I turned toward my side and saw that the the left main was hanging but not locked in the forward position. Uh Oh! I immediate called the Tower and explained my situation and they sent us out over toward Lake Winnebago to manually pump the gear down. A C-172RG gear should pump down and lock in 35 strokes (just like in the movies). About pump 100, I knew this was not going to work. It was a hydraulic system failure.
About our third trip, this time from Pontiac to Waukegan past South Bend and Gary, flying the shoreline, George told me that if he survived this experience, he’d love to learn to fly and maybe even make a living doing so. He had fallen in love with aviation and wanted to really be part of it. My response was, “Well, hey, no time like the present, are you ready?”
I was on a return flight, mid morning, deadheading back after an early Angel Flight. Downtown Chicago was basking in the morning sun and it was an excellent photo op. Soldier Field, the Field Museum, Adler Planetarium, and Grant Park in the foreground and Willis (Sears) Tower to the John Hancock in the background.