Rick Potter
05-11-2013, 3:12 PM
Our son called this morning and asked mom to come to the local small airport. When she got there she found that he had arranged for her Mothers Day present to be a ride in a WWII trainer. I think it is a T-6. She had to suit up, and wear a parachute too.
This tops her ride at a NASCAR training school, at Las Vegas Raceway. We both did it and went 180MPH with the pro driver. Took four guys to get me in and out of that window. That was 10 years ago. Our son in law got to drive, and his car was governed to 160 MPH.
Rick Potter
EDIT: Just got back from taking her out to Mothers Day dinner. She told me about the parachute instructions...."pull back on the red handle to open the canopy all the way, stand up in your seat, climb out of the plane and stand on the wing, jump off, and then pull the chute cord. This all being while going 170 MPH. That was when she knew that if there was a problem, she was going down with the plane. The plane is a North American T-6 Harvard. Harvard being produced for the RAF. This one was used to train Canadian RAF pilots. My Uncle joined the RAF in Canada before we got into the war, fought in Spitfires during the Battle of Britain, the Burma road protection in India, and for the Nationalist Chinese after the war, then recalled for USAF for the Berlin airlift as a trainer. Small world, wonder if he trained in one of these T-6's?
Forgot to mention...the wife is 70. In a hour she has a date with our son to take a ride in his plane. 1948 Stinson. ME? I hate to fly...airsick. Balloon rides, zip line, camel ride, elephant ride, dune buggies, we still go Jeeping. She has done a lot of neat stuff. More than I have. Next April is our 50th.
This tops her ride at a NASCAR training school, at Las Vegas Raceway. We both did it and went 180MPH with the pro driver. Took four guys to get me in and out of that window. That was 10 years ago. Our son in law got to drive, and his car was governed to 160 MPH.
Rick Potter
EDIT: Just got back from taking her out to Mothers Day dinner. She told me about the parachute instructions...."pull back on the red handle to open the canopy all the way, stand up in your seat, climb out of the plane and stand on the wing, jump off, and then pull the chute cord. This all being while going 170 MPH. That was when she knew that if there was a problem, she was going down with the plane. The plane is a North American T-6 Harvard. Harvard being produced for the RAF. This one was used to train Canadian RAF pilots. My Uncle joined the RAF in Canada before we got into the war, fought in Spitfires during the Battle of Britain, the Burma road protection in India, and for the Nationalist Chinese after the war, then recalled for USAF for the Berlin airlift as a trainer. Small world, wonder if he trained in one of these T-6's?
Forgot to mention...the wife is 70. In a hour she has a date with our son to take a ride in his plane. 1948 Stinson. ME? I hate to fly...airsick. Balloon rides, zip line, camel ride, elephant ride, dune buggies, we still go Jeeping. She has done a lot of neat stuff. More than I have. Next April is our 50th.