Committed Aviation Today

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
newsm1Qj.80578$TT4.67328@attbi_s22...

After a nice afternoon in Grinnell, it was time to head home. We had an
interesting approach into KIOW. Coming from the West (and hearing no one
in the quiet, mid-week traffic pattern) I set up for a long straight-in
approach to Rwy 12. I called when I was ten miles out, only to have a
Mitsubishi MU-2 call from 20 miles out, directly behind me.

Knowing his speed, I called him up and told him I would expedite as best I
could, which basically meant just below the yellow arc all the way down
final. With the big 30+ knot headwind that still only meant about 119
knots ground speed, but I figured the MU-2 was bucking that wind, too.

Damned if he didn't overtake me in that last ten miles! I came over the
numbers going like a bat outta hell, chopped the power, and floated,
floated, floated, ballooned, floated some more, and landed, light as a
feather. He touched down behind me, as I turned off the runway. DAMN,
those things are fast!

As we were supping a cold one in the hangar, as far from the ramp as you
can get (and still be on the airport), all we could hear was a
high-pitched whine-shriek as he taxied out again. Loudest damned plane
you've ever heard....


You've never heard a T-37....