The Liberty Gazette
May 10, 2022
Ely Air Lines
By Mike Ely and Linda Street-Ely
We had a good dose of relaxation and fun at our favorite fly-in, the semi-annual “Critters Lodge – An Aviation Preserve,” in Centerville, Texas. A little warmer than we like for tent camping, the low was about 65 on Friday night, and maybe 60 or so Saturday night after a good thunderstorm blew through.
Wendall and Beverly (and a handful of friends who volunteer to work until their heal spurs kick up) make everyone feel welcome at their home grass strip, serving meals Friday through Sunday with no expectations – nothing but a donation jar.
A couple of regulars, Don Lymbery and his wife, Ginger, hopped over from Lufkin. Seated at one of several cafeteria tables in the palatial hangar with a commercial kitchen (and room left over for a Beechcraft Baron), Ginger ratted Don out about a recent poker run when she nodded toward him and said, “Mr. Can’t-Miss-The-Fun over here.”
“I got an email about a poker run someone was organizing a couple of weeks ago,” Don explained with a grin. “I’m always up for a fun flight, so I hopped in my RV-6A and went to the first stop, Cherokee County, Jacksonville. I picked up one of the sealed envelopes from the stack and climbed back in the plane to the next stop, Gladewater. I didn’t see anyone else, but it was kind of windy that day.”
How windy? 18-24 knots, with 30-knot gusts.
Let’s analyze this. If the wind is blowing at 20 knots from the north, and the runway you want to land on runs east-west, you’re going to deal with a crosswind trying to blow you off the runway. Of course, a smart pilot will know her or his own personal limitations as well as the limitations of the aircraft. You handle the airplane and fly it on down, maybe at a crabbed angle, but you get it on the runway and make it look effortless.
Don left his home strip, Acorn Acres Ranch, and flew to five airports to collect one card at each: Jacksonville-Gladewater-Mineola-Palestine-Aero Estates, and then back to Acorn Acres Ranch.
“Gladewater and Aero Estates were the most challenging, with 24-30 knot crosswinds. Flying the leg from Mineola to Palestine took the longest because it was straight into the wind. At 7,500 feet (to get over the clouds), the headwind was 40 to 50 knots on that leg.”
Landing for the fifth card in the hand, Don was surprised to see people, since he hadn’t seen any at the other airports. It turns out, Don admits, that he missed the email that canceled the poker run the night before–due to winds. “Everyone was shocked to see me fight the winds at Aero Estates. They were there for their monthly ‘End of the Runway’ gumbo lunch. After a good laugh, they guaranteed me the first poker hand at the next poker run (the cards were in sealed envelopes, so I never saw my hand). I can’t wait. Man, I love to fly!”
ElyAirLines.blogspot.com
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