Today I took a flight with my good friend Ron.

Today I took a flight with my good friend Ron. This is a flight that was memorable for more reasons than I really care to go into today. Suffice it to say for now we were ferrying the plane to a small airport with a tree lined displaced runway.

The weather was cloudy, windy and colder than it was supposed to be.

On a base turn to final I was both a little high and, like my heart beat, a little fast.

Ron: “ I would use two notch of flaps”

Me:  “ I know it is windy.”

Watching my speed, decent rate and the crab against the quartering wind I could see the displacement on the runway. Dropping below the tree line the wind changed measurably.

Me: “ I am going the third notch”

 This had a familiar reassuring effect dropping my speed almost immediately and slightly pitching the nose down. I could feel my heartbeat steady and the plane came closer to the ground. The rudder pedals needed less of my attention allowing me to concentrate on the runway filling my windscreen. Pulling back at just the right time continues to be something I can never fully describe. I goosed her down and contact with the ground was as light as an angel’s breath on the back of my neck. The set of circumstance that lent me control gravity, speed and mass at the same time… brilliant.

Ron:  “Good Job”

Me: “That… was a good landing.”

Me, over the com : “Six two whiskey back taxiing on two seven …”

Thanks to Ron for all the help today, and over all the years I have been flying.