Takeoffs Are Optional

A couple evenings ago I received an email from Bob, a fellow pilot, who has an interesting Web site about his flying experiences, The Joy of Aviation.

Bob has begun the intensive work (fun) required to become instrument rated. Admittedly, all flying is fun to some of us “hard cases,” but some of the training is very, very intense. So, his email stated, “I tell ya, I wanna get out tomorrow for some RECREATIONAL flying. Soo… badly, I’m seriously considering coming down to see you. I was supposed to go to Alton Bay with my Cuz on Thurs, but that looks like it’s going to get weathered out. He doesn’t think he can get off tomorrow. So… I’m looking your way.”

My response was, of course, to “come on down, I’ll take you to lunch.” (One of those $100 hamburgers that pilots talk about. One of us, however, enjoyed the Jambalaya special at Coakley’s in Havre de Grace.)

Now, by car, we live 275 miles and five hours of drive-time apart. Obviously, that is not convenient for a “lunch meeting” (which we can call a meeting because we are in the same business and collaborate on occasional projects).

With about an hour and a half of flight time in a C-172 (that’s a Cessna, small 4-place aircraft). Bob’s last email gave his time of arrival and departure like this: “I have to be back at home by 5p…wheels off by 2/2:30p so how’s a 12:00 arrival sound? I’ll need fuel, probably upon arrival would be best.“

That’s all I needed, I arrived at the airport about an hour before noon. I wanted to check on my airplane’s Annual Inspection (which is going well and should be finished next week). About 10 minutes ’til noon I heard a radio call from Bob, asking about wind and runway information. We gave him an advisory and soon watched him fly the pattern to a smooth touchdown. He taxied to the ramp near the fuel tank, shut down and climbed out of his plane. It was EXACTLY NOON. Great flight planning, eh? Harford Air Services (the FBO at Churchville’s airport) fueled the plane and then we headed to town to fuel the pilot(s).

We had our lunch meeting in Havre de Grace, whose name means Harbor of Mercy. I also threw in a short driving tour of this quaint and picturesque waterfront town at the head of the Chesapeake Bay. We then headed back to Harford County Airport for a sightseeing flight of the surrounding area.

Bob’s flight effectively demonstrated/implemented one of the great things, one of the “joys,” of general aviation. It would have been ridiculous for either of us to drive to visit one another for lunch. Some folks might claim it was silly to fly three hours for a lunch/meeting. But this was a multi-purpose endeavor. Bob needed some “recreational” flying as a break from the intensity of Instrument Flight training, we both wanted to meet to discuss an Internet project on which we were collaborating. It’s true we can collaborate via email and phone, but the occasional face-to-face meeting is also important and effective in the business world.

For me, the local sightseeing flight was a great way to familiarize Bob with the area and to get me back in the air. Because of life events I hadn’t been “up there” in a little over two months

So…it will soon be time for me to work on a mission list, get back in my Ercoupe for some (Takeoffs Are Optional) “practice” and begin making some trips. The ride in Bob’s plane certainly has my batteries recharged and ready to go. Hopefully be the end of next week the Ercoupe (currently in for Annual), the weather and my ankle (broke it during an ice storm in late January) will be ready for action. It has been 40 years since I touched a control yoke from the right seat (Bob let me fly a bit) - t’was cool. I am now eager for Jamie, my CFI, to begin training me to be PIC from the right side. That’s another goal, earning a CFI-Sport rating, and another story - to be determined.