Aerohead

My Feedback: (37)

I know this is a bit off-topic, guys but please bear with me. On Friday I got to fulfill a life-long dream. I am a licensed pilot and have a couple hundred hours in Cessna 172's, but haven't flown for a few years because diabetes has made it so expensive to keep my medical. I've always been crazy about airplanes, especially warbirds, and , like most of you, I've always had a dream of sitting at the controls of a Mustang or Corsair, and tearing up the sky. Well, I saw an ad in the local paper the other day advertising rides in a real warbied. I called and talked to them and arranged for a 30-minute ride for $270, where I could do a few aerobatic maneuvers. They were as good as their word. After takeoff the pilot pulled up the gear and said "You've got the aircraft". We headed out far enough away from the rural airport to safely do some fancy flying. The instructor would show me a maneuver, then I would try it. We did aileron rolls, loops, inverted flight, and a couple of hammerhead stalls. I just couldn't believe this was happening to me! The plane seemed so smooth and responsive; so much better than I had expected the plane to fly. And everything seemed so easy to do. Of course, having flown aerobatics with an RC plane for many years helped there, I'm sure. I admit, the G's were pretty hard to take, and, by the time we finished, my stomach had gotten pretty queasy, but I kept everything down, a fact that we were both glad of. I didn't come close to blacking out, though, but the forces are pretty oppresive. The queasiness certainly didn't dampen my enthusiasm, though, and my instructor seemed to be quite pleased with my obvious delight at getting to put the plane through its paces. Well, I've always loved an AT6/SNJ before, but never had a model of one. I certainly intend to have one now, though. Thank you, Topdog, for a thrill of a lifetime.

t_burley

My Feedback: (59)

way cool!
I have my ride setup for March 7th. North American Top Gun will have their AT6's/SNJ's out here next week into March. My wife
bought me a flight like yours for my 40th birthday. Cant wait to see if I can make myself sick doing some aerobatics

Todd

Aerohead

My Feedback: (37)

It will be a wonderful experience. Even if you get sick, you'll will cherish the experience forever. I'm 52 and for at least 47 years of that I have watched old black and white WWII movies with aviation themes and dreamed what it would be like to sit in that cockpit and have my way with that bird. Now I have done it and it was well worth the wait, an incredible experience. Have a blast, man, and email me after your flight and let me know how you liked it. Post some pics, too.

Nick Jones
[email protected]

t_burley

My Feedback: (59)

will do Nick, thanks for the support, am looking forward to this.

Todd

JohnMcGowan

My Feedback: (15)

Hey Nick, glad to hear you got to fly the real thing.Sure sounds like an adventure of a lifetime to me. I was going to ask you where you fly rc in or around Eufaula? I have an uncle that lives there (on Sanford Street or Sanford Ave-cant remember which) as well as my grandmother who is at a retirement home there.
I plan to come back thru there and visit them on my way back to B'ham from Perry Ga this weekend.
His name is Bob McGowan.
Now if only I could get my wife to get me a "real airplane ride" for my b'day!
Later!! John

Aerohead

My Feedback: (37)

The flying situation is a little iffy around Eufaula right now. We're sort of "between flying sites". We had a great place to fly with the permission of a local businessman with a 150' x 1900' grass runway, but he befriended a group of guys flying ultralights who have pretty much taken over the field. We used to work very effectively with the owner, as far as making sure we were out of the way when he wanted to fly his full-scale planes, and he always made a couple of passes to let us know he was coming in to give us time to get our models down. But the ultralight guys have no respect for us at all, and completely dominate the field on evenings and weekends and fill the sky with their aircraft, never seeming to actually go anywhere, but constantly making low passes and touch-and-goes with no consideration for us modelers. The real pity is, three of the ultralighters used to be RC'ers, but they seem to be the worst of the bunch. Oh well, we'll connect with something eventually.

t_burley

My Feedback: (59)

just got from mine today. Anyone with a chance to do it, do it!
What a freekin rush
Man, cant wait till next year!

Todd

MHawker

My Feedback: (16)

I don't have any pics of when I took my ride last year, but here's the plane from their advertisement. It actually looks like me in the back seat.

I asked him to fly over our airfield. He obliged by doing a "strafing run" and while pulling up after we killed everyone, we did a victory roll. oooops shhhh don't tell anyone about that.

Mike