The Flight That Almost Wasn't...and Pictures of course!

Well, today was the trial run/practice at Indy, and it was amazing! One of those days where you keep pinching yourself, or looking around and thinking, "Yes, I am actually here, now, doing this." I almost didn't get to do it though. These last 24 hours have been something else.

Steve, Kaylee and I packed bags, and I flew down with them to Kentucky Dam, where Dad & Gayle have a houseboat. I dropped off the family, got in the plane to come back home, and IT WOULDN'T START. We spent all afternoon trying to get it to go, but it was a part we didn't have there. I'm trying to imagine driving home at all hours of the night, whatever it would take. So Steve called up to Kokomo and asked two guys to come get me and bring me home so I would be here this morning to do this flight. They arrived at 10:30 pm or so, and worked on the plane another hour or two and miraculously Steve, Dad and one of the guys finally they got the plane going. Meanwhile of COURSE I have to have gotten a bad headache verging on migraine. The two guys and I flew home--Slowly might I add, I REALLY miss the Baron and the Seneca!--and I walked in my house at 2:45 a.m.. Yes, ma'am. I set my alarm for 7:20 and passed out cold. My alarm woke me up--at 8:15. I was supposed to leave my house at 8:20 to be at the airport in time. At almost 3 a.m. I had set my alarm #2 (the one I never use) instead of alarm #1. Had alarm 2 been set for 12:00 like it normally was after power outages, etc., I'd have slept right through the event. Thank GOD it was set for 8:15. I jumped out of bed like I'd been shot, but I HAD to take a shower because of the long day in the sun I'd had yesterday. I ran around like a crazy woman, threw clothes on, and drove at 80mph out to the airport, to realize I didn't have the gate key. So I ran from the parking lot to the hanger, and arrived sweaty but dead-flat on time. Could I have just a LITTLE more drama for the day?? I was practically jumping out of my skin...after all that, to OVERSLEEP?? Man...

I get there, and he's wearing his flightsuit, so I get mine (thank heavens I remembered to bring it), and it is HOT in there. Long-sleeved, etc. But I'm not complaining! It was foggy in the morning, and while it was clearing slowly, we were legal to get to Indy, and it cleared off as we went. It was a nice and easy flight to Indianapolis International Airport, and we landed just after another of the Mustangs that was coming in.

Once we land, we have a pilot briefing with the Indy 500 Race Tower controller-in-charge-guy, who will be in the Padoga, and all the pilots. There will be 3 Texans (T-6 airplanes, not people from Texas lol), 3 Stearmans, and 3 Mustangs. I'll tell you, it was fascinating (to me and probably ONLY to me) sitting in on that briefing. Discussing frequencies and timing and distance and altitude and planning the runs they were going to make, where we'd all hold until it was our turn, etc. The Indy Padoga guy took names, birthdates and social security numbers to do a background check on the pilots. He told us if we were in El-Caida, we'd best get out of the room now. The planes are also going to be sniffed by bomb-sniffing dogs tomorrow prior to being allowed to fly over the crowd.

Then we went up and practiced. Just the 3 Mustangs went up to do their part, because they're faster than the others and will be a separate flight. The Stearmans and the Texans are going to do 3/4 of a loop around the actual track, and then the Mustangs are going to blow down the straight-away. Man, what a rush. Here are some photos from today!: http://www.laurastants.com/funflying2.htm.

I can't wait for tomorrow! There's only one Mustang that has a silver body with a yellow and black checkered tail and a red nose, so if you see that one, that'll be me. We are scheduled to fly over the track shortly after 11:30 a.m. our time! :)