1990 - 1991 Flying In Virginia

 For those who have never flown the Biplane Fly Baby here is what you see out of the side and front.  The view is nice but you have more wings and struts in the way than in the Monoplane.

The wire sticking up in the middle is the CUB type fuel gauge.  It's not very accurate and occasionally get stuck, but if you don't see much wire find some place to get fuel.
The bumps on the cowl were added to allow shielded ignition wires on the engine when a radio was added.

 From April, 1991 thru October 1991 I flew about 140 hours.  With the plane based 10 minutes from work I could fly in the morning, evening, and some days at lunch.  In the summer my longest flight before work was 1.6 hours.  Because the climate is so mild in Virginia I flew every month but December of '90.  The coldest day I flew was 15 degrees on the ground.  Even with a snowmobile suit I was so cold that after 15 minutes I shook so bad I didn't think I could land.  I'm adding cabin heat to help take the edge off.  I've read about people learning to fly Curtis Pusher knockoffs from the ice on Lake Fenton in Michigan in the dead of winter.  I have no idea how they did it.

If you look over the nose (picture above) you see fog in the distance.  The Shennadoah Valley runs down hill to the south, and to the north.  The morning fog was still filling the valley south of us on a beautiful morning.

When I turned toward the mountains you can just see the clock, at the bottom of the picture,  It's about 6:50 am.  I like the smooth air in the morning and evening.  In the summer the sun comes up at 5:50 am.  We lived about 40 minutes east of the airport near Charlottesville.  I would set at the end of the runway waiting for official sunrise to take off.

 Most days in the summer are fairly hazy.  We've got about 10 miles visibility to the front.

Learning to fly in the flat Midwest, most roads run North/South and East/West.  In Virginia roads were built following the high (dry) ground.  They are also usually well hidden in tall trees. The easy visual references are the mountains and the cuts through the trees for power lines and pipelines.  They usually have about a 100 foot right of way which they keep clear of trees.  They're easy to spot and on the charts.

 Our oldest son Beau attended the College of William and Mary.  In fact he graduated in 1993 the year of the 300th anniversary.  In the summer of 1991 he was working on an archaeology dig so I flew over to visit him.  This is Jamestown Island, the first permanent settlement in Virginia.

At most airports I can find tie down ropes to use on the tail for starting.  The rope is still attached as I get buckled into the cockpit.

 A few miles north of Waynesboro is Massanutten Mountain.  It runs from here 50 miles north along the middle of the Shenandoah Valley.  We'd been there skiing and such before this.  From the ground I had no idea that the ski resort is located in the old Caldera.  That's right it's a blown out volcano.  It must have made a mess when it blew.

I don't think we've been there since this flight.

 South of Waynesboro is Wintergreen Resort.  It's about 1000 feet higher so they can often make snow when Massanutten can not.  They have some longer and steeper runs than Massanutten.  It's also pricier.  Massanutten is more working class.

 Because this area is a pretty tourist destination we have several balloon ride operations.  Like me they prefer the calm mornings and evenings.  When I can raise them on the radio I'll get a little closer.  I have no desire to tangle with a balloon.

 On of our tourist attractions is Thomas Jefferson's home Monticello (Italian for Little Mountain).  Yes it's pronounced like the musical instrument not that clear stuff you wrap candies with.  It is actually on the little mountain.  Carter's Mountain behind it is much higher and has a much better view.

It's a little hard to see his house in the summer picture.  The garden and vineyard are to the left (east sunlight) in these pictures.

 The story is that he had a telescope on his west porch so he could watch the progress on the building of his University of Virginia in Charlottesville.  You can see Charlottesville through the wing wires.
The small white building in the Center (below) is the Rotunda at the north end of the Lawn.  The Professors homes and class rooms (Pavilions), and the best dorm rooms (East Lawn and West Lawn) are on the east and west side of the lawn.  Behind these are the gardens with their Serpentine Walls (it allows walls one brick thick), all hand made by his slaves.  Beyond them are more dorm rooms, East Range and West Range.  All of it is still used today

 One of those beautiful mornings when the moon and sun are both up.






The Shenandoah River winds it's way north to the Potomac river, then south to the Chesapeake Bay.  All summer there are canoes on the river.

 The mountains are beautiful especially with these long morning shadows.  When the wind is blowing allow at least 1000 feet unless you're riding the windward side updrafts in a glider.  The down wind side can be terrifying at lower altitudes.

Early morning shadows really highlight how tall things are as well as the topography.  The mountains block evening shadows.

 We also get some eerie morning fogs to add to the shadows.  There are lots of days when the airport is in the clear and the surrounding lower elevations are fogged in.  I stay over clear areas where I can make an emergency landing if needed.  I've accidentally been in the fog and it is terrifying.  Fortunately it was thin and I was able to easily get above it with instruments.  The turn and bank will stay in the airplane.

 Fall is a beautiful time to fly.  The colors are not as bright as New England.  You also get unlimited visibility once the trees quit fogging up the air with their misty breath.  The Carter's Mountain fire lookout tower can just be seen in the center of the picture.

Nice reflections in the calm waters.

 This may look like fall but it's summer.  A few warm winters had allowed the Pine Bark Beetle to destroy acres of pine forests.  Much of our forest lands are managed for wood pulp.  You can see the trees on the left are free of needles.  In the middle they are dead and on the right turning yellow and dying.  They bore under the bark and kill the trees.  A hard winter kills them.

 Waiting for those morning fogs to lift.




Sunshine is back, but at the end of October,1991 the oil consumption had reach a point where the engine needed an overhaul.  It's one of those good winter projects.

1990 - At Waynesboro Airport

I found one problem when I got ready to fly.  We had trouble getting leaks fixed when we welded the new tank, back when we did the stringers.  We eventually used sloshing compound to solve the problem.  That apparently only works with Av Gas.  Auto gas causes it to turn to goo.  I took the tank out and cleaned it and the gascolator.  I replaced the hoses and pressure tested the tank at 2 psi.

In April the plane was reassembled at Waynesboro airport and tied down on the flight line.

I normally fly in the early morning or evening.  To be able to hand prop the plane we have a tow hitch on the tail wheel spring.  The tail is tied to it.  With the plane chocked and tied down the engine is started.  While it warms up the wing tie downs and chocks are removed.  Once buckled in the cockpit the tail is released and you're ready to go.

 I spent about an hour taxiing the plane and making sure everything was working before flying it on April 26th.  I only flew 20 minutes because the rigging was off a little.  I had to hold about 1" of up aileron on the right to keep it level.  It took a few more flights to get the rigging set.  I also adjusted the ailerons to droop about 3/4" on the ground so they would be faired in flight.

Auto gas seems like a good way to save money and if you can get alcohol free gas it can be.  It's also a lot of work to carry gas in the car to the plane and then pour it in without making a mess.  I found an offset funnel which works great and made up a grounding strap so the cans, funnel and plane are all grounded to prevent a spark causing a fire.  A small stand would have helped also, even at 6'- 5". I thought two 5 gallon cans would be plenty of gas to carry but that limits you to about 2 hours of flying.  I'm not sure it's worth the trouble.  It does make sense if you're at a strip with no gas sales.

1989 - Moving Fly Baby to Virginia

Ernie eventually gave up trying to keep his medical and decided in 1989 to sell out to Dennis.  In the heat of the summer Dennis and Patricia drove up to Michigan from Charlottesville, Virginia to move Fly Baby to it's new home.  Dennis had been actively renting planes, including a Cub, from Caleb Glick at Waynesboro airport.  He had not flown Fly Baby since 1973 and the plane had been setting at the farm for a couple years.  It seemed smarter to trailer it to Virginia and make sure everything was airworthy before flying.

It was a beautiful day.  The first task was to remove the wings.  dad and I only loosened the landing wires so the wings could be re-attached without major rigging errors.

Two of the wing panes were loaded into the van.  Along with being our first new car with air conditioning, the back seat folded down to a bed, a perfect place to set a wing.  The wing on top of it was padded with a sleeping bag.

The fuselage was tied down to eye bolts through the frame.

Next 2x4s were screwed to the floor for the wings to rest on.  Padding was duct taped to the 2x4s to protect the wings.

Once everything was securely lashed down we were ready for an uneventful drive home.  It was sad and exciting to be taking the plane from Dad while looking forward to new adventures.

1977 - 1987 Ernie and the Fly (Bi) Baby

The 1976 trip to Oshkosh would be Ernie's last flight there in the Bi Baby, such trips on a policeman's retirement are rare treats.  For the next 10 years flights would be mostly local and to airports in Michigan like: Ionia, Harry Brooks, Sandusky, Mettatal, Marlet, Price's at Linden, Charlotte, Harrison, Maple Grove, Mason, Jackson, Midland, James Clement, Livingston County, Wagon Wheel, Davis at Lansing, Dwayne Tovillion's strip, Hyne at Brighton, Harry Browne, Evart, Ubly Heights and Chesaning.

Two flights were made to Ohio. One to Kenton Hardin county and another to Dunkirk.

In 1980, '82 and '84 Ernie was able to do his BFR in the Fly Baby since it was the only plane he was flying.

Ernie's last flight in the Fly Baby was to Chesaning and back to Dalton.  With the death of Ed Dalton the airport was being closed and the Fly Baby was moved back to the farm.  The airport was eventually condominiumized and reopened with individual hangars where the old tie-downs had been.  The old tee hangars and main hangar were removed.  Fortunately EAA Chapter 77 now has a huge hangar which is their permanent home  It was paid for by donations to the Chapter by hangar owners who's hangars were built by Chapter volunteers.

One of the other benefits of the new Chapter home was the donation by Father John MacGillivray, EAA 3974, of his Taylorcraft to be used as a club plane.  Ernie was able to get checked out in it.  Due to difficulties in maintaining his FAA Medical Ernie's last flight was in the T-craft.  He took Dennis along for that ride on Sept. 26, 1987.  A very memorable ride since this was the only time Dennis ever got to ride with Ernie as PIC.  We've flown in Dennis' Cabin WACO since then.  On that flight we also had a Close Encounter with a Beech Bonanza which passed over us going exactly the same direction and less than 10 feet above us. The slightest bump and we would have hit the propeller.

On a trip to visit Diane and her husband Don, Ernie was able to get some dual in an SGC-2-33 glider, N6582Y, at Torrey Pines, California.  Thanks Diane and Don, nice gift for your old father.

While the plane was at the farm this picture was taken of grandson John Paul June 20, 1988.

1976 - Flying The Bi-Baby

 With the airplane back at Dalton Airport and signed off it's time to fly the plane.  Bud Banks made the first flight after work one evening in July.  While we waited for him to get out of work there was time for some of that hangar talk which is what flying is all about.  L-R Bob Voto (sitting), Willis Free (airport mechanic), Dennis.  Bob's Keheler Lark is parked in the entrance to the hangar.

Bud was flying a Luscombe which Pete Bowers always said was the closest to flying the Fly Baby so a good choice for a test pilot.

He's off the ground.  It's now officially an airplane again.  It's also signed off to switch between the Biplane and Monoplane wings.

Some speck-in-the-sky fly over passes and it's back to the tie down.

Ernie got to fly the Bi Baby for the first time July 12th.

On July 14th Ed Dalton held his annual Dawn Patrol (pancake breakfast charity fund raiser).  The Bi Baby and Dennis' hang glider were moved up front to a place of high visibility.  Hang Gliding is just great fun.

Dennis' sons Beau (R) and Wade (L) escaped Mom and Grandma for a little cockpit time.

With the show over it was time to return the plane to the tie down for the afternoon.

Ernie was back that evening for another hour of flying.  The next 2 weeks were busy with flying about every other day to get the hours flown off before Oshkosh.

Bud Banks got another chance to fly and help fly off the 20 hour restrictions.

Bud taking off and landing.

This is Ernie at Price's Airport south of Flint (at Linden) enjoying his freedom.

On July 26th the FAA signed off the restrictions in time for a trip to Oshkosh.  AC Spark Plug, where Dennis was working as an Engineer, was still sponsoring the Flight Rally from Flint to Oshkosh.

On the flight line at Bishop Airport Ernie patiently waits for his takeoff time.  Slow planes took off first.  The Rally was a handicapped race to Oshkosh.  The idea was the pilot who came the closest to his planned flight time and fuel consumption won.  Mostly it was a good excuse to go flying.  The route in 1976 was from Flint - Mishawaka, In. - Morris, Ill. - Waukesha, Wi. - Oshkosh

I seem to have misplaced the pictures at Oshkosh.  I'll add them when I find them.

Ernie was able to make 2 flights at Oshkosh.  That was when they still had regular Fly By's for people to show off their planes.  He returned to Dalton airport via Waukesha, Lewis Lockport, Michigan City and Brooks.