John J
Line Up and Wait
I found some more notes in my books and logs. This one is quite recent. I wrote this under 4 years ago just before I moved back to my roots from New England with my last plane. It was a very special day and I am glad to share it with you
Thank you for reading
John
An Early Morning flight
The air is so fresh with the morning dew. Beech Debonair 9429S and I are out for an early morning flight to visit my son who lives on the shores of Connecticut. It is a very still morning at 0630. The air is so clear and quiet. The dew on the grass sparkles in the early morning sun. Norwood Airport is filled with wild life and airplanes that co exist very nicely. I can see the ring neck pheasants walking out near the runways, while the deer graze over by a stand of trees next to one of the runways. Fortunately there is a fence between the deer and the runway. The geese and ducks are practicing their early morning flying skills by doing splash and dashes on a pond near by It is time for me to get 9429S flying. I have goose bumps as I climb into the old Beech.
The silence is broken with the starting of the engine and it settles down to a nice loping sound. I call ground control; “Beech 9429 Sugar; the north ramp with “oscar”; ready to taxi to runway 35.” They come back and clear me to start on my journey to the runway. It is a great time for me to look out at the marsh and see all the birds getting up for the day; busy collecting food for their young. I run through preliminary checks as I taxi along listening to the engine making a wonderful loping sound. At the end of the runway I perform the pretake off checks. Controls free, trim tabs set, flaps set, run the engine up to check the mags and cycle the prop to check it’s range. Fuel selector set, gyros are fully spooled up and the list goes on. Once complete and I am ready I call the tower; “Norwood Tower, 9429 Sugar is ready for take off Runway 35; request a departure to the west” “Beech 9429 Sugar taxi into position and hold”, the tower responds. I taxi slowly out on the very end of the runway scanning for traffic in all quadrants. I feel my anticipation and excitement rise as I face down the runway. I find that I have never lost that wonderful feeling since my very first flight so long ago.
The tower clears me off and we begin to have another great adventure. I move the power up to where the engine is beginning to growl and release the brakes. As the plane begins to move I ease the throttle all the way to 100% power. The Debonair begins to surge forward with authority and purpose. The speed builds 40, 50, 60, and the controls are beginning to feel light to the touch. The Debonair comes alive and we are ready. 70 and 80 come fast and the plane’s nose lifts sniffing the air. Suddenly the rumbling of the tires stops and what a feeling of the wing is getting its smooth grip on the early morning air. More speed to 100 and a positive rate of climb and a new sound comes. It is the gear motor pulling up the gear. The air so smooth and 29S accelerates to climb speed of 110. The controls feel so light and responsive in the smooth buttery air. The ground falls away and we are now climbing over 1000 feet per minute. At 1000 feet I reduce power to 80% lower the nose so to allow the speed to come up to a nice cruise climb of 130 and we are still climbing just over 1000 feet per minute. The air is so smooth. The plane and I are one. We fly out over the towns and farms leaving the airport rapidly behind. I say so long to the tower as I level off at 2,500 so I can see the small towns and farms slide under the wings. At cruise now with the engine at 65% we are just loafing along at 150 feeling the early morning air. There is not a ripple of bumps; just silky smooth. It is a golden morning for a plane ride. The 90 miles go by very fast and it is time to land. I really do not want the flight to end for it is so smooth and what beauty seeing all the villages, lakes and woods looking so clean and still in the early morning. It is the beginning of a new day and I got to see it from the air. What a special treat.
Thank you for reading
John
An Early Morning flight
The air is so fresh with the morning dew. Beech Debonair 9429S and I are out for an early morning flight to visit my son who lives on the shores of Connecticut. It is a very still morning at 0630. The air is so clear and quiet. The dew on the grass sparkles in the early morning sun. Norwood Airport is filled with wild life and airplanes that co exist very nicely. I can see the ring neck pheasants walking out near the runways, while the deer graze over by a stand of trees next to one of the runways. Fortunately there is a fence between the deer and the runway. The geese and ducks are practicing their early morning flying skills by doing splash and dashes on a pond near by It is time for me to get 9429S flying. I have goose bumps as I climb into the old Beech.
The silence is broken with the starting of the engine and it settles down to a nice loping sound. I call ground control; “Beech 9429 Sugar; the north ramp with “oscar”; ready to taxi to runway 35.” They come back and clear me to start on my journey to the runway. It is a great time for me to look out at the marsh and see all the birds getting up for the day; busy collecting food for their young. I run through preliminary checks as I taxi along listening to the engine making a wonderful loping sound. At the end of the runway I perform the pretake off checks. Controls free, trim tabs set, flaps set, run the engine up to check the mags and cycle the prop to check it’s range. Fuel selector set, gyros are fully spooled up and the list goes on. Once complete and I am ready I call the tower; “Norwood Tower, 9429 Sugar is ready for take off Runway 35; request a departure to the west” “Beech 9429 Sugar taxi into position and hold”, the tower responds. I taxi slowly out on the very end of the runway scanning for traffic in all quadrants. I feel my anticipation and excitement rise as I face down the runway. I find that I have never lost that wonderful feeling since my very first flight so long ago.
The tower clears me off and we begin to have another great adventure. I move the power up to where the engine is beginning to growl and release the brakes. As the plane begins to move I ease the throttle all the way to 100% power. The Debonair begins to surge forward with authority and purpose. The speed builds 40, 50, 60, and the controls are beginning to feel light to the touch. The Debonair comes alive and we are ready. 70 and 80 come fast and the plane’s nose lifts sniffing the air. Suddenly the rumbling of the tires stops and what a feeling of the wing is getting its smooth grip on the early morning air. More speed to 100 and a positive rate of climb and a new sound comes. It is the gear motor pulling up the gear. The air so smooth and 29S accelerates to climb speed of 110. The controls feel so light and responsive in the smooth buttery air. The ground falls away and we are now climbing over 1000 feet per minute. At 1000 feet I reduce power to 80% lower the nose so to allow the speed to come up to a nice cruise climb of 130 and we are still climbing just over 1000 feet per minute. The air is so smooth. The plane and I are one. We fly out over the towns and farms leaving the airport rapidly behind. I say so long to the tower as I level off at 2,500 so I can see the small towns and farms slide under the wings. At cruise now with the engine at 65% we are just loafing along at 150 feeling the early morning air. There is not a ripple of bumps; just silky smooth. It is a golden morning for a plane ride. The 90 miles go by very fast and it is time to land. I really do not want the flight to end for it is so smooth and what beauty seeing all the villages, lakes and woods looking so clean and still in the early morning. It is the beginning of a new day and I got to see it from the air. What a special treat.
