The Paper 042414

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Volume 44 - No. 17

April 24, 2014

by lyle e davis

So, at long last, I’m first at something. I was the very first passenger to fly the Travel Air biplane “Olive,” owned and operated by the all-new Fun Flights which flies out of Palomar Airport. (Yes, I’m fully aware that it, technically, is McClelland Palomar Airport but I, being an old-timer, will always call it Palomar Airport, just like God intended it to be called.) Fun Flights had only just opened and we were their very first passenger in this 85 year old classic aircraft. (1929.)

Brian Shepherd and his beautiful wife, Janene, arranged for me to head up into the ‘wild blue yonder.’ So Friday I became a little boy. Again.

Remember when you saw an airplane for the first time? Remember how you wondered what it must feel like to fly one of those flying machines? Remember the old bi-planes from yesteryear? Two wings, a fuselage, and an engine. When pilots would barnstorm all over the nation? Well, Friday I relived those 'good old days' of aviation,

I'm a licensed private pilot (though not current) but have not piloted an aircraft in 15-20 years. Friday, I got to take the controls again. It felt good. I was back home.

The Travel Air, however, is a plane that requires you to fly it. It doesn't do it for you like some of the modern day aircraft. That's what pilots like about it and all its cousins. You actually FLY! By the seat of your pants sometimes. I found that the plane was a lot heavier to respond to my turning of the joystick and rudder pedals. With a Cessna 150 or 172 you barely nudge the wheel and rudder to the left and the plane responds easily. With one of these marvelous old birds you have to hold the joystick to the left and hit the rudder pedal a little more firmly. It actually is a bit like work The Paper - 760.747.7119

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Top left: The intrepid adventurer, lyle e davis, about to take off; top right, the Travel Air, on the runway; above, a view of The Flower Fields; above right, two very happy passengers; far right, top to bottom, the P51C Mustang, the B17G Flying Fortress, the B24 Liberator “Witchcraft,” all of which appear in this weekend’s “Wings of Freedom” at McClellan Palomar Airport, April 25 to 27; right, a close-up view of “Witchcraft” featured in the story within by Mark Carlson to fly these . . . at least for a rusty old pilot like me. For the pilot in command, Brian Shepherd, it was old stuff. He did the take-off and landing. Once airborne, he gave me the

airplane to fly.

Observations: Even though it's a bit of work to fly these old birds . . . they are still fun.

Flying in an open cockpit is fun . . . but the "wind flowing through your hair" doesn't happen. You're wearing a helmet with headphones and microphone . . . and you have a plex-

Flying Machines Continued on Page 2


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