Yesterday I got the chance to go hang out at New Tribes Mission Aviation for the day. I got a really great tour of the facilities from Doug (the other guy in the picture), a New Tribes guy who goes to our church. Doug was patient enough to answer all of my many questions about the aircraft and aircraft parts that we saw on our tour. Doug also surprised me with a flight in a Piper Super Cub, which was a really great experience. It was my first time in a tailwheel airplane, my first time in a fabric-covered plane, my first time taking off from a gravel strip, my first time flying with a stick instead of a control yoke, and my first time using an ANR headset (I'm glad I didn't know about the flight before I left the house, because I would've brought my own headset and missed a really great experience using ANR). I had a really, really great time, and I'm enormously grateful for the opportunity.
The picture is of Doug and me in front of the Super Cub, right after our flight. That's not any sort of camera trick or optical illusion, either; the cockpit really is as narrow as it seems. I felt like I was wearing it, instead of riding in it. But it was a fantastic time, nonetheless!
5 comments:
Glad you had a good day. I'm sure it just increases your excitment for the mission field.
It really, really does, Kelly.
I just read your post and am so glad that you were surprised by the little plane. Hooboy, I don't know if I could have taken a ride in that little thing.
I, too, am so glad you got to go. The gravel runway did it for me and the size of the plane!!!
The last time I was in a little plane I lost my hearing all day! YIKES! I was uncomfortable in that little thing. ~Cathy
Yeah, the Cub was a little bit of a tight fit, but then I'm a great big fat guy, and you ladies... well, aren't any of those things (except great; you're both great). It was a lot of fun to fly, though. And it was nice just to get back up in the air.
And, Cathy, that's what headsets are for. :)
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