I hadn't seen it for months and expected it sold or moved on, but 3.00 Friday is lazily skirted the low hills and wind-breaks and the lined up the house and shed for a low pass and return wave. It is always a breath-taker !
(The Bi-plane is owned and piloted by our old neighbour, who just recently moved just after we got to know him and found some common interests. After years of grining like a fool at the aerobatic antics of this blue and yellow plane, pulling stalls and loops above our place, I finally met the bloke across the road, and yes, it was him.)
We had organised a few opportunities to get a picture of the FJ and the Stearman together at the airport, but we were never in the same spot, so when he came to move away I suspected I had missed my chance.
The plane banked around to the west and B-lined back to the runway. I grabbed the keys to the Holden and headed on down, not to miss this chance.
We said G'day through the fence and then trundled the ute onto the tarmac in front of the hanger and grabbed a few photos. (I forgot my camera, so the phone had to suffice).
The 'little' Stearman is a wonderful thing up close, and this one is restored beautifully. Fabric covered wings, steel tubular fuselage, twin leather seats (one behind the other) and a big high sitting nose bristling with piston heads.
It sits here cooling and clinking post flight in the afternoon sun, when my neighbour says ' well, you ready for a fly ?'
Too right ! I cant squeeze my mellon into the undersized skull cap quick enough. I am sitting up front with a grin from ear to ear. We power up, taxi down onto the grass strip and are away, wind in the hair, the roar of that big motor just in front of my feet and the familiar local countryside turning into a patchwork.
We followed the road out to our place and pulled some wide sweeping banks above the paddocks. HD and Tess are down on the back drive giving us a wave and reconed' they could see me smiling from the ground.
We skirted the local neighbours, kept an eye out for the taller wind breaks and then took a pass over the house once more and up into the clear blue yonder.
The voice is distant in the head-piece "How about a loop ?".
Surprising, I had to talk myself into it. I asked C, "when was the last time you did a loop?", 'about 40 minutes ago'.... OK' I thought, there may never be a second chance "lets go"
The nose dropped groundwards, there is no brake, a 3600 ft roller coaster and I can see the roof of the house and shed and HD and Tess pointing at us. I'm conscious of not touching the stick in front of me !
We pull out after gaining speed, I try to glimpse the dials on the dash but the view is crazy. Above me the sky turns to ground and everything is inverted and weightless. We roll out of the loop and slowly everything falls back to normal.
I am suitably impressed through my fuzzy adrenalin fueled thinking. We pass low over home, across the paddocks and big dams, gain and return to the strip.
Out of the cockpit, I stood by the nose, looking at my flat battery phone. (I got 3 photos while up there) ' 'That was huge ! Mate, you dont need to be told, but that was a major thing for me, Thanks!'
The best I can offer is help clean the Stearman in the morning.
Another 3 hours was spent really enjoying this plane up close the following day, giving it a good spit and polish.
HD and Tess came out to the hanger to say Hi. Tess wandered around the planes with wide eyes and asked plenty of why questions. We had a cuppa and scones sitting in the shade and just soaking up the view.
The thunderstorms brewed up by lunch and we pulled the Stearman back into shelter and closed up the doors.
I was still buzzing about the fly a week later, and I still crack a wide grin thinking about it now.
Anyways, Thanks kindly C for sharing the Stearman experience that afternoon with us, it will be a long lasting memory for me !
