John J
Line Up and Wait
The last note I wrote was my first instructional flight in a T-Craft that challenged me to solo it when I became 16 in 1960. I first flew the T-Craft when I was 15 and took most of my flying lessons in that bird. This T-Craft seemed to have a personality that if one was real careful it would make the sweetest landing in the world, but watch out if you looked the wrong way.
When I first soloed just after my 16th birthday, I soloed first in the J-3 for it was the easier of the two planes to fly for me. The T-Craft was next. Since I was in school and only could work at the airport on weekends I had to build up my"flying bank" of work hours. The big day would come two weeks later.
I was just as excited about soloing the T-Craft as the J-3. I liked that T-Craft for it was fast and could climb better. I also wanted to fly it for my first solo X-C when that time came. The day came and I was ready. Ed and I went out at the end of the day with a bit of wind that was stronger than the day of my first solo. He had me do a series of wheel landings and then asked for a 3 pointer. The T-Craft told both of us that this is not the day that for me to solo doing 3 point landings. Ed said "we will do it next time the wind today is just a little too much" It was gusting up to 15 at a 30 to 40 degree cross wind.
The gang at the airport said they would be waiting patiently to see me solo that T-Craft. The next week I was even more than ready. I came to work at the airport on a real nice Saturday. The flight school always took the paying students first and then I would get the last flight of the day. I looked at the schedule and found the T-Craft was being taken for two hours in the early afternoon by a new Naval Academy Grad for a sight seeing ride to see the fleet that was anchored off Annapolis. Ed said that I would fly right after he came back.
I spent the time washing and cleaning planes and looking at the sky for the T-Craft. Wow I wanted to fly that plane. Soon the clocked showed that the T-Craft was over due. Faces beside mine turned skyward. We looked and waited. Ed began to pace. Mrs P the flight school owner got worried. Now one hour over due, calls were made to local fields. Nothing seen.
Close to 1.5 hours over due, the phone rang and it was the pilot who took the T-Craft. He said he would be at the airport in 15 minutes. Of course we all wanted to know where he was but he said "see you in 15" We went back to our sky looking and listening. Two planes came in but not the T-Craft. Shortly after the second plane came in, a cab showed up and out jumped the new Navy Grad with a bag of wet clothes. "What happened" was asked and he said he was sorry that he had to ditch the T-Craft in the Chesapeake Bay when he was taking pictures of the fleet. He mentioned in a low voice, " about not putting on the carb heat" He also said he how got out for the plane by using all the training he had in the "Dilbert Dunker" He had over 15 hours in it. He said he was fine but appologized that he left the plane at the bottom of the Bay. Mrs. P. just said the insurance will give her more than she could get from selling it. Everyone was very relieved that he was fine. Ed said to me that we will fly the Champ that just joined the flight line, next week
As I went home on my bike that day I felt a loss for I had really grown to like that T-Craft even if I could not make great landings every time. It was the plane that would let you know right way if you were not paying attention. When I flew my first solo x-c in the Champ I flew over the area where it was ditched and wagged my wings in a salute to that bird that had taught me so much in my early flying.
Thank you for reading
John J
When I first soloed just after my 16th birthday, I soloed first in the J-3 for it was the easier of the two planes to fly for me. The T-Craft was next. Since I was in school and only could work at the airport on weekends I had to build up my"flying bank" of work hours. The big day would come two weeks later.
I was just as excited about soloing the T-Craft as the J-3. I liked that T-Craft for it was fast and could climb better. I also wanted to fly it for my first solo X-C when that time came. The day came and I was ready. Ed and I went out at the end of the day with a bit of wind that was stronger than the day of my first solo. He had me do a series of wheel landings and then asked for a 3 pointer. The T-Craft told both of us that this is not the day that for me to solo doing 3 point landings. Ed said "we will do it next time the wind today is just a little too much" It was gusting up to 15 at a 30 to 40 degree cross wind.
The gang at the airport said they would be waiting patiently to see me solo that T-Craft. The next week I was even more than ready. I came to work at the airport on a real nice Saturday. The flight school always took the paying students first and then I would get the last flight of the day. I looked at the schedule and found the T-Craft was being taken for two hours in the early afternoon by a new Naval Academy Grad for a sight seeing ride to see the fleet that was anchored off Annapolis. Ed said that I would fly right after he came back.
I spent the time washing and cleaning planes and looking at the sky for the T-Craft. Wow I wanted to fly that plane. Soon the clocked showed that the T-Craft was over due. Faces beside mine turned skyward. We looked and waited. Ed began to pace. Mrs P the flight school owner got worried. Now one hour over due, calls were made to local fields. Nothing seen.
Close to 1.5 hours over due, the phone rang and it was the pilot who took the T-Craft. He said he would be at the airport in 15 minutes. Of course we all wanted to know where he was but he said "see you in 15" We went back to our sky looking and listening. Two planes came in but not the T-Craft. Shortly after the second plane came in, a cab showed up and out jumped the new Navy Grad with a bag of wet clothes. "What happened" was asked and he said he was sorry that he had to ditch the T-Craft in the Chesapeake Bay when he was taking pictures of the fleet. He mentioned in a low voice, " about not putting on the carb heat" He also said he how got out for the plane by using all the training he had in the "Dilbert Dunker" He had over 15 hours in it. He said he was fine but appologized that he left the plane at the bottom of the Bay. Mrs. P. just said the insurance will give her more than she could get from selling it. Everyone was very relieved that he was fine. Ed said to me that we will fly the Champ that just joined the flight line, next week
As I went home on my bike that day I felt a loss for I had really grown to like that T-Craft even if I could not make great landings every time. It was the plane that would let you know right way if you were not paying attention. When I flew my first solo x-c in the Champ I flew over the area where it was ditched and wagged my wings in a salute to that bird that had taught me so much in my early flying.
Thank you for reading
John J
