I'm always happy to meet a fellow pilot.  It instantly creates a conversation and acquaintance through your shared enthusiasm.  I'm usually pretty good at picking out these people, but occasionally I'm surprised.

One such occasion happened just this weekend.  I'd gone to a party for the GA-GA Tech football game at a friend's house (I'm neutral for political reasons).  The usual people I know were there, but some others I hadn't met yet showed up.  One was the father of my friend's husband.  I'm sure he'd mentioned before that his father was a pilot, but it completely slipped my mind as I shook his hand and introduced myself.

It wasn't until later that night, as my group was leaving, that the friend remembered I was a pilot as well and told his dad.  That, of course, started a conversation that I've had a million times before but never grow tired of.  It turns out, he got his commercials in fixed wing and rotor wing aircraft in the military.  He's a minister now and doesn't do that much flying, but the aviator inside a person never goes away.


It just goes to show, we're not as rare as we think we are.  You never know when you might have a fellow member of our exclusive club in the same room as you.

*By the way, the Bulldogs won.  It was a great game and could have gone either way.

Friday morning found me wondering what I was going to do that evening.  The choices were: go fly around the pattern and northern GA for a while or try to go see Boondock Saints 2: All Saints Day.  As fate would have it, my favorite plane was booked the entire evening but, I got a call from my favorite friend who wanted to go do something anyway.  In the end, she and I went to see Boondock Saints 2.


It wasn't until the next day I found my way into the cockpit of my ol'e trainer plane.  This is where the closeness got too close.  It was a busy day at the airfield; something I'm quite use to.  There was a Diamond and a Piper doing circuits on runway 13.  I was behind two other aircraft on the taxi to depart.  I had noticed a super cub was being readied for some flying on the ramp, but I didn't see him start up until after I turned downwind.


As is a ritual of mine, I was going to remain in the pattern and do a few touch-and-goes before heading North over the lake.  My eyes and ears busily scanning for traffic, I didn't notice the little super cub make it's way to the departure end of 13.  As I turned base and Final, I saw him waiting patiently, at least I thought, for me to land before he departed.  Just in case, I called short final as I pegged my approach speed approximately 1000' from the threshold.


Then, to my great surprise, about 700' from the threshold, right after I called short final, the little super cub announced departing 13 and maneuvered right out in front of me.  I made ready to move right and go-around if need be.  He didn't move as if he cared that I was very quickly overtaking him.  Just as I keyed the mike to call go-around, his little plane sprung to life and lept into the air within 300 ft of runway; only about 300 ft in front of me.  As he climbed quickly and cut across the pattern in front of the piper in the circuit, I rounded out and landed.


Now, I'm no judge of pilots, but I would have liked to ask that pilot a few questions.  Was the 45 seconds he saved by pulling his maneuver worth putting our lives on the line?  In theory, with all factors ideal, I was in little to no danger.  We both knew the super cub could easily take off and climb away before I reached the deck.  However, a good pilot always expects things to go wrong and is surprised when they go right; what would have happened had either plane or pilot not performed ideally?  There would have been no margin for safety and, frankly, I like keeping a good bit of distance between myself and other flying objects.  300 ft is too close.  


Just as I was beginning to feel I was overreacting, a voice came over the CTAF; "that was a bit too close for comfort, wasn't it".  The voice was easily recognizable as the Piper pilot behind me in the pattern.  He had a right to comment as he'd seen the cub's performance at takeoff and then been cut off by him in the pattern on downwind.


The moral of the story: it's better to wait and follow procedure than to try and save a few seconds on the hobbs meter.  When you're waiting to depart and you see a plane on final, is it going to kill you to wait a minute or two for them to land?  It may kill you if you don't.  Also, the airport has a pattern for a reason; so aircraft movements are somewhat predictable.  I never thought I'd have to say that; then again, I also never thought that I'd ever see a pilot blunder around an airfield like that.

I've always wanted to fly myself and a few others to a holiday gathering with my family.  I envision landing on a frosty field and stepping out of the plane to meet my family at the airport.  It's part of the thrill of being a pilot and a perk of being able to travel so conveniently.  The adventure, the excitement; it's all part of how I've always imagined traveling as a pilot would be.

Then, reality hits.  I realize that I live in middle Georgia where snow and ice are foreign concepts.  Reality sinks in even further when I remember that my family all live within fifty miles of me and have stubbornly refused to move anywhere interesting I've suggested.  Sure, I love 'em and it makes for a nice convenient holiday, but it leaves me with no reason to fly anywhere; not that I've ever needed a reason.

I guess I'll just have to fly myself somewhere Christmasy and back the week before Christmas.  I have a few things I could fly to in order to cover them for Examiner.  I'll probably go to meet Santa at the Candler Field Museum; that'd be fun.  Doing circuits with Santa is an experience you can share with the family for years.

We've all probably read about Dan Gryder's recent arrest at the Griffin-Spaulding county airport last week.  I wrote an article covering the story and was surprised when many local Griffinites spoke up to defend Dan.  Here's what the people that know Dan and the airport area had to say.

Several readers point out that Griffin officials at the airport have "had Dan in their cross hairs for years now."  A few readers commented on how Dan had been cited for improper storage of chemicals; the reason being he had fuel in his airplane's tanks.  He also, according to one reader, was cited again for improperly disposing of chemicals when oil dripped from his DC3.  Now, I'm not one to question authorities very often, but this all seems a bit ridiculous.  I also question the local code enforcement's authority at the airport.  I'm no aviation lawyer, but I do tend to believe that the local code enforcement officers have no business in an airport handing out tickets to pilots for storing fuel in their fuel tanks.

Furthermore, one reader points out that "He's also got the court system there in a bind because the city violated state and federal law in trying to evict him from the airport, but the judge has been sitting on the ruling for over three years rather than rule against the local officials there in their little town."

All of these revelations paint a very different portrait of the events last week on that air field.  This new information would suggest to me that the local authorities had almost a personal vendetta against Gryder stemming from the earlier Carvair incident and were quietly harassing him in hopes he would leave the airport. It would also seem that they now have way more attention on their petty and childish actions than they would like.  What is to become of Gryder and the consequences of the incident, both to Dan and to the city, is yet to be seen.  You can be sure this journalist will follow it very carefully.

We're officially wheels-up today with the care flight.  The care flight is a donation drive in the aviation community to help raise money for Toys for Tots as well as show the world that aviation cares.  Businesses who give $100 or more to the Care Flight will be featured on Examiner.com and LeftofCenterLine.com's weekly coverage of the event and could appear on AOPA.org in December.

To learn more, visit the website here.  You may feel like helping to put a few smiles on some little faces.

I was excited about going to the celebration at the Candler Field Museum this weekend.  Unfortunately, life happened and I'm no longer able to make it.  Instead, I'll be spending all day with a rock band I manage on the side ("Heave"; and yes, they're awesome) while they perform at a local festival.

The celebration is the 3rd of what's become an annual event at the museum.  Static displays, aircraft demonstrations, and a special speaker all promise to make a wonderful day.  Don't worry, being me, I know enough people who will be there to get great pictures and information to share with everyone on Monday.  I might even share a few pics of the band's performance.

I don't normally recycle head lines like above, but this story has been drawn out, yet again.  USA Today, obviously under the direction of a hidden agenda to attack GA, have pointed out, once again, that small airports receive tax payer money... so do schools and local governments, what's the point?

They go on to claim that corporate jets, private pilots, and even UPS and FedEx are unfairly benefiting from tax payer money.  The EAA's Earl Lawrence responded with a comparison I've used before on this blog saying "The continuing inference that the only airports that are worthy of support are those with commercial service is similar to saying the only roads worth maintaining are those used by passenger buses."

I'm beginning to think that it's a publicity stunt on the behalf of USA Today.  They write a few inflaming articles and suddenly their name's printed everywhere.  I've already written it enough times I should be getting paid.  Whatever their motives, it's clear they're not looking for the truth; they're just looking for an angle.

Here in Georgia, we're fortunate to have the Museum of Aviation in Warner Robins.  I remember walking among the planes as a little child and again right after I got my driver's license.  I recently visited the museum for the third time not long after they opened their Aviation Hall of Fame exhibit and D-day display.

Walking through the planes I saw both the familiar displays and the new additions to their fleet.  It still all astonishes me when I see it.  The massive planes, once essential to our airforce, now stand in their spots of honor for the visitors to enjoy.  If you haven't been there, I'd encourage you to take the time to.  It's well worth the drive.  I'd also encourage you to donate what you can.  The museum doesn't charge admission, but appreciates donations.  Below are a few pictures; Click here for the entire album.  I should really go back.  Since I've last been, they've added a Thunderbirds Exhibit complete with an F-16 previously used by the team.

This weekend will mark the museum's 25th anniversary.  Workers, volunteers and the public are all invited to attend an event being held on Friday (the 6th) to celebrate the museum's success and help promote the wonderful work they do.

Left of Center Line is proud to announce the launch of LeftofCenterLine.com.  The new website acts as home base for the Left of Center Line blog and the new Left of Center Line WebAzine!  Readers will now be able to sign up for a free monthly WebAzine on the blog or at the new website.  The online magazine will include features on General Aviation Events, News, Developments and much more.

The first WebAzine will be delivered  at the end of November.  This first edition will include the Warner Robins Museum of Aviation's 25th anniversary as well as a special feature on Veteran's Day at the Candler Museum.

Follow along with the General Aviation world by signing up for the Left of Center Line WebAzine to be delivered to your email once a month.    Simply enter your email in the form below; no registration, no annoying questions.