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Nice video, edited and published by Neil showing he and I flying the Citabria, viewable here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1vwVplIVEM

Landing the Cirrus at New Garden Airport, April 2014

Landing the Citabria at Big Oak (private strip), Chesapeake Bay

Citabria departure

1946 Piper J3 Cub flying, Landing

With expertise of Roger and john – my collaborators in the project – the J3 Piper Cub rebuilt engine ran for the first time today. This is a major milestone in the restoration we’re undertaking of the 1946 J3 Cub – an American Classic!

With two friends – Roger and John – we three are rebuilding a 1946 Piper Cub J-3. The J3 is a classic American aircraft, two seater and as basic as they come. No electrics, no radios, flying ‘low and slow’ with its 68hp Continental A-65-8 engine. This is flying at its best, and the J-3 is beautiful, fun and a delight to fly.

We bought the airplane in pieces and in need of some substantial parts replacement, and an engine rebuild. The seller – another friend of ours – delivered the boxes of parts, the fuselage and wings to the hangar at our airport in the later summer.

Roger has restored many of these airplanes, and John completed the building of his own kit airplane a couple of years ago and me – I’m learning!

With the great progress made thus far, in the reassembly of one of the wings, prep-ing the other plus the fuselage we’re about to watch Roger go to work on the recovering.

One of 500,000 people to participate in EAA’s Air Venture 2009 this week, at Oshkosh in Wisconsin. Flew the Cirrus out on Wednesday, stopping to refuel in Fremont (506 miles, routing N57-V170-RAV-V170-ERI-V221-SPICA-PSI-KFFX), then VFR across Lake Michigan to Appleton – our base for the 3 day adventure.

Three great days at the air show, spending the mornings checking out all the aviation vendors for new products and services, buying the obligatory t-shirts, viewing the static aircraft then settling in for the afternoon air show.

Some amazing technology on display, including the Airbus A380 – the largest passenger aircraft, the C-5 Galaxy – one of the largest military carriers and the truly amazing WhiteKnightTwo – the Virgin Galactic aircraft that will carry a spacecraft to 50,000 feet for release beyond the atmosphere.

Made the return single-leg, 626 mile flight in just 3 hours 48 minutes, filing KAPT-FNT-MXE-N57 and getting that routing! It was a fast and challenging flight (stormy weather, rain and instrument flying, video below) which the Cirrus is designed and perfect for!

Strange prop action caught by the iPhone camera. The prop is turning, 400+ horsepower at work, beautiful airplane….the Lear Jet of the 1940’s.

Fabulous Fall weather made sure our Cirrus flight to Luray Caverns in Virginia was memorable. Fall colours, yellows, orange and gold and the crisp air made for excellent visibility as we flew up the Shenandoah National Park Valley, paralleling the Skyline Drive, and descending to runway 22 of W45 Luray Caverns Airport. An EAA Chapter 240 fly-out brought 6 aircraft and 11 flyers to the caverns. A great trip.

Colin, Denise and mum are amongst us and we’re taking advantage of fabulous weather to go flying, trip-ing, concerts, taking in local foods and delicacies. Breakfast flights to Ocean City New Jersey and to Lancaster Pennsylvania, dinner at Buddakan, a day in Washington DC, Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt concert, Lynne riding, Colin taking an aerobatic flight….. all made for a busy, action-packed but really enjoyable week.

Lynne just departed Philly this evening, en-route to see her mum, and a brief vacation/holiday in Southport. I watched her flight depart, right/middle on the display below, USAir734, an Airbus 333 at 12500 feet and climbing at 417 knots, en-route to EGCC-Manchester UK.

Miss you already Lynn-ie!! Hey – take care of her over there!

An aviation friend – Hugh H – hosts a fly-in of tail-dragger airplanes to his Chesapeake Bay-side home in Maryland. I’ve been delighted to have been invited for a few years now. So, with buddy Bill K in the back, flew the 78 miles south in the Citabria 76ML and joined a colourful selection of aviation history (both pilots and their craft) for lunch, good company in this breathtakingly stunning part of this beautiful country. Thanks again Hugh and Marge!

Hugh and ex-airline stewardess Marge host a wonderful event they call “Worlds Smallest”. Small in aircraft count maybe, but huge in everyone’s memories lucky enough to participate.

Tail-draggers – so called ‘cos that’s what they do. The drag their arses around the place on a small tailwheel. They are more challenging to deal with, with great care necessary in take-offs and even more so in landings, and taxi-ing. They are very susceptible to the wind and need constant attention, until safety hangared. The alternate and majority of aircraft wheel configurations are tri-cycle, with the leading wheel at the front of the airframe – easy!

Nice video from Lucky of his approach and landing here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJ5MoYi0Fec