[DKG]

A dear friend from college had an uncle who once started a civil engineering firm which used a 5 seater Beachcraft Bonanza aircraft for surveys. When the company went bust this gentleman ended up with a plane as dues for his share. Instead of selling it he ended up learning how to fly it and maintain it. This was in Salt Lake City USA.

In the 4 years that I lived there although I had requested many a time we never ever got around to going for a spin?sortie? in his plane. A few months before I was to leave for India he called me on a Sunday and we ended up at the local executive terminal. It was fun wheeling the aircraft out of its hangar, you actually have to push it out.

After the usual check routine he fired her up and we taxied to the runway. As it was a clear sunday with blue skies and hardly any wind the take off was smooth and once airborne it was quite stable.

For those familiar with Salt Lake City in Utah USA the location of the city is spectacular with mountains surrounding it. To be airborne in a small 5 seater plane with such spectacular vistas is a humbling experience. Our planet truly is supremely beautiful and we must endeavour to maintain it so.

We flew a distance and landed at another airport to refuel. Once we took off again, out of the blue the pilot tells me to take charge and fly the plane. Now you can imagine what that means. To a petrol head that's nirvana!

I remember my palms sweating with nervousness and excitement but as he guided me on using the throttle, the flaps, the ailerons, he allowed me to actually fly the plane solo steering it to where I wished to fly. That moment is so difficult to describe. You are like a bird totally in sync with nature, the machine obeying your comands, the horizon shifting as you plan to go different directions.

The whole experience may not have been more than 5 minutes but it felt like I had the experience of a lifetime. To actually fly a small plane, all manual, you are like a chair in the air, ground visible on either side of the cockpit, its a totally amazing experience.

I would urge fellow petrol heads to not miss an opportunity for a joy ride in a small aircraft. Its nothing like what we encounter in the big jets. With small craft you get pretty close to what it feels to be a bird. I guess hangliding is the only other experience which surpasses this experience and takes to closer to flying like a bird.

[iraghava]

Man oh man! Ferrari's, Porsche's, Lambo's & now planes! You seem to have done the entire lot eh!

Lucky man!!

[Nitin]

Quite an impressive line up of events! Bragging rights are all yours..'Been there,done that!'

[vikram_d]

Oh this reminds me of the time when I was up in a small Lama helicopter in Manali. Absolutely awesome experience.

[VJ_MAVRICK]

Oh Man Deepak, thats quite a ride and with a long list of been there and done that.I like the way you write it up making it interesting. So i guess F-16 or something like a space odyssey is to be explored now.Just kidding man and its a nice feel when such things are experienced and i am sure you will always let the cat out of the box for sure. Your thread is one i will be watching out for, as you are making me inquisitive. Keep them coming.

[DKG]

Please share the experience of a chopper. I have yet to ride in one.

What do you guys feel about starting a thread on identifying planes and choppers in our towns both in use and the vintage ones. I know someone who has a mindblowing hobby of model planes, he also has a small plane he flies. He's a professional pilot for an airline. This guy is simply amazing in terms of where he's taking his passion for planes to. Will try to get him involved too. We could have an entire thread dedicated to model airplanes and choppers

I was saddened to read that some Brit has managed to wangle a Messerschmidt out of Benaras and took it to the UK. This has to stop.

[vikram_d]

I have a full in flight video. Will put it up on youtube.

[Rehaan]

Hi DKG,

Cool story.

Just a few weeks back Navin was talking about how he went from NY(?) to Iowa overnight in a beachcraft sundancer. Ofcourse that story left me a little confused since when i google-imaged "beachcraft sundancer"... it was a boat!

...he allowed me to actually fly the plane solo steering it to where I wished to fly.

How does that work with air traffic? (could you/someone explain how the airspace works for small aircraft like these? Do you have to maintain a certain altitude, or do you actually have to look out for other planes?? Or were you guys just banking on the fact that there wasnt much going on around utah?

What do you guys feel about starting a thread on identifying planes and choppers in our towns both in use and the vintage ones.

Great idea. I was on board the viraat a month back and learnt a lot about ships/planes and choppers. Got to see the sea-kings and chetaks take off, as well as the two sea harriers do a takeoff and a vertical landing!! Will post some pictures and a video soon... (maybe once you open that thread )

cya
R

[vivekiny2k]

Originally Posted by Rehaan

How does that work with air traffic? (could you/someone explain how the airspace works for small aircraft like these? Do you have to maintain a certain altitude, or do you actually have to look out for other planes?? Or were you guys just banking on the fact that there wasnt much going on around utah?

I know that here Blue ash is an uncontrolled airport, meaning no central control tower. Pilots HAVE to watch out for each other. I came to know this when two planes crollided last year, one had a wing on top (nil upwards visibility) and another one below pilot's window (nil downward visibility).

[DKG]

Rehan

It wan't like I was all over the airspace. I was allowed to experience raising altitude and change direction and return to the original course. I have no clue what the airtraffic norms are for small planes, but I do recall that except for a short communication at takeoff there was no radio conversation while we flew. I'm sure the pilot had informed that he was going to head toward some other airport and return. It would be interesting to know what norms control small aircraft flying. I have a friend who is a Jet airways pilot, will ask him.

[egangsta]

Originally Posted by DKG

I was saddened to read that some Brit has managed to wangle a Messerschmidt out of Benaras and took it to the UK. This has to stop.

Any more details on that, where did you read it ??

[Mad Monkey]

Originally Posted by vivekiny2k

I know that here Blue ash is an uncontrolled airport, meaning no central control tower. Pilots HAVE to watch out for each other. I came to know this when two planes crollided last year, one had a wing on top (nil upwards visibility) and another one below pilot's window (nil downward visibility).

Unmaned Airports have a fixed frequency on which Pilots are supposed to annonce their intentions .....
LIKE -> A6-FA6 ready for take off on runway 29 ............

[Mad Monkey]

Originally Posted by Rehaan

Hi DKG,

Cool story.

Just a few weeks back Navin was talking about how he went from NY(?) to Iowa overnight in a beachcraft sundancer. Ofcourse that story left me a little confused since when i google-imaged "beachcraft sundancer"... it was a boat!



How does that work with air traffic? (could you/someone explain how the airspace works for small aircraft like these? Do you have to maintain a certain altitude, or do you actually have to look out for other planes?? Or were you guys just banking on the fact that there wasnt much going on around utah?



Great idea. I was on board the viraat a month back and learnt a lot about ships/planes and choppers. Got to see the sea-kings and chetaks take off, as well as the two sea harriers do a takeoff and a vertical landing!! Will post some pictures and a video soon... (maybe once you open that thread )

cya
R

Before a cross country (ie from one airport to another) the pilot has to file a flight plan with the ATC .... he can also do it on the radio after engine start .....

Big comercial jets and small single engine planes follow the same rules ....

but normally ATC keeps a good alltitude difference between small and big aircrafts ...
most small aircrafts do not have pressurised cabins and so cant go above 10000 ft
commmercial jets fly at around 30000ft

ATC normally keeps a 3-10 NM horizontal seperation and 1000-3000 ft vertical seperation between aircrafts

AIR LAW is very very very very strict

[v1p3r]

Originally Posted by DKG

I know someone who has a mindblowing hobby of model planes, he also has a small plane he flies. He's a professional pilot for an airline. This guy is simply amazing in terms of where he's taking his passion for planes to. Will try to get him involved too.

You might want to ask him to put up pictures of all the bikes he's restored. Or even the Katan and the BMW inside the den, if they're still there.

[DKG]

Originally Posted by v1p3r

You might want to ask him to put up pictures of all the bikes he's restored. Or even the Katan and the BMW inside the den, if they're still there.

I guess you too are referring to Vicky Randhawa. I will request him to share stuff here. The guy is simply amazing. I was totally bowled over by the collection of model planes, bikes and basically his knowledge of the sport

I met him through a friend and don't know him very well but will definately get through to him and ask him to join