Seven Three Four Papa Tango.
She was matterhorn white and green with a gold accent in the cheat line. She had old radios and tired upholstery, but she sat on the ramp with a stance that said, "Let's fly."
She changed my life.
She could be teased off the ground with minimal speed. She would settle down on a grass strip in less than a thousand feet - after clearing a 50 foot obstacle. She broke in a stall at a crazy slow speed. With any power at all, it was hard to make her break. She just kept on saying, "Let's fly."
She changed my life. She was a means of escape. She took me out of a bad situation into the air and across the country. She was there, ready to go, "Let's Fly."
Things I learned from Papa Tango:
- Take it easy
- Slow down
- Get going in short order
- Stop in short order
- Maintain control
- Flying, like cooking (and most things in life), is more fun low and slow
- Have joy
- Dance - Oh, she could dance.
- Guide, don't muscle
- Encourage, don't force
- Speak
- Listen
Sometimes I remember that I am a pilot. Sometimes I miss flying. Usually, I don't think about it. Usually, I'm happy right here.
Today, I am here. I am happy. I hop a commercial flight at 2:30 in a 737. I have a notion she'll say, "Let's fly."