Chapter 24

Mr. Examiner said, “I see ... you learned to fly on one of these.” He was pointing at any one of a multitude of home built Airdrome replicas.

“Yup.”

“Without an instructor?”

“Yep.”

“That can be dangerous.”

“I took about 18 hours in a simulator ... and a few hours in one of the ultra light two seaters.”

“Licensed instructor?”

“Absolutely not. The ultralight aircraft is not regulated. If one is willing to chance it ... just buy or build one and take off.”

“Ah ... Darwin in action.”

“Yup ... stick around. If you wait long enough, you’ll find out Darwin doesn’t work.”

“Doesn’t work?”

“Nope ... some of these pilots don’t understand ‘switch off.’”

“You mean?”

“Yeah. Don’t volunteer to flip a prop.”

“Ouch.”

“Right.”

He spent a few minutes familiarizing himself with the controls. They seemed straight forward but one never knows. French throttles are the opposite of British or American.

One improvement besides metal constriction? Electric start. 6.7 to 1 is low compression. Verner engines are easy to start by hand and easier with a starter motor.

I was in his ear, “Down hill ... across the river ... over the gravel pits ... these thing are airborn in less than 200 feet. Landing, come across the river and land up hill... 300 foot roll. Less if we haven’t mowed.

“Looks mowed.”

“Yesterday.”

“Who does it?”

“I do, after school.”

“Junior?”

I expected that... 17 is the correct age for an eleventh grader. I knew he didn’t know ... so.

“Senior ... I skipped a few,” I said.

Wait for it ... wait ... wait... “In college.”

“I see...” and he did.

He looked again. 17 ... spectacular body ... bedroom hair ... deep throaty voice. I look like ... sound like ... and act like Great Auntie Surprise who looks like Sultry Wench Shingle (Flintkote) ... and daddy says I look like mom.

Upon landing he said, “Ah ... I need to finish my Pup.”

I figured as much.

“While the Skyraider is out, I can offer you space under the ‘big top.’”

“You land that monster here?”

“Yup. Well ... over there.”

I indicated the real runway at Buds.

“What? That’s too short.”

“Think aircraft carrier and try again.”

Take off is less than five hundred feet. Landing is tricky ... but mom did it.

We’ll find out if I can do it too.