(August 16, 2016 at 5:09 pm)Anomalocaris Wrote: I would be interested in taking a ride in a sopwith Camel or Fokker Tridecker.

Hell yes - mo wings is mo better. Open cabin, unpressurized.... sign me up.

(August 16, 2016 at 2:31 am)Anomalocaris Wrote:

(August 16, 2016 at 1:58 am)vorlon13 Wrote: BTW, a 50 minute ride in the P-51 is nearly $3000 . . .

2.5 hours of that will cost you the same as getting your own pilot's license.  After that you can wet lease a plane of your own to fly for $100 an hour.

Btw, the Russians charge that much for a 30 minute ride in a two seat Su-27, and they take you supersonic, as well as from sea level to 45,000 feet in one minute.

Direct me to this wonderful place where this happens.


The Su-27 and it's variants are so god damn awesome

(August 16, 2016 at 9:04 pm)Jello Wrote:

(August 16, 2016 at 2:31 am)Anomalocaris Wrote: 2.5 hours of that will cost you the same as getting your own pilot's license.  After that you can wet lease a plane of your own to fly for $100 an hour.

Btw, the Russians charge that much for a 30 minute ride in a two seat Su-27, and they take you supersonic, as well as from sea level to 45,000 feet in one minute.

Direct me to this wonderful place where this happens.


The Su-27 and it's variants are so god damn awesome

Working an airshow in Fort Worth back when I was an AF firefighter, one flew in for it. Put on an amazing display, especially for a plane its size, and capped it off with a hammerhead stall that peaked no more than 1000' AGL to a safe pull-out.

(August 16, 2016 at 11:11 pm)Thumpalumpacus Wrote:

(August 16, 2016 at 9:04 pm)Jello Wrote: Direct me to this wonderful place where this happens.


The Su-27 and it's variants are so god damn awesome

Working an airshow in Fort Worth back when I was an AF firefighter, one flew in for it. Put on an amazing display, especially for a plane its size, and capped it off with a hammerhead stall that peaked no more than 1000' AGL to a safe pull-out.

It's pretty damn capable, yeah. Especially like you said, considering its size. I remember that the strike fighter variant (Su-34) actually comes with a built in kitchen and bathroom for the pilots, which is pretty damn impressive if you ask me.

(August 16, 2016 at 11:57 pm)Jello Wrote:

(August 16, 2016 at 11:11 pm)Thumpalumpacus Wrote: Working an airshow in Fort Worth back when I was an AF firefighter, one flew in for it. Put on an amazing display, especially for a plane its size, and capped it off with a hammerhead stall that peaked no more than 1000' AGL to a safe pull-out.

It's pretty damn capable, yeah. Especially like you said, considering its size. I remember that the strike fighter variant (Su-34) actually comes with a built in kitchen and bathroom for the pilots, which is pretty damn impressive if you ask me.

Well, i say variant. It's got the same basic design, just a redesigned cockpit and nose.

(August 16, 2016 at 11:57 pm)Jello Wrote:

(August 16, 2016 at 11:11 pm)Thumpalumpacus Wrote: Working an airshow in Fort Worth back when I was an AF firefighter, one flew in for it. Put on an amazing display, especially for a plane its size, and capped it off with a hammerhead stall that peaked no more than 1000' AGL to a safe pull-out.

It's pretty damn capable, yeah. Especially like you said, considering its size. I remember that the strike fighter variant (Su-34) actually comes with a built in kitchen and bathroom for the pilots, which is pretty damn impressive if you ask me.

I thought the cigar lounge was a nice touch.

(August 16, 2016 at 1:53 am)vorlon13 Wrote: There will be a Stearman (biplane, open cockpit) and a P51 Mustang this weekend, and I have precious little interest in riding in either of them.

That makes me sad. Flying riders in a Stearman is one of my former jobs. Although I got burned out and left professional aviation for greener pastures, the Stearman is one of maybe two airplanes that I actually miss flying. If I never set foot in almost any other airplane it wouldn't be too soon, but the Stearman? If I won the lottery tomorrow, I'd own one by the end of the week.

(August 16, 2016 at 1:19 pm)vorlon13 Wrote: Um . . .

yeah, my minimum equipment list definitely includes 'motor'

See again, you and I are very different people. For all the tricky and challenging flying I got to do during my pro-pilot days, I never really felt the sensation of actually 'flying' until I took some sailplane lessons. You're not really flying until you're circling in a thermal and climbing at 350 feet per minute with no motor. There is nothing else that feels like that.

It's a new hobby, I might try some planes off my 'comfort' list at some point. For this weekend, a B-29 is available, and I got the seat I wanted so I'm pretty keyed up.

The B-29 was/is quite a plane. Till just recently, this was the only flightworthy example.

That a B-29 is the only model to have delivered a tactical nuke is significant. In my professional career I worked on the bomb bay mechanism for the B-52 and the B-2 so this plane is of particular interest.

Also, since there are (now) just the 2 flightworthy examples, I feel a sense of urgency that such rides my not be available at some point.

Yeah, I have mixed feelings about CAF giving rides on such a rare aircraft. Part of me says it needs to be in a museum and cherished for generations to come, but, I realize, there are fine museum examples. Heck, there is one at the SAC Museum SW of Omaha, not too far. Still, giving rides, even though I'm signed up for one, kinda sorta feels like maybe risking something that maybe otta not be risked.

LOL, went to the airport today to see the classic aircraft (assuming Thursday would be way less busy than Saturday). The B-29 was there and got a good look in the bomb bay and some time in the cockpit. They were doing some maintenance work on it and got to see a technician in the cockpit flipping switches to checkout some of the equipment on engines #3 and #4.

-and-

noticed their SB2C Hell Diver was painted in honor of being assigned to the carrier Franklin. Oh poo! Not going to ride it this year, but had I known, it would have been a tough call with the B-29. The Hell Diver can only take (it looks like) 1 passenger at a time, and it's very nearly as pricey as the B-29 ride. But wow, it looks like fun.


The cockpit of the B-29 is surprisingly roomy, I expected it to be really tight on clearances, but it's easy to get around in. And there is a really intense industrial vibe to it, wires, and cables, and pipes and equipment abound. They even have a coffee pot.