Tales From The Yellowbus
I had a great time yesterday. I picked up the Pearson Air Museum director Laureano Mier and about 15 kids as old as 17 and took them to the Fern Prairie Modelers Club in Washougal, Washington. The kids were a part of the Pearson Airpark Summer Aviation Camp. They are learning to fly and one place to start is with remote controlled model airplanes. These babies range in size up to six foot wing spans and are powered by gasoline engines to small jet engines that are electric. Here’s a video from one plane that made a series of level left turns affording the kids a birds-eye view.
My biggest thrill was to take control of the stick of one of these planes for about six minutes. I practiced making a left hand turn by pushing the stick left. When you do that, the nose sinks so you needs to pull down on the stick. Then when the plane comes out of the turn, you give a push of the stick to the right to level the wings. I tended to over react with the stick, but there was no danger to the plane, because the instructor would take back control.
I have never flown any plane and I found this intoxicating. I want more!
They run some fine programs at Pearson, located across the river in Vancouver from PDX. In fact August 27th is Open Cockpit Day, the second of the season on Saturday. Visitors will have the opportunity to sit inside a T-28 Trojan and Ryan PT-21, as well experience the museum’s state-of-the-art flight simulator lab.
Every Tuesday evening from 5 PM until dusk throughout the summer, the Fern Prairie Modelers Club gives you a chance to fly with an instructor by your side.
i have never flown a plane. when my goldstocks perform wel, i will take some lessons. do they also provide you with a parachute??
Goudbelegger, you can wear a parachute if you choose, however you might look a little silly standing on the flight deck with your remote control device in your hands.
Hey, you were in my growing up backyard!
Today, I watched my daughter take a glider flight in Hood River.
We can see a boat on water waves, but, we can’t see the air waves that a glider rides.
I thought it was beautiful to watch from down below and she said the scenery from up above was beautiful.