Barbara knew what that was, from Oalfson's instructions on the ground.
"Now, this is important... Taxiing in a circle is the only way to make sure nobody's about to land their plane while you're trying to take off."
Barbara hoped she wouldn't get airsick again. She didn't think throwing up on Paul would make a very good impression.
The Piper Cub lifted off the ground even before Barbara knew it, but it did not disturb her stomach.
"It gets up in the air faster than the Jenny," she said.
"She leaves the ground almost before you've got her throttle full open. After that, you creep upward at barely 400 feet per minute, with 55 miles per hour and 2,140 revolutions per minute on the dials."
"The engine's noisier than the Jenny, too."
"More horsepower. Some of the sixty-five horses are expended in sheer noise."
Barbara chuckled at the analogy to her favorite animal.
From the rear seat, she couldn't see ahead as well as she would have liked, but there was plenty to look out on either side as the plane kept climbing skyward.
"Always watch the oil temperature. On a hot day, it may be nudging the limit by the time you reach circuit height. Full bore gives about 87 mph. Smell it?"
"The engine smells hot, like you could roast a chicken on it."
For a moment, Barbara's mind left flying and she hoped he would ask her to dinner.
"A good cruise is 75 mph at 2,150 rpm. With any sort of breeze on your nose, the cars on the roads below will leave you behind. But who cares who's faster? You're flying!"
"Who cares, we're flying!" she echoed happily.
"Now watch this... I'm really impressed by the Cub when I try slow flight. See, I've turned the power off. The stall comes up at about 35 mph. Gentle, with a slight left wing drop, if you keep the stick hard back."
Barbara saw the wing drop and the plane's nose fall away before the wing.
"Feels like we're picking up speed again," she called to her instructor.
"We will be, before the wing really has much of a chance to go down. You have to hold the stick back hard and long in order to reach the stall. But again, be careful. If you release the stick at the moment of stall, the plane will pitch sixty degrees nose-down. Ready for some fun?"
"Sure!" She didn't know what he had in mind, but trusted him.
"When you stall with the power on in turns, it's quite a ride. I'll try a climbing turn, with full power, top rudder, and the airspeed dropping."