Transitioning.....

 Last week I wrote about flying...and this week I'm going to write a bit more about flying.

Wire model of the Flybaby, constructed by Dick Schumacher.

I'm continuing the story about how Carl trusted me to fly the Flybaby, a homebuilt plane built by Dick Schumacher (Carl's dad). 

Les Arnold (who started Sky Sailing in Fremont) kept the Flybaby in a hanger, at the Paradise Airport. The Flybaby didn't need much space, because the wings would fold next to the fuselage (body) of the plane. 

I was newly pregnant with our daughter, Sutter. Carl and I had come to an agreement that I could teach flying and fly the tow planes, as long as I was able to move the stick (which controls the ailerons and the horizontal stabilizer, i.e. the right/left and up/down/motions for the plane) and avoid my belly.

We spent the night with the Arnolds. The next morning we drove to the airport. We checked out the plane. And Carl told me I was going to fly it to the north field at Oakland Airport, where we had a hangar space for the Flybaby. WHA???

Okay. I'd been in bi-planes (open cockpits) and this was not too different. Yes, it was smaller and only one pilot could fly it. We slid the radio into a rectangular metal box between my knees. I had the mic attached to the leather helmet (which I believe was Dick's), so I was able to speak with and listen to the air traffic controllers as I flew closer to OAK.  

Les and Carl told me that the Flybaby would drop (but still fly) because the runway was located on a bluff, and the ground ended and there was nothing but air.  

next week....more about my flying career.

Live richly, marilyn