Sunset Flights

The fun was over in Seminole and it was time to get the Traveler back to her home. I showed up on the tarmac at 2000L to find her eager for a short sunset flight. Where an elderly 182 sat just one night before, sat a sleek RV-6 that had brought company to the Traveler. She was tucked into bed with a canopy cover that had her name stitched in it. It was somewhat like a blanket that a grandmother would make for her newest grandchild or a dust cover for an exotic car that gets attention on special occasion. The fuel pumps were no longer guarded by the V-Tail Bo and the pumps sat alone.

Three shots o' prime and the Lycoming came to life under the cowl. The sun was nearing its retirement for the day and I wasn't about to miss one of the most spectacular sights from earth. "Seminole Traffic, Grumman eight eight lima, rollin' three four, Seminole". I rolled left into a climbing turn that would take me up to four thousand five hundred and set my eyes on the beautiful green earth below.

I rolled the numbers on the radio around to 124.60 and called up Oke City Approach seeking their services in my adventure back to Norman. They gave me a squawk and I slowly rolled it into the transponder as I read back "zero four two seven, ident, Grumman eight eight lima". To the controller at the TRACON I was just another speck on the screen amongst a few others that evening. In my mind I was far from that. My screen slowly rolled beautiful footage of lakes, homes, cars, and even cows enjoying their evening meal. The flight was romantic and I was sad to see it end upon arrival to Norman. The adventure was short-lived, but I knew there would be more on another day.

Sunset flights open up a romance between aviator and airplane that exists in no other place on planet earth. What a great way to start a new page in the book.