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Birthday Flight in the N3N
7/10/2010
Two years ago I promised my dad, for his birthday, that I would get him a flight on the N3N, a WWII vintage biplane out of Flabob Airport, which was also the first plane I ever flew. After my dad’s birthday past he didn’t get to go up in the N3N because it had a hard landing, at another airport, damaging one of the landing gears and a wing. Two years later they finished up the N3N and started flying it almost everyday, so I went and asked David Belford, who is one of the three pilots that fly the N3N, if he could take my dad up in the N3N one of these days? David told me to bring my dad to the airport, at the next Young Eagles fly day and he would take him up.
So, on the next Young Eagles fly day, I checked with david, to be sure he could take my dad up and then I called my dad to tell him to get to the airport as he was going to go fly today. Once at the airport, my dad had to wait for a few other people go up before it was his turn to fly. When it was my dad’ turn to go up, I brought him over to the plane to meet David and send him off for his birthday flight. david showed my dad how to get in the plane and showed him what not to do and what not to touch. My mom and I sat at the benches, right by the Rogers Aviation Flight School, so we can watch my dad go up.
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When my dad got back from his flight, he told my mom and I that he liked the flight but started feeling sick once they landed. So that was my dads birthday present he had to wait two years go get!
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A Note from Dad:
Well, anyone that knows me also knows that I’m not a big fan of flying, partially because I just like to have my two feet firmly planted on the ground (or at least on the floorboards of my Harley) but mostly because I spent four years in the Navy, green from motion sickness! But I have to tell you, the experience of flying in a WWII vintage open cockpit biplane is one that can not be matched or described. The wind in your face and the freedom of with open airspace is much like the freedom you feel when me and his mom are out riding some back country road on our bike. And me, being a nut for all things with levers, pulleys and moving parts, was fascinated just sitting in the cockpit of that old plane, watching the various control levers and cables in action and being able to look out over the wing and see the end result. David took me on a great flight, smooth as can be and even threw in some mild aerial maneuvers that I did enjoy, even though it flipped my stomach over a few times. It was great however, and I didn’t really start feeling sick until 15 minutes or so after we had safely landed.
The flight in the N3N was the greatest birthday gift ever and I am glad I was able to experience some of the same enjoyment my son does, and also to fly in the very plane that sparked his passion for aviation.
Thanks for the great gift Christian.
Love,
Dad
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