Down the Valley

It’s one thing to fly an airplane thousands of feet above the ground, and quite another to fly it down a narrow valley in the back country. This blog has previously featured the Aviat Aircraft “Husky.” Here’s another video of the same aircraft following a valley to a grass strip for a very nice landing. The camera is mounted near the tail of the aircraft giving a great view of the whole approach.

Clearly this type of flying requires plenty of instruction, skill, and practice. And then the thrill of accomplishing this type of flight is priceless.

Always do your checklist!

Published in: on February 1, 2010 at 10:34 am  Leave a Comment  
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Now That’s Flying!

Take a look at this video of an Aviat “Husky” airplane.

Talk about short takeoff and landing! This plane and pilot are pushing it to the limit. The Husky is designed to be a bush plane, capable of heading out to the hinterlands carrying all the gear you’ll need to enjoy the great outdoors where there are no runways or even roads. Hence the need for a rugged aircraft. They are popular the world over as evidenced by this video from Europe. I’d like to fly one of these in a more tranquil manner. Maybe this summer I’ll take a road trip to Afton, Wyoming where they’re built. Surely the people who create a plane like this would be fun to meet.

Published in: on January 21, 2010 at 12:46 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Cat in Flight

I love cats and I love to fly but I wouldn’t expect my cat to go flying. Not in a small plane anyway. Well, check out this video:

That’s Iris the Bengal Cat on the dashboard while this fellow lands his Cessna 172. Beautiful landing and Iris provided her compliments to the pilot.

Gotta love those cats but I think the better part of safety would be to strap them in. Just saying.

Published in: on December 31, 2008 at 6:52 pm  Comments (1)  
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Good For The Goose…

The Grumman Goose was a legendary airplane. It served all types of functions, including shuffling people like Hemingway around the Caribbean. It was a rugged, sturdy design, capable of landing on land and sea, a fine example of great aeronautical engineering. Of course, history marched forward and the goose became a relic. Until… a couple of people set up shop to build them again. Here’s a photo of their Goose:

She may not be the most handsome aircraft, but she does conjure up plenty of emotion. The plane evokes the glory days of aviation, of island hopping, of finding that place that no one else has yet found. Hmmmm…. maybe I’ll write a story featuring this plane. It’s been a long time since I read Lost Horizon.

I sincerely hope this company finds great success. I’d love to see this modern version of the goose flying. Wouldn’t mind flying one myself.

Published in: on December 24, 2008 at 2:37 pm  Leave a Comment  
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