I had been watching the kids all day
while my wife ran some errands and attended meeting or two. I had the day off so helping her out was the least I could do. RV-4 pilots are nothing if not courteous and helpful. At any rate, my wife returned at about 2:30pm. At about 2:31pm I was in my car heading for the airport with nothing to show I’d been home except for newspapers flapping in the breeze left by my car.I got out to the airport and parked in my usual spot. I got out and took a deep breath. Then I moved up wind of the portable toilet I parked next to and took another deep breath. It rained the day before but today was sunny and warm and clear. A perfect California day.
I opened up my hanger and pulled the RV-4 out and began my preflight. Mike was pulling his father’s 172 out of the hangar while the old grizzled CFI chewed his ear about their upcoming flight. Mike’s father is getting too old to fly so Mike is learning. I wave to Mike and his CFI as I get in. The CFI returns to his gruff chiding. It’s music to my ears as I nestle down in the 4.
Canopy – CLOSED AND LATCHED, ANR headsets – ON, “CLEAR PROP!” Then the rumble of my engine breaks the silence of the still air at Oakdale Airport (O27). I taxi out slowly so I don’t blow the 172 around. As I round the row of hangars the runway, wind TEE, and windsock come into view. The wind TEE indicates runway 28, the sock looks like it needs Viagra. I taxi down to 28 for my run-up.
Run-up complete, I radio out, taxi onto 28, and push the go lever all the way forward. I’ve almost stopped noticing how I get pushed back in my seat when the engine comes alive like that. I made a conscious effort to notice today. The plane is airborne well before the first turnoff and I’m climbing at 1700fpm into the clear Western sky. I punch 3O1 into my GPS and turn the plane toward Gustine Airport and cheap (for this area) gas. As I pass through 1000’ I switch off my boost pump. As I pass through 2600’ I begin to trim the airplane for level flight. Right at 3000’ I’m level and throttling back to 23” MP.
Ahhhh…. This is where I can finally relax. I’m still futzing with the radio, adjusting my mixture (I always lean), scanning for traffic, scanning the engine monitor, checking my altitude… it’s all so relaxing after watching the kids! Within 15 minutes I’m having to get ready to land at Gustine. I hear a helicopter on the downwind radio that he’s departing the pattern to the south. I call on an extended down wind for runway 30, he corrects me and tells me it’s actually runway 36. I thank him. Helicopter pilots are nothing if not courteous and helpful.
The windsock at Gustine is suffering the same lack of vigor that afflicted Oakdale’s windsock. I turn base, final, airspeed 80 MPH, slowly bleeding down to 75, over the fence, ground effect, tailwheel, mains, first turnoff. So relaxing…
I buy my cheap gas and a Pepsi. Gustine is abandoned at this time of day. The crop dusters are lined up in a row and stare at my silently. I can hear road noise from the nearby highway but no wind. Just a few Killdeer angry with me for disturbing their quiet time. Not wanting to offend my little winged brothers I climb back in the 4 and taxi back to 36.
Again I make a conscious effort to feel the acceleration during the takeoff roll. As I’m climbing out a Grumman calls on an extended base and says he’ll be looking for me. I call back that I’ll try to climb out quickly to get out of his way and be looking for him as well. We thank each other for the courtesy and part ways. Grumman pilots are nothing if not courteous and helpful.
I turn my plane south and over-fly Los Banos (LSN). The sun is getting lower and the shadows are just starting to get long. I look down and can see huge rectilinear hay stacks for miles around me. Eagle Field (CL01) passes under me. I have no particular place to go and I’m in no hurry. I keep it at 160 MPH. The engine would be deafening without my ANR headsets, she doesn’t have any paint or wheel pants right now, but that doesn’t matter. I’m right where I want to be.
I look out across the Central Valley and see the snowy peaks of the Sierra Nevada start to turn from white to the faintest orange. I pass over Firebaugh (F34), Mendota (M90). The Sierras are just too beautiful to ignore any longer so I turn east. I cross the valley quickly and overfly Madera (MAE). I keep pressing eastward until I’m over the foothills. I turn north and head to Mariposa (O68). The hills below me look like a washboard in the light from the setting sun. The snowcaps on the Sierras are beginning to turn pink now. I haven’t hit a single bump the entire flight. So relaxing….
I punch Oakdale into the GPS and select runway 28. I fly north until I’m on the extended centerline of the runway and then turn inbound. 10 miles out I begin to let down. I hear another pilot in the pattern at Oakdale in an Archer. I radio my position he radios his position. No conflicts. Neither of us breaks radio to disturb the other.
As I drop through 2000’ the sun suddenly sets. The clouds start taking on a cotton candy hue. The Archer does a touch and go and radios that he’s on the upwind when I hit about a 2 mile final. Perfect. Boost pump on, carb heat, 1200 RPM, flaps down at 85 MPH, stabilized at 80, riding on rails. Slow to 75 over the canal, chop the throttle, I hear the tell-tale rumble of the tailwheel and then a single squeak as the mains touch down. Heck, I’m even on the centerline, well what do you know… Of course the airport is abandoned, no one to see that great landing.
I taxi up to my hangar and shut down. I sit in my plane with the canopy closed and listen to the gyros spin down. That is such a satisfying sound. I sit there for about a minute and begin to hear the outside world as the gyros slowly die. Mike and his CFI have returned. The 172 is back in the hangar and I can just make out a few words; “get a handle on that airspeed,” and “trim.” I think, “Heck buddy, you need an RV.”
I put my plane away and close the hangar and start to walk away. Then I turn and wave at Mike. His CFI is chewing his butt but Mike is smiling and waves back. 172 pilots are nothing if not courteous and helpful. Mike returns his attention to the CFI who hasn’t skipped a beat. I turn and walk back to my car thinking how much I love aviation and how much more enjoyable aviation has become since I finished my RV-4.
Keep building. Days like today make it all worthwhile.
