I learned to fly in 1972 and received my Private Pilots
Certificate in November of that year. I took instruction from Sid Johnson in
The Dalles, Oregon. We started training in a Piper PA-22-108, the two-seat
Piper Colt, N5912Z. Before I took my flight test I began training in a Piper
PA-28-140, the four-seat Piper Cherokee, N8410R. I took the flight test in
Pasco, Washington.
In 1975 I worked the summer for the US Forest Service as an
Aerial Observer, flying around the Gifford Pinchot National Forest looking for
fires. We usually flew two 2.5 hour flights per day. Also based at the Trout
Lake airbase was the helitac fire suppression crew, flying an Aerospacial
Alouette III helicopter. The observation crew flew in Cessna 180’s and 185’s,
which are pretty good for that task as they are high winged, and high powered.
In 1978 my dad bought a 1946 Taylorcraft BC12D that had been
damaged in a windstorm. My brother’s Jim and Rob, along with dad replaced the
broken wing spars and recovered the wings. I think (as best as I can remember)
that we flew it in 1979. We rented tiedown space at the Hood River, Oregon
airport, and flew as much as we could. Sometime shortly after I started flying
a lot, Hood River Aircraft was looking for a tow plane pilot for their glider
school. They asked me if I was interested, and of course I said yes. But the
catch was I needed to have a Commercial Pilot Certificate. So I agreed to fly
for them to pay off my bill for flight instruction. In 1980 I finally got my
Commercial Certificate and went to work for HRA. I flew most weekends, and also
a few evenings during the week after I
got home from work. Our towplane was a Piper PA-18-180, a big engined Super
Cub. I soon had a favorite plane! While working there, I also had the
opportunity to fly for HRA taking sightseeing tours around the valley, and to
Mt. St. Helens. For the tours we used mostly their rental 172’s, and if they
got in a pinch they had a 182 as well. During one day I flew 47 glider tows,
and made three round trip tours to Mt. St. Helens. It was a good flying day.
I also was able to get my Commercial Seaplane Rating through
HRA. I took instruction from Bob Sampson, using a float equipped Cessna 172. I
was tested by Mel Roemmeck of Troutdale, and when I passed was very very happy!
I was able to swing a little float time in the 172, and also in Terry Brandt’s
float equipped Super Cub. Since I was overly current in a Super Cub, it wasn’t
long before I was landing in the White Salmon River, just drag it right over
the bridge low, and then plop it down before the corner, and then you had it
made. What a lot of fun that was, the best of both worlds, flying and the water.
In late 1984, HRA
moved their glider operations to McMinnville, Oregon and asked me if I wanted
to go, but I declined. Sadly it was all over for me, I loved the Super Cub and
the opportunity to fly, but that was the end. With that, I will post a few of
the pictures that I do have, there aren’t many.
AOPA Flight Planning Service CONTEL DUAT (Flight Plan
Filing) FAA Flight Plan Form
Flight Planning iPilot Jeppesen
Flight Star VFR Landings:Aviation
Weather
Pilot Supplies Pilot
Weather Pro Pilot Page
Web Aviation-Airfield Info. and planning
aids