Ercoupe Takeoffs Are Optional – Flying an LSA Ercoupe 415-C

I just saw this posted on the Ercoupe Owners Forum and thought I would share it with my “older” pilot friends. Reminds me a bit of what is (now) my favorite TV commercial – a drug company ad where an older guy is on a motorcycle and ends up riding fast on what, looks like it may be, a deserted runway. He comments that when he leaves this life he wants to go out “exhausted.” Sounds like a good goal to me…

The Last Check Ride

I hope there’s a place way up in the sky,
where old flyers can go on the day they die.
A place where a guy can buy a cold beer,
for a friend and a comrade, whose memory is dear.

A place where no doctor or lawyer can tread,
nor an FAA type would ‘ere be caught dead.
Just a quaint little place, kind of dark, full of smoke,
where they like to sing loud, and love a good joke.

The kind of a place where a lady could go,
and feel safe and protected by the men she would know.
There must be a place where old flyers go,
when their flying is finished, and their airspeed gets low.

Where the whiskey is old, and the women are young,
and songs about flying and dying are sung.
Where you’d see all the fellows who’d flown west before,
and they’d call out your name, as you came through the door.

Who would buy you a drink, if your thirst should be bad,
and relate to others, “He was quite a good lad”.

And then through the mist, you’d spot an old guy,
you had not seen in years, though he taught you to fly.
He’d nod his old head, and grin ear to ear,
And say, “Welcome, my son, I’m pleased that you’re here.

For this is the place where the true flyers come,
when their journey is over, and their war has been won.

They’ve come here at last to be safe and alone,
from the government clerk, and the management clone,
Politicians and lawyers, the Feds and the noise,
where all hours are happy, and they’re all good ole’ boys.

You can relax with a cold one,
maybe deal from a deck, this is heaven my son…..
You’ve passed your last check!”

Author Unknown

A good friend who owns a Mooney (we won’t hold that against him though – because the Mooney Aircraft Company tried to extend the production life of our beloved ‘Coupes) and has an interesting flying endeavor that is packed full of good deeds. Bob has been doing Angel Flights and Dog Rescue Flights since shortly after he took delivery on his Mooney just over a year ago.

Angel Flights and Dog Rescue Flights are two of the selfless activties with which some pilots have the opportunity to become involved. They take quite a bit of time, commitment and actual dollars (in the guise of donated fuel and airplane expenses). However, they are also innately rewarding. I would love to get involved in the Dog Rescue efforts but realize that my Ercoupe cannot carry much more than a very small pet carrier with “maybe” one of the toy breeds. My rather “sedate” cruise speed would also limit the effective range over which I could transport a rescue dog.

But I figure I can help Bob a bit with his activities. As a “web guy” he recently started a site about Cute Dogs and Personal Checks. Everybody needs checks from time to time and we know how fond most people are of their dogs. In fact, dog checks are among the most popular “theme” checks sold online or through banks.

Sooo…if you’d like to help out just a bit (or a lot) you can. Please take a look – and buy dog checks from CuteDogChecks.com and help support Pilot Bob and his rescue flights.

Well, not really a comparison between an Ercoupe and a Helicopter – I just thought these heli comments (definitions?) a bit humorous:

1) Helicopters don’t fly. They’re so ugly the earth just repels them!

2) Helicopters = 10,000 parts flying in loose formation!

3) Helicopter = a swirling mass of metal fatigue surrounded by an oil leak.

4) Helicopter = screwing your way through the air !

5) Helicopter = a loose confederation of aircraft parts beating the air into submission.