Chuck Storytime: Flying The Plane, Reporting Traffic.

Back in the day, ( 1990-92) I used to provide traffic reports via airplane on the old W-Light. Each afternoon, I would board a Cessna 172 four-seater and be piloted around the west Michigan skies listening to a police radio and scanning for traffic accidents. After a couple days, you can see and understand a lot about traffic patterns. It was only a matter of time until the pilot allowed me to steer the plane. You can drive a car, you can steer a plane. Eventually, I moved to the left seat ( pilots seat ) and handled the entire flight. Only thing I couldn't do was talk to the control tower regarding my actions. Couple highlights from those days, getting a warning from a military crew protecting President Bush's airspace as he spoke downtown. ( You had to be outside his area...no closer to the area around Walker and I-96 in my case. I got as far as Alpine before I received a direct order from a helicopter or plane, I am not sure which, warning I would be fired upon. ) We also had a near miss with a Northwest Airlines jet at it was on final approach. ( I had to fly to Byron Center and 76th to check on an accident. You have to ask permission to cross south near 44th street since the airport's east-west runway runs that same direction. Control tower said the Northwest flight was well above us -- in the clouds -- and would pass well above. As we passed the jetway, the Northwest Flight was UNDER flight path and cross overtop of us by about 500 feet. Close enough to see faces in the window. )

Should have used this device.

Maybe the next guy will.

All and all, it was a good time. Sometimes friends would fly with me. Never did find that nudist camp near Saranac. Looking back, I should have tried for my private pilot's licence. I had plenty of free flight-time. Eventually, it became too expensive and we ended it. Too bad.