Mountain Pilot
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 13, 2010
- Messages
- 267
- Reaction score
- 6
Yes, Yes I know that I am just venting my frustration as to both printed and vocal comments as to my love to be flying a "Low Performance" aircraft... But the next time some one tells me that I need far more performance to have a true "Cross Country" Aircraft, he will be picking himself up from the tarmac. ( not really but I would like to )
Why is this attitude persist? I saw it especially when I had a Luscombe or a Rag Wing Cessna 140, I would be told that "It is a cute local flying airplane" but would be amazed and think I am lying to then that I fly it all over the west and have no problem with getting altitude to fly around the Rocky Mountains. I still see it when I got my Cherokee-140 I still see this attitude in articles in publications such as Plane & Pilot, Flying and even AOPA Pilot.
At 90 MPH in my old Cessna 140 I could fly to my Son's town in about two hours but it takes 6 hours driving if the traffic is light. My Cherokee takes about 1.5 hours What is slow about that?
This Fall I am planning a 3,500 mile trip to the East Coast and back, visiting family along the way. I figure about 30 hours of flight time and 240 gal of fuel. Driving would be 4,400 miles,and 90 hours of driving time and 176 gal of fuel.
Maybe I am over sensitive, maybe I just like to fly across Kansas at 500 feel and wave at the kids playing in the barn yard. Or see the sun rise over some 14,000 ft mountains in the morning as I wing my way to my Son's house. And to see herds of Antelope run across the open desert of New Mexico. Taking a Grand-Child to see the world up close and personal, Something that the Performance Pilot at 14,000 feet and fooling with his GPS would miss. To me seeing the world from 1,000 feet is what flying is all about!
Why is this attitude persist? I saw it especially when I had a Luscombe or a Rag Wing Cessna 140, I would be told that "It is a cute local flying airplane" but would be amazed and think I am lying to then that I fly it all over the west and have no problem with getting altitude to fly around the Rocky Mountains. I still see it when I got my Cherokee-140 I still see this attitude in articles in publications such as Plane & Pilot, Flying and even AOPA Pilot.
At 90 MPH in my old Cessna 140 I could fly to my Son's town in about two hours but it takes 6 hours driving if the traffic is light. My Cherokee takes about 1.5 hours What is slow about that?
This Fall I am planning a 3,500 mile trip to the East Coast and back, visiting family along the way. I figure about 30 hours of flight time and 240 gal of fuel. Driving would be 4,400 miles,and 90 hours of driving time and 176 gal of fuel.
Maybe I am over sensitive, maybe I just like to fly across Kansas at 500 feel and wave at the kids playing in the barn yard. Or see the sun rise over some 14,000 ft mountains in the morning as I wing my way to my Son's house. And to see herds of Antelope run across the open desert of New Mexico. Taking a Grand-Child to see the world up close and personal, Something that the Performance Pilot at 14,000 feet and fooling with his GPS would miss. To me seeing the world from 1,000 feet is what flying is all about!
