This is what the message should have looked like - sorry 'bout that!
Gentle Folks,
For the first time in twenty six years, three months and ten days (since 05 March
1972), Aeronca Champ s/n 7AC-1024, registration OY-ALA, flew again today.
After a two year rebuild and re-certification process, we finally got our Permit to Fly
last Wednesday. Since then, the wind here at Esbjerg Airport has been blowing
directly across the runway at 18 - 28 knots. Not the ideal weather for a first date with
a new taildragger.
Today though, the weather co-operated nicely. A ten knot breeze nearly aligned with
the runway, blue skies and nice and warm.
Since I haven't flown much in tailwheel airplanes for the past two years, my pal
Kenneth rode shotgun in the back seat.
My wife Tine had the chief of the airport fire fighters take her to the runway
intersection so she could take photos of the event (whatever the outcome might have
been, as she sweetly pointed out).
We taxied to the runway and backtracked all the way to make maximum use of the
security a 2,600 metres runway can give you.
So - there we were, tension building. The tower gave us the go-ahead, so in came the
power of off we went.
We circled right next to the runway for the first half hour, then made five landings
(YeeHaa, I can still do that!). After a short break, we took off again and flew over to a
small grass airfield close by. Four landings and one overshoot later, back again to
Esbjerg for a couple of wheel landings (YeeHaa, etc. again. Well almost, I mean if
you're not too particular, they looked like wheel landings. Sort of.)
So, after two hours ten minutes and thirteen landings, I'm smiling, life is good, and
we're goin' to go do it again tomorrow.
Bent
7AC - 1024, OY-ALA
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Fri Jan 14 2000 - 21:56:57 PST