TAKE ME BACK TO BLAKESBURG!

That midwinter itch has struck again! I've been stuck on the ground over two months now, and it's getting to the point where I fear permanent twitches will result. Man, this forced cold-turkey quitting is no fun!

Some days I feel like I'm stuck in a rut, and all the excitement of last year has worn off, leaving me with a dull few months. Spring semester always seems to be more hectic, but perhaps that's simply because that bright light at the end of the tunnel--summer, with its promises of warmth and, more importantly, little yellow airplanes--starts to twinkle a little brighter. As if I needed another excuse to daydream about airplanes!

After a particularly stressful night herding cats (or, attempting to organize a Women in Aviation chapter with two people attempting to act as president), I began chatting with my best friend (and boyfriend) about all the things we looked forward to in summer . . . puddle-jumping two Cubs from Wisconsin to Lock Haven for Sentimental Journey, the BARNSTORMING FLY-IN!! (which as you can tell, I'm quite excited for!) Other things include Oshkosh, Brodhead, and Blakesburg, which happens to be one of those few priceless places in the world where everything just seems to be right.

There's just much else to say about that, I guess. Everything is right, though it's always sad to leave because, although Brodhead is next weekend, Blakesburg always seems to signal the end of summer. It has fast become one of my favorite fly-ins (you didn't actually expect me to pick a favorite, did you??) because it is, indeed, a perfect little haven hidden away where seemingly no one can touch it. Here is a well-guarded paradise where people come together and stay together (out of necessity, if nothing else), all here to celebrate cool old airplanes. My kind of people indeed!

It is this environment I miss the most when I'm away from my home airport. I haven't found surroundings that match these gatherings of vintage airplanes for pure passion and encouragement of the passionate pursuit of flying. Everyone truly WANTS to be there. It's easy to forget that feeling when you're surrounding by 14,000 people simply plodding through the daily grind.

However, we cannot lose that attitude . . . without it we have nothing. The passionate people I found at my local airport, supportive and encouraging, made all the difference in fostering my growth and directing my energies. Unfortunately, this evnironment is difficult to come by, especially as a young person. Yet, this situation is the most vital--more young people need to be unquestioningly accepted with open arms by the aviation community, not branded as outsiders and taught to view everyone with an interest in aviation as suspicious.

Let's take Blakesburg to the rest of the world, one ride at a time!

Who COULDN'T fall in love with this??



Jim Koepnick photo, (C) 2009

--Amy!

Polar Opposites

The end of September brought many different emotions . . . my flying season was being mercifully extended by cooperative weather and a work arrangement that required me to be home every weekend (which was certainly a double-edged sword, being a 5.5-6 hour drive each way). On September 18th, my beloved Sir Duncan the Saab, a 1993 Commemorative Edition Saab 900 Turbo, turned over the much-anticipated 200,000th mile!


Big moment for my little car!

Exactly a week later, Sir Duncan was involved in an extremely unfortunate accident less than a mile from the final highway exit at the tail end of a long drive (I was asleep in the passenger seat while a generous friend helped me get home). It was the second time in two months I woke up to smelling smoke (from the airbag), and the squealing tires weren't a bonus. Once was enough, thank you very much . . .



I KNEW there was no way to save my beloved car no matter how much I wanted to. I spent a lot of the next few days crying, nursing a bruised shoulder and ribs with a swollen ankle. We were fortunate that no one was injured aside from the requisite bumps and bruises, but the emotional pain of having my prized car stolen away from me was bitingly fresh. The fact that I got 1.5 hours of sleep, in the car, before working an eight hour shift on a swollen ankle certainly didn't help my mindset (refused to call in sick . . . too poor!).



Writing this almost five months after the accident reveals not all of the sadness has evaporated. The 4 months following the accident resulted in many disagreements with my dad (I wanted another classic 900, something with character, not a practical, but boring, new 9-3 or 9-5), much tension between my mother and me, and strained my relationship with my good friend who was driving. I drove 8-9 different cars, depending how you count, was stranded in the middle of nowhere once with a failed alternator, and ended up driving a loaner car with the turn signals dangling by the wires. I also got a $300 ticket for not having the car registered (doesn't make much sense when you get a new one to borrow every other week) . . . accepting donations! ; )

I'm sure some of my trouble adjusting had to do the chaotic months preceding the accident, from the house fire to moving back to school, to finding I couldn't transfer my job, which necessitated driving six hours back home every weekend until the hiring freeze was lifted and I could transfer. One of my most prized possessions, one which I distinctly recall being very relieved about knowing it was safe in a detached garage during the house fire, unexpectedly exited my life, leaving me feeling a little unsteady (daily dose of psychology: check).

Things are on the upswing . . . despite the world's best efforts to the contrary, I'm still alive and kicking. There is still a fair amount of residual stress in my life but I'm handling each day as it comes and trying to remember that kick-ass gal I used to know. No worries, with an injection of yellow airplane, she'll be back firing on all cylinders!

It's a new year, and I'm bound to make the best of it!

I know this post is a little off-topic, but I'm trying to explain my unexplained (and unexcusable) absence.

--Amy

P.S. I'm now the title holder of a 1994 Commemorative Edition Saab 900 Turbo . . . convertible!

Brodhead!

Brodhead, Wisconsin, is normally a pretty sleepy town, graced with a beautiful all-grass airport. Boasting three grass runways and a plethora of rare and gorgeous airplanes (the majority of which fly regularly), Brodhead (C37) hosts several awesome fly-ins each year. I have only been to the Midwest Antique Aircraft Club (MAAC) fly-in the weekend after Blakesburg.

This year I only spent the day there, flying with a friend in his Luscombe 8F. A few highlights:

~Finding a close relative of 21Y's
~Finding a few Bellancas
~Sitting in the grass watching airplanes
~Pork chop night (enough said)
~Beech 18 low pass. Photo says it all.
~Running into a student of mine
~Getting to fly in a radial-engine Hatz biplane because of said student!

On to the pictures . . .



Heck yes!



Cute pipeline patrol art found on a PA-12



I believe this is pretty much the definition of "classy" . . . art on the wing.



Pretty Ryan



After flying the Hatz . . . more on that later :D

Making Time for Fond Memories

My catching up has slowed, but I have certainly not forgotten. In all actuality, revisiting these warmer times has been therapeutic for me, and revitalizing (I have not been in an airplane since December 11th :'( ). So here's a quick little update, with pictures (we all know pictures are more exciting than pages of characters!).



21Y and I at Maquoketa, Iowa ($1 if you pronounce it correctly on the first try!) . . . this picture always makes me smile. It seems to me like the picture of love--a girl and her favorite Cub : ) Does it get any better than that?!



21Y and I got to share a cover : ) (she IS, after all, a cover model on EAA's 2010 calendar)

Fun stuff! More to come . . .

How Far We've Come!!!

It's sort of amazing to think I'm doing what I'm doing now. I'm currently sitting in an airport lobby waiting for my very first knowledge test victim to finish his private pilot written. Life is awesome. THIS IS THE COOLEST THING EVER!!!!!!

I'm easily one of the luckiest people alive. I may not achieve everything I'd like to but I have the privilege of having been able to live out my dreams and I'm not stopping for anything or anyone. Life is beautiful. I have the most awesome friends, I get to fly the coolest little airplanes and I get to share that with others! Tell me, tell me, does it get any better than this??

I'm definitely way more excited about this knowledge test than Jordan. While he'll be relieved to have it done, I'm finding things to inspect in the lobby and pacing. This must be the definition of the mother hen reaction. I just can't believe I get to do this! Almost exactly a year and a half ago I was at this same airport taking MY private pilot written test. Now I endorsed someone else to take theirs and take the first step towards achieving THEIR dreams!

I keep thinking there can be no purer joy than helping and enabling someone else to chase down their dreams.

This rocks! :)

Best Day

At Blakesburg, Sunday night marks the annual "Gone Home" awards, as many of the attendees have headed back home to use Labor Day Monday to recuperate and spend time with non-aviation family/friends. Last year I flew back Monday and I enjoyed the Gone Home awards so much I decided to stay (additionally, since I arrived on Saturday I wanted one more day!). 21Y and I eyed up some parking spots closer to the showers but elected not to move since that required moving the tent--too much work for one night, as the additional exercise walking to and from the shower house wasn't going to kill me.

We elected to sleep in til about 9 am, then evaluate what we wanted to do. Sometime around 9:15 Todd rattled the tent and told me there was a little bit of fog so not to worry about dashing out of bed.

A "little" bit of fog . . .

After leisurely getting ready and packing the airplanes, we taxied them over to get gas so that we could take our time eating breakfast and then leave without worrying about being stuck in the gas line. Since we had already packed everything, there was no sense taxiing back to the back 40 where we had been parked before, so we invited ourselves into a Howard group. 21Y has just as much class as a Howard : )

One of these is not like the others . . .

After an hour or so, the first brave souls began departing. Most of the obscuration was now due to haze rather than fog, but we waited a little longer to give our route ample time to clear.

Excited it all fit back in the airplane!

After one last sideslipping pass down the Antique Airfield runway, we were homeward bound. It was a sad feeling, leaving Blakesburg when I had so much fun hanging around airplanes and meeting new people. But it was time to go--I had class on Tuesday and Steve probably wouldn't approve of me airplane-napping 21Y (although I would be lying if I said that it didn't cross my mind . . .).

Somewhere along the line we decided this would be a true classic Cub cross-country (with a Luscombe following). CUB HEIGHT!

I have never had so much fun flying cross-country as on the way back from Blakesburg. I fancied myself a modern-day barnstormer, swooping alongside small Midwestern towns and rocking the wings in response to a groundbound individual's wave. Fresh off of finishing up a compilation of Gordon Baxter's writings, I was full of romance and awe. No one could touch me, and I didn't want them to. With cruising tunes in my ears, I had a soundtrack for life with my favorite airplane, having the most fun I could ever possibly have.

Even 21Y was happier with this method of cruising. On the trip to Blakesburg, we had cruised around 1,000 feet AGL, and running the engine a little harder, as I had on the way to Lock Haven, 21Y pigged out and burned a little over 5 gallons an hour. WHAT?!?!?! Piggish airplane!! On the way back, reaching no higher than 300 feet AGL except over populated areas we couldn't dodge, running her nice and light, around 2150, little 21Y was PULLING AWAY from a Luscombe with a C-90! That's my girl : )

Coolest thing ever!

Farewell Iowa!

The Luscombe finally inched forward enough to make it into the picture ; P

Just a cool view : )

Unfortunately, the pictures don't do the experience justice. But I can tell you it was just perfect--except for the fact that it had to end. But, so it is. On to another adventure : )

--Amy

B'burg Happenings

21Y and I managed to stay on the ground long enough for me to eat and say hi to a few folks from my airport back home. I felt that familiar itch and knew I'd regret it if I didn't go, so I headed back to the airplane. Todd remarked it was a nice evening and so he came along. We didn't go anything special, just tooled around low and slow, exploring the area around Antique Airfield. I found out Iowa's not nearly as flat as everyone makes it out to be, and even though I had gone to Blakesburg last year, I didn't remember there being as much terrain (maybe that's why I don't fly high . . . can't see where I'm going!).

Sunday morning meant departures for many, but thankfully for me, a fair number were thwarted by fog. That meant A) no unexpected wake up calls, and B) I got to see more airplanes! The ritual walk from the camping area/shower house to the HyVee food stand also meant observing a number of airplanes, and a house I would probably sacrifice some minor appendages for--but only if the lawn ornament comes with! ; )

You see why I'm interested ; )

You son of a Beech! Probably one of the coolest flybys of the weekend!

A purty Lockheed 12 . . . is this the one that was in Amelia?

The "his" half of the his 'n' hers Luscombes

"Hers," and a beautiful one at that!

An adorable Cub with wheelpants, handmade by its owner. I also believe this one is a fairly close relative to 21Y, but I'd have to look up 21Y's original number/serial number.

This is one of the coolest pictures to come out of the fly-in . . . doesn't that just sum it all up?

Now here's a story . . . allow me to elaborate!

Back in Lock Haven, one of the first people to greet me was Les Gaskill, who started off with "I need to take a picture of this . . . a girl in a Cub!" Some time later at Sentimental Journey, I mentioned something about a J2 that was giving rides all weekend at Blakesburg and how I wanted one. Turns out that's Les' airplane! He had flown a friend's PA-11 up (one of the featured airplanes in 2009) but said if he saw me again we'd have to go J2 flying.

Les always brings his J2 and J-3 to Blakesburg, and 2009 was no exception. Feeling every bit a mooch, but recognizing my college student lack of conscience, I patrolled near the J2 regularly. I ran into Les a few times and he again said we'd have to go J2 flying. One evening I noticed him untying the J2 and, tossing my conscience by the wayside, went over to conveniently strike up a conversation. Les told me he was giving a young boy a ride but to hang around so we could go. COOL!

I stayed around a few moments longer to hold the plane while Les propped it, but the A-40 wasn't about to take the J2 off roaring into the sunset. In fact, one of the coolest things was the "engine under water" sound of the A-40 . . . bloop, bloop . . . bloop, bloop.

Of course I followed the J2 back towards the runway like a puppy dog following a hamburger, and set up camp to watch some of the flying. Les told me I could take it out for a bit, which made my eyes get big. I explained I had never flown one and didn't want to break anything. He shrugged and said I'd probably be ok but we'd go out together nonetheless.

The J2 is, hands-down, one of the coolest little old airplanes out there. For some reason I love the three-piece windshield, the oddly slanted panel, the open sides, even the sickly rate of climb. The J2 takes all the purity of a J-3 and further distills it, removing even more of the insulation against the world, taking out the intercom and everything. You cannot deny the cool factor of floating along slowly over rolling countryside, serenaded by the blat blat of the diminutive A-40 up front. Some times we went so slow I think I felt a crosswind through the cockpit. But it didn't matter--life was good!

I found the lighter J2 floats a lot more than 21Y, requiring a go-around, but the second try wasn't bad, though Les commented I got a little slow. Then he tossed out an awesome offer--"If you're at Lock Haven next year and I bring this, you can go out solo."

As if I needed more motivation to make it back to Lock Haven!

See, see!! Les doesn't even look terrified after my landing! (He did the takeoff)

There is something awesome about small fly-ins like Blakesburg. They have an intangible quality with a life all its own--either it's there or it's not, and no conscious efforts to construct it succeed. It's pure fun, and that's about all anyone can say about it.

I have to share 21Y's card, because I was somewhat proud of my perceived cleverness.

Owner: Steve and Sharon Krog, flown by Amy Gesch

Address: Hartford State: Wisconsin

Airplane Type: Piper J-3 Cub Year: 1938 N Number: 9721Y

Engine: A-65 Horsepower: 65 on a good day Cruise Speed: 78, maybe

Gal. Per Hour (Cruising): 4.5-5.0 Gross Weight: 1220 Empty Weight: ~750 (never ask a lady how much she weighs!)

Notes of Interest to AAA Members:

~2-Ply Award Winner, MAAC 2008

~Flew to Lock Haven, PA for Sentimental Journey 2009

~Kidnapped by Amy, taken to Mankato, MN for 3 wks (darn students!)

~Spot landing contest winner, Sentimental Journey 2009

~Former flour bombing champion

~Cover model for 2010 EAA calendar (the airplane, that is!)

~Featured on Canon USA's "Lens of the Month" site (17-40L lens)

~Flown on poker run by Amy and Leah Jones, former Piper ferry pilot

~Working airplane! Flies regularly as flight school's trainer

Little 21Y has quite a list of accomplishments for only having been flying 51 weeks at the time of Blakesburg!

Yup, she's my favorite : )