"Jon Anderson" wrote in message
...
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.

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


Jon

My dad had a fascination with planes. He went to the Oshkosh Air Show in
1936, the year he graduated from high school, and paid for a ride in an old
WWI vintage biplane. He said he immediately knew what he wanted to do in
life. He was in the US Air Corps as a sergeant, a flight engineer. He had
previously been a mechanic at oilfield businesses in Pennsylvania, starting
out in Grandpa's garage making bootleg equipment. (My Polish Grandpa was
quite famous for his "shine". Dad wanted to go on to commercial aviation,
but had contracted malaria in the South Pacific, and they would not take
him. Wish there were more cheap flights available. But with today's
market, and insurance and parts and all, they are quite spendy.

One's whole life can change with something as simple as one mosquito bite.

Steve