Aircraft Information
> Aircraft Make: Grumman American Model: AA-5 Nickname: Traveler
> Aircraft Mil Civ Description: Airplane SE Piston
> FAA Category and Class: Airplane Single Engine Land
> Engine Description: piston single

Aircraft Experience
> As of: 6/25/2024
> Number of Hours Flown: 4
> Number of Times Flown: 3
> Other Aircraft Models Associated: Cheetah, Tiger

First Flown Information
> Sequence First Flown: 2
> Date First Flown: 4/7/1974
> Location First Flown: Orange County, CA Airport (KSNA)
> Who and/or What Organization First Flown With: James S. Dearth, CFI, North American Aviation Flying Club

Recollections: It’s funny….I don’t remember the sequence of flights at all but I flew this 4 seater (the bigger brother of the AA-1 Yankee/Trainer) once before I solo’d the Yankee.  Perhaps a Yankee wasn’t available this particular day. Regardless, I suspect Mr. Dearth was exposing me to different airplanes, in anticipation of a career full of different airplanes.  I flew the bigger AA-5 one more time w/Dearth after I started solo’ing the AA-1 and then flew it solo as well later that same summer.  

One could argue that the AA-1 and 5 should be counted as the SAME airplane but–considering these were the first two airplanes I solo’d and the fact that one had twice as many seats and 40+ more horsepower as the other…. I feel justified claiming two!  🙂

Aircraft Information
> Aircraft Make: Piper Model: PA-28 Nickname: Cherokee
> Aircraft Mil Civ Description: Airplane SE Piston
> FAA Category and Class: Airplane Single Engine Land
> Engine Description: single piston

Aircraft Experience
> As of: 11/4/2024
> Number of Hours Flown: 18
> Number of Times Flown: 11
> Other Aircraft Models Associated: Cherokee, Warrior, Arrow, Archer

First Flown Information
> Sequence First Flown: 10
> Date First Flown: 4/18/1982
> Location First Flown: NAS Moffett Field, CA (KNUQ)
> Who and/or What Organization First Flown With: Navy Moffett Flying Club

Recollections: The PA-28 “Cherokee” (or the later Warrior, Arrow, etc) competes with the Cessna 172 Skyhawk for the 4 seat, trainer or transportation airplane.   

When stationed at NAS Moffett Field, CA flying the P-3, I got checked out in the Cherokee and flew it a few times.  Later, while with the FAA in Wichita, I rented one from a local FBO and flew it a few times.  That same year I flew an experimental PA-28 configured for “Low L/D” (it had spoilers and speedbrakes to create significant drag) at NTPS.  Most recently, I flew with Stan “Sundance” Kaspryzk on his Formation Lead checkride for the Joint Liaison Formation Committee (JLFC).  11 flights in 32 years.  Lengthy experience, if inconsistent!  For those wondering–and without much justification–I’m a Cessna guy, I guess.  That may be a function more of availability than choice.

Aircraft Information
> Aircraft Make: Mooney Aircraft Model: M20 Nickname: Mooney
> Aircraft Mil Civ Description: Airplane SE Piston
> FAA Category and Class: Airplane Single Engine Land
> Engine Description: single piston

Aircraft Experience
> As of: 11/5/2024
> Number of Hours Flown: 19
> Number of Times Flown: 11
> Other Aircraft Models Associated: M20, M20F, M20E, M20J

First Flown Information
> Sequence First Flown: 14
> Date First Flown: 4/23/1985
> Location First Flown: NAS Moffett Field, CA (KNUQ)
> Who and/or What Organization First Flown With: Navy Moffett Flying Club

Recollections: The Mooney is a great cross country airplane and it handles really well.  The company has struggled, shut down a few times but returned.  The Mooney’s that I’ve flown have all been the older models, with manual flaps or manual gear or both.  These manual/mechanical systems require the pilot to apply a significant amount of force to the control to raise or lower the gear and flaps and this force application often results in the “Mooney bobble”, particularly after takeoff, as the pilot’s attention is drawn away from maintaining pitch attitude to trying to raise the gear/flaps.  

The airplane is small inside and, being 6’6″ tall, it was a pretty good squeeze for me.  But it was worth it, as the plane was fast and very fuel efficient.   It also is unique for it’s “all flying tail”, where the vertical and horizontal tail  pivot together  when trimming in pitch.

I got checked out at various FBO’s over the year, most recently in 2013 in Seattle but, unfortunately, the owner took it off of lease-back soon after my checkout.  This is an airplane I would consider owning for transportation purposes.

Aircraft Information
> Aircraft Make: Beechcraft. Model: T-34B. Nickname: Mentor
> Aircraft Mil Civ Description: Airplane SE Piston
> FAA Category and Class: Airplane Single Engine Land
> Engine Description: single piston

Aircraft Experience
> As of: 11/5/2024
> Number of Hours Flown: 21
> Number of Times Flown: 11
> Other Aircraft Models Associated:
D-45, Model 45; T-34C (turbine powered follow-on)

First Flown Information
> Sequence First Flown: 12
> Date First Flown: 6/23/1983
> Location First Flown: NAS Moffett Field, CA (KNUQ)
> Who and/or What Organization First Flown With: Navy Moffett Flying Club

Recollections: While I hadn’t flown the T-34C (turbine) in flight school, I was excited about getting some experience in its older brother, the T-34B, powered by a 185 HP Continental recip.  This airplane was the first airplane flown by Student Naval Aviators (SNA) from about 1960 to 1975, in “primary”.  After this, SNA’s would then go to the T-28.   By the time I went to primary in 1980 you either flew the T-34C turbine-powered airplane or straight to the T-28.  As a “Trojan guy”, I was curious to explore whether the T-34B would’ve been a smarter first plane.  It certainly was easier to fly and probably a good lead-in to the Trojan but, based on my successful completion of primary in the T-28, I could see why the Navy had chosen to at least temporarily try “straight to the 28”.  

I flew the T-34B at three Navy Flying Clubs.  First NAS Moffett Field, CA (where I was in an operational P-3 squadron), then NAS Patuxent River, MD (TPS), and finally at the Monterey, CA airport (where I was in Postgraduate School).  At each location, I witnessed the retirement of the T-34B from flying club use and/or the total closing of the club.  It was a sad thing to watch…essentially the base commanders saw only risk and bad press and perhaps didn’t have enough civilian grass-roots flying experience to understand the huge value of flight training for Navy personnel.