R

rv6ejguy

Well Known Member
Yesterday I left work early to go flying with my father who is 79. It was a gorgeous flying day.

I was checking him out in the 6A turbo so that he can start flying it solo.

He is an ex RCAF fighter and corporate pilot so the RV is pretty tame but a LOT better than the rental 172 he had recently been flying.

We briefed last week running through a cockpit check and the checklists and preflight items. He got the unusual systems of the Subaru down in short order and we did a bunch of T&Gs. He enjoyed it immensely and can't wait to get up again.:)

We both had the RV grin when we landed. Don't leave these joys too long. Spend some quality flight time with your Dad. What a great day.:)

I think he'll have even more fun solo and light on fuel.:)
 
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dads

Wow, Ross,
My dad passed 13 years ago. Ex RCAF WAG. He REALLY wanted to be an Airforce pilot. He HAD to settle on wireless air gunner flying in Canso's (Catalina's) in the Atlantic. Ended the war training w/less operators in Edmonton in 44'. He never did live to see me earn my wings 12 years ago...let alone see me build my own airplane. Although, he likely would have said "what the h#$$ are you doing that for? You had to know my dad!
Great story. Keep us posted as to how he's handling things. Thanks.
 
RE:Lucky Dad

Ross

You and your Dad are real fortunate to share the RV passion.

My planes "n" Number is N74BZ for my father. His nick name through out his life was Buzz...

I started this airplane because of the joy and love of aviation he unknowingly instilled in me. He would take me to every air show imaginable/aircraft museums/the airport just to watch the airplanes (especially when I would visit him in Yuma)......My great hope was to have the RV7A done so I could take him for a ride. But at 93 (September 2006) prostate cancer got the best of him. Up until about three months before his passing he was acting like and doing the things a man in his 60's.

I did get to give him a ride in a Cessna 150 land-o-matic which was a real fun time.

So Ross and you guys that still have your Dads and Moms with you, call them frequently, visit often, and yes please take them for a ride in your RVXX.

Frank @ SGU & 1L8.....last 1000000000000000 details but will be off to the airport soon!!!!!!:D

rv6ejguy said:
Yesterday I left work early to go flying with my father who is 79. It was a gorgeous flying day.

I was checking him out in the 6A turbo so that he can start flying it solo.

He is an ex RCAF fighter and corporate pilot so the RV is pretty tame but a LOT better than the rental 172 he had recently been flying.

We briefed last week running through a cockpit check and the checklists and preflight items. He got the unusual systems of the Subaru down in short order and we did a bunch of T&Gs. He enjoyed it immensely and can't wait to get up again.:)

We both had the RV grin when we landed. Don't leave these joys too long. Spend some quality flight time with your dad. What a great day.:)

I think he'll have even more fun solo and light on fuel.:)
Click to expand...
 
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Unfortunately, my dad at 82, keeps telling me that they don't make chains large enough to hold him yet.
Ron
 
Four years ago I was able to take my Grandfather (93 at the time) and my father for a ride along the Southwest Florida coast. It was my grandfather's last plane trip. Take them as much as you can!
 
I love to take my 82 year old father in law flying. He loves it! I finally got him to take the stick and he handled some turns and held altitude at the same time pretty well. He was thrilled and told all of his friends he "flew the plane".

He lost his wife of 60 years (my mother in law) a year ago. Watching him grow as a human being after such terrible grief has been an inspiring thing for me personally. Most "old timers" after loosing a spouse pull the covers over their heads and call it quits. Not Ron. He has blossomed in to an independant active person who has taugh me alot ab out life and living each day.

I agree. Cheerish the time you spend with your folks. There will come a day when they are gone.
 
I also took my 84 year old Uncle Ted (Highly Decorated WWII P-47 pilot) up for a cruise. His flying touch was still there and he could have landed that plane anywhere he wanted. He was ready to do aerobatics again. :eek:

That was a cool day I will never forget.
 
My Dad never flew. He always kept one foot on the ground. On the other hand my Mother just turned 88 and enjoys going in the -6 every time she get the chance.
 
My 85 year old pilot father, who took some bad hits over Germany in a B-17 has never expressed the slightest interest in going up in my garage built airplane. But my incredibly timid mother did express such an interest and said she found it more comfortable than an airliner.

I guess that's good!
 
Cool to hear that some of you are taking your Moms up. Mine doesn't like GA aircraft much but accepts that Dad and I are airplane junkies and love flying so she always wishes us a good flight.:)

She also drove down to pick us up after the rather unfortunate forced landing a couple years ago. How do you break that one? I think my Dad started the conversation " I'm calling from Vulcan (the town) and we're both ok..."

Wonder what my Mom was thinking at that moment? :eek:

Anyway, she still happily lets us fly. I couldn't have asked for better parents and after all the riveting my Dad has helped with on both RVs, I owe him.
 
re:dad 78

My dad turns 78 April 23 this year. He still owns and flies the '69 172 he and 3 partners bought in about 1971. Over the next 3-5 years he wound up buying them out so he's been the sole owner for, what about 30 some years. The airplane had 50 hrs on it when they bought it.:)
My mother (76) really enjoys flying with my dad or any of us "3 boys" when ever she gets a chance. Dad never was a fan of homebuilts. They seemed to just to "fall out the sky". Now that he's flown in Mitchell's -9A, he had the grin when he got back on the ground, he's decided they probably aren't that bad. In fact, he wants to help on my other brother's CH640 as well as my -10 whenever we need him.:p
My wife & I got my mother & dad to go to OSH with us 5 years ago. Now, they get all their reservations and are so eager to go the next year.:D
They act like 40 yr. olds & can keep up with us at 49.;)

Marshall Alexander
RV10 fuse/cabin top
N781DM
 
By far, the worst landings I have ever performed were with my dad on his first ride in my -9. He didn't seem to mind and I did redeem myself somewhat a few months later on a XC to FLA. However, I have yet to show him a greaser (which I do all the time now, of course ;)).
Mom says she will fly with me and hopefully we will get a chance next time she comes down to visit.
 
My dad is 80 and still practices dentistry and flies his turbo Aztec a couple hundred hours a year. He just called me this week to tell me he passed his medical with flying colors and was doing his bi-annual today. He was the one who started my passion for flying. He started me building balsa planes when I was very young. He and my mother both got their ppls in the early 60s and I flew every chance I got. He has always flown twins and he thinks I'm kind of a renegade for loving antiques, warbirds and sport planes. He has always enjoyed the flights I have given him in the various airplanes I have owned and flown over the years and the first place I'm going after I get the time flown off the 7 is down to give him a ride. Don
 
We were up yesterday for another 1.1 hours of circuits and crosswind practice. My Dad is getting the hang of it pretty well and really enjoying flying a "real" airplane again. Controls and switches are falling to hand more instinctively now running though the checklists.

We got to practice slow flight a bit trying to stay behind various Cessnas and Katanas. The 6A climbs WAY quicker than these poor souls even at considerably reduced power settings.:cool::)

The turbo Subie has racked up 227 engine hours to date now and is still purring along nicely. The IVO propeller is trouble free too. Set it and forget it for circuits. Acceleration and climb is awesome.

I notice controllers have a hard time keeping RV types straight. We're a -6 sometimes then an -8 or a -7.
 
Dad Solos the 6A

I met my Dad out at the airport this evening so he could finally solo the RV. The sky was dull and cool which usually promises that the circuit won't be too full.

Due to the flat light, my attempts at video taping the takeoff were pretty poor but it was magnificent to see (and hear) the plane we built, fly from the ground for the first time with someone else at the controls.

He did a couple circuits and called it quits when the rain clouds started to come in.

He really enjoyed flying it and commented on how much better it performs without me aboard. I guess that means he'll be sneaking out to fly it while I'm at work- paying for the fuel. :)

We've been doing lots of training and cross country work lately for him to get the systems, emergency procedures, GPS programming and auto pilot use down pat.

Once he got used to the sensitive controls, in the flare especially, he had it all taped and can fly it better than I can now.:eek: Hard to compete with experience! The 6A is no F86 but he did have an RV smirk when he slid back the canopy and it sure beats rental 172s.

My Dad turns 80 in November.:cool:
 
Wow!

....Now this is real quality time! What a heart-warming story. I spent many years of quality time dragging my kids behind my ski boat and we're all close but unfortunately, my Dad lives in Paradise, Ca and I rarely see him.

Enjoy, Ross and others,

Regards,
 
rv6ejguy said:
I met my Dad out at the airport this evening so he could finally solo the RV. The sky was dull and cool which usually promises that the circuit won't be too full.

Due to the flat light, my attempts at video taping the takeoff were pretty poor but it was magnificent to see (and hear) the plane we built, fly from the ground for the first time with someone else at the controls.

He did a couple circuits and called it quits when the rain clouds started to come in.

He really enjoyed flying it and commented on how much better it performs without me aboard. I guess that means he'll be sneaking out to fly it while I'm at work- paying for the fuel. :)

We've been doing lots of training and cross country work lately for him to get the systems, emergency procedures, GPS programming and auto pilot use down pat.

Once he got used to the sensitive controls, in the flare especially, he had it all taped and can fly it better than I can now.:eek: Hard to compete with experience! The 6A is no F86 but he did have an RV smirk when he slid back the canopy and it sure beats rental 172s.

My Dad turns 80 in November.:cool:
Click to expand...

Excellent post, Ross. I've enjoyed reading every bit of it.
 
Eighty Year Old Pilots...and the UFO's

rv6ejguy said:
...My Dad turns 80 in November...:cool:
Click to expand...

Ross, I just found this thread this morning. I've enjoyed reading your posts as well as the others who added to yours.

My dad wanted to be a WWII aviator but they said he didn't weigh enough!! So he flew a desk in WWII. In 1975, at the age of 59 he started flying lessons. He bought the C-150 he soloed in and then a few years later he bought a C-172. He flew until he was 84 when he lost his medical. Because of him, I was able to solo his C-150 and then later earned my Private Pilot rating. He and I enjoyed many hours flying together in both his airplanes. After he lost his medical he asked me to take him to visit friends who lived distances that were long trips in a car but were two hours or so by plane.

He's gone now, and I have inherited his 172. I wish I had finished my RV before he passed away.

One thing I would recommend to you and others who have Dads who are near or past 80 and who can legally act as PIC. Get them a membership in the United Flying Octogenarians (UFO's). It's not expensive and your dad will really enjoy it for a surprise (or belated) 80th birthday present. They are always looking for new members.

I wonder if we have any UFO's who fly RV's. Does anyone know?

Don
 
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Keep these old guys flying

I turn 72 in November and I like hearing about 100 year old aviators - In my book they're the best. No previous older aviators in my family and all the older and younger ones that were close are gone - sure miss my younger brother Drex that was the first one in our family to actually learn to fly.

Bob Axsom
 
Dads

My Dad dragged us around the Chicago area for airshows and walking ramps. He was in the Army in WWII stationed at a B-29 base in Guam and loved P-51s and P-38s. He had a 1946 J-3 for a few years and we'd go tooling around the Illinois farmland in it on beautiful summer evenings.

Now my sister is flying Citations and I'm flying an -8. I think I got the better deal! The first person I took flying when I got my license in 1985 was my oldest son. Now he has his PP license and inst rating. We've flown a lot together but my proudest day was when we flew a C-172 together from Deland, Florida to Aurora, IL. We alternated hours flying and navigating, and we had about 3 hours of IMC through the middle of the trip. I was proud of him because he knew his stuff and flew extremely well and his procedures and organization were perfect.

Youngest son is a heli mechanic in the Navy and loves to fly too.

I wish my Dad were still around to see what became of the stuff he started! And, of course, to take him up in the -8, maybe to go to Oshkosh and see the warbirds! He's been gone a long time and I miss him more every day.
 
It is great to read all these stories. Keep 'em coming.

My Dad was in the RCAF at probably the best time ever- when nobody was shooting at him. He got to fly Harvards, Beech 18s, T34s, B25s, P51s, Vampires, T33s, F86s (his favorite of all time), Neptunes, Argus' and DC3s -(VIP flight).

He was based in Europe during the cold war on F86s and got to do plenty of dogfighting with NATO aircraft from many countries.

We both love warbirds and attend the Reno Air Races often. Will be hopefully flying the -6A down this year weather permitting so he is brushing up on US air regs and border crossing. He's very excited about the trip even though it is months away.:)
 
Dads experience.

From Spain.
My Dad joined in the Spanish Air Force at the begining of 50es as mecanich.
His first plane to work was the Hispano Me-109 Buchon. The famous german fighter with the Spitfire Merlin engine. After a few years he flow the Grumman Albatros and during 12 years his favourite, the Dornier-24 in SAR patrols over the Mediterranean Sea. Here I enter in scene ( 1964 ). My first flight was from Port Mahon ( Menorca ) to Pollensa AB ( Mallorca ) Squadron home. I was two weeks old in my mother arms. Honestly, I dont remember that day.
When the Do-24 were retired, the last plane was the Do-27 before leave the SAF in 1974.
In the civil life my dad start to work in the Aeroclub of Mahon-Menorca during 23 years. Now he is retired.
He is 72 and working whith the bucking bar and the principal; giving me important advices with my 3B.

Thanks to all that Dads.

Mario.
RV3-B
 
My Dad brought us here from Rhodesia..

.....when the $$hit hit the fan in the Belgian Congo in 1961, right after I graduated from high school.

He had soloed a J-3 Cub after I got him started in model control-line airplanes. I was the airplane nut in the family and talked my uncle Koos into my first airplane ride in his Piper Tri-Pacer before he left Salisbury (Now Harare in Zimbabwe) on their return flight to South Africa, where I was born in 1945.

Dad always loved me and my airplanes and now is 86 and gets shorter:( every time I see him in Paradise, California.....great memories,

Regards,
 
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