IFR in the 1930's

"Badwater Bill" wrote in message
...
. Man, I love to fly, but sometimes it's
damn good to be on the ground.

Yep. Here's a good one for ya. I was 16 years old in an Aeronica
Champ 85 and decided to fly to the Grand Canyon from Boulder City
Nevada. I had about 40 hours at the time. There were a few clouds,
but nothing heavy. I motored toward the Grand Canyon south rim
airport at about 2000 feet AGL. As I got closer and my fuel got to be
less, the clouds got to be more. I did have a radio of all things and
the ground told me they had a broken to overcast ceiling of nearly
1500 feet. I had climbed to about 3000 agl by that time and was stuck
on top. I knew the terrain sloped down toward the south and I also
knew that the alcohol compass leads the turn when you point south. I
got about 500 feet above the clouds and held a heading of exactly
south...got her all trimmed up so she was on a 500 ft/min decent with
my hands off the stick. I let go completely and drove that litte
champ with my feet, ever so lightly, holding that big "S" in the
compass window. Slight changes in heading caused the compass to
really lead and it was real sensitive. I just held it with all my
concentration as I entered the clouds. And it was smooth that day too
so this really worked well. I was in the clouds for what seemed like
an eternity. Then after many minutes, it seemed, I popped out and saw
the airport to my 9 o'clock position.

Got lucky once more. Ha!

Badwater "Don't need no damn turn coordinator" Bill




I believe the statue of limits is out on this:

About two weeks after I successfully got my private, I took off on a 3200
mile x-country.

At various times: VOR failed, Comms failed, gasolator failed, alternator
failed, burning wire under panel. I also managed to set up an approach to
the wrong airport in controlled airspace (OKC, no less and who knew there
were so many damned airports in that area!). I also got my first tast of
IFR--stuck on top--and handled exactly as you described yours. Thank god
there are no mountains in Kansas. I almost forgot, on the last leg, just 40
miles from home, I got caught in between two T-Cells that grew together. I
seriously thought about planting the damned thing on the highway under me.

That which doesn't kill us, makes us stronger!

I could have written about a years worth of 'I learned about flying from
that"

My flying of the last seven or eight years has been remarkably boring in
comparison.