Messin' with Texas

Two weeks ago, a friend from my soccer team, Robin, and I, split the cost of a plane rental and flew from Beaumont to nearby Jasper. Robin has a pilot’s license and is working towards some higher certification (I don’t really know the details). When I found out Robin was a pilot I begged to get him to take me flying. To ensure that I got moved to the front of the list of his friends to take flying, I agreed to split the plane rental with him.

Inside the hangar in Beaumont, Texas flight school

I went from my 8am soccer game directly to the air field to meet Robin at 930am. It was too early for a Saturday, but how often do you get to go flying. As we walked through the hangar, I was impressed. The planes in there were nice, sleek, new looking airplanes. I commented that all the planes were really nice, and Robin responded that we were not flying any of the planes in the hangar, and that our plane was out on the air field.

I think I died a little inside when we left the hangar.

old cessna

Sitting on the runway was a sad, beaten, scrappy looking plane. I half expected to have to hand crank the plane to start it. It looked like a plane out of an Indiana Jones movie. The kind of plane that is all busted up, but Indy has no choice because the Nazis are chasing him. He gets in it and tries and tries and tries to get it started, cursing and banging on it, while his sidekick yells “come on, they are getting closer.” Then, just when you sure the Nazis are going to get them, the plane starts and they narrowly escape, Indy smiling confidently and his sidekick looking as though he’s just fought off an early heart attack. Or maybe something more like Han Solo and Luke Skywalker in the Millennium Falcon, although I am sure this plane wasn’t going to make any speed records (perhaps it’s just a general Harrison Ford movie situation).

cockpit

Not only was the plane beat up, but so was the cockpit. There was stuff missing and stuff cracked. I am not convinced all the gauges worked.

Robin

Robin checking the fuel

There is a little rubber nozzle on the bottom of the plane where you can check the fuel for water. I guess it is the low point int he fuel tank (which is in the wing). Since fuel floats on water, the water will sink to this low point so you can see if there is any water in the fuel tank. Fortuneately there wasn’t. Unfortuneately fuel continued to leak out of this thing. That didn’t seem to really concern Robin – at least not as much as it concerned me. It was when we were on the runway that Robin came clean and admitted he had never flown without an instructor in a controlled airspace. It just kept getting better.

But then it did get better. In fact it was fantastic. It was so cool being up in the air in such a small plane, passing over the small towns. We spent about 100-120 minutes in the air, so it was a short trip. Regardless, it was extremely exciting. It was too expensive for me to take an interest in flying – we spent about 100 bucks each for that short rental – but I would definitely do it again given the chance.

For your viewing pleasure here are some of the pictures and a video I took from the air.

Yeah we made it! As if there was ever any doubt we would land safely back at home

A tank farm outside of a Beaumont, Texas refinery

A sulfer plant outside of Beaumont, Texas

Swamp country outside of Beaumont, Texas

Near Jasper, Texas

a typical Southeast Texas town center

US Coast Guard reserve fleet in Beaumont, Texas

Landing!