Planespotta

FlyOrDie

I like the first one a lot!

Cubdriver

Real nice pictures PlaneSpotta. You had a plum-good shooting location there. Thanks for sharing!

whatthe6789

Let me guess, flight team practice?

Dubes

Those are some neat photos Spotta! How close were you to the runway during the landings?

Planespotta

Thanks! Even your DC6 would have a tough time matching the roar of a 1953 cub

Hey, someone’s gotta leave some some skid marks on that runway . . .

Thanks! I was about 2-3 feet away, but not in this pic -




Here are a few more:

Planespotta

mcis987

We kicked your butts at Regionals this year I was a coach for the University of Illinois team.

USMCFLYR

Planespotta -

I remember a day exactly lke that back in '85-86 timeframe. I had decided to switch over to an aviation major and had decided to see what this 'Flying Aggies' Flight Team thing was all about. I went out with one of the senior guys to the edge of the runway one Saturday morning and we had a great time watching the practice and judging the landings and just having a great BBQ atmosphere fun time. I was hooked!
Thanks for sharing those pictures and bringing back those old memories.

USMCFLYR

Planespotta

Only because I had to stay back on campus to register for classes

Nothing beats a relaxing day at the local airport when all that matters is flying, eating barbecued food, and having a good time with friends. I think every pilot can think of a time like that - even Skyhigh.



It reminds me of this anecdote, taken from Dave English's website:

The young flight instructor is pounding the pattern in a basic trainer. Half watching his student and half thinking of getting a real flying job. Some twin-engine time, a little cross-country IFR. Boy would that be sweet, that would be real flying. Above him at 8,000 feet a freight-dog in a beat-up Beech Baron bounces along. Cursing the turbulence and the heat and the holes in the instrument panel, he thinks about one day getting a turbine job.

At 18,000 feet the crew of a King Air are droning along on autopilot, enjoying the air-conditioned cockpit. But the noise and vibration of the propellers is annoying, and the turbine-twin will not climb out of all the weather. The lady PIC is close to a jet job, and keeps looking up above the tops of the building cumulus. At flight level 390 dinner is being served to the major airline captain. Life is sweet. But his schedule sucks again next month, stupid recurrent training, and the mustard for the steak is too spicy again. He looks out the windshield as a glint of sunlight catches his eye strangely above the horizon. "It's the space station," says the first officer. "Now that would be sweet."

Floating over to a window, the astronaut looks down on the colorful blue and green quilt set amongst the void of space. A former fighter and test pilot, the Space Shuttle commander is picking out ground features as he orbits over middle America. "You see those two rivers, just east of the city?" he says. "There is a little airport down there. I first soloed in a Piper Cub right there."

"Now that is real flying."