Feb. 2010 Kitfox of the Month Paul Zimmerman

[Paul Z]

John McBean and I did a little less than 2 hours of flight Sunday with 10 or so Touch and Goes, and one “Emergency Landing”. I had some good landings and some poor landings, but all in all, I felt pretty good. Dorothy and I dropped him off at the Hotel Sunday afternoon, and John departed Monday. John all I can say to you and Debra is THANKS!!!!!!!

Juan who works for the FBO was impressed that Dorothy jumped in the plane and went flying. He commented, I was going to have to fight her to get to fly the plane. I didn't have the heart to tell him she has no flight experience, and that John McBean was giving her a ride. He always rides shot gun!

Monday, was ugly so I didn’t get to do anything. However, today was the big day. I went in to work and it was overcast. However, later in the morning, it cleared up, it was cool, and with low winds. I decided to take a LONG lunch. I left work at 11:00am in McKinney, and drove down to the Mesquite International Airport, I removed the cabin cover, I pulled 703KA (Kick Ass) out of the Hanger, locked the door, did a pre-flight, and then taxied down to put some fuel in the tanks. By the time I got all of that done it was already 1:00 PM (Note 45 minute drive from McKinney to Mesquite on a good day!). I have a work related meeting every Tuesday at 4:00, and I knew I had at least a 1 hour drive back to McKinney. I finally decided I had enough time to fly the patch and at least get on TAKE OFF and LANDING Solo in N703KA. I was surprised how much traffic there was at 1:00, on a Tuesday afternoon. I taxied from the Fueling area, all of the way to the South end, Runway 35. Man that is a LONG Runway. I announce my intentions, and put the petal to the metal, and was airborne shortly. Man, does that thing climb SOLO. I climbed to pattern Altitude, Cross Wind, Down Wind, Base, and Final to touch down. I actually touched down on the Numbers, and made the first turn off. I was surprised how hard it was to get the plane out of the air and back on the runway, with only one fat guy on board (sorry John!)! I didn’t make the prettiest landing, but it was Solo, in my new Kitfox! After landing I taxied back to my hanger, and put Kick Ass home. Pushing a Tri Gear into a hanger, is definately a learning experience, back and forth, back and forth. . . . . ! I drove back to work and got there about 2:40 PM. Hummm that was a long lunch!

Now that I got that out of the way, we can start flying!

Paul Zimmermann

[Slyfox]

So tell us Why the Emergency landing? Now that is one nice bird. Ok, tell us, how did it make it to your home? Sound like you will be taking some lunch breaks up in the air. Have fun.

[Paul Z]

Humm, "Why the Emergency Landing?" Well after doing several touch and goes, John reached over chopped the throttle, and said "You had an engine out, now what do you do?" Short Downwind, turn base, turn final, one notch of flaps then full flaps, flare, and then landed on the VERY end of the runway 17. Observation, I should have immediately turned base, with the 6000 foot runway, I had plenty to land on!

When I went up before Christmas, and then in January, both times it was foggy, I couldn’t have flown it without an Instrument rating. Being a low time pilot, and being from South Texas, I did not feel comfortable flying from Homedale through the Rockies to the Prairies of North Texas. I have never flow in or around the Mountains, and I was concerned that if I had to go down I would never survive the COLD. Also, with as quickly as the weather changes this time of year in Idaho, John offered to fly it to Dallas, when there was a break in the weather. John had another plane that needed delivered to Florida, so John and Jud flew the planes south from Homedale to Albuquerque, Albuquerque to Mesquite, and Jud continued to Florida. Listening to John and Jud description of the trip, it was too bad the weather didn’t cooperate.

So tell us Why the Emergency landing? Now that is one nice bird. Ok, tell us, how did it make it to your home? Sound like you will be taking some lunch breaks up in the air. Have fun.