Two Pilots & an LSW: Zipping Along

The days are, that is.

Friday I took the Cheyenne to Oklahoma City to drop off two ladies. I took along a flight student of mine, Fred, who was getting bumped for his flight lesson for the THIRD time for a MBros trip. I don't like to dump people at all, let alone repeatedly, and he had the bad luck to be the one scheduled all three times, so this was to make up for that. He loved it, and got some healthy respect for IFR flying and Cheyenne flying too, so that was all good. :) I got home fairly late Friday night, and about 9 hours later I was back at the airport pulling out the T-6, for Saturday's shenanigans.

Saturday was a multiple person effort, and a first. It was the first time we ran two events on the same day at basically the same time. Justin G (now known as G to prevent me typing Justin 14 times) met me at Kokomo, and we flew the T-6 down to Indy Exec, landing just before 9 am. AE had beaten us down there and set up our trailer, with t-shirts, hats, water for sale, etc., and Justin P (now known as P, same reason) and his daughter Kayla were there to help man the trailer. AE then drove to Delphi, where Steve already was, and set up a tent up there with hats and t-shirts, and they pre-sold T-6 rides, while I gave rides down at Exec. It took about 60-90 minutes to get the ball rolling at Exec, but once the rides started, they went great. We hot loaded 4 rides in a row, then I needed gas, then we got in one more before we had to leave. It's always about getting that first ride, making the first noise, and then they come out of the woodwork. We actually shut down the rides before we ran out of them, because Steve said it was time to get to Delphi. So we turned away a few people, hopped in the plane and flew to Delphi. I didn't even shut down there, they just started loading people up until I ran low-ish on gas and low on stamina and needed a pause. I did 7 rides at Delphi. So 12 rides might not sound like a lot, plus an hour's flight commute from Kokomo to Exec to Delphi to Kokomo, but it was 90 degrees, I was layered up with clothes and a flightsuit, and we started at 8:30 am and landed back at Kokomo at about 5:30 pm. That's 9 hours, lots of people, 12 riders, 15 landings, and a whole lot of work, more than people think. As I've also already said, you have to be "on" as far as engaging, chatty, personable, outgoing, drawing people out, etc., and that's not my natural state, obviously. You also have to be careful, because while it's not good to get tired in any airplane, you don't have the luxury of losing focus in the T-6 and getting away with it like you can in a Cessna or a twin. Nope--it knows. Mock me if you will, but I dare you to try it if you don't believe me. ;)

So some stories from Saturday. Um, there was the 20 something year old guy who pulled our emergency canopy release handle from the back seat. In ten years, nobody else has been stupid enough to do that. We've had small children, folks with mental disabilities, nervous non-pilots and all manner of folks back there. But the red handle marked "EMERGENCY PULL ONLY" that was SAFETY WIRED closed was never an issue before yesterday. I'm taxiing back to park and the guy goes "I can pull these red t-handles, right?" I turn around and see him yanking on the emergency canopy release and yelp "NO! Not those! That's the emergency canopy release! Just use the handle (P) showed you!" He said "Oh, sorry, I think I already pulled it." Well, he did. He pulled it so hard he broke through the safety wire. I mean, seriously?? Fortunately, P was able to run back to his house, just a few miles away, pick up some safety wire, get the thing back in position where it belonged, which was a lot more effort than you'd think, and had I been alone I'd have been hosed, and safety wire the handle again. He said this time he put enough wire on it it will take a lot more effort to break. Of course we don't want it impossible to open either. But sheesh. People never stop amazing me. There is big white lettering on a big red handle that says emergency pull only, and why someone would pull on that, overcoming something wired shut, and then be surprised they weren't supposed to do it...Man. My mom always said the world is full of stupid people, and the world doesn't stop proving her right.

I flew with a teenage girl who is taking lessons in the 172 there at Exec. She would not touch the controls for anything. She wanted a straight and level, nice and easy, ride. Part of me is always thinking that people will be bored on a flight like that, but for many people, just getting up in an airplane at all is a big deal, and getting up in a warbird is a big deal, and they don't need to fly it or do anything aggressive to enjoy it.

One guy had to be talked into going for a ride, and G did a great job getting him convinced to go. He also said "I know it's a lot of money, but I've never had one person come down from a ride who regretted doing it." And that's true. So far, in all the hundreds and hundreds of rides we've given, I've never had one person say "Eh, that wasn't worth it" or be anything but happy and excited when they got out. Ever. So when we got back on the ground, I was taxiing in, and the guy said "You guys were right. That was worth every penny." :)

My first ride at Delphi was a Congressman's son. He was young, too. I don't know how young, maybe 9?, but several years younger than we normally allow to go on T-6 rides. But he was super sweet, and quiet, and very polite and respectful. I asked him if he liked roller coasters, and he said "Yes!" I asked if he wanted me to do some gentle roller coaster stuff, and he did, so I just played a little fat lady skinny lady, and he was giggling and whooping. When we landed, he didn't say much, but he got out, and Steve held his hand and walked him back to his parents, and as he walked away he turned around and gave me a thumbs-up and a big smile. It was sweet, and his parents were so happy that they actually gave us a $100 tip. Unnecessary, but neat. The Congressman is also a pilot. I think it's kinda neat that he let his very young son go up alone in an airplane like that with a pilot he knew nothing about at a little place like Delphi. That's sort of trusting, really. lol

I had an Indian couple who were both super quiet on the ground, but had a great time in the airplane. The woman said "yes please" when I asked if she wanted to do some more aggressive maneuvers. When I did, she started screaming with laughter. Just whooping and hollering. She loved it, made me laugh out loud. When other people are having fun, you can't help but have fun with them, and it makes you feel pretty good to be able to do that.

The last guy I took I was less pleased with at first, but on hearing additional info, it turns out to probably have been a good thing. He was a former airline pilot, then former corporate pilot, had a ton of hours. When he got in the plane and took over, he was "that guy", and was yanking it around, pulling it up close to stall speed, said "I just want to have some fun if you don't mind", while not telling me what he's planning. He tried to do a low pass over the field but got in the way of two other airplanes so I had to take over when he wouldn't turn when I told him to, that kind of stuff. But then I cranked it around for him, safely, and he laughed and said "That's what I'm talking about!" Ended up that he had lost his medical, one of my worst nightmares, and this flight meant a WHOLE lot to him. He was so excited, and so thrilled to have done it, that it's hard to be mad at him for his enthusiasm.

Another one that made me smile was the CAP guy who, once I took off, said "Ok, lady, fly it like you mean it!" I can do that, too.

So, all in all, a busy but fun day, and you interact with a lot of interesting people. On the ground while I was getting fuel, a very old gentleman who spent time with Collins with most fighters and bombers that they have, came up to me and said "I've been watching you all day, and you can really fly that thing. You do a great job. Beautiful landings, too." Nothing to say but "thank you!" But I appreciate an old pilot's compliments more than I do a non-pilot passenger's compliments, because they don't know any better. I appreciate all compliments to be honest, but I don't believe the people who don't know any better as much. ;)

Today I could have slept in, but did I? No. I woke up before 7 am again. Ricken Schmicken! lol But I've gotten a lot done around here that desperately needed it, at least. Tomorrow I get my hair permed again. Bad timing, but I want it done now so it'll be more relaxed by the end of the month. I hate flat head, and the helmet and sweating makes my hair look like a disaster when it's flat on top. So curls help fix that problem as much as it can be fixed.

Photos in reverse order from newest to oldest.