I’d always wanted to learn to fly. After all, it was in my blood. My dad and mother had many dates in his Piper J-3 Cub. He would land in the hayfields of her father’s farm to pick her up. When the corn was short he landed in the cornfield between the rows. According to their story, he had to sell his Cub to buy a new washer and dryer to clean my diapers. He always regretted that decision, but I’m sure my mother would argue the point. My uncle George sold Pipers at the time, along with Minneapolis-Moline and Massey-Harris farm equipment. I have some of his old Piper parts books and paperwork. Recently, I found a bill of sale from Piper to my uncle for a Piper Super Cruiser that he sold to a local farmer for $2,725.69 on January 14, 1947.
A Student’s First Flight to a Towered Airport Nearly Goes Terribly Wrong
Key Takeaways:
- The author's lifelong interest in flying stemmed from his parents' courtship involving his father's Piper J-3 Cub and his uncle's Piper aircraft sales.
- During flight training at a small airport, a dead battery led to an unexpected flight to a major airport (Port Columbus), resulting in a near-miss with a Boeing 707.
- The dead battery caused the aircraft to be invisible to air traffic control, highlighting a dangerous situation.
- The author and his instructor experienced a close call with a landing 707, which was only averted due to the 707 pilot aborting the landing.
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