I took a 30 minute flight in this bi-plane. Very Cool! See that oil slick on the ground? It was shocking how much oil this bird lost in flight. I'll be cleaning my lenses for days!
Register now to gain access to all of our features. Once registered and logged in, you will be able to create topics, post replies to existing threads, give reputation to your fellow members, get your own private messenger, post status updates, manage your profile and so much more. If you already have an account, login here - otherwise create an account for free today!
Off we go into the wild blue yonder . . ...
#2
Posted 27 April 2015 - 08:15 PM
#3
Posted 27 April 2015 - 09:11 PM
All except for the motor oil in my hair, on my clothes, all over the camera, etc.
#4
Posted 28 April 2015 - 11:13 AM
The J-6-7 isn't the cleanest of engines.
Do you know if they have got their Travel Air flying yet?
#5
Posted 28 April 2015 - 11:44 AM
No sadly we were told we flew in their last week of operation. Just outside of Lakeland, FL there is an awesome war bird museum. This is where the bi-plane that Waldo flies is out of. I guess they weren't making enough money and had to close. I feel very fortunate I flew when I did. If I waited another week they would not have been there. The war bird museum is having financial difficulty and may have to close as well. It's sad because after seeing the museum I think that every high schooler should be required to go to this museum before they graduate. You can see every war movie ever made and still not have a good idea of what the greatest generation accomplished. But after you see the museum and walk through the war birds and even sit where they sat when at war it's impossible to leave there and not understand that freedom is not free!!!
#6
Posted 28 April 2015 - 12:53 PM
It looks like Waldo will go on, even if Fantasy of Flight have closed for the time being. They will be operating at Air Zoo in Michigan during the summer months and return to Gilbert Field in Winter Haven and Orlampa in October and November.
Contact Us - Waldo Wright's Flying Service
#7
Posted 28 April 2015 - 01:12 PM
Good to know even if it's a shadow of its former self. I don't think they're doing all that well at Gilbert field either. For tourists it's much harder to get to as opposed to Orlampa and I4. I wish them well. My wife describes the bi-plane flight as one of the top 3 things she's done in her life.
#8
Posted 28 April 2015 - 01:22 PM
I read somewhere that Kermit Weeks believes in an Act III for Fantasy of Flight, opening somewhere between 2017 and 2020. Let's hope it works out, the collection is too good to be an events-only attraction.
#9
Posted 28 April 2015 - 04:42 PM
Agreed!!! Again I think it's educational to the point that the school system should get involved and take students there on field trips. One walk through that museum is worth a hundred text books. One walk up the stairs and into the below is worth a thousand text books!
#10
Posted 29 April 2015 - 06:55 PM
Aren't these old war birds beautiful? I visited a similar aviation museum here in Mesa, AZ last year. What a great visit. It's amazing these old planes flew at all, yet they did with grace and style..
#11
Posted 29 April 2015 - 07:25 PM
Yes what's amazing to me is being able to go inside and be where the soldiers of the day were. What they did is even more amazing when you can see what they saw. The room to move inside those bombers is nil. Then the room they did have was taken up by fuel cans and ammo. Add to this the fact that they had to know odds were they weren't coming back. I so appreciate what they did!
#12
Posted 29 April 2015 - 07:39 PM
The movie, Unbroken, is a great tribute to the fortitude of military men. The scenes in the bomber during a bombing raid are fantastic, so realistic. The scenes show so well the confines of space aboard the flying fortress.
#13
Posted 30 April 2015 - 07:25 AM
Yes it did as did Memphis Belle back in the day, but once you've boarded a war bird and actually crawled around in it you find out your movie perception was off to reality. It's even smaller than you imagined. I'm 6'0" @185 lbs. and there was not enough room for me to go through those little holes that divide the fuselage into thirds. I can not even fathom being airborne and shot at!