Ugly Airplanes

[AAFO_WSagar]

Originally posted by FlyinLo
From the cockpit, up in the air on a beautiful day, just about any airplane looks good...

Jeff, I think you've hit the old nail right on the head with that one!

As one of the many (unfortunately, most of us) who don't own an airplane... I'd bet if we did, and it was that old flyin' tub, it'd be the prettiest thing we'd ever seen, no matter from within or without!

They all have something to offer.. although.. Ya gotta admit.. in looking at some of the earliest designs, (and some current, or nearly so) there are some "butt ugly" designs out there..

Not that they are "ugly airplanes" mind you.. just ugly designs..

Wayne
PS.. prolly already asked you this but are you planning on making it up to Reno for PRS??

[mayday51]

Ugly Orphanage

.....Okay people,

.........evidently something must be done to care for these
"ugly children"......

...I will accept any "ugly child" aircraft you are willing to donate!.......

...........(You can even throw a Wilga in my 'Bathtub' !).......



Mayday51

[Scotty G]

I flew a Citabria today. Is it ugly? One of my landing sure was ugly!

Scotty G

[FlyinLo]

Originally posted by Scotty G
I flew a Citabria today. Is it ugly? One of my landing sure was ugly!

Scotty G

OK, here's one looking out from the Pitts. No comment on the quality of my landings, except the plane is still in one piece...

[FlyinLo]

...and given that the Pitts is a single seater, it is kinda hard to get a photo of myself from inside the cockpit, so here's one from the outside

[FlyinLo]

PS.. prolly already asked you this but are you planning on making it up to Reno for PRS??

Hi Wayne,

I'm going to try to get up to Reno for at least one day. I'm interested in checking out the field. We have 8 (count 'em, 8!) new pilots registered for rookie school flying biplanes this year, one coming all the way from south Florida! He's figuring on 3 to 3-1/2 days to get to Reno, and he's probably only got 90 minutes of fuel before he's into his reserve if he's lucky. Those are going to be some long days. He ought to get the "iron butt" award for sure. Now that's dedication! I knew there was a reason I never flew the Pitts to Oshkosh!

[AAFO_WSagar]

Hey Jeff, well, I'll keep my eye out for ya.. Sounds like you guys are going to have a really full compliment this year. VERY good..!

No excuses from me, I'll have to get up early and get out there to get the shots this year..

It actually might be easier not staying on the field. When there.. it seems to take forever to get out in the morning, and then there's the fact we always had the computers in the hangar right next to us.. check mail, see what's going on... by then, it's getting late!

Staying in town should make it easier to get out early... on paper anyway!

See ya at PRS I hope!

Wayne

[FlyinLo]

Originally posted by AAFO_WSagar

Staying in town should make it easier to get out early... on paper anyway!

Of course, you could just head out to Stead the same as I do, for the 7am briefing that the bipes/IF1s go to. No brief, no fly, so you make sure you're there, even coming in from town!

[AAFO_WSagar]

Originally posted by FlyinLo


Of course, you could just head out to Stead the same as I do, for the 7am briefing that the bipes/IF1s go to. No brief, no fly, so you make sure you're there, even coming in from town!

LOL.. well now that we've taken this thread totally off topic (my fault) might as well totally go there!!

I will probably do just that this year. In the past, we've wound up staying up VERY late every night into way late into the next AM trying to get daily updates out there.. I think this year, especially since RARA seems to want to do that on their own with their website and since we're not going to be based right there in John Parker's hangar.. It's going to make MUCH more sens to really absorb the week, maybe throw out a few photos from the hotel, then write it up after.

It's funny, staying on the field, I wind up being further from the races than any other time! Busy trying to get *whatever* up on the net, takes time from actually *being there*

I can remember many more times than I want to, being in the hangar at the computer, hearing races going on and thinking... "this is NOT fun"...

Well... Our stats have shown that leading up to race week, we have a TREMENDOUS amount of traffic, which tapers off as the weekend rolls round because a lot of the visitors are there, in hotels and away from computer access..

Anyway, I'm sure we'll lose a few loyal long distance fans by not doing the "dailies" but... it's just going to be impossible this time out.

Griffon Girl, who normally bangs away all day doing stats stuff in her spare time from her assignment for the Klamath Falls Herald and News covering Nick Macy has, for some reason , been denied press credentials this year (RARA said she did not need them to do the job ) so we'll probaly not even have her there to help.

Anyway.. long story short, we hope to have better post race coverage than last year but we'll likely not have the up-to-the-minute "on site" coverage that we've enjoyed for the last four years with our motorhome sponsor and the very generous assistance of John Parker at American Air Racing.

Wayne

[wingman]

Well Wayne -- I've been telling you for a long time that the
races can actually be fun -- if you're not typing all the time! Maybe this year you'll see that I'm right.

Neal

[AAFO_WSagar]

Originally posted by wingman
Well Wayne -- I've been telling you for a long time that the
races can actually be fun -- if you're not typing all the time! Maybe this year you'll see that I'm right.

Neal

LOL.. well, I've always known that Neal, but.. as I always told you, I sort of felt a sense of "mission" to get the "job" done... it's been what.. something like six years of that??

We'll take at least one year off of it.. maybe next time, it'll be like 2000 and I'll actually have a job.. never know..

Wayne

[Leo]

fun races

Ya know Wayne, I spent many years up there lugging around tons of equipment, scurrying around to the "best" spots to get the perfect picture. I watched most of the events thru a viewfinder. What I got for my trouble is a 100 pound box of slides, prints and videos that I never have time to fully catalogue or view!
A few years ago I stopped. I take the camera and the camcorder out with me, but I spend most of the time just soaking it up and enjoying the show. Now I look forward to the event, not the pictures afterward.
Your coverage has always been first-rate. I could'nt see how you could possibly be enjoying it tho! Have fun, relax, get lost in the zen of it all (now I'm dating myself).
See ya there hopefully!

Leo

[Scotty G]

Wayne,

Man - you are doing it ALL WRONG. Do what I do. CLONE yourself! Then you can be at pylon 2 AND 8! One types at night while the other goes out with the chickies.



Works good lasts long time.

Scotty G

[AAFO_WSagar]

Yea Scotty but with my luck, I'd be the one chained to the keyboard and my other "self" would be the one with the chickies...

[W J Pearce]

But but but Wayne.... if you aren't going to be @ 4SD 24/7.... who will I BS with at 1:00 in the morning? You see, at that time I'm usually to inebriated to sleep and I know you will be chained to that laptop in AAR.

Try to enjoy it this year, I will be at PRS and will probably see you there.

BP