In this video I’m at Downstown Airport, a grass strip in Southern NJ, practicing crosswind landings. The funny thing about this one is that the wind changed direction on us! As I turn toward final you can see that I miss-judge the wind and we’re off course! It was a sporty ride getting her on the ground!
You can see the video on YouTube here:
In this video, I take you through my first solo flight in a tailwheel airplane! Not only was this my first tailwheel solo, but it was also my first time flying solo in over 9 years! It’s been a long journey to get here, and while I’ll share more about my flying story in another video, let’s just say this solo has been a long time coming!
The flight took place at Millville Airport on a busy day with crosswinds strong enough to make us reconsider whether the solo should even happen—you’ll hear that discussion at the start of the video. Ultimately, I decided to go for it!
Right after liftoff, I spotted another aircraft crossing the runway’s end at pattern altitude, and I wasn’t entirely sure of their intentions. You’ll see me glancing between my iPad and the window to keep an eye on them, which led to a pretty messy traffic pattern on my part. I managed to adjust on downwind and get back into a good position, though!
One thing I noticed immediately was how much lighter the airplane felt without a passenger. During my roundout, the wind had a bit more of an effect on me than I was expecting, but I think I handled it well overall.
This solo flight felt a bit chaotic, and after more than seven years away from solo flying, I was definitely rusty. But finally reaching this milestone was an incredible feeling. Here’s to the next adventure!
Watch this video on YouTube here:
This video shows my first Touch & Go in a tailwheel aircraft! A Touch & Go involves landing and taking off again without coming to a complete stop. The runway at Woodbine, NJ, is a bit short for a full stop and go (without pulling off and taxiing back), so this was the perfect opportunity to practice. Watch closely during the landing—you’ll see the tailwheel’s shadow never meets the tailwheel wheel on the plane, showing that the wheel never touches the ground. I let this video run longer than usual because you can see a couple neat clusters of buildings on the ground as I’m climbing in the pattern.
You can see the video on YouTube here:
I’m flying my Cessna 140 over the stunning Sand Washes of southern New Jersey! The view is gorgeous, with the brilliant turquoise hues of the sand washes creating a surreal contrast against the surrounding landscape. It’s a unique and unexpected splash of color, especially in the drab browns of winter!
You can see this short video on YouTube here:
In this video, we practice a planned “go-around” procedure, which my instructor explains at the start. As we turn to final approach for runway 28 at Millville Airport, an unexpected encounter with a large bird crossing our flight path prompts my instructor to take quick evasive action to avoid a collision.
After that brief moment of excitement, we smoothly resume and complete the go-around procedure as planned.
You can watch this video on YouTube here:
During the approach to Bucks (from the easier side), everything seemed fine, but I cut the power a bit too early and ended up dropping the airplane onto the runway—you can even hear my surprise as we bounced along!
It’s a perfect reminder to keep flying your tailwheel all the way until you’ve come to a complete stop! 😂 You’ll notice I lose a bit of control during the rollout.
Although this was one of the first landings I ever recorded in my plane, I still find myself eager to “put the airplane down” because the strip feels small during the approach, and I worry about overrunning the end of the runway. In reality, there’s plenty of room!
The red glow on our heads? That’s from the map light we had on behind us! Either that or we’re running too hot!
You can view this video on YouTube here:
In this landing, we do a wheel landing at Millville Airport on runway 32. As I turn to “final”, you’ll get a nice view of Millville Speedway!
Landing on pavement is traditionally seen as more challenging than grass, as pavement is less forgiving—any lateral motion during touchdown can lead to a swerve and potentially trigger a ground loop. However, the wide, open runways at Millville give me peace of mind and make landing here much easier than at smaller grass strips. It’s the perfect spot for me to build my confidence!
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In this landing, we approached runway 36 at Bucks Airport, NJ (00N) in my Cessna 140, navigating over the wires that make this airport particularly unique. These telephone wires, positioned near one end of the runway, create an obstacle that requires careful attention. After clearing the wires, my instructor had me push the nose down into a dive and then add a touch of power as we leveled off. There’s a road between the wires and the runway, and I couldn’t help but imagine the added excitement if an 18-wheeler happened to be passing by at that moment! It was a memorable experience that really emphasized precision and timing in the landing process. Bucks Airport is a wonderful grass strip with cheap fuel!
You can watch this video on YouTube here:
In this video, I’m starting to get some consistency with my tailwheel landings in my Cessna 140, as noted by the exclamation from my instructor at the end of the video!
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In this video, I tackled landings on a day with variable and gusty winds. The real challenge wasn’t the wind speed but its unpredictability, which kept me on my toes, especially in the lightweight C140. It was a fantastic learning experience and a chance to sharpen my skills.
You’ll see two consecutive landings, complete with helpful tips from my instructor.
You can watch this video on YouTube here: