Gwen's Dad Built This Plane
Gwen of Socimages fame, her dad built the little plane that flew me from Lincoln to Sioux Falls today.
See, here's his signature on the airworthiness certificate:
P.S. If you want to buy one of Mike's nifty airplanes, I sell them.
Skyhawks…oh yes, worlds best airplane? Must have something to do with it, as they are the world’s most popular airplane.
Turns out, I have more time in Skyhawks, than any other airplane, and flight instructing in them, demonstrated what a great all around airplane they were. Most bi-annual flight reviews were conducted in a Skyhawk, and the stability and honest flight characteristics surely helped the pilot gather up confidence in a short period of time. Instrument training was where the Skyhawk shined the most, as the airplane really taught the basics of instrument flying, and yet enabled a beginning student instrument pilot to fly the airplane well enough to build on that experience.
Personally, one of the most enjoyable trips I took, was a 1,322 mile trip from Sioux Falls SD, to Panama City Florida. I had graduated two student pilots who were interested in the instrument rating. They needed to accomplish two things, cross country time as PIC, and the required flight training for the instrument rating. If the weather was VFR, the left seat pilot wore the view limiting device, the right seat pilot was the safety pilot. Being that it was cross country, and that the regulations required a pilot and they could log PIC, I could sit in the back seat and monitor and coach.
We departed Sioux Falls with 3 sets of golf clubs, and a weeks worth of clothing. It was the early spring, and cooler morning temperatures as we departed the area to the south. Approximately every 50 to 75 miles, we would practice an instrument approach, including en-route airway holding patterns. Throughout the day, we continued going south, stopping in places like Kirksville MO, Cape Girardo MO, whereby we enjoyed sandwiches in the hot and humid sun of that day under the wing. I recall doing an ILS approach at Huntsville AL, it was later in the afternoon, about 90 degree temps with continuous light to moderate chop. It was intense, and at the end of the day, we were all done thinking about flying and airplanes for a while.
We did make it to Panama City, spent a little time on the beach, and made our way back to Sioux Falls, via Paducah KY, St. Louis MO overnight. Arriving back in Sioux Falls, we clocked about 30 hours of flight time, and only about 1 hour was done in actual IFR conditions. The day was clear and beautiful on arrival back home, and shutting down the airplane, unpacking all of our luggage, I realized this was a great journey. Adventure is…pain recounted as entertainment after the fact!
The Skyhawk WAS the plane! Cruising along at 7,000 feet and seeing parts of the country that I had never been to, was very enjoyable. The airplane carried 3 adults, all our luggage, and safely took us to our destination and back, an excellent experience! Over the years, I have taken pilots back up in Skyhawks, and they all seem to have that same comment: It is an enjoyable airplane to fly, in some ways the only airplane a person really needs!
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