Around The Patch

As project manager of AOPA’s Cessna 172 Sweepstakes, I shepherded a Skyhawk from ratty hangar queen to dream machine. I put a lot of hours on the Skyhawk, flying it from Maryland to Kansas to Wisconsin to Florida to California to Tennessee (and then back to Wisconsin and Kansas). In 2017, I logged 61 hours in the airplane before we presented it to sweepstakes winner Gary Walters in late July. Throughout the project, I expanded my flying skills by landing at airports in Class C airspace; operating in high-density-altitude parts of the country; and touching down at Wittman Field in Oshkosh for EAA AirVenture.

Not surprisingly, my logbook shows an abysmal four hours in my own Piper Cherokee since January. When the weekends would roll around, even beautiful weather could not coax me to the airport. I had to wonder if this is how professional pilots sometimes feel about recreational flying.

As the sweepstakes project wound down, colleagues wanted to know: “Will you miss the Skyhawk?”

“Yes—and no,” I said.

Things I’ll miss about the 172: hopping off the ground with a 180-horsepower engine; a suite of Garmin avionics including a GNS 650 and two G5 electronic instruments; electronic ignition; the new-airplane smell that persisted long after I had brought the freshly reupholstered Skyhawk back from Wichita. It was as close to flying a new aircraft as I’m likely to experience.

Things I won’t miss: Trying to keep the airplane pristine at airshows (yes, you, sir, please stop removing the headrest); the 172N’s 40-gallon fuel capacity—an extra 10 gallons in the Cherokee is a great comfort factor; climbing on top of the wings to check fuel.

After a two-month absence from my Cherokee, I plopped into the left seat again. It felt good. Like kicking off a pair of formal shoes and sliding into sneakers. Everything—trim wheel, mixture knob, avionics switch—was where it was supposed to be.

I knocked out five takeoffs and landings. On the last one I closed the throttle abeam the numbers to get reacquainted with the Cherokee’s glide characteristics. A Cherokee does not glide like a 172, particularly a Skyhawk equipped with vortex generators.

As 2017 winds down, I need to make up for lost time in my Cherokee. And it’s so tempting to just slip back into those comfortable old shoes. At the same time, I’m realizing that I need another challenge—something that will continue 2017’s skill-building momentum. The list has a few items: flying in the 2018 Air Race Classic; joining the Cherokees 2 Oshkosh mass arrival; and becoming a student again. I’ve made progress on that last one by starting training for the commercial certificate.

What will you do to challenge yourself in 2018? Will you add a certificate or rating? Will you get checked out in something new, or flip upside down doing aerobatics or upset recovery? You might pledge to complete an FAA Wings pilot proficiency program or take a free online course from the AOPA Air Safety Institute—there are enough available that you could complete at least one per month. Whatever you choose, make a plan and get going. And let me know what’s on your list. Your good ideas will help to inspire other pilots.