First flight… the way it should be
I mentioned in an earlier post that I went for a biplane ride at the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome. The plane is a 1929 New Standard in pristine condition. Up to 4 passengers sit in front of the pilot in an open cockpit. They give you a leather cap and goggles to wear to protect you from the wind. My son asked what the goggles were for. I told him that they keep the bugs out of your eyes. As you can see in the 2nd picture above, he was really worried about the bugs and kept his hands over his eyes during the takeoff. This was his first flight in any kind of plane, and I was a little worried about his reaction. He was a real trooper, and gave me a big grin and a thumbs up once we were off the ground. The views from the plane were great, especially with the foliage almost at it’s peak. The bridge you see in the slideshow is the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge . At one point I turned the camera back at the pilot. Not thinking, I left the flash up to give a little light on his face. After 2 shots, I realized that it was probably not the best idea to blind your pilot with a bright light. It was an amazing way to share my son’s first flight. He is still talking about “Airplane Day”, and I hope it is a memory he will cherish as much as I do.
2 Responses to “First flight… the way it should be”
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Sean 
My daughter had an inspiration,like your son, back in the late 1980s. After a scenic ride in the D-25 she joined the Nutmeg soaring club (then based at Johnnycake Airport in CT).
She graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, AZ in 1991 and went on to get her masters in Aeronautical Science.
Rebecca Fleming – Petridis is now a First officer with Alaska Air based in Seattle.
Be prepared to “hock your house” if your kids decide to take the academic route to a flying career.
Thanks for the comments Don. My brother is in the process of completing his homebuilt plane… http://701builder.com/ . If my son does get an itch to fly, at least he will have easy access. Hopefully I will win the lottery to pay for the college bill.
[...] A sad note… By Sean There was an accident at the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome this past Sunday. The pilot, Vincent Nasta was killed in a crash durning the WWI airshow. I didn’t know him personally, but I want to express my heartfelt condolences to the Nasta family and his friends at the Aerodrome. I believe it was Mr. Nasta who took my son Evan on his first flight. [...]