For the pilots out there. It's never too late.

[cjolley]

My dad is 89.
He was an Air Force Command Pilot (also instructor pilot for the Berlin Corridor) and had flown everything from low wing prop trainers to single engine fighters, and from prop transports to vip twin jet transports, and from twin engine prop bombers to 6 engine jet bombers.
But he had never flown an open cockpit biplane. A lifetime dream.
Until Friday when we took him for a flight in a PT13!
His medical is WAY out of date but the pilot let him fly about half the 35 min flight!

0919141417.jpg

0919141338a.jpg

[KRSESQ]

But he had never flown an open cockpit biplane. A lifetime dream.

I find that a little astonishing, given your dad's career!

[cjolley]

When he started training near the end of ww2 he already had his private pilots license. He started AF training in Texans. Much higher performance than any of the biplanes.
Oddly, given his extensive flying experience, his main job in the AF was as a computer programmer for nuclear planning in SAC.

[Jammrock]

That's awesome. I've always loved biplanes, even as a kid. There's just a classic elegance with good old fashion biplanes.

[Umfriend]

Way cool.

[VJ]

A friend in my flying club in Belgium is an airline pilot, and he has a Boeing Stearman as private plane. It has the old US coastguard markings, and looks stunning.

Must have been a great experience for your dad!

[UtwigMU]

Good to hear great news. Hope I'll be pursuing my passions at 89.

Speaking of flying and planes, Eternal Zero movie (Japanese WW2 pilots) is out, the flying and aircraft carrier scenes are awesome. It broke box office records in Japan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmMlWI5Z66I

[cjolley]

Added video.
Sorry about the sound. It was very windy.

http://youtu.be/Hvz2vSiurvw