Flew with Jethro today. He approached me just after the service this morning and said, “Let’s go flying.” How can you turn down something like that?<\/p>\n
I kicked myself for not taking my camera, but I was rushed for time anyway. After wolfing down a bowl of soup at Panera I drove out to Smith Reynolds<\/a>. There was a vintage DC-3<\/a> in the old Piedmont Airlines<\/a> livery pulling up to the ramp. The sharply polished aluminum fuselage reflected the crystal blue sky like a mirror. I suspect the 70th anniversary of the plane’s entry to service had something to do with its presence there; restored examples of the plane I imagine are in demand. In any case, it was a beautiful piece of aviation history.<\/p>\n Jethro and I flew down to Sugar Valley, landed there and then made our way down to the little grass strip that is Hawk’s Creek<\/a>. He wanted some right-seat time since he’s working on his instructor rating, and I was more than happy to fly from the left seat, where I usually am. After having practiced soft-field takeoffs and landings ad nauseam, it was my first time performing them on an actual soft field. There was no one at the little field and we didn’t stay long. It was nice to sense of the practicalities behind the soft-field exercises we do, though, and it even made me feel like a bit of a bush pilot.<\/p>\n