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!"
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!"
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