om
the well known Garber facility in Silver Springs. Eventually all of the Garber
planes and functions will be brought to Dulles, including the restoration
operations, and a total of over 200 planes and missiles.Anyone who has watched me fly knows I’m not the best pilot in the club. But, I get great enjoyment from my attempts at “looking good.” With the influx of new members, I think it’s time for us old timers to step up and teach some of the new guys. What I expected of this experience was to give the thrill of flight to someone, hoping that they would feel the same gratification in flight that I do. What I got was an improvement in my flying, a new set of friends, and the indescribable joy of watching young and old “get it.” My flying has improved because I need to demonstrate the stable flight characteristics I’m trying to get them to learn.
As I write this, I have two regular and one occasional students. The regulars are Les Sachau and his grandson Derek. Les is struggling with the need to get the feel of the plane into his fingers, and out of conscious thought, while Derek has the advantage of youth and computer games, making this a piece of cake for him.
On Monday, the 9th, I pulled the plug on the cord for Derek. It’s hard to say which of us three was the most thrilled as he proceeded to do excellent takeoffs and “greaser" landings for the rest of the session. His landings were as good as any I see on a Sunday with all the regulars there.
I would like to urge any and all to take up the role of instructor. I gives you back more than you put into it. Yes, there is a time commitment to be made, but believe me, it’s worth it! Next time someone needs help learning to fly, take on a student; You’ll be the better for it!
John Kirchstein
The Newark Senior Center ran a trip to the “Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center” at Dulles. A group of eight Del R/Cers went along for the ride.
This is an impressive building; The
760,057-square-foot facility
is situated on 176.5 acres and presently
has about 85 aircraft, mostly from
the well known Garber facility in Silver Springs. Eventually all of the Garber
planes and functions will be brought to Dulles, including the restoration
operations, and a total of over 200 planes and missiles.
Take a look at http://www.nasm.si.edu/museum/udvarhazy/overview2.cfm for an idea of what’s there. As for our impressions? This place reminds me of the museum in DC where you feel like you have gotten into a giants bedroom with all his planes hanging from the ceiling. I liked Garber better, because you could get close to the planes, but oh, the planes that are here!
Most impressive: The SR-71 Blackbird; hard to describe how big it is!
Most unusual: split (for me) between the Enola Gay and a little L-19 that lands on a trapeze-on-a-wire, for getting in and out of rugged terrain.
Odd and Old: Langley Aerodrome – It never flew but it pushed the Wrights to get the job done
Lots of great stuff including the Concorde, many WWII fighters, the NASA Shuttle Enterprise…the list goes on.
John Kirchstein