Golden Age of Flight experience

[VampyreGTX]

I was up in Oshkosh this weekend and stopped in at the EAA museam and Pioneer Airport. I actually forked over the money and took a flight in their 1929 Travel-Air open-cockpit biplane. In my whopping 250 hours of flying, I've never been in an airplane more exhilirating and more fun than this one. Nothing can compare to the open cockpit feel and the view from the plane. I just wish I could have had a chance to actually control it a bit, but even as only a passenger, it was probably the best flying I've ever been involved in. The pilot put it through a few light manuevers, a couple of lazy eights and a stall. Anyway, just wanted to share, as this is what flying truly is (was) and I wish planes like that we stilll easily accessible. I'll have a couple of pictures up later. I took 3 only as that's all the space I had left on the memory stick, and I'm kicking myself for not bringing the second stick!

 

[RichardRambone]

Get your self a helo intro flight and you'll be wowed too. Most fun Ive ever had flying and it was only 30 minutes.

 

[hoop]

I know what you mean. I am a private student, and my instructor is an old crusty B-52 pilot that is really into the Confederate Air Force. They sponsor an old WWII trainer, called a PT-19. I never had the sack to hit him up for a ride in it, but one day after a lesson, he said he was taking it for a spin on Saturday, and asked if I would like to come along. Man!! Talk about one of the coolest things I have had the pleasure of doing! I was thrilled just to be back seating in an actual museum piece, when he asked if I would like to take the stick. It was great. I did a few steep turns, nothing much really, then I asked him to take us through some maneuvers. He did a few chandelles (sp) and figure 8's, and a few others that I have never heard of. Overall, it has been the highlight of my 44hr flying career!

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/231239/M/

Not the same plane, but you get the idea