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Some passengers just steal your heart.

ronschreck

Well Known Member
I have to tell you what happened at the aerobatic contest last weekend...

Tony Zorn is a pilot that I have known for some time. He flies a great routine with his single-seat DR-107, One Design in the advanced category. Tony was at the East Coast Aerobatic Contest in Warrenton, Virginia last weekend and his son, Cody was there to compete in his first contest and was flying his dad's airplane. Cody brought his whole family, wife and four little kids to the contest and they camped on the airport in their motor home. Cody's oldest daughter, Esther is nine years old and a great fan of anything that flies. She had been looking forward to the contest for weeks because maybe there would be an opportunity for her to fly. You see, Tony's airplane is a single-seater and although Esther enjoyed watching her dad and grandfather fly she really wanted to be IN the airplane. There were a couple of two-seat airplanes at the contest but Tony felt that I was the only pilot he trusted to fly his precious granddaughter so he asked me to take her up. Tony told Esther that she would be flying with a very experienced pilot who had flown jet fighters, had flown in the war, flew passenger jets and even flew in air shows! Esther showed up at the airplane, bursting with excitement and told me I had the prettiest airplane she had ever seen. (She was going to get a great ride!) I strapped her in the back seat and off we went. Esther is a small child and I didn't have a booster cushion so in order for her to see all the sights on the ground I kept turning back and forth so she could see over the canopy rail. Esther marveled at the sights and giggled every time we twisted and turned. She was one of the best passengers I have ever flown with. She gave me a big hug when we got back on the ground and politely thanked me over and over.

I guess aerobatic competition is mostly a younger man's sport but a few women and even fewer old farts like me can be found at contests. I don't dwell on the fact that I'm often the oldest pilot at the contest but Tony brought it home when he told me what Esther told her mom about her flight with me: "Mister Ron" she said "flew jets in the Civil War!" :eek:
 
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Well,

now we know what _really_ sank the Merrimack :D Billy Mitchell, step aside.

Great job, Ron. You are a true aviation ambassador, too modest to mention that you've landed in all the public use airports in NC in a single day.

-Stormy
 
Stolen Hearts

100x27ghmdE


Some little girls grow up to be world class competitors.

If flight was more affordable, I am sure there would be many more pilots and aerobatic pilots.
 
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I strapped her in the back seat and off we went. Esther is a small child and I didn't have a booster cushion so in order for her to see all the sights on the ground I kept turning back and forth so she could see over the canopy rail.

This is a question that's been in the back of my mind as well:

For taking a small child up who is short, is a booster seat possible?

How do we keep it from slipping and sliding?

Is there one booster seat that works better than others?

As for this comment:

"Esther told her mom about her flight with me: "Mister Ron" she said "flew jets in the Civil War!"

There is one reply:

"Hey you're the Heater from World War II?"

"Don't sell me short; I won my wings in the battle of Gettysburg."

Robert Mitchum and Cleve Saville in "The Hunters"
 
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This is a question that's been in the back of my mind as well:

For taking a small child up who is short, is a booster seat possible?

How do we keep it from slipping and sliding?

Is there one booster seat that works better than others?

I had Oregon Aero make a booster cushion when they made my seats. I specified a two-inch cushion and that works fine for my wife and most kids. With a 5-point harness there is no problem with the passenger or the cushion slipping and sliding. I didn't have the cushion with me when I gave Esther a ride. Wish I did.
 
This is a question that's been in the back of my mind as well:

For taking a small child up who is short, is a booster seat possible?

How do we keep it from slipping and sliding?

Is there one booster seat that works better than others?

When I bought my seats, right here on VAF classifieds from another builder, they came with a beautiful matching booster seat. It's about 4" thick, I'd say, and it's even upholstered nicely to match! Plus, it's shaped to allow movement of the stick. My plane isn't flying yet, but you can see my little granddaughter sitting in the cabin, dreaming about flying off to places unknown. It's perfect.

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A couple years or so after this picture was taken, she was old enough to go on a young eagles flight. A friend took her up in his beautiful RV-7, and she brought this booster seat from home to use in his airplane! She was that attached to it. :) It worked beautifully for her.
 
Hmmmmm. I don't remember seeing jets anywhere on that Ken Burns series on the Civil War. Maybe I should have read the book.
 
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