Every champion-caliber athlete wants the ball in his or her hands when the game is on the line. Pilots typically take charge, confident individuals are like that too. Pilots want to fly the airplane not watch someone else do it. Yet, if we can relax for a moment, we can enjoy the experience of being along for the ride. Especially when we have the opportunity to fly with a master.
I had just that kind of experience recently when I flew with Stu MacPherson over Orcas Island, Washington. Stu, a long-time pilot and Dentist, and his wife, Roni, operate Cap’n Mac’s Air Tours during the summer flying a 1929 Travel Air B 4000. The MacPherson’s are both accomplished pilots – Stu has over 9,000 hours – and Roni flies her Piper tail dragger all over
the country to shows and fly-ins. Stu worked with Richard Bach in his barnstorming days as a parachutist and flew with him in the movie “Nothing by Chance”. The MacPhersons are from San Diego but spend a lot of time in the San Juan Islands which is an absolutely beautiful playground for pilots.
The three of us had such a nice time chatting about mutual friends we almost forgot to go fly! But as we walked out to the Travel Air, a beautiful blue and white example with no controls or instruments in the front cockpit, I knew I needed to embrace my unusual role of passenger. So, I watched, and listened, carefully as Stu explained our route and Roni strapped me in.
The Lycoming 680, a change from the typical Wright Whirlwind, which most of these planes are equipped with, started easily and Stu taxied toward the runway turning a 360-degree circle checking for traffic and off we went. I noticed almost immediately, as Stu leveled the plane and then rolled into a steep 60-degree bank to change our direction to follow the coastline, the precision with which he moved the controls. He’s a dentist, after all, and precision comes naturally.
As we flew, I began to relax. Every pilot knows what I mean. There’s no nervousness, or fear, of flying but it’s not “comfortable” with no controls in your hands. It’s the reason I hate to turn right at the door of an airliner – you have confidence in the captain – but you want to do the flying! Anyway, as I relaxed, I noticed two things. The first was how unbelievably beautiful the scenery is and the second was how my butt stayed in exactly the same place as Stu climbed, descended, circled steeply over particular points of interest and especially as he did wingovers, giving sailors on the water below an impromptu airshow.
As we flew along, I did what awestruck passengers are supposed to do – I took pictures and video! And, naturally, I texted a few friends. One of them, Jared Calvert, wrote back that Stu had given him his first Travel Air ride which resulted in his restoring and flying one. I replied, “He’s giving me my first TA ride right now!”
All too soon our flight was drawing to an end as I saw the airport off the nose. Stu entered the base much closer and higher than the way I typically fly the pattern in my biplanes. “This is going to be interesting.”, I thought to myself. As Stu pulled the power back, I expected him to slip the B 4000 to lose altitude, but the nose held steady.
We came in high over the numbers and I thought “He’s got 3,000 feet to work.” but as we flew down the runway I began to wonder, “Is he going to go around?”. As we flew and ate up the remaining runway, we slowly drifted lower and moved forward ever slower. Just past the midpoint, the right wheel touched, and a second later the left. A squeak of a tire as brake was applied and we were stopped and turned off the runway. No taxiing to the turn-off required. Stu clearly knows his airport and his airplane with the intimacy of long experience and the mastery of an accomplished aviator. Not one movement of the controls or capability of the airplane was wasted.
After shutdown, Roni asked Stu, “Did you have a nice flight?” to which he answered “Yes”. Then she smiled and said playfully, “Except for the landing of course!” She was referring to the tire squeak which could have been the only non-perfect part of the exercise. Turning to me she said, “You have to just use parts of the runway here – otherwise you go around (by which she meant a ground loop).”, as the winds are swirling and variable here all along the fairly short runway.
I left the airport excited and looking forward to the day, soon hopefully, when I can fly my own Travel Air B4000. As I breathed the fresh Pacific air, I noticed the faint odor of burned oil on my hands and thought that any day spent partially in a biplane – whether in the rear, or front cockpit – is a good day!
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