Why Jump Out Of a Perfectly Good Airplane?

I didn't have to this time; I got to fly it instead!

William did the unthinkable: he sold his motorcycle so that he could build an airplane. What was he thinking?? But to give credit where credit is due, I can think of a lot of silly reasons to sell a motorcycle. Building a plane is not one of them.

Because building a plane can take a long time but a pilot should keep his skills sharp, William invited me to go up in a rented Cessna 152 on Labor Day afternoon. Being the junkie I am for planes and other cool stuff I couldn't resist. We met at the Tacoma Narrows Airport (ICAO code "KTIW", for those 'in the know') and there sat our luxury transportation waiting for us on the tarmac.

I asked William to walk me through the pre-flight inspection so that I had a better understanding of what it entailed and he was very conscientious about checking everything on the list. I can see that I would never make a good pilot: I tend to assume that things will be fine and would be sorely upset if I was wrong.

After he was satisfied that the plane was as airworthy as it was going to get we settled into the tiny cockpit, his 6’7” frame in the pilot’s seat, my 6’ frame in the other seat. I’m amazed that we could close the doors. As it was, I had to be careful how I sat so that my knees didn’t get in the way of the yoke. The engine roared to life and we taxied out onto the runway, William communicating with the control tower regarding weather conditions and take-off permission. It was a smooth take-off and as soon as we gained altitude I was lost. Everything looks the same from 2,000’ in the air. William did a good job pointing out various islands and towns, although I was quick enough to recognize Seattle without any help. He showed me his house and where he works and went towards Bremerton, as far as we could go in regard to the restricted airspace for the Naval Yard. Our top speed was 100kts, which is apparently fairly slow (I have much to learn about these things). The sun was getting low over the Olympics when William suggested that I fly the plane for a little bit. I took a hold of the yoke before me and it was fairly easy to hold a steady course. He asked me for a 360-degree turn, which I was more than happy to do based on his earlier demonstration. By the time I had finished the circle the sun was sinking lower. William wanted to practice a few “touch and go” landings before our hour was up. They were all smooth landings, including the final one that would allow us to taxi back to the rental company.

It was a fun ride and I can see how having your own plane could really open up the country for exploration. Now if only I can figure out how to get my motorcycle in the back… For those who are interested, he's building the "Zodiac XL" offered by www.zenithair.com


The rental plane	Preflight check

View right after takeoff	Seattle with Vashon Island in the foreground

Prop caught in the act	Bremerton (restricted air space that we stayed out of)

Motorboat giving a waterskier quite the workout	Coming in for a touch-n-go

Tacoma Narrows Airport	Looking out the back window

Copilot and pilot	Sunset over the Olympics