Serendipity and synchronicity...

[beaky]

So I received an email from the EAA saying it was too late (eek!) to book a flight on the B17 this weekend... but only online (whew!). They gave me the cell number of a crew member, and I got on the 0930 trip tomorrow. He said they still only had 2 people for the 1030, and might have to cancel that one. Sad. But not for me- I'm going to fly aboard a B17!!! Woohoo!!!
As I was on the phone with this guy, I was ignoring my call-waiting beep... turns out the other party was my airport-bum friend Gus, who'd taken me for a ride in his RV-4 a while back. He wanted to thank me for the DVD I made out of footage from that flight, and to let me know he'd be around the airport this weekend. So I might get another RV-4 flight, and a hop in a glider if the weather is good Sunday afternoon (he's a member of the soaring club based at 47N). Sounds good to me; I'll even take a ride in the towplane (a Champ, I believe) if they'll let me.
 Heck, I might even book  a Cessna and do a little bug-smashing; it's been too long. I really should look into that; I owe Gus a ride (he seems to want to go up in a 152 for some reason).
And this is my first weekend off in a month- my cup runneth over!!!

[C]

You lucky, lucky b******d!

Have fun!

[61_OTU]

[Hagar]

Sounds like a result to me.

[beaky]

Sounds like a result to me.

Exactly. Gotta stir the pot once in a while. It was curious, though- I haven't seen or talked to Gus since that flight in the RV-  in March!!

[Willit Run]

Good for you, Sean!!

 Enjoy all your flying this weekend!!

  Now if you find you can't make the B-17 flight because of any problems you run into and they won't refund you money, just call me!!

[FLYING_TRUCKER]

Have fun Sean...don't worry about pictures...just savour every moment.

Oh and if you think of it could you ask what type of wheel brakes they have?

You see the reason I am asking is the Avro Lancaster had "Air Brakes".  There was a compressed bottle of air and the handle was on the control wheel which I am sure made things quite interesting at times.
Not sure that was changed over the years as different marks came out.

I must find out about the braking system on the Handley Page Halifax and the Consolidated Liberator when I have a chance as well.

Have a great weekend

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug

[Jared]

have fun for the rest of us bud!

[Rifleman]

B-17 ? - been in one but not in the air........total amazment !

RV-6 ? -  been in one - in the air..........total amazment !

Glider ? - (Twin Lark - Polish bird) - been in one - twice in the air.......total amazment !

Tow Plane (150 HP Citab) - been in one in the air but not towing.......... total amazment !

Mine were all spread about a long time frame, not on one weekend.........Have a blast if you can squeeze it all in ! ! ! ........you lucky so 'n so.........

[Hagar]

[quote]You see the reason I am asking is the Avro Lancaster had "Air Brakes".

[beaky]

Oh and if you think of it could you ask what type of wheel brakes they have?

I was gone before you posted that question, but I believe the "Forts" have hydraulically-actuated drum brakes. They cry mournfully when the plane is taxiing...

And I did savor every moment, and take pictures. See the Photos forum; they're coming down the pipe right now.

[beaky]

Have a blast if you can squeeze it all in ! ! ! ........you lucky so 'n so.........

Not likely to happen. I was thinking of doing some flying at 47N today, but by the time I got home I wasn't feeling up to it (messed up my back a little at work last week; felt fine this morning, but the trip home, in horrible sunny-weekend traffic, left me feeling stiff and tired)... and the wind was picking up. Been a month since I last flew, so I didn't want to push it. And I'll bet there'd be nothing available anyway- the wx was perfect "Silver Wings Nice Day" today.

Tomorrow's wx looks bad (starting to rain now; t-storms expected overnight and early tomorrow), but I may still call Gus in the afternoon. If the glider club is going to meet, I'll drive down there and try to bum a ride.
Regardless, I got my fix-and then some- aboard Aluminum Overcast this morning!!!
If you enjoyed touring a static Fort, you owe it to yourself to splurge on a ride in one!! Amazing!!!  :o

[beaky]

Wow, this is getting weirder... yeasterday, after finally getting word that I could take the rest of the week off (woohoo!), I made a detour to midtown on my way home for some errands.... I come out of the subway onto 34th street, and as I cross 8th Avenue walking west, I happen to look up just in time to see a B24 flying over the river headed north! Sun was behind it, so I'm not sure which one it was.And I only caught a glimpse: it was low, and there are pretty tall buildings on either side of the street all the way to the river; the odds of me being there at that precise moment looking at that little patch of sky are about a gazillion to one.
 Another sign of some kind, obviously...