Oh, shit! This is an expensive new hobby, OMFG !

[vorlon13]

And the main event:

yeah, rode the B-29.

It was spectacular. The plane is fast, and I'm sure they weren't pushing hard either. It rode very well, it's large, and sturdy. We had benign flying conditions, and everyone was great. 3 crew flew it. It's a little noisy, but nothing like the Tri Motor.

We flew north a ways and then went west and south around Omaha. Great views of the city. Touch down was a breeze.

I noticed a screeching sound as we taxied and realized it was the brakes. Even with the engines throttled back to idle, a B-29 wants to fly!! The brakes hold the old girl back.

They said the B-29 absorbs a million dollars every year to stay flying. Admission for cockpit tours, grants, bequests, gifts and fares like mine keep it going. If I heard correctly, the B-29 absorbs over 100 maintenance man-hours for every flight hour that accrues. As I recall, the F-14 is less than 1/2 that.

There was quite a crowd watching as we taxied out and when we returned. Starting the engines was quite a show for them too.

[vorlon13]

and the C-45 ride:

Well, several surprises.  The plane is air conditioned, a nice touch.  And for it's size, it is very powerful.  Just looking at it, note how much of the plane is engine and how much is everything else.  So we take off, and it really shows it's mettle: climbs well and the pilot is eager to do some turns.

Tight turns.

And turns that are banked quite steeply.


Makes for a good ride.  We went along the Missouri for a ways, then across farmland and fields.  We flew over the hills too and made several more turns.  The air was clear, just a few clouds above.  And it was clear, the pilot loved his plane.

Soon enough we headed back towards the airport.  While banking to line up with the runway I got a great view of the dead trees along the river, still standing from the flood in 2011.  Then we were lined up and over the end of the runway.  Headed down and the plane flared, then we set down on the runway, and bounced back up.  

OK.


Then we set down again, and bounced up harder.  Felt like we were going to bounce again, and the pilot jabbed the throttles ahead, and ZOOM, we zipped away to do a lap around the airport.  The second landing was uneventful.

Great fun, (afterwards), never did a go-around before.  Interesting how quick the situation presented, and how instantly the plane responded and got us back in the air when pressed to.

The CAF C-45:

[johan]

The Beech 18 is a very classic and classy airframe. Very cool too that you actually got to see some PIO (pilot induced oscillation) and a go around. The pilot did the right thing. If it had bounced a 3rd time, it probably would have turned into an insurance claim.

I'm curious. Its obvious that you really enjoy being around these ancient beasts. Its also obvious that you enjoy the sensations of flying and the views one can only get from low level aircraft flight (low level as opposed to airliner altitudes). Have you considered getting a private pilot cert?

As memorable, fulfilling, do it all over if I had the chance life events go, learning to fly is second only to marrying my wife for me and I've done a lotta cool shit in my time. Seriously, you should look into it. Go take a lesson or two. You've got nothing to lose.

[vorlon13]

Appreciate the thought, but I'm pushing 60. Several neighbors had light planes when I was growing up, and I did look into taking pilot lessons when I was in college (yeah, '75) but the expense of it was an issue and I do have many other interests.

And I'm really enjoying 'collecting' aircraft this way. If I had a pilots license, and bought a plane, well, that would be my plane. With organizations like the Ford Tri-Motor folks and the Commemorative Air Force, there will be scads of different aircraft for me to ride in. When I was in the Stearman, I was offered the stick, and I had not the slightest urge to fly the plane. And when we landed, I wanted to go up on a different one. If I encounter the Hell Diver again I'd be sorely tempted to go for a ride. As I noted before, the PBY Catalina would be a trip, I'll probably never encounter a Martin Mars or a Lockheed Electra, but you never know.

As for expanding an existing hobby, I could see bumping up my trails for my ATV rides with a skid steer loader.

The Tri Motor ride a couple weeks ago was a lark, had no idea it would be as much fun as it was. And it was a coincidence the CAF B-29 was going to be in the area so soon. The opportunity to ride in the cockpit of the B-29 was both extremely pricey, but overwhelmingly compelling too.

I could see a ride in a B-17, and if money is plentiful, I'd strongly consider the P-51 Mustang now, but at nearly double the cost of the B-29 ride, that one will have to wait. B-24 and B-25 are on the list. My new friend (heh, heh) mentioned an interest in an upcoming show elsewhere in the midwest, the timing isn't good for me, harvest season is rapidly approaching. And I'm on email lists now, next years schedule will out at some point this winter, and by then I'll have an idea how my farm operation did $$$ this year and I can plan/budget for next summer. The neat thing about shows here though, is flying over terrain I'm familiar with, I'd have to think about that in regards to going to Minneapolis or St' Louis for instance.

I'd like to have some of my old friends here for a show in the next few years and maybe going up with several at the same time in a larger aircraft. There are many ways I can indulge this new interest, and I really don't think a pilots license and owning Piper cub or some such would be any more fun, different, yes, but what I'm doing is a blast.

LOL, not much attraction to me to ride a helicopter again, I wouldn't rule out the one at the Clay County Fair, but not this year. And hot air balloons ??, Hell no.