Editorial: Spring Has Sprung
By Ed Downs
To be sure, there is plenty to complain about as this writer once again attacks the keyboard. Civil unrest, recent questionable rulings by the FAA, the second version of the pilot’s Bill of Rights now in process, emerging safety concerns about the basic flying skills of pilots and of course, the high cost of playing with our beloved flying toys. But let’s take a break and just go flying. It is, after all, spring and airshows, fly-ins, and breakfast flights are blooming all over the country. Occasionally this writer actually takes to the air for reasons other than business. Such was the case week ago.
Spring in Oklahoma is a mixed bag. Winter does not “end” in Oklahoma; it is scared away. Frontal systems build up, thunderstorms abound, and tornadoes dance from one end of the state to the other. The annual ritual of cleaning out the storm shelter kicks in, and one goes on non-stop alert, ready to quiet frightened animals and people. But as May approaches, things calm down just a bit. Ponca City may not immediately conjure up the image of a familiar landmark, but this north/central Oklahoma city is a major oil processing center for the Midwest, with a very respectable class E airport (KPNC) that sports a 7,200 ft. runway, a lot of corporate traffic, and excellent facilities. Located about 57 statute miles (I will explain the use of statute miles later) north of this writer’s home airport, Cushing (KCUH), it becomes the monthly target of breakfast fans from around the region.
You see, Ponca City loves its airport, as evidenced by an organization called the Ponca City Aviation Boosters Club. Additionally, EAA Chapter 1046 is very active. Couple all of this with a great terminal facility, terrific restaurant on the field, and a “Booster” clubhouse that is second to none and all is set for the monthly Ponca City Breakfast fly-in. The breakfast itself is famed fare and wide, served by volunteers and cooked to perfection on outside grills, in full view of up to 100 planes that often fly in for the event. It is not uncommon to see 300+ guests in attendance. Everything from ultra-lights to war birds attend, with every homebuilt and classic you can think of often on the flight line. Great fun is had by one and all.
This writer does not currently own a plane, but my identical twin brother does. Better yet, he lets me use it when the flying bug hits me! To be sure, I paid some small dues during the building process, but his generosity is certainly appreciated. Earl (my brother) handcrafted a traffic looking little Zenith CH601 XL-B into a respectable fun machine with a lot of useful function. While his kit was delivered as a “quick build,” the factory recommended major modifications during construction that ended up adding a lot of build time.
Certified as an Experimental Amateur Built, I was delighted when I discovered that the “N” number N826ED was both my birthday and my first name. It had never occurred to Earl that his first and last initial (Earl Downs) were the same as my first name. He had named his plane after his brother! What a guy! This nice side-by-side sport plane is equipped for VFR flight only, with a basic layout of VFR steam gauge instruments and an airspeed calibrated in MPH not knouts. See, that is the reason for statute miles. My brother is a tad traditional … okay … old fashioned. An adequate VHF com is installed along with a big screen, hand-held GPS cleverly mounted to the panel and interfaced with the airplane’s electrical system. Engine functions are monitored on a multifunction Engine Indicating System (EIS), which this writer has found somewhat confusing to work in several planes, including this one.
But like most electronic gadgets, one becomes used to it. Controls and switches are arranged to fit personal desires, the advantage of building your own plane. Earl’s engineering skills show through with a well-designed, logical, and safe cockpit. With no transponder or IFR capability, some might snub this simple layout. But it works, is cheap, reliable, and easy to maintain. This writer has flown coast to coast with similar equipment many times, with few hitches in the git-a-long. With simple, thoughtful upholstery, the plane looks almost like an upscale factory machine.
Entrance is through a large canopy that opens forward, with proper step and grab points clearly marked. At 44” wide, our 6’1” frames slip in nicely, with good shoulder room, but there is limited leg space, not uncomfortable, just limited. The seating is slightly reclined, my personal favorite. It is comfortable for long trips. Two sticks are installed versus the standard center stick and left side toe brakes are used. We are two pretty big guys, but with an empty weight of a remarkable 766 lbs., and a gross weight of 1,320 lbs., the little Zenith can carry its full 30 gallons of fuel and still pack in another 20 or 30 lbs. of old guy stuff. Try that in a lot of other planes! The 120 hp Jabiru 3,300 has the same 200 cu. inches used by the ubiquitous Continental O-200 but employs six cylinders instead of four. The result is a very smooth running, quiet engine that burns just more than six GPH of auto fuel. With a conservative endurance of 4.5 hours of flying time and a conservative cross-country TAS of 120/125 mph, it has a range of more than 500 miles with reserve. Add to these figures a demonstrated service ceiling of 14,000 and one begins to realize that this little “toy” plane is not a toy.
Our fun trip to Ponca City’s famed breakfast began early in the morning from Cushing, a town that is famed (at least locally) for being the major oil storage and distribution junction for all oil activity in the U.S. Cushing is the final destination for the controversial oil pipe line planned to run down from Canada. With one long paved runway and three grass runways, Cushing airport is very popular for tailwheel and antique training. The Zeniths direct steering nose wheel (like a Cherokee) is light and responsive, with braking effective and easy to use, no fancy ankle twisting is needed. A well-designed checklist covers all one needs to know for the run up and prefight.
Take-off acceleration is quick with less than 500 ft. needed to get airborne, but one is cautioned not to over rotate on take-off. Pitch control is light and kicks in all at one time. The initial climb attitude is very nose high, with restricted forward visibility, and even with a cruise clime at 90/95 mph, S turns are a good idea. The initial rate of climb will show 1,100/1,200 FPM. Our cruising altitude of 3,500 ft. was reached quickly with a cruise power setting of about 2,700 rpm resulting in an indicate 125 mph, a bit faster than was expected. It was a cool day. The nose is lowered considerably in cruise flight and overall visibility is excellent. Pitch remains sensitive while roll is a bit heavy. The Zenith does not have a vertical fin but utilizes a “flying rudder.” Very little rudder is needed to maintain coordination and yaw stability is excellent. This writer feels that it is important for those seeking to fly this, or other “unique” airplanes, to receive dual instruction from a qualified CFI. My brother holds a Letter of Deviation Authorization (LODA) for his Zenith, which permits him to conduct commercial instruction in the plane, helping the Zenith community improve pilot skills. One can learn more about this type of training on www.EAA.org, or by calling the number listed at the end of this article.
The hometown of Oklahoma State University (Stillwater) rolls by on our left about halfway to our destination. The GPS dutifully kept track of our position while Earl played with a new iPad type nav gadget, except it is not an iPad or ForeFlight. I think the computer won. In no time, we are making a CTAF call to check in with a number of planes already in the pattern. This place can feel like an AirVenture arrival when the weather is really good! One slows to 80 mph on base leg, lowers the electric flaps, and works it down to 70 mph on final.
The nose gets quite high at this point, and the “pointy” front end of the plane can make runway alignment a challenge. Practice and training resolves this quickly. One shoots for 60 mph over the fence, and there is still a lot of flare control left. This pilot came in just a bit hot, maybe because the aroma of spiced sausage cooking on the grill filled the cabin as we approached the runway. I simply explained that my excess speed was planned, as it gave me more time to practice with the alignment issue. I do not think he bought it. I finally convinced the little plane to land, with a roll out of well under 500 ft. The really fun part of this adventure is taxying in and joining the pilots walking the line and telling lies about their planes. One does not look for the truth at such an event, but instead grades creativity. It is all in good fun, and the food is beyond description!
The flight home was just as enjoyable, as is the usual routine when we fly together, we practice flight maneuvers and challenged each other’s skills. Little planes like the Zenith are made for fun flying, so one is compelled to have fun. No time limits, no rental rates to contend with, not high priced aviation gas, and the ability to maintain your own plane the way it should be maintained. The Zenith 601 XL-B qualifies to be flown by a pilot exercising the privileges of a Sport Pilot, as it meets the definition of an LSA. And this is what the Sport Pilot certificate is all about, simple planes for simple fun. Yup, spring has sprung, and this winter just enjoyed what spring is all about. How about you?
For more information on the use of this particular Zenith 601 XL-B for training purposes, or sport pilot training, call Golden age aviation at 918/840-2200. Join the fun!
