Letters

The flying station wagon

I just read Alton K. Marsh's Stinson story in AOPA Pilot — excellent article (" Budget Buys: The Flying Station Wagon," October). Brought back memories of my first small-airplane ride, which was in a Stinson Flying Station Wagon from the Teterboro, New Jersey, airport. A thoroughly glorious flight, during which I became violently airsick as we circled the George Washington Bridge. Still, hooked me on GA.

Paul Berge AOPA 615752
Indianola, Iowa

I saw Alton Marsh's article about the Stinson and was very surprised. About two years ago I flew that plane from Oregon to Florida and back. I logged 68 hours in the Stinson and loved every hour. We stopped at every airplane museum we could fit into a four-week journey — that was a lot of stops and planes to see. Like you said, people were always interested in the Stinson, no matter where we landed.

I could tell you many stories about our trip, like the time we landed in Tucson, Arizona, and made a Boeing 737 do a go-around because the controller forgot just how long a Stinson could be on final. I could hear the 737 pilot laughing and the controller apologizing.

Thank you for the article on N4181C. This is one AOPA Pilot I'm going to keep forever!

Ken Kaster AOPA 1393205
Corbett, Oregon

Farewell to the Concorde

I just read Thomas B. Haines' column on the Concorde (" Waypoints: One Fast Ride," October Pilot). Nicely done.

I had a chance to fly home from London a few weeks ago on the Concorde. For it to go out of service without me ever getting a chance to fly in one pushed me past the economics. It was truly an amazing experience and it surprises me even more that no company has followed up with supersonic travel.

But mostly the flight was filled with the emotion Haines sums up with the last line from the article. I will miss the Concorde in our collective neighborhood and the optimism it represents.

Alan Klapmeier AOPA 928670
Duluth, Minnesota

Klapmeier is the president of Cirrus Design.

My wife and I rode Concorde from Heathrow to New York in 1999. I haven't been that excited about an airplane ride since my first solo. We departed in the dark in London and as we flew west the sun rose and we landed in New York in the late afternoon. I will never forget that wonderful flight. I will also never forget the commuter airline we took afterward to Baltimore that lost our luggage. What a way to return to reality! The Concorde charmed this old airline pilot. Whether you flew on her or only dreamed of it, we will all miss her.

Tim Averett AOPA 1173243
Winter Haven, Florida

I just read Thomas Haines' article about his Concorde experience and thought I would share my fortuitous Concorde experience. I was traveling first class on Air France from Stockholm-Arlanda Airport in Stockholm to John F. Kennedy International Airport. We stopped at Paris' Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport where I had to change planes. Unfortunately, the equipment for my flight had been commandeered by an earlier flight after its plane experienced a maintenance problem. I figured I would have to find accommodations in Paris for the night.

I went to the Air France counter and spoke to an agent about arranging a flight for the next day. He studied the computer screen for a minute and then looked up at me and said, "One moment please, monsieur," whereupon he called someone on the phone. My French is a bit rusty, but I did recognize when he spoke the word Concorde. Sure enough, before long I was boarding that sleek but somewhat "cozy" supersonic aircraft.

I remember several things about the flight. First, I had been a vegetarian for many years, but, of course, there had been no time to order a special meal. Never mind! When I saw the menu I decided I would be an omnivore for the day. The second thing I remember is how I felt when I saw the Mach display change from 0.99 to 1.00 and then from 1.99 to 2.00. We were at Flight Level 600! Going Mach 2! Finally, I remember thinking that I had arrived in New York before I had left Paris — at least according to the local clock.

To paraphrase Haines' final comments, thanks, Concorde, for such a memorable ride.

Jim Freeman AOPA 4244956
Bellville, Texas

A correction to the article on the Concorde (" Later, Concorde," October Pilot). There were 16 aircraft built, not 12 as the article says. Also, it would have been nice to have more technical information, such as gross takeoff weight (400,000 pounds) and fuel load (200,000 pounds). When it descended into the New York area after its flight from London, it was going to be on the ground in 20 minutes whether or not it was cleared to land.

Frankly, that plane was a dead loss from the time the design was finalized. It is a superb example of government running things. It was the taxpayers of Great Britain and France who paid for an expensive and very inefficient airplane only the filthy rich could afford to fly.

John Wilder AOPA 4297574
Leander, Texas

Airmanship

Barry Schiff's article on airmanship (" Proficient Pilot: Airmanship," October) was just great — well written, informative, and instructional. I came away with the realization that all of us need to continually practice the art of flying and not just the execution of a successful flight.

I started to fly 14 years ago as the fulfillment of my childhood dream of flight. This occurred during my 4-year-old son's battle with leukemia, which he won, to help me deal with the stress and pain of possibly losing my child to the disease. It was wonderful therapy for me at the time, and I have always considered flying to be a high that couldn't be achieved while on terra firma. Thank you for reminding us of how to become one with the airplane.

Rob Darling AOPA 1353256
Independence, Missouri

I have been a reader of AOPA Pilot for 20 years. During that time, I have progressed from a teenager working on his private pilot certificate through serving as naval aviator and military instructor pilot to my current incarnation as a recreational weekend warrior. While I have not always agreed with everything that I have read in Pilot, I have never before been as astonished and disappointed as I was with Barry Schiff's article "Airmanship."

Throughout my career, I have been taught that airmanship involves flying the aircraft by the numbers — on airspeed and on altitude. As instructor pilots in the Naval Air Training Command, we graded students' airmanship on every flight. Our measure of a student's airmanship was his ability to fly the aircraft accurately and precisely. We continuously stressed the importance of utilizing basic flight instruments as a framework for one's ability to fly the aircraft safely and efficiently. This concept was stressed regardless of the environment.

The concept of airmanship as being somehow divorced from the ability to fly in reference to standard aviation instruments is ludicrous. Schiff's dismissal of much that separates modern pilots from our barnstorming predecessors sets an unsafe example for the less experienced and impressionable pilots who might read his article.

Arie S. Friedman AOPA 4424526
Libertyville, Illinois

The skies are alive

The decibel demons have gotten us again. Pilot's October "Airframe & Powerplant" article (" Airframe & Powerplant: The Skies Are Alive") contains a few common errors about decibels. Because our ears have such a large dynamic range and because we sense changing sound levels more or less logarithmically, a logarithmic decibel scale is used to measure sound levels. The formula for decibels is simple; it is a 10 log increase (or decrease) in sound energy. From this formula, it becomes apparent that an increase of 10 times the sound energy is a 10 dB increase, an increase of 100 times the sound energy is 20 dB and so on. The 130 dB range of human hearing represents a sound level change of 10,000,000,000,000. The decibel scale is a handier way of measuring sound than using these very large numbers.

The writer is correct in pointing out that "twice as loud" is subjective and varies somewhat among listeners but averages about 10 dB.

Bill McNulty AOPA 3878126
River Forest, Illinois

On the road

I seldom comment on what I read in magazines, but Stephen Coonts' article " On the Road" in the October issue of Pilot was so well written and humorous that I had to let you know how much I enjoyed reading it. My wife was wondering why I was laughing so loudly in my "library."

Joe Lin AOPA 1402240
Davis, California

Most of the pilots and local business people here in Pampa didn't find Stephen Coonts' article amusing. It was insulting and condescending at best. The pilots in this small town are really proud of the facilities we have here, and we work hard at projecting what an asset the airport and the flying community is to our economy. In this kind of economy airports are a popular and easy way to cut the budget, and that is not what we want here. We look to AOPA to help us promote the benefits of an airport and the positive things that it can bring to a town. This kind of journalism does not help our effort.

Bob Conner AOPA 1283428
Pampa, Texas

Beyond the flat Earth

When I saw Julie K. Boatman's article (" Beyond the Flat Earth," October Pilot) with the ingeniously displayed sectional charts superimposed over the real-life view and the terminal approach chart, I thought, "All right!" Something I can get my teeth into here!

I'm afraid to admit I'm only a WIFR (wimpy IFR) pilot, although current. My version of IFR is flying through layers, either to get on top, or get below to VFR and then cancel and land. If it's IFR below, I chicken out, stay home, and read Pilot. But as you suggest, when I am in the soup, I like to know what's going on below, so that sectional is open and ready.

Brad Kurlancheek AOPA 1294890
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

We welcome your comments. Address your letters to: Editor, AOPA Pilot, 421 Aviation Way, Frederick, Maryland 21701. Send e-mail to [email protected]. Include your full name, address, and AOPA number on all correspondence, including e-mail. Letters will be edited for length and style.