Passion for Flight

Lake Powell mirrored by Flight Design CT wing It is very early in the morning, and the sun is just above the eastern horizon. Our Flight Design CT plane, with owner and friend Philip as pilot and me as copilot, is last in a group of five CTs taking off from the Page, AZ, airport, for a meandering low flight over Lake Powell. The string of graceful planes leaping into the air reminds me of geese taking flight. As we bank for the flight north, the sandstone hills and the lake are mirrored in the wing of the plane.  We participate in the 7th Annual 2013 Page, AZ, Fly-in , organized by Roger Lee, an expert for CTs and Rotax engines. He is based in Tucson, AZ. Thirteen CTs have come, and one Sportscruiser, a neat low-wing plane made in the Czech Republic. When not touring the area, the planes are tied down at the Page airport in two reserved rows. This is our first day of flying in the area. We get up at 5 am, have breakfast, and take the 10 min walk to the airport. As we near t...

During a recent visit in Albuquerque, NM, daughter Ingrid suggested that we visit the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History. This turned out to be a terrific idea. The museum is located near the intersection of Interstates 25 and 40. The name of the museum suggests that it may cover nuclear science with all its aspects. But the detailed and fascinating exhibits deal with just one part: the origins of nuclear weapons in World War II, the planes and rockets designed for their delivery, and the politics of nuclear threat and intimidation from the end of WW II to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The exhibits begin with the famous scientists who unraveled the secret of the atom. Next are the fortunately unsuccessful attempts in Germany and Japan to develop a nuclear bomb, and the huge scientific effort in the US that ultimately produced the first nuclear bombs. The first test bomb, code-named "Gadget," was exploded on a platform July 16, 1945,...

Flight Design Panel The panel in Philip's Flight Design CTLS is intimidating. There is information about engine performance, weather, temporary flight restrictions (TFRs), airports, routes, airplane attitude and direction, speed... a lot of stuff to digest and stay on top of. The yellow label centered at the top admonishes, "Read manuals before flight." Notice the plural "manuals." It's a rule that reminds me of a jocular warning label in some old Piper Cubs: "Do not exceed mach 1.5 in inverted flight." How did we get into such a complicated airplane? It begins with a flight with our Zenith 601 HDS, N314LB, from Dallas to Deming, NM, under adverse wind conditions. The best choice is staying low, indeed very low, for the entire route.  Over the desert of West Texas, this means flying 500 ft AGL. There are no towers or other obstructions, and flying so low is safe, indeed exhilarating. US 62 going west from the Guadalupe Mountains across th...

Grand Canyon National Park Near Gallup, NM, a violent storm digs into the sand of the desert a few miles east of our southeasterly route. Strong gusts pitch up plumes of sand past 13,000 ft MSL, above our altitude of 11,500 ft MSL. This is the second close-up sandstorm today. We avoid the sand just as we did earlier, by staying over forested terrain. Half an hour later, we approach Grants, NM, the second and final stop of the day. Wes, the FBO, says “Wind 220 degrees at 20 kts, gusting to 27.” Oh my, the single runway at Grants is 13-31, so this is a severe 90 deg crosswind. As a safeguard for that situation, we have planned as alternate the Double Eagle airport in Albuquerque, which lies 55 nm east and has two runways. But before we give up on Grants and go to the backup plan, we call back for verification. Wes says “The winds are bouncing around. Wind is now 170 degrees at 18 kts, gusting to 24.” For runway 13, this is an easily  managed crosswind. We line up...