The tale of one who flew the bi-plane.......and one who can only read about it.....

[Rob/Windsor Ont.]

Airshows were and still are a common interest that Jim and I shared over the years.
This is a story of one in particular, at our local airport, that took place six or seven years ago. In order to understand the proper setting for this wonderful event, it is neccessary to explain to you a bit about Jim's background. The guy is a walking encyclopedia when it comes to war history and I highly doubt that there is much material on wars, any wars that he has not read.
I've often been the recipient of little known facts pertaining to the history of many wars and events that have happened in both of our nations pasts. I know some of the facts. Jim knows almost all of them. The stage has been set !

We arrived at our destination minutes before opening, as was usually the case, and we walked the tarmac in awe of the aircraft that stood before us. Many young boys spend their life dreaming of being that fighter pilot, that courageous and adventurous soul that dared to take to the skies.
He and I were no different in that regard. And up until this airshow, that reality would remain a dream........for one of us.
After an hour or so of admiring these creations of beauty, Jim and I came upon a booth that was offering flights in your choice of three airplanes. A simple two-seater Chipmunk, the Harvard and a very appealing 1941 open-cockpit Stearman bi-plane ! The thought of flying in an aircraft with no enclosure (canopy) was irresistable to both of us and we quickly signed up for a flight in the beautiful yellow bi-plane.

Our cash on hand found us a few dollars short of the neccessary funding so my buddy simply covered the fee with his charge card, which was returned to him on our trip home. Our anticipation was great and it was a mere thirty minutes before we would experience the thrill of being that WWI fighter pilot.

As we finished our coffee's, it was discussed who would be first to fly. It mattered not to either of us as both were to experience the thrill. It fell upon me to go first and my heart raced as I donned the ole' leather helmet and gloves.
I took my place in the front seat of the bi-plane. Engine roaring and cleared to go, I waved at my friend and braced myself as we picked up speed down the runway. The wheels lifted off the ground and we were airborn.
It was both thrilling and frightening to experience this flight with the air blowing about me and I thought of those brave souls who flew similar aircraft c/w machine guns during WWI. As an interesting side note, the life expectancy of a WWI pilot was two weeks ! Geesh !!

After twenty minutes of soaring, we approached the landing strip and I wasn't too disappointed when this rickety old plane touched the ground again. But I had done it ! And it was now Jim's turn.
As he walked up to the aircraft and pilot, prepared for his thrill, Jim was informed that the airplane was in need of re-fueling. No big deal. What's a few more minutes when we had three more hours before we had to take our leave.
Well, more than an hour had passed before the plane returned to our location BUT, alas, it had returned ! Jim again approached the pilot and plane expecting to don the ole' helmet and gloves but was reproached with the explanation that a "fly-by" of a few arriving planes was to take place shortly and another "minor" delay was neccessary. Jim's disappointment and worry was beginning to appear and I assured him that it was only a matter of minutes before he could experience the thrill that was now a matter of experience with ME !:blush:

Well, as you've probably figured out, his window of opportunity never did arrive. A comedy of errors prevented any further pleasure flights and Jim's frustration could not be contained ! You son-of-a b---- ! I had a feeling this was going to happen ! I knew it ! I knew it ! Why does this crap always happen to me ? ON MY CREDIT CARD TOO, YOU ARZEHOLE !!
I was laughing so hard I couldn't help myself. Just the look of frustration on his face. It was priceless ! The ride home contained a myriad of expletives that were new to the English language and the more I heard, the harder I had to laugh. But as I explained to my bud, all was not lost.
At least now, when he's reading about our heroic flying aces, he can console himself with the fact that he's got a friend who has experienced it "first hand". And, if he ever wants to know anything about flying an open-cockpit bi-plane, all he has to do is ask. Rather nice of me, isn't it ??

 

[Micheal_R]

Good story Rob.. I too used to love airshows. I remember flying [yes I have my pilots licence and used it a fair bit back in those days] over to Abbotsford one year for the airshow. That is the year that they brought the Vulcan over... that enormous brit bomber. It was huge!!!! But it was an experience to remember!!

calm seas

M

 

[VT Dave]

and sometimes you're the hydrant! Good one Rob! Does he ever ask about it?

 

[Wayne in BC]

i flew a bunch with light aircraft many years back and enjoyed it. Could have had my license but did not bother. I thought nothing about buzzing around muskegs, lakes, and treeless expanses aboard a Supercub or a 180 on floats in the north when i was young but anymore i seem to be less "bold"
Funny story! Thanks to Jim for being so accomodating

 

[Sunny]

to get your photo taken to share with us, did you???

 

[Sunny]

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[Piperboy]

and the big wet spot on the front of his blue jeans. They weren't re-fuelling. They were disinfecting !!!!

 

[Piperboy]

if he was dumb enough to do it. AND HE WAS !!!!

 

[Piperboy]

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[Piperboy]

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[david(tx)]

guess you could have told jim to stick his head out the window on the drive home to experience the sensations you did.

 

[Jbird]

I love airplanes and spent 20 years (1951 to1971) in the USAF. I started out working with single seat fighter/interceptor planes such as the F86D and F84F. In 1960 I was part of the test team at Edwards AFB testing the T-38 trainer type plane and its F-5 fighter version. The T-38 had two seats and lord how I wonted to get in one of those seats but aircraft electricians are not considered flying personnel. But when they thought we might have some battery and airstart problems, I said oh yeah, yes indeedy, and the only way to find out was to let me fly the back seat with some electrical test instruments and by golly I BS,ed my way into it. What a thrill!! and oh how my respect (and jealousy) of pilots increased. Then as time went on came the Vietnam war and my airplanes got older and had propellers on them. The C-130A model was hell on maintenace personnell but boy oh boy, what a workhorse. It is still going strong as the main trash hauler in Irag to this day. Then in the Air Commando,s (name changed to Special Forces in 9 there was the old C-123, some specially equipped B-25,s B26,s, the A-l Sky raider, and some old C-47 goony birds rigged up as gunships. I even got paid flight pay (I would have done it for free) as a crew member on some of those old goony birds and enjoyed every minute of it, even when taking ground fire. There is just something about those old slow as you go prop driven airplanes that makes you feel part of the action rather than just being a passenger. And now I have a son-in-law back in Louisian that has a couple of little Cessna type airplanes and a grandson with a pilots license. Looks like this old coot will get a chance to make like a bird just one more time pretty soon. I can understand your buddy Jim,s dissapointment about getting cheated out of his flight.

 

[Arkie John]

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[Rob/Windsor Ont.]

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[Rob/Windsor Ont.]

But I have to be honest. I now realize I wouldn't have had the stomach for it. Anyone who had/has the courage and nerve to fly definitely has my respect. No mistakes allowed up there or when landing. I've always been partial to WWII airplanes myself. The sound of their engines. The roar of the props. Something....what's the word I'm looking for.....I guess I'd have to say "romantic" about them. Does that make sense to you ?? You mentioned some amazing airplanes in your post Jbird. Of the ones you mentioned, I've always had a fascination for the Skyraider, if I'm remembering correctly. Was it not used as a fighter at the onset and during the Vietnam war. I believe that it was one of the only "prop" planes to down enemy jet fighters. Do I have that right ?? Boy.....I could read posts like yours day in and day out. I envy your life experience !!

 

[Rob/Windsor Ont.]

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[Rob/Windsor Ont.]

You guys have me thinking about taking up diving. I love the thought of scouring the river beds and lakes for goodies. I ran into an old buddy last year when I was off for my back (he for a knee replacement) and I was telling him about my metal detecting. He went on to tell me of an in-law in the Niagara region(near the falls) that had stumbled upon an area while diving that had been a munitions depot for the British during the war of 1812. Said they recovered enough artifacts to fill a museum. Can't think of a better way to pass the time !!

 

[Ron J]

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[Jbird]

....came online about 1945....a little too late for WWII but was used in the Korean war and some were re-furbished for use in Vietnam by the Air Commando,s. It had a very large engine for its size (an R-2800 engine) and very strong wings with about 8 pylons for mounting bombs, machine guns or rocket pods. Amazingly, it could carry and deliver about the same amount of explosives as the WW11 B-17 bomber. It went thru quite a few modifications, even one version was a two seater, side by side. It could easily land on short dirt or pierced steel planking landing strips or aircraft carrier,s decks. The ground troops loved it because it could loiter over a battlefield much longer than the jets and could get low enough and slow enough and accurate enough to blow the enemy away from our troops lines without much chance of collateral damage. What surprised me was a fairly large bay below and behind the pilots seat large enough to haul a couple of men and I have heard tales of it flying out wounded in that bay. You very seldom if ever read about it but there have always been all kind of little wars going on around the world and lots of them supported by our special forces troops (ground troops supported by air force special forces) and the airplanes used were the older prop driven airplanes like the skyraider or the F51 mustang and cargo planes like the C-47 or the C-123. It is a very simple thing to switch from active duty military to civilian clothes and look like some mercinaries hired by some country.

While Im telling war stories about using the older airplanes here......I had the pleasure of knowing and working with a Laotian TSgt named Peng when I was in Lao's. The Laotians only had two type of airplanes, the T-28 single engine fighter/bomber and the C-47 cargo airplane. Sgt Peng was nick named the "mad bomber". Peng had designed and made a little wooden rack/chute on which they could lay a bomb up to about 250 lbs in weight. The Laotians would strap this rack and a few bombs in the cargo compartment of a C-47 cargo plane, fly over enemy targets, lift the handle of Pengs chute and slide a bomb out the side door of the airplane. Kaboooom!! The mad bomber strikes again!! Peng told me that they didnt use the chute for hundred lb bombs. Two guys would just grab a 100 pounder, stagger over to the door and throw it out. Primitive but it worked and those old slow prop airplanes were tough and adaptable. Somewhere in this world today, I guarantee some little old two-bit airline in some little two-bit country is still using those old C-47 goony birds.

 

[Royal]

and it was a ball.

They are not very fast, only cruise at 75 or 80mph, something like that, I forget. They are great for sightseeing though. Noisy suckers but a ball.

We left the airport and headed for our little ten acre horse ranch and we flew with the wind, which was strong. We hit over a hundred mph but coming back we dang near crawled, which gave me a lot of time for viewing the sights.

Peeperboy! You missed a great time!! Too bad you were not worthy