I had flown one hour in the past eight years because of my heart issues, but I’m doing well now and recently decided that I’d better get started if I hope to fly more before I get old.
I went down to Heavenbound Aviation (heavenboundaviation.com) to get a Biennial Flight Review (in a 1946 Taylorcraft), and I can now fly Light Sport aircraft as a Sport Pilot. It’s quite restricted, but it’s flying.
I’m now flying the 1946 Piper J-3 Cub that our family bought in 1956. I made my first solo flight in it in 1957, and Mark did in 1983. (Ken Jr. and Brian made their solo flights in a PA-18 Super Cub that we had.)
The Cub was my twin Karl’s and mine for most of the years and it worked fine to alternate between Ohio and Virginia, but it seemed like it could get complicated with each of us having sons who were flying. So, in 1996 Mark bought Karl’s half and I gave him my half, and now it’s his!
I was out flying yesterday, and so was Mark – the difference being that I was flying the Cub and he was flying a turboprop DC-3 like the one shown here! Wow! I started flying DC-3’s in 1965, two years before he was born, but I only flew the piston engine aircraft and he flies both piston and turbine.
Our roles have changed so much and I love it. I taught our three sons to fly, and once watched over them like the DC-3 here is watching over the Cub, but now Mark is watching over me like that! Little reminders about this and that are a good thing.
Oh, here’s another thing that has changed. I grinned the first time I flew the Cub a couple of weeks ago and Mark said, “Hop in and I’ll prop it for you.” (It doesn’t have a starter – you spin the prop by hand to start it.) Well, I don’t “hop in it” these days, I “climb in,” and rather judiciously at that. The physical contortions of getting in and out of a Piper Cub are more challenging than they once were.
“Passing It On” (john2031.com/flying_higher_series/passing_it_on.pdf) is one of my flying stories on www.john2031.com. I thought of that when Mark and I were out there yesterday. And I think of it in the various mentoring relationships I’m engaged in. Helping equip others so they can go beyond oneself is one of the great joys of life. It’s the II Timothy 2:2 thing. Some things change and some things don’t. Life can be good even when you’re getting old!
Ken
Kidron, Ohio USA
June 25, 2024
Click here for a printable pdf.