Commercial Pilot Training

Today was a spectacular early fall day. A great day for some flight training, so I met Mark at Atlantic Airways at 10 a.m. We reviewed flight maneuvers for about 45 minutes, and then headed out to the hanger. Our departure into gusty north winds was a soft field takeoff on RWY 35. I need to practice that more: got to hold the nose off the ground, without touching the tail to the runway, while increasing airspeed down the runway to rotation speed.

Once up in the air over the Shenandoah Valley near Winchester I did a near perfect steep turn, some steep spirals, a steep spiral to landing, a balked landing, two power off simulated emergency landings, and several chandelles. The flight ended with a direct return to Leesburg for a short field landing. Proud to say that I nailed it, right on the big white touchdown marks, and while we didn't want to burn out the brakes, we clearly could have stopped in under a 1000 feet.

It's a dog's life...

Nikki seemed under the weather Wednesday, but was pretty perky Thursday. However, when Marcia took her for her "long" walk (usually about a half mile total), she sat down twice and then laid down twice to rest -- and she seemed tired/out of breath on the way home.

Marcia took her to the vet. Unfortunately, he found a large mass in her belly. We spent much of Saturday at the internist having a sonogram to show more than x-rays could tell. The tumor is large and on the liver. Odds are it's malignant.

The decision is to do exploratory surgery on Tuesday, and the prognosis is guarded. There's a chance it will be a benign tumor and surgery will resolve the problem. Chances are, however, that it will be be more serious, we hope surgery (getting rid of the mass) will make her more comfortable.

The good news is that Nikki doesn't know she is sick -- she is her usual happy self most of the time...just with less energy and stamina.

The other consequence is cancellation of our planned departure to Geneva, Riga, and Burgundy. We were to have departed Thursday. We just can't leave the nice young lady (who normally stays here in the house with Nikki) alone to deal with her post-operative recovery. Suppose decisions have to be made? Maybe she will need care during the day while the dog-sitter is at work.

So, we've canceled the trip, the party in Latvia, and the wine harvest tour in France. Marcia has called our friends in Latvia to apologize for upsetting their plans, and she is trying to recover what we can of the air fare and hotel reservations. I am getting in touch with the former President's office and the embassy to un-do those plans.

If there is a silver lining, it is that the money we don't spend on the trip can be applied to paying for Nikki's medical bills!

On the sunny, bright Sunday of Labor Day weekend, we flew downfrom Leesburg to West Point, Virginia. There we picked up friends Sue and Ron. After a pass or two over their nearby house in Barhamsville for aerial views, we headed to Tangier Island for lunch.

Tangier Island is, on a summer Sunday, an idyllic spot in the center of the Chesapeake Bay with just 600 inhabitants. It is accessible by only boat or airplane, and reminds some people of Shelter Cove in California.

We flew due east from West Point to a fix called JAMIE (in honor of Jamestowne?) and then due north about ten miles to land RWY 2 at KTGI. This rectangular pattern enabled us to skirt restricted area R-6609, a bombing practice area for the Patuxent Naval Air Station.

Upon landing we paid a ten dollar parking fee, which I did not resent because this little island has few ways to bring in any civic revenues. After all, there are no parking meters or police speed traps.

Houses and commercial buildings on the island vary in their condition. It is a fishing community and there are remains of boats and crab pots everywhere. In the harbor, fishing boats rocked on the waters alongside pleasure craft.

Many houses were freshly painted, some with shutters in contrasting gay colors, and trimmed lawns. Flowers bloomed in window boxes, and there seemed to be lots of childrens’ toys strewn about. A large Methodist church stands at one end of town, and it appeared there was a Baptist chapel at the other end. At the least, there was a parson’s lodge.

There are at least three or four restaurants in business (and about an equal number no longer in business), all of them doing a brisk midday trade in crab sandwiches and other regional dishes. There were long lines at the first restaurant we tried, but the second had a table for four in about five minutes. Just lucky timing, I guess.

There were offers of “island tours” by golf cart (another local industry on summer weekend days) but we chose to walk around a bit before returning to the plane. We saw the island’s clinic, served by a doctor who comes weekly, flying his own helicopter over from the mainland, as reported recently in an NPR story.

Tangier Island is pleasant enough in summer, but I bet it can be a cold and lonely place on a January weekday when the winds are blowing.

Still, I think we’ll come back some time again. The crab sandwiches make it worth the trip.