Oldest passengers

Hi gang,

I took my soon to be 94 year old mom on a 12 ship formation ride at the air show in Halls, Tennessee last weekend. She absolutely had a blast and just loved how the planes all just seemed to be hanging there next to us.

It got me wondering, have I got the record for oldest passenger? Who out there has taken someone older and given them the RV grin?

She's pictured here in the back seat and standing is my brother Joe Dale.

While not an 'RV' grin.. I do have a unique story.

In college a couple years ago I was flying skydivers in Kansas. We had a family that was there on a reunion/vacation, and about 8 of them (mainly their teenage/college age kids) wanted to go on a tandem skydive. They researched us and called us up wondering if we would spend a day with them. No problem, I was going to pilot the jump plane and a few others were there for pack/jump support.

The family came out, and with them they had their 95 year old grandfather they were visiting, who was mainly bound to a wheelchair, but could move short distances. It was HOT, about 105F that day, miserable flying/jumping weather, with no AC in sight other than a vehicle. That man sat in his wheelchair all day, and wouldn't take any help from a family member to cool down or go back to the care home. He wanted to sit outside to watch the airplane fly, and to see his great grandkids jump out. His story was that in his early years he flew air mail in a Travel Air, and was also a bomber pilot during WWII.

One of the family members approached me and said his grandfather wanted to go up for a ride, just to get into the air and see people jump out of the airplane (we sell 'up seats' commonly to riders that don't jump). I counseled the family, concerned for his health. It was hot, bumpy, lots of altitude change, and he would be sitting on the floor. The old man demanded he get in that airplane. His basic saying to me was "I have more flight hours than you have living hours, young man". It was hard to argue, and the family gave the OK.

We equipped him with a parachute (required for everybody) and sat him on the floor right behind the pilot seat, and belted him in. I frequently checked on him, and with a very straight face he always gave me an OK. Up with 5 people to 10K feet, and back down with just me and the old man. On the ground we got him situated back into his wheelchair. The rest of the day he had a sly grin on his face. He loved it.

So, 95 would be my oldest passenger, in a unique way.

Not in an RV but in my old C172. My wife's great uncle flew in the 30s through the early 50s when his life insurance company threatened to cancel his coverage if he continued, so he quit flying. A few years ago I took him up for his 99th birthday, and let him fly the plane around a bit. He couldn't stop talking about it to everybody for weeks afterward. He followed our RV build but unfortunately died at 100 before we finished.

Greg

Not quite

On July 30 I had the privilege to take a recently turned 94 year old WWII Navy Vet and genuine southern gentleman for a flight over the Mobile, Alabama delta where he has spent his entire life. My father in law was in the back seat. Total of all ages in the airplane: 225 years, and we had one empty seat

Never Mind

Wow! I was going to tell you about my 92 year-old father-in-law that went up with me in my RV-9A. Never mind...

Spring Chicken

Wait until I tell my 87 year old mother she is still a spring chicken as far as RV rides go...... I'll tell her she has to hang around 10 more years to go after any records

oldest passenger

my oldest passenger is myself iwill be 92 sept 3. i am flying my rv12now

Welcome to VAF!!

Joe, first post here, so a big welcome to you sir

Hope I am still able to fly when I am 91+.

Outstanding..

douglassmt said:

On July 30 I had the privilege to take a recently turned 94 year old WWII Navy Vet and genuine southern gentleman for a flight over the Mobile, Alabama delta where he has spent his entire life. My father in law was in the back seat. Total of all ages in the airplane: 225 years, and we had one empty seat

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That's outstanding. I now need to get my 95 year old uncle to come flying. He was a fighter pilot in WWII so I probably won't have to twist his arm.

What a great story we all will have to tell. What a great generation they are.

My Father

This past June, I flew from Houston,TX to Niagara Falls, NY to see my parents. My 91 year old Father was in the Royal Canadian Airforce and the U.S. Army Air Corp in WWll and flew Harvards and AT-6's as an instructor. I was proud to take him flying with me and it brought my love of flying and building my own plane (RV-8) full circle. My most memorable flight by far.

flirv6 said:

my oldest passenger is myself I will be 92 sept 3. i am flying my rv12 now

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Another big welcome to VAF Joe!!!

I'm hoping I'm still flying at 62, let alone 92!!!! If you ever find yourself in Wichita Falls TX, I wanna go for a ride in your plane with you

Mom is 88

Somehow she can still get into my RV-7 for trips between Louisville and Nashville. She will be 89 in a week. Flexibility is the key. She soloed in a J-3 in 1940, but Dad made her quit when he left for the south Pacific to fly B-24's.

Nice!

flirv6 said:

my oldest passenger is myself iwill be 92 sept 3. i am flying my rv12now

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Amazing, Joe. You're close by, I'd love to get together some time.

While it wasn't an RV, I took a 93-year-young adopted grandma flying last August in a Cessna. She might yet get a ride in the RV-10.

Is the age taken before or after the flt? Folks tell me after a ride in the back of my -4 they just aged 10years...

My oldest was James Ichinaga, at 73. He retired from Boeing, was in the finance group. He was my neighbor and helped buck more than a few rivets. I think it was his first small airplane ride. His RV smile was bigger than mine.

Warren Moore
Hooks - Houston
RV-4

oldest pilot

I recently had the pleasure of having COL (Ret) Gib Gibson of Pagosa Springs CO ride in the back seat of my RV8. However, he was not a passenger, but served as a safety pilot while I did some hood work. Gib, now 94, was an AAF insructor pilot in 1940, and has flown over 100 different types of aircraft, Air Force and Civilian. He still flys a Turbo Lance, and maintains his instrument currency. One amazing guy! (By the way, as an F86pilot, shot down a MIG in Korea!).

flirv6 said:

my oldest passenger is myself iwill be 92 sept 3. i am flying my rv12now

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wow! That's great - good for you & glad to hear you're doing so well. Keep hanging in there!
brian

94

I regularly took my dear departed dad flying in OUR -4 from the time he was 88 until late in his 94th year. It was easier for him get in & out of a -4 than a -6 due to the rollbar. We flew together a lot & didn't consider it being anything out of the ordinary. Isn't that what all father/sons do??