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Flying Lessons

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Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • The author recounts the challenging yet nostalgic experience of flying and landing a classic Cessna 120 after a 12-year hiatus, noting its demanding tailwheel characteristics and simple, basic controls.
  • Despite its impracticality as a modern transport, the Cessna 120 is cherished for its "magic"—offering a raw, immersive connection to the sky and land, contrasting with the insulated experience of modern aircraft.
  • Flying the vintage plane serves as a powerful connection to the past, evoking profound memories for the author and allowing them to experience a simpler time and feel a link to the history of aviation and previous pilots.
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There’s a crosswind. A stiff one. Yuck. I sigh and do a conscious file-sort through the very dusty bins in the back of my brain. Let’s see. Slip to the left and land left-wheel first, being careful not to overreact on these super-light controls, be ready to add a little power if it bounces, and hope some level of intuitive feel for the touch-down attitude and position returns by the time we get close to the pavement. Right. I glance over at my dentist/friend Jeff Rose, whom I fear has taken temporary leave of his senses, letting me fly-and land–his beloved and brand-newly-restored Cessna 120.

“You ARE following through with me on this, right?” I say. It’s a statement, not a question.

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