Fantastic write up Tony! I find the 120 to be about the best handling light two-seater around.

Pretty sure none came with the wing root vents, but there is an STC or maybe some were just installed. My 120 does not have them, relying on the little twist ventilators in the windows. Those actually work fairly well.

Do you have the drop-down Grimes landing light still? Those are neat. Mine has the STC for the 150 in-the-wing lights. Work great until the tail drops, then not so much. Somebody installed some newer really nice yokes in yours - no pretzels at all, but still with a nice top piece to rest your hand. Never figured out why they went to rams horns on light airplanes.

The 120 will handle more crosswind than just about any other high-wing Cessna taildragger, and does it with aplomb. A consideration for the those days when the winds pick up from the "wrong" direction.

Your admonition, which will be summed as "never use brakes on a taildragger" is particular relevant to the 1946 C120s with the more rearward hear (unless extended, which has its own issues). Later models had the gear swept forward to help but not alleviate their nose-tippy tendency.

Mine went for a 1300 nm cross-county the last two days. And on the last leg it was nice to have the IFR equipment since the wx got rainy and such. Alas, she's not polished and is more of a flyer than anything.

As far as hovering, well about 1988 took a C150 from ITH to ELM, maybe 30 nm flight on about a 240 heading. On the way there, flew at around 3500' with a terribly low groundspeed due to the southwest flow ahead of a strong front. About ten miles out, started a climb to around 10,000'. Then, while still pointing southwest, and in level (albeit a bit intentionally slow) flight, flew backwards to ITH over about 45 minutes never having pointed the aircraft in the correct direction!

You guys talking about flying these airplanes backwards are making me nostalgic for my parachuting days. Nothing like looking over your shoulder and crabbing to the target! Best get that wing collapsed on touchdown however, otherwise, you’ll get a sense of what a plow must feel like. Ha!

1300 NM is a long way in a C120! Congrats on that. I don’t have the drop down lights. I have those on my Fairchild and Waco YKS 6 cabin. Great when they work and a PITA when they don’t.

BTDT many times, especially as a novive under a Double LL cheapo. I almost always forgot to chop one side and let the canopy collapse (that would be too easy). I would try to jump up and run around it to the downwind side to make it collapse, falling down and getting dragged another 50' several times. Those were the days...

Dan

BTDT many times, especially as a novive under a Double LL cheapo. I almost always forgot to chop one side and let the canopy collapse (that would be too easy). I would try to jump up and run around it to the downwind side to make it collapse, falling down and getting dragged another 50' several times. Those were the days...

Dan

Here I am doing a little hovering in my 120. The Garmin GPS can’t figure what’s going on.
:https://youtu.be/1uMC8yBOXDY?si=jApHQhhHvh5aRFwT

[youtube]https://youtu.be/1uMC8yBOXDY[/youtube]

Nice.

For anyone that hasn’t skydived, that look of the wheel and strut in the foreground and earth in the background with the sound of engine and slipstream is exactly what it looks / feels like before exiting. Throw in a little cold and anxiety and you have the whole package.