Flight Story No. 3
written by Gary George in 2009
These are thumbnail sketches of flying adventures I experienced with Gary George.
A Cessna 172 flight out of Aspen after breakfast one Saturday when we did not have enough altitude to make the pass to the
east and had to bank pretty hard left to make the turn. You were on the up side, but I still remember some comment about
the whites of the bird's eyes as we passed over the tree tops. That was a little too close.
How about the landing at Arapahoe with rime ice on the wings. I don't think another go around was possible. Seeing that
runway was pure joy.
Then, there was the bird strike over Arkansas in the dark. Suddenly there was a loud "BANG". Shining a light on the
windshield revealed bird do-do indicating we'd hit a bird.
One time we took off from Taos, New Mexico in a fully loaded Cessna 172, barely climbing on the hot day, and you
suggesting that we not fly above the canyon just in case we got into a down draft.
The approach into Memphis on a full-IFR flight.
Me breaking a light stick on a very dark night and ruining our night vision, somewhere over Nebraska.
Flying to Kansas City through a big front. You controlled the throttle, and I just tried to keep the plane
level.
Us not going to Kansas City and me going home drunk, not calling Carol. She would have shot me if she had a gun! I
passed out in bed, and she stayed awake for a couple of hours noisily flipping magazine pages.
Landing in Gage with a flat tire.
Flying back to Denver from Phoenix in bumpy air, my girlfriend got sick in the back. Poor girl! I made the
great suggestion that we move east, away from the front range, where the air was much smoother.
I recall when we took off from Carlsbad, New Mexico with full fuel and full load on a hot day. Come on baby! The climb
performance was very limited.