Ercoupe to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2021 - Part 16 - Columbus to Broken Bow

[@lacigaleparis2561]

Thanks for the video. The Ercoupe was my favorite airplane when I was a kid. My father ended up teaching flying after he retired. He continued until he was 85/86 years old. He loved it. Some of my favorite life experiences were and still are flying around SW Michigan with him.

[@JamesGood]

They are a special little aircraft, aren't they? Thanks for sharing that.

[@ronaldgarnes8809]

Great video, Love the commentary on history and geography.

[@arthurpearson3407]

Enjoy your videos James. Just finished your article in Sport Aviation on your journey to becoming a pilot. It is one that many people embark on with those that continue and finish,like yourself, really accumulate memories and observe vistas land lovers can’t imagine!

[@JamesGood]

Thanks, Arthur. So glad I persisted and 'got it done'! It's something I hope I never take for granted.

[@JoeCoolPilot]

You have a good formula for your videos. I enjoy following your flying adventures. Keep up the good work and fly safe!

[@JamesGood]

Cheers, Joe!

[@JoeCoolPilot]

@@JamesGood I’m grounded for a while while my engine gets overhauled. Your videos help keep me going. Thanks again!

[@gfiggins]

James, great feature in Sport Aviation. After following your videos the past few years, it was like reading about someone I know.

[@FlyingDarkLord]

The polished finish makes the Ercoupe look spectacular in that sunset 😍

[@JamesGood]

Thanks, I thought so too!

[@rodgerhecht3623]

Thanks for taking us this beautiful country ,and for the history kessons along the way.

[@homertalk]

So sorry about Darwin. Glad you guys gave him a wonderful life. Dogs are so precious!

[@JamesGood]

Thanks homertalk. Yes, he's very much missed here, he was a super old boy!

[@bodenmaddoxmain]

What a cool collection of models and docs at that FBO. :-) Nebraska in the heat? I wish... just brings back bad memories of a recent drive through there when it was bitterly cold. :-) Thanks for sharing, James & Diane.

[@JamesGood]

Brent, I guess Nebraska is a little extreme in the temps! We had fun there though, all the places we stopped were really good stops.

[@a03993]

I enjoyed the article about you and your Ercoupe in Sport Aviation. Very good coverage. I don't get to fly much anymore so I enjoy flying along on your trips. I open up Google Maps and fly along. I especially appreciate your communications with air traffic control. I never feel comfortable talking to them. I looked for you at Airventure. The first time I came by your plane you were not home, the second time you had packed up and gone. You missed the night air show, but I understand the urgency of the weather. I wish you could have stayed one more day.

[@kenthompson3730]

Ever consider climbing a couple thousand feet to cool it down a little? I did a fairly long cross country across Texas last summer. Mid July. Terribly hot and humid. I climbed to 8500 it cooled down a LOT. Plus it was above a scattered to broken layer (with big holes) so being above the convection layer gave me a very smooth ride. Love my Ercoupe!

[@JamesGood]

Definitely, have done in the past, Ken (going over Texas I remember!). I don't think we ever suffered significant engine cooling issues on this OSH trip last year. It was just crew cooling that was a problem!

[@randybranson1009]

Oh no James. I'm so sorry to hear about y'all loosing Darwin. I know the feeling of loss.

[@JamesGood]

Thanks, Randy. We miss him a lot.

[@JodelFlyer]

Another great video James and Diane. Thanks for taking us along and pointing out the places of interest along the way. 👍😎

[@JamesGood]

Thank you, Tim. We still have to work out how to get the Jodel and the Coupe together for a flight! :)

[@bobbreit5244]

What a neat little putt putt. I've always loved those. Maybe ride in one sometime. Have a great time! 🧀🌭🧀

[@davidlabedz2046]

Enjoy these daily legs for your return trip. Stay safe and fair skies!

[@harrowtiger]

Dogs are great, our little one called Nugget was so tired but so brave she actually walked herself into the Vet when the time came to let her go on her big last trip. We know how you must feel loosing Darwin.

[@JamesGood]

Sorry to hear about Nugget. They really do become part of the family.

[@Jack-ne8vm]

Nice companion article about your plane in EAA Sport Aviation

[@ChrisB257]

Hard to believe this is now nearly a year ago. Sympathize with the humidity - I hate that more than just the temperature itself. Another good leg though into the sun always a bit unpleasant. Sherman reservoir is pretty large - interesting to see the gradual change in topography as you progress.

[@JamesGood]

ha, yes Chris, definitely a gradual change at Ercoupe pace!

[@billschlafer]

James: congrats on the terrific story about you and the Ercoupe in this months Sport Aviation magazine! Any plans on attending AirVenture 2022?

[@JamesGood]

Hi William, and thanks! I don't think I'm going to make it this year. Next time!

[@randybranson1009]

@@JamesGood sorry to hear that you and Dianne aren't coming to Oshkosh this year. I'm still in the "thinking about it" stage.

[@joewilliams4142]

I love the green flat terrain. Much like South Texas. 85? Hot ? Hey, you lived in a Miami. Yes those Air Tractors can take off any direction they choose. Lots of power! Fun little flight. Isn’t it nice to be in a part of the country where they can leave doors unlocked, and car keys on the desk. I miss that a lot. Speaking of missing, Darwin was right there with you, watching over you as always.

[@JamesGood]

Thanks, Joe! I should have said '85 at altitude' as well. But it was the humidity! We did love Broken Bow, really nice little place.

[@neilbarriskell7840]

Felt Diane’s heart felt “it’s COOOOL in here” LOL. Worked for a time with the UN in A placed called Abyei in Sudan. Temps normally ran 44 to 48 degrees most days. My colleague and I would go hide in the drugs store for an hour each afternoon as that was the only place with air conditioning… thanks for sharing James, such a good series!

[@jc18512]

Great video. Flying into the sun always sucks. Jim & Sara in Surprise Az

[@smithnyiu]

Love this series, hopefully will get to have similar trips when I finish my RV8. I have a question about your fuel gauge/float in front of the windshield. At the start of this leg it looked about in the same place as when you landed in Broken Bow. How do you read that guy?

[@JamesGood]

Thanks, Thomas. That gauge is floating in the header tank, which feeds the carb by gravity. The header tank is fed by a pump from the wing tanks, which runs continuously. The header then overflows back down to the wings. So, once the wings are empty, that float will drop. I try to never run the wings empty, so normally never see the header level drop.

[@smithnyiu]

​@@JamesGood Thanks for the reply. Makes sense, should have guessed that. I was thinking there was only a main and a small reserve, like my skybolt had.

[@kenthompson3730]

Thomas, the wings hold nine gallons each. The header tank holds six (in most Ercoupes). The header feeds the carb but is constantly trilled from the wings by a fuel pump. Your observation on the float gauge is correct. We actually hope to never see that float start descending. It means the wings are dry and we have maybe an hour to land. Because of the irregular shape of the header tank, the float gauge starts going down very quickly, which is a bit disconcerting! But even if the gauge bottoms out, you have about three gallons left, in theory. I never want to test that. I’ve only dipped into the header a couple of times. One was unplanned. It dropped about an inch or so before I noticed it. (Which was only a few minutes. I was pretty sure I could have made it to my destination but didn’t want to end up on the six o’clock news as THAT GUY who landed on the interstate near Dallas, so I diverted to an airport about ten miles behind me. I don’t want to do that again. It was being caught by surprise that scared me. The other time, I planned it. My planning indicated a burn of just over 18 gallons. Maybe 19 with my long taxi out and run up. I was watching the float carefully and pretty much right when I expected it, the float started dropping. I was only about ten miles from my fuel stop so it was all good. Normally, I prefer no longer than two hour jumps. That’s within my comfort zone.

[@glennstubbs8232]

Another fun ride. Keep it up. How do you keep the cameras rolling? My GoPros are dead in 30-40 minutes. The Insta360 is even worse.

[@JamesGood]

Thanks, Glenn. I run the internal cockpit camera off of my Ercoupe's 12V battery, that keeps the GoPro battery topped of. The tail camera is careful management using the GoPro remote control.

[@WoutervanTiel]

My remote go pro would never last past a few minutes in the winter. Still i got some great footage and these are such great memories. I need to buy a plane again.

[@randybranson1009]

@@JamesGood How are you doing that James? What cabling are you using now for audio and battery?

[@chicagorandy]

Really enjoying the sharing of your journey back home. If you attend AirVenture 2022 your vids will show you home just about in time to pack up and head back. lol Also amazing to me how well your action camera suction cups to the tail feathers. Is it tethered too?

[@JamesGood]

Hey Randy. No, I don't tether it. I think that would probably be worse for the aircraft, to have something flapping around back there. Haven't lost it in the hundreds of hours I've had it on there.

[@coppi60]

So sorry to hear about Darwin:( Are you going to get another one?

[@JamesGood]

There is only one. :) Not yet, George.

[@coppi60]

@@JamesGood we have been through that trauma several times. How did Charles handle it?

[@JamesGood]

George, he was as good as could be expected. He still occasionally says 'I can't believe he's not here'. :(

[@scottb5733]

I notice you take the carb heat OFF during landing. I’m curious why?

[@JamesGood]

I probably shouldn't, but the idea was that I've got full power for a go-around if I need it. I know there's more risk of ice when the throttle is closed. We're so dry in CA, that icing is very often not a thing...

[@scottb5733]

I inadvertently allowed the engine to quit while doing pattern work at KMYV. With carb heat OFF I did a power off landing in an Aeronca Champ. Greeted by silence following touchdown. From then on I’ve always kept carb heat in the ON position when reducing power in carburetored Continental engines. Love your channel, by the way! N66k

[@sbruce899]

I’ve been enjoying your series, but you need to stop playing up the Ercoupe as I’m going to be in the market for one soon and you are just going to drive up the cost of the little bird. I’m located in Omaha and the summer humidity takes some time to get use to. Maybe see you at Oshkosh one day. Fly safe

[@JamesGood]

Ercoupe’s are rubbish. Does that help?! :)

[@sbruce899]

@@JamesGood ha! I'll show that to a Ercoupe seller and see if it will

[@WoutervanTiel]

Oh yeah totally rubbish, quite bad, so hard to fly, and that open cockpit feel is just no good and dang my son is getting into Ercoupes and now we'll need one. That article in EAA is not going to help. I had a pipistrel sinus, it was really special but I can buy 6 Ercoupes for one of those.

[@HMartins-351]

:)

[@russparker6188]

What is the highest airport you have flown in and out of?

[@JamesGood]

I think Laramie, WY at 7,300'. Landed when density alt was over 10K! Big long runway (8,500') though, not very challenging. I've flown into and out of 1,300' long strips, those are more challenging!

[@JamesGood]

I should say my Laramie flight was carefully planned and managed. It's not something that should be taken lightly in something as low powered as an Ercoupe!

[@russparker6188]

Thanks!

[@russparker6188]

Just curious what the plane could do. I’ve seen you flying at higher altitudes…. I’m living in Colorado and our airport is just over 8000’. Wonder how an Ercoupe would do here… thanks for your sharing we just moved from O22, enjoy your videos.

[@JamesGood]

I think an airport at just over 8000' would be a challenge for an Ercoupe. Any Cessna 150's based there? Or other small-continental powered aircraft? And you moved from Columbia? I love going in there!

[@BoringFlightVids]

How does it do in crosswinds with no rudder pedals?

[@JamesGood]

It handles them very well. It’s probably more capable in crosswinds than similarly sized conventional aircraft. With the trailing link gear, you crab into the wind, landing crabbed. As soon as you get the mains down, the forward momentum pulls the nose straight. Then you steer with the nose wheel. BTW, I do have rudder pedals.