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Larry Jaques[_4_] Larry Jaques[_4_] is offline
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Default Some metal content, and wood and fabric....

On Sat, 09 Jul 2011 20:17:24 -0800, Jon Anderson
wrote:

This is the last year I will be able to attend the local airshow at the
Nevada County Airpark, and finally owning a really good camera, I
decided to make a day of it. Normally I'm in and out in an hour or two,
but this year I took my time, getting some nice artsy photos.
Happened to hear about a raffle for rides in a Waco biplane, so hustled
over and bought a couple tickets. Hour or so later, I heard my name
called over the PA, the last of 4 winners! I was the first to check in,
so got the first ride. Don't know the exact year, but it was a very nice
Waco UPF7, blue with yellow wings. My dad has a lot of time in Wacos and
considers them his favorite biplane. So this was a real thrill, and my
first ride in an open cockpit plane.


Sucha deal! Sounds like lots of fun.


There is just nothing quite like lazily cruising about 800', watching
the scenery below slowly roll past!


It's even better slower. I spent $25 1980s dollars to go up in a
bubblemachine. We took off over the Palomar Airport air show in
Carlsbad, CA and lolled around for almost half an hour. The lady pilot
had just soloed that morning and it was my first helo ride, so we both
had a blast. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_47 She was slow and
bumpy (I've since ridden in a Robinson R44 and it was much smoother,
prop-shudderwise.)

Dad let me take off and fly a Cherokee C from Oceanside airport to
Catalina Island and back, but he insisted on landing it himself. (I
had just finished Basic Aviation in high school but hadn't taken any
flying lessons.) I sure wish I'd pursued that direction, but I didn't
want Dad pushing me into the Air Force, in his footsteps. ('Course, it
would have played havoc with my alcoholism at the time, too.) I love
flying, though, and the smaller the better.

--
One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: That word is love.
-- Sophocles