Chapter Four

There is an adage in aviation that goes something like,  "An airplane that looks good usually flies good". I find my Bird biplane beautiful, and it flies beautifully. Technically it is a sesquiplane rather than a biplane. All this means is that one wing is 50% or less the size of the other wing. The operating speed envelope is probably the greatest pleasure of the plane. It lands around 38 miles per hour. It was considered the best and safest handling airplane of its day.

A Bird Biplane was the "Ford-Leigh" entry in the Guggenheim Safe Airplane Contest and came in second to the Auto Gyro. I don't think the Auto Gyro should have been allowed to enter as it is something like an early helicopter.

Charles Lindbergh thought a Bird biplane so safe he bought one for his wife-to-be Ann Morrow so she could learn to fly. Matter of fact he liked the Bird so much he was an investor in the company. He could have purchased any airplane in the world and in fact in 1931 all he needed to do was ask and any airplane manufacturer would have given him an airplane just for the promotional benefit. All of the wing rigging fittings in my Bird's left upper wing are from the Lindbergh's Bird. It's kind of a twisted shirt tail relationship to the Lindberghs but I'm pleased with the association anyway.

Three videos, “Fly_by”, “Landing” and “Taxi” are made here at Lufker airport. “Taxi” I took from standing on the wing when Lou picked me up from mid field and gave me a ride back to the tiedown.

I took my antique biplane lessons from Lou. My, oh my, this man can fly. He was great to take lessons from and to fly with. I done learned well from him. I didn't scare him once.  He has his own Bird. It's the white one in the picture of the two biplanes. Lou has many records pertaining to Bird biplanes and we found that my plane was actually manufactured in 1929. For some reason it was registered as a 1931 over the years.

Biplanes draw a crowd so I had an audience for my training solo landings and take offs. There were many comments from the gallery but the one I remember most was, "It kinda looked like a Butterfly with sore feet"! I took it as a compliment but I'm still not sure.

The picture of "my_office.jpg" is all my instruments...  ain't much. Starting with the little-bitty one in the far left and going clockwise over the top. Hour meter, magneto switch, (no key), oil pressure, compass, oil temperature, air speed indicator, tachometer, radio, and altimeter. I have to have perfect weather as I have no instruments to tell me what the airplane is doing. If I can't see the ground I can't fly. It was a simpler time.

The weather comes across the middle of the continent in waves. They are usually about 4 or 5 days in duration. Next break I have to get as far as I can as two hundred miles isn't acceptable. I'd like to be home before September.

Headin' West... Wednesday, June 21.

GROUND ZERO

I flew into New York Harbor to get the pictures I wanted. There are so many tourist operations by helicopter around what they call "Ground Zero" and The Statue of Liberty, that the area has its own radio frequency. Ground Zero is where the twin towers used to be. In the picture I titled Ground Zero you can see the Empire State Building in the background middle. If the twin towers were still standing the Empire State Building would be blocked from view. They are going to build a new, taller tower at ground zero. Who are these people? What are they thinking? I think they should paint a large bull’s-eye on it so the next terrorists can hit it in the middle instead of off to one side.

I made it to Reading Pennsylvania. About 200 miles West from where I started. I'm stuck in a Quality Inn with a Jehovah's Witness convention waiting for weather. Interesting group. At least I know with this group I won't have to listen to drunks running up and down the halls at two AM. Any hotel that has to use the word "Quality" in its name isn't quality. Welcome to America.

In my first email I mentioned having bought a Bird biplane in 2001. It was wrecked before I ever flew in it. I visited it today. It's back flying. I'll put the pictures and some text about it in my next email.

If I'm lucky I'll get out of here tomorrow, Sunday. The local weather channel is canceling its severe storm and flash flood warning at five in the morning.

Every day has new learning experiences wrapped up in it...  some of them are good.  Look at the statue pictures...  WOW!

Bye for now,

Samdodge