The end wall of the farmhouse project is a single panel Hydromax hydraulic lift door. It covers forty-four of the sixty foot span. Until it was installed, the entire end wall was basically a hole. The door arrived on a few weeks ago and has finally been assembled and installed. The hydraulics are not in yet and the door still needs to be “skinned” like the rest of the building but it is in.

The process took the better part of a day for four guys. First, the top half needed to be mated to the bottom half and then spliced together. The documentation was a bit thin as it assumed the installers were from the factory. But we managed. Once the door was whole, we added the top hinge and then the vertical frames. The entire unit is lifted into place and at this point every hopes all the measurements are right as the assembly is about 4000 pounds. We had a bit of difficulty as we used a boom lift. A crane would have been easier since it would have given some lateral adjustments whereas we only had vertical and depth movement. We eventually used pry bars and a small manually winch to shift it into position.

All was good but not perfect. The vertical “I” beams were about 1” too long so they needed to be notched with a cutting torch. Finally, the door was in place, squared, and plum. It was blocked at the bottom and the boom lift held it tight against the building’s framing. The day ended with the welder and an assistant tacking the hinge at each of the vertical beams from the building. Another day of welding remains where the side frames will be welded into place, reinforced, and the hinge will get its finish welds. The attachment points will be wire brushed clean and the sprayed with primer.

For those Warner Brothers fans, I took a cue from the 1949 Rabbit of Seville and edited the day’s work into 2m20s video. Enjoy !

Farmhouse progress is proceeding well recently. This morning I got an early call; “I’m in front of the post office. Where do I delivery ?” was the greeting. I guess short, sweet, and to the point is good … but not something I practice too often. Fortunately, the caller ID said “Wisconsin” so I knew it had to be from Wilson Doors. I gave the final instructions to the driver and quickly headed out to my truck for the 15 minute drive to the job site. I arrived to see the door being prep’ed for unloading – all 44 feet in length and 3000lbs of it !

I learned to fly back in the mid 1990′s. That was not so long ago and at the time, I had two kinds of instructors – those under the age of 25 who dreamed of a commercial pilot career, and those over 60 who had a mixed career with military and commercial experience but who no longer qualified for the lucrative airline pilot seat.

I was signed up for the full boat – the multi-engine commercial instrument certification. However, after earning my private pilot wings and then my instrument rating, I thought a bit and realized that I was already in my 30′s and I had a career which was not as an airline pilot. So, I walked into the training office and said; “I don’t think I want my commercial multi-engine ticket. What else can I do?” I was greeted with an ala-cart menu and I chose most of it! One of the options I signed up for was a tailwheel endorsement.

For those not too familiar with airplanes, there are two types – nose wheel airplanes and tailwheel airplanes. The latter was all there was early on and was the norm through the golden age of aviation. Eventually, planes started getting nose wheels and the tailwheel style aircraft became “antique”. The origins remain today as the term “conventional gear” still refers to a tailwheel airplane while nose wheel aircraft are call “tricycle”. Not that anyone should read anything into that … cough cough.

Tailwheel aircraft fly just like all the rest but they take of and land a bit different. Different enough to require special training. Once I got my tailwheel endorsement, that was all I really wanted to fly. Part of it was that most tailwheel airplanes are either much older or much more interesting – eg nearly all aerobatic planes are tailwheel. I did take some aerobatic training but most of my flying after flight school was in older planes … much older. I finally settled on J3 Cubs and Stearmans.

You fly these old planes by feel. There is truly something to that saying “flying by the seat of your pants”. Back in flight school I had a chance to fly with the chief instructor. Walter Kronig was probably in his late 60′s when I met him. He had some time in B17s and B25s as well as a collection of airliners common to the 60′s 70′s and early 80′s. When he first flew with me he exclaimed so loud I didn’t need the intercom; “WHO’S BEEN TEACHING YOU TO FLY ?!” … Although he actually knew the answer – “his instructors” – he took it in and then shot back, “IF THAT’S THE CASE, THEN EVERY ONE OF THEM IS GETTING 5 HOURS WITH ME IN THIS AIRPLANE.” He was referring to a 1946 Aeronca Champ – an airplane with only 65hp and no electronics AT ALL.

I learned more from Walter about the connetion between me and the airplane in that one 90 minute lesson than I had learned in the previous 125 hours of flight time. He had me taking 90 degree cross wind landings, flying furrow lines at 15 feet, and side slipping out of 500 ft for the deck. I learned to judge my airspeed by the sound of the wind across the wings and the condition of the engine by the firing of the cylinders. I also learned to make the proper turn with balanced rudder and stick but the feel of my butt in the seat and not looking at the instruments. By the end of that one lesson, he had explained, in practice and not theory, the difference between being a pilot and being an “airplane driver”.

I am reminded a lot of his lessons and his words when I see some of the new aircraft systems being produced. I think there is a lot to be taught and a lot to be learned from the old airplanes. Yes, I agree these new aircraft make for a safer pilot experience but I disagree that they make for better pilots.

Viral videos got there name for a reason. You see one and the first thing you think is “I’ve got to show this to __fill in the blank__”.

Well, I stumbled across a clip that probably never aired on the Red Bull Air Race series. My friends know I fly. My friends know I fly old stuff. I really hope my friends know I can’t/won’t do this ….

… but a guy can dream !

There is a small airfield on the Eastern Shore known as Campbell Field located in Weirwood. The have a regular even called “Soup on Sunday” and in the sumer it can be quite busy. This weekend was especially so. There were a number of Grummans, Cessnas, and Bonanzas as well a pair of Piper Cubs and an RV-8.

All eyes – and ears – turned skyward when the sound of a round engine was recognized. Soon, we watched as a beautify 300HP Stearman in Army colors settled in on the grass runway. The pilot and owner was greeted by all and it was evident he had the coveted “top airplane” spot. Well, at least for a while.

An hour or so later another round engine was heard. It was fast and not as easy to identify until it was closer. Then we all watched as a bright yellow Beech Staggerwing made a beutiful short field landing. The plane was swarmed as if it were a pollen laden flower.

Zen had been eyeing the food table but finally gave up any hope of scraps (everyone was hungry). So, she did what every girl at the field had done before her – she walked over to the two best planes to get her picture taken.