While looking down on billion dollar homes, and million dollar boats (rough price estimates), while flying along giving tailwheel instruction to a client from the rear seat of the Champion 7EC, I realized that I had absolutely no envy or jealousy whatsoever of the profound wealth exhibited below.
We were a thousand feet over the sparkling deep blue Lake Geneva water cruising from Wag Aero Airport to Bigfoot Airport and I suppose that I should have wished that I was aboard one of the yachts, sipping an umbrella drink, or on a sundeck of my mansion doing the same thing (recurring summertime thing), but I was extremely happy perched exactly where I was.
What brought the red and white Champ here? One might ask. At the end of the Left Base Tailwheel Course, I like to finish up with a little relaxing flight time where we fly to some out-of-the-way little airports to gain real-world experience in assessing airport conditions when all we have is a Sectional Chart and eyeballs. Plus, it is just fun to discontinue the structured curriculum and get out into the real world and land at airports that might be a little challenging and are just a little too rough for nose wheeled airplanes. Wag Aero is just that kind of airport. It is narrow, a bit hilly, kind of rough, and has some nearly invisible trees on the south side of the north-south runway. Bigfoot is pretty flat and open, but the tall corn can make the wind disappear just about the time you flair to touchdown. Both are among my favorites.
We were low enough to gather up a few friendly waves from our earth (or boat) bound friends. Seeing the visual of their upturned faces made me realize that they were the ones that were envious of us. They likely didn’t know that we were flying above them in a 7EC that they could have purchased for the price of one month of their property taxes. I think they would be deeply hurt knowing that fun can be so inexpensive. Bottom line….You can’t place a value on flying a taildragger at an altitude that allows us to enjoy the sights and smells of a fine Wisconsin day. Well, yes you can….Priceless.
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