"Ms Avery's Virtual Flight" from Degrassi Palooza

[@douglasmcilwee8867]

Very nice flight Michelle! Good photography Glenn!

[@tedrankine7086]

i loved the ride along.... nice work Glenn and Ms. Avery !!

[@MrHualienese]

WOW! Best Piet video I have ever seen! - Orrin Hoopman (you might recognize the name)

[@mikeyt1023]

Great Pietenpol Air Camper video!!

[@utoob9660]

Awesome Video! Looks to be quite beautiful up in that neck of the woods. I guess it really IS michael moore’s Canada...no locks on doors and open cockpit Pietenpols :-)

[@timandrew1091]

Very nice

[@johnw5734]

Great video. My recent interest in this design developed as I searched for an antique type aircraft to do as a model. The more I learn about the Pietenpol the more I wish I had one. In a way I will, if only a 30% scale RC model.🙂

[@Aero360Aviation]

Super cool video! My dad had a Pietenpol and I have always been fascinated by them.

[@sheriglisinski5979]

I loved so much about the video: the scenery, the filming. How long did it take you to put it together from beginning to end? What was the hardest part about the filming? I appreciate all the work to put this beautiful video together

[@fearwidge]

Hey Sheri. Apologies. Forgot to reply to this. We did most of the shoot over a couple of weeks. But I "cheated" and used aerial footage from an earlier vid we'd done on Michelle flying her Piet. However, we still shot a lot of footage, on the ground and in the air (with several Go-Pro cams mounted on The Piet - including one Michelle wore on her head). The hardest part is always the Editing. I started off as a professional Film Editor, so the creative part is still the same - but learning the software program for VIDEO editing is tough as they keep on changing the system. It's a shame that Michelle's "virtual flight" was across from the "Kids of Degrassi" forum at Degrassi Palooza. Stacey was planning on dropping by for the final "Flights With Mum" clip they worked on together, but couldn't get away. Still - it's here now for all to see. (BTW: click on fearwidge next to my pix up above - then click on Videos to see a bunch of the other vids we've done featuring Michelle. Thanks for the kind words, Cheers, GN

[@sblack48]

What airfield is that? I dropped into CFC8 on the weekend and there were several Piets there. 4200 ft of grass! Great autumn flying. Saw Michelle this weekend too.

[@timandrew1091]

Are you on Facebook. Love my Pietenpol.

[@SandcastleTheory]

Ah, right, THAT's what you look like, I almost forgot... Ahem! I'm glad to see you're still flying, Widge. I miss you two. You never call... (sigh). xo

[@fearwidge]

Tried MANY times. Old number??? E me.

[@jamessollazzo4860]

you go up in that deathtrap? I wouldn't let my worst enemy fly in that1

[@fearwidge]

Hmm... Well, Pietenpols have been flying for NINETY-TWO years and Michelle/Ms. Avery has owned - and flown - hers for FORTY-TWO. Piets have extremely good safety records and people are STILL making new ones in basements & garages all over the world - which seems highly unlikely if they truly WERE "deathtraps." You DO have to know what you're doing to fly one; Pietenpol Pilots must have very specific skills But... By all means, DON'T fly in one yourself. (Not that you have to worry about an invitation to go up after that comment.) ROFL GN

[@jerryanstey7058]

Why dos the pilot sit in the back seat ?

[@fearwidge]

Apologies. I just saw your question - and it's a good one.. Aeroplanes are designed so that the centre-of-gravity (balance) is maintained (and the plane remains stable) whether the Pilot is flying alone, or with a passenger. If the aeroplane features side-by-side seating, that balance is unchanged with a passenger on board (the plane just gets Heavier). But tandem-seating aircraft (one-behind-the-other) present a problem. Because, if the Pilot flies alone up front - with the plane in balance - the addition of a passenger in the rear cockpit would make the aircraft tail-heavy (which can lead to VERY dangerous situations). However, if the plane is designed to be in balance with the Pilot in the rear, the addition of a front-seat passenger presents no problem as they are seated right on the "centre of gravity.," so - again - the only difference is that the plane has to lift a heavier load. In small, antique aircraft like Michelle's Pietenpol, the Pilot has to calculate the centre-of-gravity before each flight, and be VERY careful not to exceed the "gross weight" (the maximum weight that particular airplane is capable of lifting). But as Michelle is a "Petite Pilot," she doesn't have to worry as much about exceeding the aeroplane's critical weight So WHY fly tandem-aircraft (usually with the 3rd wheel in the rear)? Because - before there were paved runways - aeroplanes flew out of grass fields, many of which weren't that smooth. So it was important to have the BIGGER, main wheels up front so they could soak up the loads on landing. And while there are many paved runways around today, some Pilots (like Michelle {and myself}) prefer the freedom a "taildragger" gives you - the ability to land just about anywhere. There really is NOTHING like it...

[@Kantong5]

Ms. Avery's gay, you know? She's a lesbian. I heard the rumour.

[@fearwidge]

Oh, Kathleen... Are you SURE? I've asked Michelle for a clarification on this and her answer was: "Only Ms Avery knows - and she ain't talking." Hope this clears things up. (Though I guess it really doesn't... Saw-ree.) 😆