AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2022 - 26

SAFETY SPOTLIGHT
Moment of bliss
Another glorious day in the Super Cub
BY RICHARD MCSPADDEN / Senior Vice President
AOPA Air Safety Institute
GRATITUDE CONSUMES ME this morning, as it so frequently does
when I fly my Piper Super Cub: a bright yellow magic carpet
that takes me to wondrous places, physically and mentally.
I'm flying alongside colleague Kollin Stagnito in his fetching
Cessna 140. Our airplanes are evenly matched, and our attentive,
relaxed flying styles, too. The crisp, clear fall morning is
peaceful, still. There's not a ripple in the air, and the radios are
quiet as Kollin leads us northwest out of Frederick, Maryland,
to Greater Breezewood Regional Airport (P17) in Pennsylvania
for the grass strip's annual pumpkin drop.
The morning sun, shining from behind us, propagates rust
hues and random blasts of red on the Appalachian ridges below.
The temperature is rising slowly, leaving an occasional patch of
fog in a distant hollow and giving those underneath a little more
time in cozy laze before the sun summons them to endeavor.
The day is so smooth and my Super Cub rigged so well that it's
akin to having an autopilot. I can take my hand off the stick to
sip home-roasted coffee, or adjust the satellite music flowing
through my headset. I feel some warmth from the paltry cabin
heat, which knocks the chill off my legs in sporadic waves. The
Lycoming O-320 is droning smoothly, seeming as content as I
am with the entire setting. I'm viewing an Imax movie out my
front windscreen, but I'm not just watching the action; I'm in
it. Immersed in this spectacular panorama. The smells, sounds,
vibrations in my seat are real. The moment is bliss, and I'm so
grateful to capture it, well aware that it is transient, both in a
moment and in a lifetime.
Gradually, the air will roughen as the day warms and the
winds sprout. The sun will crescendo from soft glow to bright
glare. Traffic and radio activity will increase and we'll share a
crisp fall flying day with other pilots, but for now, it feels like
this space, this moment is entirely ours. We don't talk much,
choosing instead silent wonder and appreciation for this sensational
setting that can only be captured now, in this time and
from this perch.
This chapter of my life is also transient. Days progress to years,
and then decades. Time will not pause. No matter how frequently
and earnestly I implore it to, airborne in my Super Cub. Skills,
physical and mental strength will eventually erode and I'll have
to find something else that brings this sense of fulfillment. I am
26
AOPA PILOT / January 2022
under no illusion that something else exists. So I won't think about
that now. There's no point in it. It only depresses the moment.
Where our minds linger is a choice, and I choose the present. This
precious moment in time and this fortunate chapter in life. I will
access this as much as I can for as long as I can.
Flying has brought so much to my life-in many ways has
been my life. The feeling of gratitude to the many people who've
boosted me here comes back frequently. In ways it seems unfair
that I was exposed to aviation and given opportunities few have.
I feel a growing urge to give back, cast a wider net, and expose
more people to this splendid experience that can change the trajectory
of a life.
We arrived at P17 and socialized with a welcoming and friendly
group of pilots from across the Appalachian region. The pumpkin
drop attracts local curiosity. Almost as many people drive in to
P17 as fly in, and there's a large crowd of nonflyers who just want
to watch airplanes and to see how exactly you go about " pumpkin
bombing. " Several of them show timid interest in flying and
are surprised to learn we will take them up. No fees, no strings.
Most people we fly will have no interest in pursuing flying further.
They'll satisfy some curiosity and move on in life, with a positive
feeling about flying and the culture surrounding it. This scene is
repeated in hundreds of locations across the country. Pilots exposing
people to this joy, almost out of obligation. Someone did that
for us, and it changed our lives.
My favorite passenger of the day is Payton, a 10-year-old who's
never flown in a small airplane. She's mildly curious about flying,
but completely taken by dropping a pumpkin out the door and
watching it explode. I'm not sure what impact the flight will have
on her life or how long she will remember it. First flight: doors
wide open, wind blast, chill, loud noises. When I looked back, I
saw a look of utter determination, then a wide smile and charming
giggle when she released
the pumpkin.
Another glorious day in
my Super Cub. I'll never have
that one again, but I'll have
more like it. For a while longer
at least.
richard.mcspadden@aopa.org
A native of Panama
City, Florida, RICHARD
MCSPADDEN started flying
as a teenager and has logged
more than 5,000 hours
flying a variety of civilian and
military aircraft.
AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2022

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