Aircraft N5376R

JoeA

I owned this aircraft (Cessna 172) back in the 70s when I lived in Arlington, TX. It was red and white and I paid around $17,000. I was single and still shy of 30 years old.

I believe I had my license for just about 2 years when I bought the plane. The bug really bit me! Had to have my own plane.

The only 'incident' I was involved in was when I took my cousin over the Dallas Cowboys stadium. He was a photographer and wanted a shot of the opening in the top. To help out, I made a rather sharp right turn so he'd be in a great position to get the shot. Unfortunately, he hadn't closed the door properly and it popped open. His seat belt held him in, but the experience scared to crap out of him and he signed off flying with me or anyone else. Ever! Can't say I blamed him.

After I got married, I sold the plane and got on with my life. Now that I am close to 70, I relive flying "76 romeo" often.

DougRobertson

Good story, Joe.

It happened to me also while on solo takeoff learning to fly in a Piper PA-140 Cherokee. The single over-wing door is curved and trails about 4-5 inches open in the slipstream. The door has two latches-top and mid way and can look to be closed when it is not. We were well-taught merely to ignore it and fly the airplane, stay in the pattern, land and taxi over, stop and securely re-latch it. In the Cherokee, a solo pilot can't reach the door to re-close it without unlatching the seat belt-not a wise or safe move.

I've got another story here (in an Article about learning to fly) about leaning the mixture at altitude in a new C172 Skyhawk with stiff control and inadvertently killing the engine momentarily. Scared my first-time in a light aircraft passenger. This after I passed the FAA checkride and legal for passenger carry. And a former high school classmate pulled out the mixture control in her husband's airplane in flight after pushing it in-to light her cigarette-That got his attention!