May 25, 2010 Adventure at Big Country AirFest, part 1 of 3

The Liberty Gazette

May 25, 2010

Ely Air Lines
By Mike Ely and Linda Street-Ely

Part 1 of 3Linda: I was excited about joining the Sport Air Racing League because it means Mike and I can race together. Racing the annual all-women Air Race Classic is fun, but flying with Mike is always the best. This year SARL offers a 14-race season, about half are in Texas. We missed the first one to attend our niece’s wedding. We missed the second due to maintenance miscommunications. But we made it to Dyess AFB in Abilene for race three where we were part of the opening act prior to the Big Country AirFest celebrating the 25th anniversary of the B-1B Bomber, and featuring the USAF Thunderbirds. It would take less than an hour to complete the 112 mile, five-turn cross-county course.

Leaving Houston on Friday for Saturday morning’s race we entered what we call “hard IMC” a few hundred feet off the ground. IMC means flying blind in clouds where we fly by reference to our instruments–instrument meteorological conditions. We were in the clouds for about two hours but as we neared Abilene the skies cleared and we landed visually.

We are accustomed to seeing lots of military aircraft at Ellington, but landing at an active base was different. The rows of B-1s, the many C-130s, the Thunderbirds’ F-16s, acro planes and war birds, and a wing-walker’s Stearman were a great sight to see on landing. Mike joked that it would be a bit of a squeeze to get our Cheetah down on the 13,000-foot runway.

Mike: Dyess is a B-1B base so all race and acro planes arriving for the air show were parked in B1 hangars. What a sweet picture to see our little Cheetah tucked safely in the shadow of a B1.

Air Force personnel met and escorted us to the check-in building. A hard-working contingent of airmen handed us a welcome packet, parking pass, ID, and keys to a rental vehicle. As we exited the base and headed to the hotel we were amazed at the museum of bombers, fighters, trainers, surveillance planes. About 25 different airplanes, each in its own well-manicured park setting, were showcased along the main drive, emanating a rich history of strength, honor, and patriotism.
Returning in the morning the guards checked our credentials and ushered us through the gate.

Winding through the base and approaching the hangars we stopped at the sign that read, “Check for FOD”. Tires must be examined and any pebble or piece of debris must be removed before driving onto the ramp. Debris ingested into a jet engine can be very damaging. We added our collection of pebbles to the pile in the large green can, it’s presence a strong reinforcement of the message of safety, and entered the ramp area. Our rental van was dwarfed by the enormous hangars, one of them too small for the huge C-130 Hercules which had a special door that closed around its tail which stuck outside the hangar.

Linda: Early morning thunderstorms had threatened the day, but when the skies cleared race boss, Mike Thompson, gave the green light to pull out the planes, fuel up, and get ready. However, communications didn’t make it to the right folks in charge at the base. The hangar doors were locked, no fuel truck in sight. Somehow you’ll have to hold your breath till next week for the rest of this adventure. Till then, blue skies.

www.ElyAirLines.blogspot.com.

May 18, 2010 Improvements at the Liberty Airport

The Liberty Gazette
May 18, 2010

Ely Air Lines
By Mike Ely and Linda Street Ely

Linda: Certain improvements at the Liberty Airport have been on the books a couple of years now, and with Gary Broz in the City Manager’s office it looks like more will be coming. It’s nice to have him on the side of the airport. Because of his recent request to pursue funding for 10 T-hangars, we’re hopeful the LCDC will come through with money to match the insurance and FEMA reimbursements that are due to the city. For some of that money it’s “use it or lose it,” with the deadline approaching soon. And, it just makes sense for LCDC to spend money for hangars rather than take it out of the city’s already stretched budget. After all, LCDC’s purpose is economic development, and that’s one of the jobs of an airport, to help stimulate an area’s economy by making it accessible. To attract money you have to have something the people with money want. That’s the idea, to bring money to Liberty.

As for FAA grants, the protocol is airside improvements first, then later things like hangars, and FAA’s hangar grants aren’t the best they have to offer, so LCDC is a good choice. For other airport development funding the FAA is the primary giver of grants, and someday if Liberty so impresses TXDOT, we could be awarded state grants as well. There are a multitude of grants available though, from many different sources and in all areas of development. That’s where an experienced grant writer comes in handy. Someone who knows where the money is and how to get it is a real asset to a city that wants to lessen the burden on its local tax base.

Mike: The airport wish list includes an airport manager, a courtesy car, and a much needed terminal building with restrooms. Area businesses will have reason to celebrate acquisition of a courtesy car and a full time, experienced airport manager. Quite often in this column we write about other airports we’ve visited and courtesy cars provided so pilots can go into town and patronize local businesses. The City of Granbury offers four former police cars for this purpose and their city benefits greatly.

Real restrooms are needed at the Liberty airport. I remember when we were finally able to celebrate getting a port-a-potty at the airport. But really, that just doesn’t cut it. We’re competing with airports across the country, not just across town. Hopefully in a new terminal building the restrooms will be accessible after hours. If we’re going to spend money to attract visitors we better be able to offer always-open bathrooms.

Through numerous presentations and communications over the past three years to city council, the Chamber, Lions Club, on “The Party Line,” through this column and others, we’ve maintained that our airport needs to give back to the community. Treated right, any airport can breathe new life into a community. There is so much room for improvement that the sky’s the limit. Liberty’s $219,000 annual economic impact could turn into millions if the airport is wisely developed. Long-range planning, vision and know-how are key ingredients to getting the job done. As we say, “airports are for people who don’t fly,” because so much that touches our everyday lives requires availability of viable, well-run airports.

We’ve worked hard getting the word out over the past few years. It’s exciting to see some light shining through.

Mike and Linda can be reached at Texasavi8r@aol.com.

May 11, 2010 Learn to Fly Day

The Liberty Gazette
May 11, 2010

The View From Up Here
By Mike Ely and Linda Street Ely

Mike: Whether a pilot has been flying for a short time or is a seasoned pro every aviator remembers his/her first flight. That first flight could have happened on a whim or could have been something a person was contemplating for years. Either way, for many pilots that first flight was enough to cement their desire to learn more, to stick with it and achieve something many only dream about. Every pilot is different and will learn at their own pace, some taking to it more naturally than others.

Linda: International Learn to Fly Day was announced at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture at Oshkosh in July of 2009 as an effort to increase interest in flying and to encourage the aviation community to get others involved in promoting aviation and flying in general. This year’s International Learn to Fly Day is Saturday May 15. EAA chapters and several other aviation associated businesses, organizations and flight schools are participating in the event at airports all around the country. Similar to the EAA’s Young Eagles program, the idea is to give people that first flight experience or at least give them enough information on where to get it. Since its inception in 1991, the Young Eagles program has given over 1.7 million kids between the ages of 8 and 17 their first flight. The International Learn to Fly Day event has no age restrictions. So now all those moms and dads who watched a child enjoy the discovery of flight can now participate in the fun.

Since facilities, equipment, and personnel differ among each EAA chapter, commercial flight school, or participating organization, presentations of the Learn to Fly Day will be unique variations on a theme. Some will offer a 30 to 40 minute presentation with things like how much it costs, how long it takes, what you will learn, how to pick the right instructor for you, where you can fly, ways to save money on your training, mistakes to avoid, and more. Some flight schools and EAA chapters will arrange for a tour of a flight school and meeting with instructors. Many will offer aircraft on display for you to sit in and learn something about the instruments and controls. Some flight schools will be offering introductory flight lessons as well.

Mike: Participating organizations in the Southeast Texas area include the 1940 Air Terminal Museum located on the west side of Hobby Airport, Houston Light Sport Aviation LLC located at West Houston Airport, JustFly! Flight Training at David Wayne Hooks Airport, and Brazos Valley Flight Services at College Station’s Easterwood Airport. The 1940 Air Terminal Museum’s program will coincide with their monthly Wings and Wheels event which this month features Beechcraft aircraft. They have invited flight schools who participated in their March event to return for an afternoon presentation. There may be more by the time Saturday rolls around so you can check the EAA’s website for the event, www.learntoflyday.org, or call the Learn to Fly Day Hotline at (800) 399-6144. Free tickets are available to these events through the Learn to Fly website. If you’ve ever thought about learning to fly or are just curious what it’s like, we encourage you check out a participating facility for International Learn to Fly Day and enjoy a fun learning experience.

Mike and Linda can be reached at Texasavi8r@aol.com.

May 4, 2010 TXDOT awards: Airport and Manager of the Year

The Liberty Gazette
May 4, 2010

The View From Up Here
By Mike Ely and Linda Street Ely

Linda: Jim Little retired as a highly decorated Colonel from the U.S. Air Force and returned home to Big Spring, Texas. He had worked as an administrator, master instructor and planner while serving our country, and when he returned to civilian life he became the manager of the McMahon-Wrinkle Airport, formerly an air force base. As chairman of the air park development board and airport manager, Col. Little worked with TxDOT Aviation to build a top-flight air terminal facility. The 8,800’ runway of the old bombardier training base has been upgraded and now allows aircraft the size of Boeing 737s to land there, which translates to greater economic development for the area. As a founding member of the air museum that honors the airport’s great history, Col. Little helped organize the hugely successful base reunion which brings hundreds of visitors to the airport every year. And, he works for the future as well as preservation of the past. Under his guidance and direction the EAA’s Young Eagles program in Big Spring is giving young people their first flights in light airplanes, encouraging a whole new crop of future pilots.

TXDOT Aviation Director Dave Fulton handed Col. Little yet another award, for Airport Manager of the Year. As Fulton addressed over 450 attendees at the 2010 Texas Aviation Conference last month, he told the crowd that Col. Little “has been instrumental in maximizing the usage of the facilities located on the old air force base grounds with an occupancy rate over 95%.” Dave Fulton thanked the veteran for making that airport “the outstanding facility it is today.”

Of course, it takes community leadership with vision and understanding to find the right kind of person to be airport manager. The same is true for the airports named as Airport of the Year. According to Dave Fulton, this year’s winner was nominated for several reasons. “They have developed an airport management system which welcomes input and volunteerism, works in cooperation with their airport board, elected officials, business and industry, and other interested parties to ensure continued progress.” What a great idea!

Mike: It was Wood County Airport that was recognized as this year’s Airport of the Year. Their airport board has committed to an aggressive maintenance and improvement program utilizing grants and TxDOT personnel expertise to tackle vegetation problems, seal cracks, establish pavement maintenance programs, and improve ditches and drainage. Three new hangars will further their progress since aggressively competing for a Navy contract.

The United States Department of the Navy, following a long search for an airfield conducive for a testing ground, determined Wood County had exceptional qualities making the airport ideal for testing. Rear Admiral, Nevin Carr, Jr. noted that the exceptionally well-maintained conference facilities, availability of Jet-A fuel, and superb support provided by airport staff were key components of choosing the airport for the naval testing project.

When we look at all the honorees at the TXDOT Texas Aviation Conference we see people and communities who have a great deal of understanding of the aviation industry as a whole and who have the vision and drive to carry their plans through to fruition. They also have community leaders who recognize this and support them. Congratulations to Col. Little, Wood County, and all the winners of TXDOT Aviation awards. Well deserved!

Mike and Linda can be reached at Texasavi8r@aol.com.

April 27, 2010 Aviation art

The Liberty Gazette
April 27, 2010

The View From Up Here
By Mike Ely and Linda Street Ely

Linda: Although art has not the precise and exclusive definition as do answers to math problems, we could call it a deliberate arrangement of elements affecting our senses or emotions, creativity from the heart, or stuff that comes from artists. I’ve strolled through galleries appreciating talent, perspective, and ideas, wishing I had the patience it takes. Not surprisingly, my favorite subject of art is aviation. And what an incredible world of aviation art there is.

An Internet search using “aviation artist” will net a host of associations and world class artists. Take a look at www.asaa-avart.org. This classy website belonging to the American Society of Aviation Artists showcases extraordinary talent and appreciation for all things aviation. Some drawings, paintings, and photos seem to absorb me into themselves, such as Cher Pruys’ watercolor, “Airbase” which takes me back to our honeymoon in Maine where I first flew a seaplane. Serene, yet exciting, viewing this painting I imagine sitting on the pier, my pants rolled up enough not to get wet as I dangle my legs in the water, feet swayed by tiny waves gently soothing docked seaplanes; docked seaplanes with great horsepower, eager to be loosed from their harnesses. Gerry Asher’s “Woman’s Work” corrals the wonderful memories I have from meeting Major Nicole Malachowski, and racing against some of the few remaining Women Air Force Service Pilots. Here is Nicole, the first woman USAF Thunderbird, who benefited from the WASP’s dedication. On the ramp at Hickam AFB, Hawaii, she calmly faces reporters and proves that, like her WASP predecessors, gender has no bearing on pilot skills.

Mike: In Kyle Weber’s “Capt. Bruce Weber – Navy Cross” the Commander of the VF-31 Meat Axers, Capt. Weber scores a direct hit on the IJN Battleship Ise during the attack on Kure Harbor in Japan. It reminds me of the time we had a couple of years ago with Distinguished Flying Cross recipient, Captain Dusty Kleiss, a hero in the Battle of Midway. When I see Kyle’s painting of an F6F Hellcat escaping unscathed, leaving behind explosive evidence of the pilot’s success, I can nearly feel the G-load making me one with the seat in the climbing turn as I hear Dusty telling of flying his dive bomber at enemy ships, and saying with a shrug, “We just did what we had to do.” For me, through this and similar paintings I can imagine in deep appreciation for people who would risk their lives for the sake of our country. Gil Cohen’s inside view from the cockpit of a B-17, “Almost Home,” is the picture that paints thousands of words with the faces of the men approaching the safe shores of Dover; relief, the day’s great burdens lifted.

While aviation history may not sound as though it could be romantic or beautiful, John Reinhold has made it so in the amber glow of “A Golden Time”. As a viewer, you are a bystander, perhaps a passenger waiting to board the Inter-Island Airways Sikorsky S-43 parked near the shoreline on one of the Hawaiian Islands, a cluster of palm trees in the distance. Or maybe you’re there to pick up one of the disembarking passengers, while crew members prepare to unload luggage onto the cart.

Many gifted aviation artists are pilots, their personal histories as incredible as their work.

Mike and Linda can be reached at Texasavi8r@aol.com.

April 20, 2010 Fuel stop at Pine Bluff, Arkansas

The Liberty Gazette
April 20, 2010

The View From Up Here
By Mike Ely and Linda Street Ely

Linda: From the rear seat I shot video while Mike flew right seat and my 13-year old nephew, Levi, sat in the left following Uncle Mike through on the controls. Levi has ridden in small planes before but to fly it himself was a first. We circled over his house and he was amazed with the view from up there. After landing and engine shut-down he exclaimed, “Wow! I need to get my license!” We had flown to the Hendricks County airport near Indianapolis the afternoon before and now hurried back to my sister’s house to get ready for my niece’s wedding.

The wedding was beautiful and we stayed longer than we probably should have, but it’s hard to leave family and fun. A couple of turns over my sister’s house and on we flew southwest-bound. A few uneventful hours later the airplane was ready for a refill and I was ready for an emptying, so we stopped at Grider Field in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Grider Field opened in April, 1941 as a U.S. Army Air Corps primary pilot training field. The terminal building looked really nice from outside but unfortunately the good folks in charge in Pine Bluff have overlooked a really important thing that fortunately most airports do not overlook: access to a restroom after normal business hours. I had Shane’s number in my cell phone; he’s been Pine Bluff’s Airport Support Network Volunteer for a few years. The Network is a great thing, personally and professionally; I like having like-minded contacts at airports all over the country. Shane suggested we go to the north end of the field where we’d find the EAA hangar. “It’s an old World War Two hangar, next to an avionics shop. Tell them you know me and you need their restroom.”

Mike: Erich was relaxing, nursing a can of Sprite. He greeted us and led us through the 69-year old building, toward the restroom on the opposite side. Stepping into the dark hangar we came face-to-face with a rebuild project, a Fairchild PT-19. Carefully walking around the PT-19 we continued between two rows of airplanes: a Ryan Navion next to a camo-green tailwheel L-3 to our right; a few steps further a blue and yellow EAA biplane on our left and a red high-winged Stinson on our right. At the end of the rows sat a BT-13 Vultee on our left and a T-6 “Texan” on our right. Surely great stories are hangared here.

The PT-19 was one of the planes at Grider Field during training for WWII. The local EAA Chapter discovered some forgotten PT-19 wings and center section in a barn in the Midwest. The parts being in poor condition a new center section was fabricated from scratch using the old one as a template. Erich told us one member of their chapter was at Grider Field when that very airplane was used as a trainer. He’s a valuable resource for the younger guys restoring this bird to flying condition.

The Navion is undergoing repairs, and Erich and his Navion partner Rick promised us a ride when they get finished in a couple of months. Since Pine Bluff is on our route to Indy, I think we’ll be stopping by to check on their progress.

Mike and Linda can be reached at Texasavi8r@aol.com.

April 13, 2010 Pops & Props

The Liberty Gazette
April 13, 2010

The View From Up Here
By Mike Ely and Linda Street Ely

Linda: The 1940 Air Terminal Museum, a project of the Houston Aeronautical Heritage Society, was founded for research, promotion and preservation of the rich aeronautical heritage of Houston and Southeast Texas. HAHS President Drew Coats had an idea back in the mid-1990’s that somebody ought to save the old airport terminal at Hobby, with its unique architecture and history. His years of hard work are paying off. Under Drew’s leadership the non-profit corporation obtains funding through grants, contributions, memberships, gift shop sales, airplane raffles, and special events. Mike and I recently attended one of those special events, the annual Pops & Props Gala.

Transported in time in the aura of the restored terminal we enjoyed fancy dining, dancing by the incredible Terpsechorean dance team, and period music cascading from the upper level performed by the Houstonian Big Band. The term “two left feet” describes me pretty well, so I’ve steered clear from dance floors, but that doesn’t prevent me from appreciating talent. I learned that the lady in the flowing blue gown (Sandra, from Vienna) was dancing a Waltz with her amazingly graceful yet masculine husband (Rob, from Holland). I’ve not seen a more beautiful dance. Hearing they were also going to perform a Tango and a Foxtrot, I leaned over and whispered to Mike, “Hey! Tango and Foxtrot–two words in our phonetic alphabet,” just as the dazzling couple glided within inches of us and he dipped her back so that she was facing me, kind of upside down like. Continuing to whisper to Mike at that point would have been rather uncouth. Timing is everything. “Come Fly With Me” was the song they chose for their Foxtrot, and other dancers joined them in fun formation dances.

Perusing the silent auction items, we found four or five things we fancied but won only the art deco model of a Lockheed Constellation.

Sitting at round tables seating ten offers an entertaining opportunity to listen to parts of conversations blend. The talk to my left of F-16 fly-overs was sprinkled with recipes to my right for chocolate ice cream with cinnamon and cayenne pepper, and vanilla ice cream with brown sugar and bacon mix-ins. I’ll take the F-16s, thank you. Low on the fly-overs, please.

Mike: Proudly guarding the stately terminal on the ramp outside were a 1968 North American Shrike Commander, which sported an inspection plate signed by aviation great Bob Hoover. Bob flew a Shrike in his air show routine but not this particular one. His autograph appears on the airplane because its owner won an auction last year to have dinner with the esteemed aviator, and brought a piece of the airplane to dinner, asking Hoover to leave his mark.

The museum’s own Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar, a beautiful 1940’s tail-wheel airliner and corporate plane, joined the Shrike along with a Cessna T50 Bobcat, and of course, the museum’s raffle plane for this year, a 1958 Cessna 175. By the way, raffle tickets are $50, only 2,500 tickets will be sold and the drawing will be held July 17th during the museum’s “Wings and Wheels” event.

We had a grand time, and thank Megan Lickliter-Mundon, the museum administrator, and Drew Coats for inviting us to be their guests. Check the museum’s website for details and plan a trip soon. History buffs and aviation nuts will love it. www.1940AirTerminal.org.

Mike and Linda can be reached at Texasavi8r@aol.com.

April 6, 2010 Young Eagles

The Liberty Gazette
April 6, 2010

The View From Up Here
By Mike Ely and Linda Street Ely

Mike: Some attended the annual Biplane Fly-in in San Marcos, while others flew their Grummans to Stinson Field in San Antonio for the American Yankee Association fly-in and museum tour. Both of those were undoubtedly fun-filled gatherings, but we had committed to another that day, a Young Eagles event. Some weekends just get filled with more to do than one has time. Evening choices left us deciding between the Grace Flight Gala and fundraiser, and the 1940’s Air Terminal Museum “Pops and Props” fund raising dinner. With so many aviation events landing on March 27th it’s great that the weather cooperated for all.

The Experimental Aircraft Association sponsors the Young Eagles program, designed to introduce young people to aviation and take them for their first flight at no cost to the kids. And, while Young Eagles can go hand-in-hand with the Boy Scouts’ Aviation Merit Badge program, they are not one in the same. The Boy Scouts require that the airplanes flown be production built aircraft, not kit or amateur built, and require pilots have a minimum of 250 hours “in type.” To fly Young Eagles pilots must have 500 hours total time, but aircraft type is not restricted. So, EAA’s Chapter 12, the Ellington Chapter, sent out a request for qualified, experienced pilots with at least 500 hours. The reward: getting to take youngsters for the first (or sometimes second) flight.

Linda: We flew our Cheetah to Houston Southwest Airport in Arcola early Saturday morning. Chapter President Matt, who is building an RV-9, prepared a filling pancake and sausage breakfast, after which fellow member Dan used Miss Cheetah for a ground school lesson for eleven Young Eagles participants. I flipped switches, moved flaps, ailerons, and rudder, as the kids learned what makes an airplane fly. Finally, Mike took the first of his four passengers aloft for an introduction to aerial adventure. When he returned we traded places, alternating flight duty the rest of the morning and into the early afternoon. Some “Eagles” said very little–I think they were in awe of it all–but Mike had one who was a real chatterbox. The energetic youngster was full of questions about “the view from up here.” Some of the parents came along for the ride; most of the kids thought the cows looked like ants. I was particularly pleased that one of the children who came for the experience was a child with Autism. The boy, his brother, and their dad were given a wonderful flying experience by one of our fellow pilots. After demonstrating to one of my “Eagles” how the airplane handles, I had him follow through with me on the controls. This was his second flight, his first being in a Stearman, and he was so pumped about flying that he intends to become a USAF fighter pilot. Near the end of a gratifying day we bought some barbeque just outside the terminal. The business owners’ son was the last child we flew and now wants to become the first pilot in his family. Judging from the huge smiles, I’d say the day was a success.

After a quick change of clothes we headed up the road to Hobby and enjoyed an evening of 1940’s era entertainment. More on that next week. Until then, blue skies.

Mike and Linda can be reached at Texasavi8r@aol.com.

March 30, 2010 Lynda Meeks goes to camp - Acro Camp

The Liberty Gazette
March 30, 2010

The View From Up Here
By Mike Ely and Linda Street Ely

Linda: Professional pilot and founder of Girls With Wings, Lynda Meeks, posted on her Facebook, “I’m going to camp. Acro Camp.”

Few things will grab my attention more than acro – aerobatics, that is. After congratulating Lynda on something that sounded so very cool, I checked it out.

Acro Camp is a documentary feature film in the works. It will capture the drama and excitement when four ordinary pilots come together for four days to fly aerobatics for the first time. Filming starts May 12 in Michigan. The casting call went out sometime in January. Knowing Lynda Meeks and all she is doing to encourage children to follow their dreams, she is a good choice for the show.

The other “campers” will be Paul Berliner, a 12,000-hour airline pilot; and pilots Michelle Kole, and Jim Rodriguez a Major in the Air Force Reserve where he is a lawyer and Judge Advocate. Two instructors, Barry Sutton and Don Weaver, will keep the campers happy with spins, loops, and rolls.

There’s more information at the project’s blog and website at http://www.acrocamp.com/, and of course on Lynda’s blog at http://www.girlswithwings.com/.

This movie project has taken up a great deal of creator Steve Tupper’s time who, when not flying or filming, practices law. He was surprised at how much is involved in making a movie, and said the hardest part was selecting the cast, which he referred to as “darned near perfect.” My dad produced a few movies, commercials, and radio shows in his day, so I have some idea of what Steve is talking about.

Preparing his newly picked cast, he instructed them to buy and read Geza Szurovy and Mike Goulian’s book, Basic Aerobatics, while Steve focused on technical issues, such as camera mounting.

As I read his blog, I got more of that “small world of aviation” when I read that Steve had flown with one of my favorite acro pilots, Billy Werth. Mike and I met Billy while on a trip to Indy a couple of years ago. He taxied up to the fuel pumps in his Pitts and we talked for quite awhile. But Billy just keeps showing up, especially practicing over my sister’s property. Sometime later my sister told me that Billy was engaged to this gal, Haley, who used to live across the street from us when we were little kids. I remembered Haley as a cute little two-year old with blond pigtails. My sister remembered collaborating with Haley’s sister and stuffing little Haley in a hamper one day. And now, here she was, engaged to Billy Werth!

So back to Steve Tupper and Acro Camp. Steve was struggling to find a place to mount a camera in the Pitts they will use for filming. There’s just no room inside the cockpit, so he’s working now on rigging an outside set-up. Of course, if the camera is outside the cockpit, a microphone will have to be wired to the pilots. Steve said he’d probably have to tape the mic behind their ears. “It’ll be easy to tell a cast member–just look for the red spot behind the ear where repeated applications of gaffer tape have removed the epidermis.”

I’m excited for my friend, Lynda, and the rest of the cast, for what Steve Tupper calls the “really cool things going on.”

Mike and Linda can be reached at Texasavi8r@aol.com.

March 23, 2010 Mike's first solo

The Liberty Gazette
March 23, 2010

The View From Up Here
By Mike Ely and Linda Street Ely

Mike: Out of many significant occasions in a pilot’s flying life, the first solo flight is a big one. Another is the moment the FAA designated examiner says, “Congratulations, you are now a private pilot.” Getting to each of these points is a big adventure built upon many smaller adventures. Adventure does not mean free and easy sailing. Adventure means challenges along the way and obstacles to be overcome, and sometimes doubts interrupt for awhile. But if learning to fly was easy, what kind of adventure would that be? Boring!

Adorning the walls of countless flight schools across the country is evidence of those who faced the challenges and persevered: once sweaty-backed shirt tails cut from students’ shirts on the day of their first solo flight. Photographs, some dingy and cracked with age, signed and dated by flight instructors who knew, even if the students themselves did not, that they were ready to make that next big leap. Some may even keep that shirt tail and preserve it as a bit of nostalgia; as the years rush by they’ll rediscover it while looking through old boxes of stuff.

My solo shirt tail was tacked up on a wall inside an old mobile home used by El Monte Skyways as their office at the El Monte Municipal airport in California. My instructor, Dennis Reece, and I had been practicing touch-and-go landings when he asked me to make the next one a full stop. As we taxied clear of the runway we pulled over next to the gas pumps. Dennis slid back the canopy of the four-seat Grumman Traveler and asked me for my student pilot license and logbook. After scratching out his signature on both he climbed out and said, “One time around the patch and I’ll meet you at the FBO. Just remember what you’ve learned, and have fun.”

As I radioed the air traffic control tower to get my taxi clearance it felt different from all the times I had done it before. There was a sense of fear and yet a sense of excitement as I taxied to runway 19 and prepared for takeoff. My heart was beating a mile a minute as I rolled down the runway. The airplane seemed to leap into the air and scream skyward with adrenaline of its own. I noticed how significantly better the airplane performed without Dennis’s weight, and climbed to pattern altitude more quickly than I expected. Following all the procedures I was taught, as the main landing gear squeaked onto the runway pavement accomplishment and triumph welled up in me bursting forth, making it impossible to wipe the grin from my face.

As I climbed out of the airplane Dennis sauntered up, scissors in hand, and as he clipped out a huge swath of cloth from the back of my shirt someone walked up and snapped a picture. That was March 7, 1977, 33 years ago and I had a whole 23 hours of flight time in my logbook. The photograph and the shirt tail have since disappeared along with the flight school mobile home which was replaced by another building which was replaced again by another. But the memory of that magic moment remains.

Mike and Linda can be reached at Texasavi8r@aol.com.