Heavy iron

June 11-12, 1993

I was given the opportunity to fly, land and taxi a twin-engine tail-dragger from Middletown to Middletown by way of Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Culpepper, Virginia near Washington DC. Fifteen hundred miles to Nowhere! I had never flown a multi-engine or tail-dragger before. The plane was a DC-3! The DC-3 was the airliner of the 1930s. It has two huge radial piston engines and can carry twenty people.

My instructor made the landings easy be giving me airspeed and power settings. I only bounced two or three times on each of my two landings. I entertained my instructor by attempting to taxi. It is nothing like taxiing a nosewheel airplane. I was everywhere but on the center line. I am glad my instructor took over to park the plane!