The early morning was one of those picture-book perfect creations. A low level broken cloud layer slipped silently over the treetops, revealing a flawless blue sky above. This means that we fly again today, as soon as the low level stuff burns off. What joy.... flying two days in a row! (Sarcasm here.)
As we are taxiing out to take off, a fellow pilot radios that he has just seen two deer cross the runway, and are grazing in the grassy area between runways. Sure enough, we spot the two young does in the field, but they are not a factor for our departure.
The flight to Mansfield, Massachusetts, below Boston, was an easy one. We skirt the Boston Class B airspace by flying under the outer ring floor at only 800 feet. Landing at Mansfield, I'm setting up for another perfect landing, but for some reason, I get a small hop.... less than a foot. Am I out of practice? This is only my third landing in about a week.
On the ground at Mansfield, we learn that they have a short grass crosswind runway that is in perfect condition. Make a mental note to do some landings there tomorrow before we take off.
Ordinarily we would have gone a lot farther in today's flight than just the short hop to Mansfield, however this is the airport nearest to the legendary Harley Davidson custom bike builder Dave Perewitz. Dave is building a very special, one of a kind trike for Art and his wife Betty. This three-wheeler has taken more than three years to build, and will probably take at least another 6 months. Look for it on the cover of Easy Rider magazine. Dave himself picks us up at the airport and we drive directly over to his private shop to see the engine he has constructed for Art's new bike. It is absolutely jewel-like in its perfection. Then we drive over to another shop where the three-wheeler frame is being finished, and get a tour of every piece of the special suspension, differential, axles etc.
From there, Dave drives us over to his retail shop in Brockton, a place called Cycle Fabrications where he has a magnificent Harley Road King which has been fully customized by Dave Himself. The paint scheme is out of this world, a base of deep purple and an indescribable design, but it all works very well. This bike has been on the cover of many biker magazines here and in Europe, and Dave tells us that Bruce Willis is negotiating to buy it. I am drawn to it like a magnet. I gotta sit on it. Art takes it for a ride, comes back ear-to-ear smiles, pronounces it smoother than any bike he's ridden. Art drops the kick-stand, keeping it running, and motions me over to sit on it. Once I'm on the bike, I'm hooked. What a monster! What sounds!
I haven't ridden a big bike since the early Sixties, and I never really felt comfortable with them, but I have always liked them a lot. A true totally custom big Harley like this is more of a work of art than transportation, and the one I'm sitting on is the creation of a master artist. I'm thinking seriously of taking Bruce Willis' toy away from him. This would be a great bike to ride in the deserts and mountains around Mikie's Fun House. All I gotta do is learn how to ride again. Hey, if I can learn to fly a Waco, I should be able to learn to drive a Harley. Many times the Waco biplane has been called "The Harley of the Sky". Hmmm.
Tomorrow we fly off to Martha's Vineyard. There is a very famous grass runway there, and the weather is supposed to be clear, but breezy. The plan is to have an orgy of grass takeoffs and landings, and then stay overnight and continue flying down the coast past the first class beachfront homes of Newport, into New York City and circle "The Lady" (the Statue of Liberty), then down the coast of New Jersey. The weather should be clear for a couple of days, hopefully, so I may even be able to make it in to Philadelphia to see my parents and brothers and sisters before the weekend. I'm looking forward to taking them for a Waco ride!