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Thanks and a small word...


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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...

I would like to thank LES for giving me some $39.95 simulator time in a DC-3 as I never ever ever thought that months later, I would actually put it to use and get some time behind the yoke of one of these beautiful aircraft!

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Wow, how'd you do that?

I'm a member of the Yankee Air Museum and they have a flying C-47 that you can take member trips on. This particular trip was $90 to another airport about 45 miles away that has an on airport restaurant that we basically flew to for a $90 hamburger and back. During lunch and speaking with the pilots, they had asked if I had any flying experience, I replied "very little, I'm only at about 35 hours in the log book and it's been quite a while since I have flown." The co-pilot replied "well we will get you up front for a little bit on the way back." I thought he maybe was inviting me into the cockpit while in flight to see the view from up there. Well turns out, they took off, got the aircraft up to 2,500ft and the next thing I know, the co-pilot walks back to me, points and yells "Get up here!" I guess he wasn't joking, he said "put on the headset and have a seat."

After getting situation and comfortable, did a quick instrument scan to locate the essentials.. The pilot looked over and said the most beautiful words I have ever heard... "She's all yours..." He put his hands in his lap and feet on the floor. I first gingerly held onto the yoke with an ever slight touch... Soon after we hit an updraft and I realized that gingerly was not working out.. I had to seriously manhandle it!! The controls were extremely heavy, like weight lifting heavy.. I put her through a series of turns to keep following the Garmin 530's course (I know I know.. cheating) and I must say, she flew very gracefully and as it was a chore to fly, it was real flying. I'll never forget looking down over my right shoulder and seeing that radial spinning right outside my open window. In a blink of an eye my 10 minutes or so was over and we were getting close to bravo air space and the co-pilot took his seat back.

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