Scudrunners

I’ve hijacked the other threads enough to be on multiple watch lists at this point…


So there I was during instrument phase in Army flight school…

I’m in the initial first or second sim session that’s designed to take a 35 hour pilot, and build a foundation of instrument scanning. Bored out of my mind, having a few thousand hours when I started, and a few less in the clouds…
Our 2 hour session consisted of going back and forth on cardinal headings, maintaining altitude, turning 180* and back again and again and again…

I’m on heading 360 or so, and holding steady. I hear a voice come over the headset….
“Mr. Reeves, if you can hold 3,990 you can hold 4,000’”

Not my favorite instructor of all times, but he was able to to succinctly get to the point, and very clear his intentions. Which is exactly what a great
instructor can do.

I have so many great memories from flight school, zero which made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. All have made me a better pilot, dare I say aviator.

Not looking to hijack this one at all, I think its a great thread. but I always found the sim to be a real bugger to hold a tight tolorance on altitude. Although I was also in a junkie little Redbird so maybe that was it. I just found it always wanted to go back in forth sort of gets into a wave that never ends no matter what I try.

I don’t remember much from my flight training, because it was a long goddamned time ago and clearly I didn’t learn much. :^)

Some snapshots:

Going solo in the Maule. I really enjoyed being by myself in a airplane. Still do. Even then I could feel I had tailwheel in my DNA.

I remember my first Pitts ride. Miles Crain - just about retired from Jazz now I think - maybe in 1990 or so. S-2A, thought it was an amazing airplane. Never thought I would be able to land it.

More Pitts flying in Key West in 1992. Spent a week or so there, flew in the morning, slept by the pool in the afternoon. Not a bad way to live. Did acro in Freddy’s S-2A, learned to land it.

More Pitts flying in California in 1998. Had an ATP by then but was writing software for cisco and found a place at Livermore that would rent an S-2B solo. I remember being on downwind solo over 580 and looking at the world framed by a biplane and I knew I was home. Never thought I would be able to afford to buy one. Hahahahahhhaaha.

Flew a lot of airplanes with a lot of people in a lot of places, but I’ve never been happier when I’m alone in a Pitts.

Thank you, Curtis! I’m glad I got to meet you.

Colonel wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 25, 2023 12:35 am

I remember my first Pitts ride. Miles Crain

Jeebus, when did you do that? He is retired from Jazz now, think it was last year I saw him.

Maybe 1990? Doesn’t seem that long ago.

Say hi to him for me. I liked him. He was too smart to be a pilot. He could write the lift equation on the blackboard.