"No, I don't thank you for the fish at all" (notindetroit)
08/03/2014 at 09:50 • Filed to: Airplanes to ride before you die, planelopnik, ten best list
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"No, I don't thank you for the fish at all" (notindetroit)
08/03/2014 at 09:50 • Filed to: Airplanes to ride before you die, planelopnik, ten best list | 1
| 7 |
Every passing day represents being one step closer to losing a classic aircraft - and one step closer towards kicking the bucket! Gone are the days of going supersonic on the Concorde, but these classics are still alive and kicking. Not everything on this list is an "aircraft" per se, but putting these flying machines on your bucket list is a must-do for the aviation aficionado while being within realistic reach.
10.) Discovery Flights
image source !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!
It's hard to appreciate a unique flying experience without having some sort of baseline to compare to. Most flight clubs will take you up on a "Discovery Flight" to try out the experience for a typical fee of anywhere from $60 to $100 and lasts about an hour. This is true hands-on flying with actual "stick" (or "yoke") time. Contact your local flight club for more details.
9.) The Executive Experience
Image by Noel Jones via Wikipedia, used under Creative Commons License
A typical flight on a corporate jet costs a thousand bucks and up per hour , so this is a bit more along the lines of the traditional "fantasy" bucket list. But just in case you win the lottery: you have to experience the lap of luxury some time at least.
8.) Full-Motion Flight Simulator
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This used to be easier to do in the days before 9/11, but you'll still see occasional open houses for airlines or military bases where they'll allow access to full-motion flight sims, or if you're still a high school student you might convince your school to schedule a field trip. Stare at the polygons of a full-motion flight sim long enough and you'll easily see the rough edges, but you won't have enough time for that if you're actually flying the controls properly. It really does drive home how realistic simulation technology can be, and it's your only opportunity to crash a jumbo jet and walk away from the experience (and see how the controls react and fight back in the process).
7.) Any Airplane That's Barely There to Begin With
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Being totally exposed to the open air is what it's all about! After all, isn't that the closest experience we can have to being actual birds? It doesn't have to be a "full" (or is that empty?) airplane like the Breezy above - there are plenty of ultralights powered literally by lawnmower engines that let you hang out there at slow speeds. Not to mention the related modes of flight via powered parachute and hang-gliding.
Do be aware that despite going low and slow, even a simple aircraft such as this can !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . This should go without saying and applies to every aircraft on this list, but ultralights seem to have a reputation for a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , mainly due to pilot inexperience. Practice safe flying procedures when you're out there.
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6.) Soar in a Sailplane
Image from Paul Haliday via Wikipedia, used under Creative Commons License
On the other hand, some people think that soaring high above the clouds in comfort and silence is the purest form of flying. Just like their powered cousins, some soaring clubs offer !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! - so check out if there's a soaring club near you!
5.) A Classic Biplane
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And there are people who think the purest driving experience is on a Harley. For them, the perfect gift might be a joy ride in a classic strut-braced biplane like the Waco YMF. New-production aircraft are popular with both private pilots and tour companies, so if you're worried about an aircraft being too old, consider that worry assuaged.
4.) A B-17 Flying Fortress
Image from John Murphy via Wikipedia, used under Creative Commons License
And you thought the topshot was just to look cool. Thanks to !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , it's actually possible for nearly anyone to fly in one of the few remaining survivors of the plane that smashed Hitler's war machine. The price is a bit hefty - hundreds of dollars per ticket - but remember that every penny goes towards keeping this massive and rare beast in the air. Besides, that's as much as a typical one-way transcontinental airline ticket and a whole lot more memorable!
3.) An American Champion Citabria
Image from Bill Larkins via Wikipedia, used under Creative Commons License
!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! might not be for everyone (especially people who've just been to lunch) but a Citabria (that's Airbatic backwards) is a nice way to experience some of the more fun aspects of flight like loops and rolls without being too extreme.
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2.) Relive Being a WWII Fighter Pilot
Or you can go full-tilt in a fully aerobatic aircraft. Or better yet, why not mix in some faux air combat into the mix? !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! will let you "shoot" an opponent down in either an Extra 300 or a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , which is frequently used as a military trainer for air forces around the world.
1.) TO THE MOON!
Ok, so maybe not quite to the moon, and the best options available are a work in progress, but it's hard to pass up an opportunity to go into space. The most famous space tourism start-up is probably !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , but !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! promises to have their own tourist-friendly spaceplane ready. And if nothing else you can always shell out a few ten million to ride on a Russian Soyuz capsule (or a SpaceX Dragon if you want to keep things 'MURICAN!)
f86sabre
> No, I don't thank you for the fish at all
08/03/2014 at 10:07 |
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Neat write up. Hitting one of the historic bombers is very high in my list. Fifi, one of the B-17s, B-24 or B-25 would all be awesome. I would add a DC-3 in there as well. Classic airliner and WWII workhorse. I've been lucky enough to ride in a Stearman, do some aerobatics in a YAK-18T and work my private in Cessna and Piper products. All huge fun.
Also, need to add a blimp to the list!
K-Roll-PorscheTamer
> f86sabre
08/03/2014 at 10:33 |
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I saw FiFi in person 2 years ago at Thunder over Michigan! 'Twas hella awesomsauce! :)
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K-Roll-PorscheTamer
> No, I don't thank you for the fish at all
08/03/2014 at 10:40 |
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I would like to fly in these:
The Transporter
> f86sabre
08/03/2014 at 10:54 |
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Of all the tie-ins to put on a blimp, I would have though this would make more sense:
orillion
> No, I don't thank you for the fish at all
08/03/2014 at 14:31 |
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Going for a ride on a B-17 is one of the most memorable things I've done. Nine-O-Nine operated by the Collings Foundation. The flight included a low pass over Patrick AFB and we stayed relatively low out over the ocean. Aside from me and my dad the other passengers were all B-17 WWII vets. You could go anywhere except the tail gunner position. I was 12 at the time and too short to see out the top turret so I spent almost the entire flight up in the nose.
tl;dr: If you get the chance to go for a flight in one, TAKE IT!
StingrayJake
> No, I don't thank you for the fish at all
08/03/2014 at 16:54 |
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I've wanted to do that Air Combat thing ever since I saw a feature on History Channel about it when I was a kid. For now I just settle for the occasional flight sim that gets popular like War Thunder.
Jayhawk Jake
> f86sabre
08/04/2014 at 10:42 |
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Agree on the DC-3. I took a flight in one a year ago, it was great.