The following is a true story. Names have not been changed so as to embarrass the guilty. Y

In the late ’70’s I rented new C 172’s and other aircraft from Bob Wardes’ Springbank lease company. One day Bob asked me if I would be interested in flying a PA 15 from a farmer’s field north of Prince Albert to Springbank. Of course, my answer was YES. I hadn’t flown a tail dragger in 20 yrs. Fortunately Warde had a 115 horse Citabria for me to practice in. My check pilot was George Westinghouse an ex American C-130 pilot. Doing some air work, incipient spins, stalls etc. I could hear a slapping sound coming from the rear of the aircraft.

George informed me it was the tail wheel setup. When the tail wheel was still in the air it caused the cables to flap around. Neat landing George said. I was allowed to practice as long as I thought necessary. Since it was free flying it took me about 5 hours of mostly touch and goes to hone my taildragger skills. On a very early summer morning, a man unknown to me Mr. Aldridge, another pilot and I headed for Prince Albert (PA) in a new C 172.

Mr. Aldridge was along hoping to log some dual time to reduce the insurance on his Citabria, which was located at Banff. Lots about him later. We all piled into the new Cessna and off we went. It turned into a very hot summer day, +31C with 7mph winds. After a couple of hours flying, we arrived in the general area of the aircraft but just couldn’t spot it. The aircraft was white with red trim and should have been easy to spot right? Yes, we had a map with an X marked at the supposed location. GPS and cell phones had not yet been invented. Not being able to find the aircraft we flew to Prince Albert to make some phone calls. With more information back we go. After another hour or so we spotted the Piper hidden a farmyard under some 30 ft. trees!

Landing on a rutted dirt road we taxied into the yard just as a car or truck would. It is unfortunate that we did not have a camera. After coffee and formalities, we started the trek home. To get the airplane to Prince Albert I gave the farmer $10 for some tractor gas. In PA we would purchase “real airplane gas.” The aircraft was a cute little thing, white with red trim. It was getting late and the original plan to return to Calgary before nightfall was not looking good. After a walk around much to my surprise it started, no starter, 55hp I think, so I was ready to go. At that time Mr. Aldrich informs me he wanted to get in too! He’s 230 pounds minimum. I’m 155. No, I say, I’ll taxi it to the road first. One of the rudder springs was stretched out so much that it was virtually impossible to taxi properly. I didn’t have the time or tools to fix the cables. With a touch of power and down elevator I managed to get out of the yard but whenever the tailwheel touched the ground the aircraft would go any direction it felt like! With no help from either of the other three I made it to where the farmer and his wife had blocked off the road for take-off.

Plan A, I take off and Cessna to follow. Remember +31. I line up with the road, full power (yeah right!) tail level for carrier Take Off! NOW: release brakes and I trundle along in the ruts but no lift off! There is a hill looming just ahead with 30-40 ft trees on either side! A little tense. We break ground. I was climbing out along the profile of a little hill when a liquid starts spilling all over my head and shoulders! Crap! First thought gas.

No, the gas tank is in the nose! Water? The wing was full of water! Great! Next thing I see is the Cessna doing steep turns around me!

Plan B had gone into effect, but nobody told me there was a Plan B!

No communication equipment in the Cub. It wasn’t hard to figure Plan B was to follow the Cessna. OK. Picture this. Full power! 55mph! 700ft AGL and the aircraft refuses to go any higher! The Cessna, full flaps, slow flight, just barely able to stay in the air. We finally get to P.A. I keep the tail wheel off of the ground as long as possible. The second the tail wheel hits the runway we ground loop. I did several 360’s by the time I reached the terminal.

Not sure of the range of the Piper I elected to go the long way, Maple Creek, Lethbridge, and finally Springbank. The Cessna pilot had info’d Maple Creek my eta. At Prince Albert Mr. Aldrich insisted on coming with me. Now we have 400lbs of recycled food a dinky 55hp Piper full of gas, water and other things doing 360’s on the way to the active. Full forward stick to keep the tailwheel off of the runway we still took over half of runway to get airborne!

After an hour and a half, we were at 700ft AGL. I’m just able to keep the airplane in the air and Mr Aldrich demands stick time! OK “your airplane!” Big mistake! He pulls back on the stick. I guess he wanted to be higher than 700 feet. The nose drops like a rock! I retrieve the controls and recover from the stall! So, no way is this guy going to get control again! Now I’ve got a grouchy passenger (pest)!

Halfway across Diefenbaker Lake darkness approaching Mr. Aldrich decides to check the fuel gauge with his lighter! I freak out!!!!!!!!! Silence, except for the engine. As Usual ground loops at Maple Creek. Since there was no way to get to town and back, we to overnight in the pilot’s lounge. I tried to sleep on one of those old leather office chairs. The ones with tacked down nail buttons that bulged up in the middle. Uncomfortable big time. Was I happy when daybreak arrived!

Plan C: Cessna pilot and one guy decide to beetle off & leave me with Mr. Aldrich! Oh, lucky me! So, gas up and do 360’s to the runway and we’re off to Lethbridge. I use the concrete GPS of the day i.e. Trans-Canada then a bit of off course to Lethbridge. As we blast along at 55mph, cars on the highway below are passing us. They are not that far below disaster! Almost anyway. Mr. Aldrich had dropped his pen, and it rolled under MY seat! When he reaches over to get it the Piper drops it’s port wing about 80 degrees! Very Large freak-out! More silence but engine is running. Yes, more ground looping at Lethbridge, fuel up and on to Springbank. It seemed to take forever to get to the 700ft level. In those days of no cell towers but there was still that forest of TV antenna. I flew around the east side of the city lower than some antennae, and again it’s +31 degrees with 7mph winds. On we went.

I did mention the Piper was NORDO (like my passenger)? About halfway to Springbank. I started to gain altitude, I had to use full throttle all the way. I managed to get to 1200ft agl Yeah! But good old Mr Aldrich gets on my case for being 200ft over circuit altitude! So, in the politest way possible I told him I was not going to give up my 200ft to anybody and quit bugging me! I did hit a little blue light while ground looping at Springbank. So! End of Story. Thankfully it was also the end of Mr. Aldrich.