The family has always said I was never the quickest bunny in the woods....
I was about 5 years old and everyone from mom, dad, uncles, grandfathers and older brother had been or were acting service pilots. There is quite a tradition in our family for being flyers.
Well we had a farm and milked about 20 head their abouts, dad was stationed at RCAF Station Trenton.
Each farm had a manure pile and this was distributed on the fields usually prior to ploughing, the one we had was just out and in line with the top mow loading door which was about 40ft above the ground and on the end of the barn.
Two of my older brothers decided they could build a flying machine, moms good galvanized wash tub was nailed to several good pieces of 2X4 and a horse blanket tied over the 2X4s to make a wing. This was hoisted 40ft up to the mow door and all that was left was the choosing of the pilot.
Now me being the runt of the litter at that time I was volunteered.
It flew alright, it slid along the steel I beam 10ft and instead of sliding down the rope attached to the hay wagon, the twine that was holding it to the I beam broke and me and the great flying machine ended up in 15ft high manure pile.
I never came out of that one smelling like a Rose I'll tell you and either did the other two. A new galvanized wash tub was full of holes and bent out of shape and a horse blanket was ruined.
I walked away from my first prang and learned a lot, never nail holes in a new wash tub as it will leak and only use a horse blanket for what it is made for.
Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug
P.S. and now you know why the old girl sends me down to stand in the corner of the barn so often
