N941WR
Legacy Member
While you were all snug in your bed (Long)
My son and I were sleeping here:
(Photo by Eric Davis.)
This past weekend I hooked up with the Southeast Region Recreational Aviation Foundation.
Being an avid hiker, I always thought it would be great fun to use my airplane to extend my reach. However, that first airplane, a 1941 Taylorcraft, was a bit limited on the people and gear hauling department. The T-Craft was replaced by an RV-9 that was built in my basement with such adventures in mind. I chose the RV-9 for its low stall speed and tailwheel configuration so I could visit some out of the way grass strips. While not a “bush plane”, it should work on some of the rougher strips I dreamed of, or so I thought.
Unfortunately, other than flying to Oshkosh and Lakeland and pitching my tent in the homebuilt camping area, my flying camping experience was very limited. Part of the problem is that I live in the Carolinas and there just aren’t back country fields like what I read about out West.
That changed when my wife stumbled upon a post about a camping adventure that was listed on The Recreational Aviation Foundation’s website, www.theraf.org. The “2014 River Run to the Atlantic” was just the trip, my wife told me. “It will last two nights and you and T (our five year-old son) will have a great time,” she said. Hummm… I think she is trying to get rid of us for a weekend so she can have two uninterrupted days of scrapbooking.
After exchanging a few emails with Eric Davis regarding the logistics, timing of this adventure, and condition of the fields, I signed up; the fact that the starting point was only 56 nautical miles from my home airport made the decision even easier. The only challenge was getting off of work earlier enough on Friday, loading the plane, and getting to the starting point before dark.
Davis had posted a video online depicting the approach into the starting point, NC08 (Tusquittee Landing Airport, Hayesville, NC). Lucky for me, I didn’t watch it until after I returned home. While I enjoy flying into challenging strips, skimming over the top of trees while on downwind isn’t something I’m particularly comfortable with, or wasn’t until after this adventure.
After dodging some thunderstorms and mountain peaks while sneaking our way into NC08 I performed a low inspection pass (That’s my story and I’m sticking with it!) before climbing up and doing the approach a second time and landing on a runway as smooth as the fabled Triple Tree Aerodrome.
After shutting down next to a monstrous tricycle gear Helio Super Courier we jumped out and were quickly greeted by Davis, some of the home owners who live at NC08, and the other intrepid aviators. Looking past the two story tall Super Courier, I spied a story and a half tall “normal” camo painted Helio Courier and started to wonder what I got myself into. Looking around there was Brown’s immaculate 1964 V-tail Bonanza and a 2004 Cessna Skylane that looked brand new. “OK,” I thought to myself, “I know I can go anyplace the 182 and Bonanza can go, this might not be so bad after all.”
While pulling “stuff” out of the back the RV, one of the home owners walked up and introduced herself. Alice (My apologies Alice, I didn’t get your last name.) gave my son and I a tour of the airfield, showing us points of interest, the port-a-jon, her and her husband’s immaculate 100 HP clip-wing Cub, the pond, and a few other items. It turns out both her and her husband are pilots and they really enjoyed hosting this wayward group of intrepid pilots.
After meeting the rest of the group, setting up the tent, tying the plane down and doing all the other things that are required; we went to sleep, serenaded by the coyotes.
Saturday morning we were treated to donuts, coffee, and homemade biscuits; all provided by the homeowners. After our “camp breakfast”, we loaded up and headed out.
My son and I were sleeping here:
(Photo by Eric Davis.)
This past weekend I hooked up with the Southeast Region Recreational Aviation Foundation.
Being an avid hiker, I always thought it would be great fun to use my airplane to extend my reach. However, that first airplane, a 1941 Taylorcraft, was a bit limited on the people and gear hauling department. The T-Craft was replaced by an RV-9 that was built in my basement with such adventures in mind. I chose the RV-9 for its low stall speed and tailwheel configuration so I could visit some out of the way grass strips. While not a “bush plane”, it should work on some of the rougher strips I dreamed of, or so I thought.
Unfortunately, other than flying to Oshkosh and Lakeland and pitching my tent in the homebuilt camping area, my flying camping experience was very limited. Part of the problem is that I live in the Carolinas and there just aren’t back country fields like what I read about out West.
That changed when my wife stumbled upon a post about a camping adventure that was listed on The Recreational Aviation Foundation’s website, www.theraf.org. The “2014 River Run to the Atlantic” was just the trip, my wife told me. “It will last two nights and you and T (our five year-old son) will have a great time,” she said. Hummm… I think she is trying to get rid of us for a weekend so she can have two uninterrupted days of scrapbooking.
After exchanging a few emails with Eric Davis regarding the logistics, timing of this adventure, and condition of the fields, I signed up; the fact that the starting point was only 56 nautical miles from my home airport made the decision even easier. The only challenge was getting off of work earlier enough on Friday, loading the plane, and getting to the starting point before dark.
Davis had posted a video online depicting the approach into the starting point, NC08 (Tusquittee Landing Airport, Hayesville, NC). Lucky for me, I didn’t watch it until after I returned home. While I enjoy flying into challenging strips, skimming over the top of trees while on downwind isn’t something I’m particularly comfortable with, or wasn’t until after this adventure.
After dodging some thunderstorms and mountain peaks while sneaking our way into NC08 I performed a low inspection pass (That’s my story and I’m sticking with it!) before climbing up and doing the approach a second time and landing on a runway as smooth as the fabled Triple Tree Aerodrome.
After shutting down next to a monstrous tricycle gear Helio Super Courier we jumped out and were quickly greeted by Davis, some of the home owners who live at NC08, and the other intrepid aviators. Looking past the two story tall Super Courier, I spied a story and a half tall “normal” camo painted Helio Courier and started to wonder what I got myself into. Looking around there was Brown’s immaculate 1964 V-tail Bonanza and a 2004 Cessna Skylane that looked brand new. “OK,” I thought to myself, “I know I can go anyplace the 182 and Bonanza can go, this might not be so bad after all.”
While pulling “stuff” out of the back the RV, one of the home owners walked up and introduced herself. Alice (My apologies Alice, I didn’t get your last name.) gave my son and I a tour of the airfield, showing us points of interest, the port-a-jon, her and her husband’s immaculate 100 HP clip-wing Cub, the pond, and a few other items. It turns out both her and her husband are pilots and they really enjoyed hosting this wayward group of intrepid pilots.
After meeting the rest of the group, setting up the tent, tying the plane down and doing all the other things that are required; we went to sleep, serenaded by the coyotes.
Saturday morning we were treated to donuts, coffee, and homemade biscuits; all provided by the homeowners. After our “camp breakfast”, we loaded up and headed out.
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