Driving a Cessna.

So I’ve been grounded due to weather am potentially RTHless for the afternoon and am looking for something to do. I call upon my flying buddy D, of Utah trip fame. He has an idea. A pretty cool one. He’ll pick me up and we’ll go for a drive.

Sounds pretty mundane, until you realise that D drives this…..

 

It is an M38A1 Canadian forces jeep. And it is amazing. It is the closest you’ll ever come to driving a Cessna on the road. The similarities are uncanny, but I’m getting ahead of myself.

When D first pulled up I quickly realised that hopping in at the lights would be relatively easy due to the lack of doors. Thanking my decision not to wear my white jeans, I grabbed hold of a convenient handle and literally hauled my ass into the seat (check out the height of the step compared to the height of me!). Just like a Cessna, it took me about 5 minutes to figure out the seatbelt but we pootled along, enjoying the breeze.

This car is an absolute riot; the dash has an instrument panel that honestly looks like it was pulled from a C150, complete with gauges you occasionally have to tap into life. I’m not a girly girl and I don’t mind getting my hands dirty but the shocking shocks combined with the lack of doors left me in fear for my bag. Luckily the sailor in me quickly improvised a knot around the grab handle that would tighten with any sideways force.

So many cool features that D took the time to point out; the hand operated windshield wipers complete with vacuum driven pump. Yes it actually has a vacuum gauge a la Cessna! Other features include a hand throttle, a lack of Synchromesh on some of the gears and an option for blackout lighting.

I have never had so much fun driving around Toronto in my life. As D says; it is impossible to be sad in that car, everyone wants to be your friend!