The Adventure Continues

#2
My career in aviation has been  spotty at best, but it has created great dreams and intense pleasure for me over the years.  As I said, I started flying professionaly in 1970.  It was while I was at Cardinal Aviation in Louisville, Kentucky that I became entangled with a man who was taking flying lessons from me.  That relationship, as strange as it was, did a great deal for me and my aviation career at the time.  J D, that's how I'll address him from now on, was with a mid size company in the area.  He was learning to fly because he had put on his resume for his position as director of sales and marketing the non existent fact that he was qualified in the Lear.  His  company owned a Piper Aztec, and he was supposed to get checked out and fly it.   So JD slowly learned to fly with me, and seemed an ok guy, at first. He was a little slow as a student though.   It was ovious to me that he had never flown before, but I brought him along.  His real problem was soloing in the Beech Musketeer.  At that time I could usually solo a new student in about 10 or 12 hours, but this guy was taking forever.  Anyway, JD and I were set to fly late one late  afternoon.It was the spring of  '71'.  The plan was to fly from Louisville Bowman down to Bardstown to have an afternoon touch and go session.  After takeoff JD asked if we could do a few touch and goes at Bowman. He was sure he was ready to solo.  We took off and he called the tower. "Bowman tower, Musketeer 61000 November would like to remain in the pattern for some touch and goes."   Ofcourse the tower complied with the request and told us to make Left Traffic for runway 6.  We came around and he was doing fine, altitude right on, and made the turn to base with the power and airspeed looking fine.  He put a notch of flaps down  on base and the second notch down  on final. Everything looked great as he lined up on final.

JD was doing a good job of concentrating; better than  usual.   We touched down fine but a little hard and  bounced a time or two. He braked and slowed the plane down, raised the flaps and, with runway to spare, pushed the throttle to full power and started the takeoff roll.  Just after the lift off the tower called with a rather disturbing message: "6100November, it appears you have lost the right main landing gear".  
I glanced at the student and punched the mic button, "Tower, this is a Fixed Gear airplane.  It's not very likely we lost a landing gear. You must have made a mistake."    I smiled over at JD, but the tower called right back with a second  disturbing message,   "6100November ,  we just had a truck pick up the gear from the runway. The whole thing, wheel and all,  from right where it's attached under the wing, broke off.   What are your intentions?"   I just love it when ATC  (air traffic control) asks your intentions.  My thoughts, parachute out, or some such nonsense.
I declared an emergency at that point.   The tower had me switch to another frequency.  Tower told us the runway was cleared and the rescue trucks were in place so that I could land.   I asked for Left side in the grass, which is (or was) normal at Bowman, but told the tower I'd like to take some time to burn off some fuel.  I had just fueled up before the lesson, and I could now imagine the planes wing coming  off and sparking a huge inferno.  JD was visibly shaken.  I was flying from the right seat, and felt and intense clamness decend over me.     It was getting late in the afternoon and the sun was going down fast, so it was time to be the professional pilot and land the damn contraption.  I told the tower I was ready and would call downwind.  On the downwind leg JD, a devout Baptist and consumate liar told me it was time to pray.  " Ok JD, you pray and I'll fly."  That was my short and sweet answer. 

On base to final I pulled the mixture which essentially shut down the engine, and then shut off the mags. The master switch went last just in case I would need to talk to the tower one last time.  We touched down with an easy glide to the grass runway.    I held the nose off with full back pressure on the yoke, and when 6100 November's right wing came down the airplane  was flying so slow that at first it just kissed the grass.  It was only going about 35 miles an hour then, and the airplane skidded around in a half circle and came to a stop.  A firemen pulled me and a very large and scared student pilot out of the plane so fast that I hardly knew what was happening.  
Later on our mechanic enlisted me and a few others to  help and we got the plane into the hanger.  To everyones amazement the only damage to the plane was the missing right landing gear.  The FAA GADO guys from the field came over to congratulate me on handling the emergency in such a cool and calm manner. 
That night at the aero club I couldn't buy myself a drink.  Shortly thereafter JD got me the job of flying his company's twin engine Aztec.   So, all had ended well, and my dream of becoming a "real" pilot was soon to be realized.  
 Here I sit, after forty five years, still flight instructing, and still having the time of my life. 

Thanks for checking in fellow pilots, see you later.  You're cleared for take off,
and Happy flying, Fair Skies and Tailwinds. 

Flying again after all these years

Hi All, 
I'm just starting this new blog since I've decided to be an independent Flight Instructor.   I learned to fly in September, 1966 a couple of months before going in the US Army.  By 1970 I had earned a Commercial,  Single and Multi Engine Ratings and an Instrument Rating.  Then, in March, I flew a Cessna 150 from Lexington, Blue Grass Field to Nashville (BNA) and took my CFI flight check with
an FAA Inspector, passed (first time around) with flying colors. Then, in the evening, I flew back to LEX.  
About three days later I started my first flying job at Cardinal Aviation, Bowman Field, Lousiville, Ky.
And so my flying career began! 
I loved flying at Bowman.   At Cardinal we had two junky old faded blue and white Cherokee 140's and a C-150.   We also had a Cessna 182, and a Ryan as well as a Baron.   I drove daily from Lex to Bowman to teach.  I was the only full time instructor at the place, and had lots of students.  When I think back all those years and remember landing Right Side or Left Side in the grass I'm amazed at the things we did.   I made $5.00 an hour, which wasn't bad.  At the time I was having more fun than anyone can imagine.  My boss was Fred Denny, the manager who had been a Connie FO for Central American Airways.  He was a great boss and fun to work with.  He also taught the Wed. evening Private Pilot Ground School, and was extemely knowledgeable about all things Aviation.  
From first solo (after 5:32 minutes of flight time) to Commercial and CFI took about 4 years, with two years off for the Army. 
Forty five years later I now have an ATP, CFI, II, MEI and Single Engine Sea Plane ratings.  I still love to fly and in this blog I plan to discuss many topics that deal with Aviation, and learing to fly. 
May your skies be fair and tailwinds abound.