sure don't want to get complacent! I have to say though, this path I've started on to shoot long range has eaten into the available time and money for flying! [/quote]



You know what they say about not trusting a taildragger until its tied down lol. Been to Oshkosh alost every year since 1980. You can have a lot of fun burning avgas and.black powder.

[Kurt]

I like the tail draggers. I took my lessons in a J-3 back in 1957. The J-3 is a fine short field take off craft about 400 feet and it had a low stall speed. The J-3 and the T craft is the only I could turn into the wind and watched the fence posts moving backwards
That little 65 HP was enough and I think it had a 9 or 10 gallon fuel tank with a wire sticking through the gas cap for a fuel gauge.

[DeadEye]

You are right Steve, he did have a lot of fun with the Champ. Before he went fishing he explained to me that he couldn't invite me along because with the extra 165 lb. he could not get airborne. If he had taken me that day one of us would have been walking out. I remember another story he told of a Champ pilot flying into a major airport being given a runway with a substantial crosswind. He requested a different one but ATC gave him a 'take it or leave' it choice. They were not impressed when he set it down 'cross ways' on the designated runway into the wind.

As to Smithmoor that's alright, I don't remember you either but when I checked the score sheet I noticed you beat me.

Paul

[Aviator]

Believe it or not, I was able to slow down and fly backwards in my 170 once, due to a heck of a strong wind at 1000 feet altitude. Glad I wasn't trying to fly that direction and get some place that day!

Do any of you guys go to Quigley, and stay at the Restwell Motel?

If so, I may have met you there this year without knowing it. They had a last minute cancellation, and so I stayed there this year instead of camping.

[Aviator]

Aviator,
....Maybe it was good we had closed out our entries at the SE Regional. You would have been tough competition for many of us.
Hope to see you for the 2019 season. .......

Now that's funny!

I'm sure I will get down to Georgia next year!

[Rufus Krile]

Just a quick comment on airplanes... the Champ was the airplane that L.T. Cook used to train Sully Sullenberger--and others-- basic flight. L.T. also had a SuperCub but that was his 'overpowered' sprayer...

[alfajim]

My first flight at 15 was in a J-3 cub while in the CAP.

Took my lessons and soled in an champ plus my cross country's. then the US Army got in the way. While stationed at FT. Knox used their clubs super cub to build hours but was not able to do solo cross country's. Used a link trainer for under hood time passed my written for the private but life got in the way so never got to finish getting my private. *&$%^*.
Many years later when in the Navy reserve at Alameda got to do 100hr inspections on the club's aircraft with a good friend of my in the Squadron and then do the test flights and T&G's at Oakland's north field have 5hrs flight time at OAK airport. Have to be reeeaal careful there to stay out of way of the BIG guys right next to ya on parallel runways!

Jim O