Brad and I pulled in. There were small planes buzzing all around. We were at the Moontown Airport just north of my house. It was a constant flurry of activity for such a small airport, unlike the everyday business I’m sure. But today was a big day. Grown men could be little boys today, little boy with great skill and complicated toys. Just watching them rip up and down that grass runway was exhilarating. Planes were above rolling, diving, looping. It was an exciting environment.
Brad parked us. We got out and met up with his family. They are great people. Eleanor, Allan’s wife, is a sweetheart. She may be one of the nicest and sweetest people in the world. I love kidding around with her. Scott and Rusty were there. Scott is a big kid, a 6’6” kid. Rusty was preparing his girlfriend to fly with Allan when Brad when I approached the plane. Scott’s wife Kelly, her brother, and his kids were all there. Kelly wasn’t going to ride. She had been up before. She also threw up. I’m sure she’ll appreciate me putting that in here. Her brother went up with Allan after Rusty’s girlfriend had her turn. He was prepared. He had taken motion sickness medicine and was wearing those motion sickness wristbands. The only other equipment he needed for motion sickness was medicine in an i.v. drip. He didn’t throw up. However, he had to be detoxed from the meds.
Brad and I sipped on some water in the hangar. You thought I was going to say wine didn’t you? It was water. The wine was later. My appointment with skies was fast approaching. Brad asked if I was anxious. I said, “I just hope that I don’t throw up.” That would be so embarrassing. He suggested that I use those wristbands that Kelly’s brother had. I didn’t tell Brad, but I wanted to do it John Wayne style, no medicine or other aids. I am not proud or anything like that.
It was my turn. Allan and I approached the plane. It was a Russian Yak 52. It was blue and silver. It looked mean. It was a two-seater. Allan sat in the front seat. I sat in the seat about three feet directly behind him. I had all the same controls and even a stick to operate the plane. I didn’t touch it.
Allan ran through procedures and instructions before we lifted off. He gave me a harness to put on. As I was latching it he told me, “That is what you pull for the parachute.” I wasn’t looking when he said it. I wasn’t expecting him to tell me I had a parachute. Now, I have been skydiving before. I just wasn’t prepared for that thought. After he mentioned it, he kept on spitting out instructions. In shock, I said, “You pull what.” There was a loop and a cord side by side where he pointed and said pull that. I wanted to make sure I knew which one to pull. It seemed kind of important to me. Allan said that the odds that we would use it would be very slim. I just know that I didn’t want to be hurling toward the earth and the last thought that I had to be, “Now, which thing did he say to pull.” I probably wouldn’t be able to forgive myself in the remaining ten seconds of my life. He pointed out the parachute release again and finished all the other instructions and helped me get latched in.
I put on my headset. Allan started the plane. It was tough sounding. It made my adrenalin get pumping. He did all his checks. We taxied down the runway. The canopies were all see through. Allan came on the radio and informed me that I need to slide my canopy forward and latch it. I did. He got the permission from the control to take off.
Allan floored it. I was getting so excited. We raced down the runway. I waved at Brad as we passed him. I gave him a thumbs up. We lifted off the runway. We were airborne. Allan took us up to about 3,000 feet to start. We were doing about 150 knots. He showed me my house. We flew just above the tree line over Monte Sano. It was beautiful. We dropped down over Hampton Cove. Allan dove us down about 25 feet above a cotton field. We roared over it. He took us back up to about 7,000 feet. This is where it got interesting.
At 7,000 feet, Allan rolled out to the right. We rolled all the way over. I am not sure what you call that. I just know that over the next several minutes I was upside down a few times. We did a couple of loops. That was insane. Then we did a Cuban Eight. I believe that is where we did a loop, went into another loop and rolled out of the second one on the way out. I don’t remember exactly all that we did. I just remember looking up through the canopy of the cockpit and seeing the earth several times. Allan checked on me to see if I had blown chunks in his cockpit. I said that I was o.k. It was only after the Cuban Eight that I felt a little bit queasy. As we began to descend, I was feeling kind of weak. I managed to hold my cookies in.
We made our approach. Allan landed smoothly. He is an expert. The man got skills. We taxied to the fuel station. It was an unforgettable experience. I am definitely an adrenalin junkie.
Brad parked us. We got out and met up with his family. They are great people. Eleanor, Allan’s wife, is a sweetheart. She may be one of the nicest and sweetest people in the world. I love kidding around with her. Scott and Rusty were there. Scott is a big kid, a 6’6” kid. Rusty was preparing his girlfriend to fly with Allan when Brad when I approached the plane. Scott’s wife Kelly, her brother, and his kids were all there. Kelly wasn’t going to ride. She had been up before. She also threw up. I’m sure she’ll appreciate me putting that in here. Her brother went up with Allan after Rusty’s girlfriend had her turn. He was prepared. He had taken motion sickness medicine and was wearing those motion sickness wristbands. The only other equipment he needed for motion sickness was medicine in an i.v. drip. He didn’t throw up. However, he had to be detoxed from the meds.
Brad and I sipped on some water in the hangar. You thought I was going to say wine didn’t you? It was water. The wine was later. My appointment with skies was fast approaching. Brad asked if I was anxious. I said, “I just hope that I don’t throw up.” That would be so embarrassing. He suggested that I use those wristbands that Kelly’s brother had. I didn’t tell Brad, but I wanted to do it John Wayne style, no medicine or other aids. I am not proud or anything like that.
It was my turn. Allan and I approached the plane. It was a Russian Yak 52. It was blue and silver. It looked mean. It was a two-seater. Allan sat in the front seat. I sat in the seat about three feet directly behind him. I had all the same controls and even a stick to operate the plane. I didn’t touch it.
Allan ran through procedures and instructions before we lifted off. He gave me a harness to put on. As I was latching it he told me, “That is what you pull for the parachute.” I wasn’t looking when he said it. I wasn’t expecting him to tell me I had a parachute. Now, I have been skydiving before. I just wasn’t prepared for that thought. After he mentioned it, he kept on spitting out instructions. In shock, I said, “You pull what.” There was a loop and a cord side by side where he pointed and said pull that. I wanted to make sure I knew which one to pull. It seemed kind of important to me. Allan said that the odds that we would use it would be very slim. I just know that I didn’t want to be hurling toward the earth and the last thought that I had to be, “Now, which thing did he say to pull.” I probably wouldn’t be able to forgive myself in the remaining ten seconds of my life. He pointed out the parachute release again and finished all the other instructions and helped me get latched in.
I put on my headset. Allan started the plane. It was tough sounding. It made my adrenalin get pumping. He did all his checks. We taxied down the runway. The canopies were all see through. Allan came on the radio and informed me that I need to slide my canopy forward and latch it. I did. He got the permission from the control to take off.
Allan floored it. I was getting so excited. We raced down the runway. I waved at Brad as we passed him. I gave him a thumbs up. We lifted off the runway. We were airborne. Allan took us up to about 3,000 feet to start. We were doing about 150 knots. He showed me my house. We flew just above the tree line over Monte Sano. It was beautiful. We dropped down over Hampton Cove. Allan dove us down about 25 feet above a cotton field. We roared over it. He took us back up to about 7,000 feet. This is where it got interesting.
At 7,000 feet, Allan rolled out to the right. We rolled all the way over. I am not sure what you call that. I just know that over the next several minutes I was upside down a few times. We did a couple of loops. That was insane. Then we did a Cuban Eight. I believe that is where we did a loop, went into another loop and rolled out of the second one on the way out. I don’t remember exactly all that we did. I just remember looking up through the canopy of the cockpit and seeing the earth several times. Allan checked on me to see if I had blown chunks in his cockpit. I said that I was o.k. It was only after the Cuban Eight that I felt a little bit queasy. As we began to descend, I was feeling kind of weak. I managed to hold my cookies in.
We made our approach. Allan landed smoothly. He is an expert. The man got skills. We taxied to the fuel station. It was an unforgettable experience. I am definitely an adrenalin junkie.
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