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

Or at least that’s the way conversation is going around the airport…

OK, here’s the scoop. I bought the “new” Ercoupe in September and flew it home from Toms River, New Jersey. My Certified Flight Instructor (CFI), Jamie, was with me and we counted the trip as a long “dual” cross country flight. In New Jersey, the winds were blowing about 20 knots, but were not too gusty, and were from a direction that would help us a bit with ground speed for the flight home.

So, we figured that those winds just on kept blowing toward eastern Maryland – for these last two months. And occasionally they bring low ceilings and rain. As in this short ( 6-second) video clip…

In fact, over the last eight weeks, there have been nearly 40 days where flying was “challenging” at best. Oh, there was one stretch of six days with absolutely perfect flying weather. But, alas, during that time I was on a business trip for five of them. I did, however, manage to catch one great flying day when I got back – before the weather headed south again, so to speak.

It has gotten so that whenever I walk into the FBO (Harford Air Services) office, someone asks me if I’ll be taking another trip soon. LOL. Thanks, guys and gals.

Rain, rain go away - come again another day...

This, of course, is an anomaly with fall weather this year, and it will pass. Let’s just hope we get some fine fall flying days before the “chill” of winter gets here. But the cabin heater in the ol’ Ercoupe does work quite well. And with the proper multi-viscosity (and expensive) AeroShell engine oil, we will be good-to-go any time the temperature gets into the 40s. The “Coupe does have a built in, electric, block heater, but if the days are cold enough to need that – I must remember that “I” do NOT have a built in electric heater.