Most people think of airplanes as long metal tubes with lots of seats that whisk them along at near sonic speeds. It has gotten to where its a commodity. But there are many other ways to fly as well on a much more personal level than in an overpowered sardine can.
Probably the most personal way to fly is in a Breezy. As the name suggests, it is kinda windy. It is the ultimate open cockpit airplane. In 1964, Carl Unger designed an airplane with no covering on the fuselage. It had a pusher engine and prop that was behind the pilot and the passenger. This gave the airplane the ultimate in visibility.
My introduction to the aircraft was in Florida as a young pilot in college. There was one at the Deland airport, and the owner asked if i wanted to fly it. That first flight was just about the scariest thing I had ever done. The perspective was just unreal. Landings took some time to get used to. There was very little reference to the ground, and the airplane sat very low. The tendency was to flair too high.
After I moved to Columbia, a local EAA’er, Fred Scmidt, built one, and wanted someone with Breezy time to test it. Since no one else had ever flown one, I became a “test pilot”. Fred built a wonderful airplane. Stable, great control, and a good climber.
In the late 90’s an airplane sales pal called me and said he had taken a Breezy in on trade. I jumped at the chance, bought the airplane and brought it back to Columbia. We owned it for several years, and still have folks I took up as passengers reminisce about how wonderful that ride was.
It is difficult to describe the sensations when flying a Breezy. Sitting that far forward with nothing around you gives the sensation of the freedom a bird has when flying. There seems to be no limitations on what you can do, and that can be a great way to get in trouble.
The kids and I would go to Sun and Fun in Lakeland Florida each year in the Breezy. That was an all day affair, with multiple stops along the coast for gas. We rarely got above 500 feet, and stayed along the coast. One year as we were passing St Mary’s where the sub base is located, a boomer was coming out to sea. We passed right over it to lots of waves from the conning tower and lots of pictures. A Boomer that close is HUGE.
Flying in a Breezy is a very special experience. If you get the chance, don’t turn it down. I still miss N1154, and maybe one day I will have another.
