'FLYING' Mum and Dad.

[Phil Perry]

One of my finest achievements in anything I've ever done, ( Apart fro siring two of the best Daughters in the known Universe, ) was taking amy Mother and Father for a flight in an aeroplane, flown by Me.

 

These wonderful people, had nurtured my interest in aviation from as early as I can actualy remember. . .you know,. . the usual stuff,. . little tinplate aeroplanes, with friction drive, which emit tiny sparks as you run them across the floor of the living room with the lights turned off. . . . to purchasing Airfix, and other brands of construction kits for years and years, and helping me when things wouldn't stick together properly. . .add to this the arrival of 'Rival' siblings, who also required 'Nurturation' in their respective demands and wants. . . . ( Warning ! - some of this stuff has been posted here before ! )

 

In 1955, my Father 'Chickening out of a flight in ( I found out later ) a DH Gypsy Moth. . from the seafront of a popular Southern British seaside resort ( Yes, Really,. . .flying from the esplanade ! ) by a Company owned by Alan Cobham's travelling flying Circus . . .He put ME in the front seat as he didn't think his stomach would take it,. . .My mum said many years afterward that ths was because he had witnessed a previous 'Passenger' being helped out of the aircraft, being rather unsteady on his feet,. . and then regurgitating his Fish and Chips lunch all over the pavement. . . . ( How she knew his lunch was Fish & Chips. . .I never asked. . .)

 

I have no concise memories of the flight, as I couldn't see much 'over the side' until the pilot rolled the aircraft. . . but I Did see some sepia Photographs, taken and home developed by my Dad from Kodak 120 film. . . of the aircraft as a bluured dot in the sky,. . then of me sitting in the aircraft, grinning like a Cheshire cat, and wearing a leather helmet five sizes too big, complete with the classic 'Stadium' motorbike goggles . . . .( even they were far too big. . ) bear in mind that this 'Flight' probably lasted around Ten minutes. . .as Petrol cost a whopping ninepence a gallon back then. . .

 

I later discovered that it was possible to buy 'Kits' of parts, so that the aspiring aviator could build aircraft which could actually FLY. . .with a big elastic band which you had to turn backwards using the propeller to achieve a few seconds of powered flight. . .. all mine crashed BW, but none burned. . .( ! ) Mother and Dad bought all of these kits. . .maybe just to keep me quiet ?. . .I became a fan of a Company named Keil Craft. . .as some of you may remember. . . Followed by Cox glow plug engines, then diesels,. . . but all free flight. . lost most of the buggers I did. Never advanced to remote / radio control. . . sad that. . . .

 

Then in 1957, after returning from a trip to Baghdad, and Teheran with Dad on an engineering sales trip, ( I could write a short story on THAT alone ! I went with him a few times after that, also to Israel. . . ) Mum and Dad allowed me to be taken care of,. . by our 'Weird' neighbour 'Roy'. . .a lot of the local kids reckined that he was an oddball,. . lived all alone, ad drove weird 3 wheel cars, loke Morgans and stuff. . .but he was really OK,. . none of this kiddie fiddling stuff that we read about lately ( ! )

 

He owned a half share in an ageing DH82A at ( Ex- RAF ) Pendeford Airfield near Wolverhampton. I was taught to maintain and fly this aircraft from 1957 until they sold it in 1961. . .I was taught how to sideslip a 'tigger' into a field by the age of Nine. . .mainly by Roy's partner in the project, an Ex- Hurricane pilot in ww2. . .

 

This began, all because of Mum and Dad.. . .

 

It was with immense pleasure that, on my Dad's 72nd Birthday, I took the pair of them to Halfpenny Green Airport and hired a Piper Arrow 3 to take thm for thier first ( And last - sadly ) light aircraft flight ever.

 

Dad,. . being an Engineer, was astonished at the complexity of the 'Dashboard' as he called it, in this ageing aircraft.. . . 'Why so many instruments ? was his first question after the briefing and strapping in ceremony. .

 

After my explanation of what everything did and was for and why, ( 20 minutes ! ) he seemed pleased and we proceeded to fly. 'Mum' just sat in the back and didn't say much, even though I'd plugged in a headset box so that she could hear us yakking.. . .My most difficult explanation, was about Manifold pressure, and RPM . . .he asked me numerous questions about this 'Constant Speed' aspect,. . maybe I approached it the wrong way . . I dunno. . .He was a 'Technical Engineer' and didn't like half hearted descriptions of ANYTHING !

 

We had a marvellous 90 minute flight, over all our old well loved areas. . . to them I'm certain,. . .and planned to do it again SOON ! but things happened,. . .as things tend to do. . .and further flights never were.

 

Dad was diagnosed with aggressive, degerative Alzheimer's disease only nine months later, and his memories decayed so rapidly until he didn't remember any of his progeny nor know any fve of us. . . . Mother died one year after Dad. . . broken heart more than anything else I think. . .

 

More than Sad. . . .Horrible.

 

Beatrice May and Walter Henry. . . .wherever you may be. . . .I thank you for giving me the nurturing, help and support to have spent a long time Flying. ( AND of course, . . .for albet unintentionally. . . causing me to meet a load of other odd people worldwide who also have their stories ! )

 

 

[rgmwa]

Took my dad up a year ago for the first time, aged 97, in a plane he helped me to build. Never got a chance to take him up earlier in a rental as they lived on the other side of the country (Vic) so we didn't see them that often, but he always wanted to `help' with the plane when he came over (we're in WA). I had to cringe sometimes when his idea of acceptable practice was more suited to assembling a lawnmower than an aircraft, but it worked out OK in the end. Unfortunately, mum contracted Alzheimers about 5 years ago and died last July, so I never got the opportunity to take her up. Then dad also went last November, but I'll be forever grateful that we finally got to fly when I took the RV-12 over to Vic last March on its first big trip. Make the most of life's opportunities before it's too late.

 

rgmwa

 

 

[Jerry_Atrick]

Make the most of life's opportunities before it's too late.rgmwa

Ain't that the truth!

 

After getting my GFPT (years ago), too my mum ,brother & sis-in-law up for a bimble at Coldstream (mum lives in Healesville) in a C152 (was a little tight ;-))

 

She loved it, as did the sis-in-law; learned that day my bruv was white-knuckle flyer...

 

 

[Soleair]

After getting my GFPT (years ago), too my mum ,brother & sis-in-law up for a bimble at Coldstream (mum lives in Healesville) in a C152 (was a little tight ;-))

Yes, 4 POB in a C152 would be tight. . .

 

I took my dad up in a plane I had helped design. Flew him over his house, & his boat. I offered him a stick waggle, but he wasn't up for it. He was a little tentative throughout the flight, but only actually squoke when I sideslipped in on final - he defo didn't like that.

 

My mum watched the takeoff & landing, but wasn't game to fly. Probably wise.

 

 

[farri]

At 17 years of age, I met my wife Frances and here mother! At 18 years of age Fran and I married...I never got to meet Frans father because, four years earlier he`d had a severe stroke and had passed away a couple of months before I met Fran! He was 56 years of age...Money was scarce for Frans family and they hadn`t even owned a car.

 

Years went by and one day I decided to build an Ultralight aircraft! I wanted to fly but couldn`t afford to any other way...Frans mother, Peg (everyone called her Peg) Maloney, had never been near an aircraft, let alone a home built Ultralight, yet she helped me sew the skins for it and when the time was right, Peg, my mother-in-aw, had the courage to be my first passenger!

 

More years went by and I now had the Drifter....As a young man my Father had a desire to fly but WW2 in Europe killed any hope of that happening... Both of my parents,who had never been near an aircraft, got to experience their first flight, in the Drifter, with me and several more, over the years.

 

To date, in the Drifter, I have taken flying our three Children, eight Grand Children and one Great Grand Daughter and hopefully, it won`t be long before I get to take up our second Great Grand Daughter...Hopefully! I`ll still be flying the Drifter when our two Great Grand Sons are old enough to fly.

 

Peg, Mum and Dad, Deceased....R.I.P.

 

Franco.

 

 

[Marty_d]

Nice stories guys!

 

I got my restricted when I was about 20, so took my parents, and a friend of Mum's, up in a 172 one day. Dad was maybe 60kg, I'd hate to guess what Mum and her friend weighed but it was probably substantially more than Dad and I.

 

Dad being fascinated by the process of flight wanted to sit in the front, and me being a green newbie didn't even consider the weight imbalance. We took a nice cruise around the local Hobart training areas until Mum's friend started feeling a bit airsick, so we broke it short and tracked back to Cambridge.

 

As I recall it was a pretty smooth landing, but the tail was almost touching the runway and the nose was high for quite a while!

 

Dad died on my 40th birthday, 5 years ago this April, aged 83. Always glad they got to fly with me.

 

Now I want to finish this 701 so my kids can too. Well, one at a time, anyway.

 

 

[Phil Perry]

It's nice to hear all your stories Guys,. . .and I feel very glad that some of you managed to get your parents up into the Air with yourself as the commander. Great wasn't it ? ? ?

 

I remember well that My Dad, must have had a terrible fear of flying, so Mum said ( he. .. would never admit to being scared of anything. . .'cos he was a Bloke ! ! ). . . he got the metal 'Spinning' contract first in Northern Ireland,. . .and travelled there via the Railway to Holyhead, . . .thence over on the Ferry to Belfast. Ths route across the Irish Sea was ALWAYS rough. . .you'd go to one of the several bogs on the ferry to find it swimming in vomit. . . It usually took around Twelve Hours, from leaving base, to get to Belfast via this method of transport. He EVENTUALLY decided to actually get on a FLIGHT from Birmingham, to Belfast,. . . he hated the thought of actually flying but, since it took around an hour to get there, and the aircraft bogs were not swiming in vomit,. . . that this was quite probably a better and more viable alternative to further his business objectives. . . .

 

It was later that he got the contracts from the Middle East, where ferries were not really available ! !. . . He took me on his second trip, from Birmingham to Paris,. . .thence to Iraq and Iran, via Marseilles, some place in Morocco, and thence to final destination, in what I believe were DC6, four engined prop aircraft, which were non pressurised and very noisy BUT,. . we had meals served which were cooked actually in the aeroplane kitchen,. . . and served on clothed tables, with full waiter service. . . .

 

Being a 'Kid' . . I tended to sleep a lot. . .irrespective of the bloody noise. . . . the quality of serivice DID remind me of a sea cruise we went on once, from Southampton to Italy. . .similar sort of service, women in dinner dresses,. . .Blokes dressed to the nines,. . . but without the ability to walk outside and promenade along the decks. . .( ! )

 

It's almost amazing, that nowadays, you can step upon an airliner in a British provncial airport, . . and some of the aircraft can almost fly direct to Australia,. . .without you having to get off and watch camels pissing in the sand whilst a bunch of people refuel your plane mandraulically from lots of metal drums. . . . the 'Pilots' used to come into the passenger cabin regularly and engage in social intercourse with the passengers, I remember the 'Sweaty' one talking to Dad not long after we'd left Morocco. . .poor bugger was probably helping to refuel with the drums. and hadn't packed a clean shirt. . . .

 

Memories are made of this. . . . . I have much more to say re these trips. . . .but not now. . .( Those bloody Israealis and their damned airforce. . .) .

 

 

[farri]

I`m lucky to have had a life at all, let alone the ability to fly ( I`ve just got back from a magic flight in my Drifter)!!!

 

My Father dreamed of flying! In his teens he would write letters to his girl friend (My mother) describing his flying...As I said earlier, WW2 destroyed those dreams.

 

This particular day, some German soldiers came into the town he and my Mum lived in, lined up a row of civilians, counted to the tenth person and that person was shot on the spot, my fathers friend who was beside him, panicked, ran and was shot in the back! I`m here simply because my Father didn`t panic and wasn`t the tenth person.

 

On another day German soldiers came into his town and took away all the men they could find, my Father survived because the soldiers didn`t find him, on yet another day, German soldiers burnt down my Mum`s parents house.

 

It`s been a great privilege to have taken flying, Mum, Dad, my mother-in-law and the hundreds of others, over the years.

 

Franco,

 

Ps, In no way is this post intended to discredit the German people! It`s just the way it happened then.....

 

 

[Nightmare]

My father achieved his PPL in the 1960's, I remember as an excited 4 and 5 year old, sitting in the right hand and back seats of the Piper Cherokee that he had hired from Archerfield, and taking us for flights in the local area.

 

Unfortunately, soon after getting it, he gave up flying due to the financial challenges of bringing up a family. But the dream remained. As us kids grew up, he dreamed of getting back into flying through ultralights. He invested in some flight sim equipment, and showed me some very basic skills that were just enough to kindle an interest. Sadly, he passed away way too early in 2003 at the way too young age of 59.

 

Due to the inspiration in aviation that my Dad gave me, 2 years ago I decided to bite the bullet and learn to fly myself. I have taken my Mum for a fly a couple of times, and she says every time, "Your Dad would be very proud of you"

 

Last week I purchased my first plane and flew it home from Wollongong. I can't help but feel my Dad watching over my shoulder with just a hint of pride.

 

Tony.

 

 

[Nightmare]

Ps, In no way is this post intended to discredit the German people! It`s just the way it happened then.....

I believe it was a rather large-ish minority of radical Nazi SS Germans and some allies who conducted and approved of those atrocities.... It was largely because of that behaviour that they were only able to terrorized the parts of the world they ruled for only 12 years instead of the 1000 years they were aiming for. Thankfully, nearly the whole world banded together to wipe them, and their wretched ideologies, off the face of this world, hopefully for ever.

[johnm]

my dad had +10000 hours in tail draggers including a lot in the DHC2 beaver - I did many hours sitting with him as a 25 kilo copilot

 

I first took him up in a 152 and on take off he turned to me and chuckled ............... like, is this thing going to get us off the ground - never thought about engine power till that point :)

 

then say a year later when I was in town he took me down to the aero club and there was only one plane available - a piper cub but it only had a stick in the front. It was a perfect day and he said you fly it son and i'll sit in the back (to instruct) - so off we went for half an hour. Its the only tail dragger I've actually ever flown - even till now some 30 years later - a great memory of the old boy

 

 

[Guest alpipete]

Took my friends Dad, an ex 75 Squadron Lancaster pilot who was based out of Mepal during world war two.He was aged 92 at the time.I climed to 500 feet and said would you like to take control,OK he said and would you believe it that plane of mine had never flown so level and stable.He could at that age still fly by the seat of his pants as you say, unbelievable.No wonder these old vets had it all over Herr Goring and Herr Hitler.We have them to thank for winning the air battle over the Germans at that critical era I. will forever hold that day in my heart and never forget the courage that these young lads did for our country.Long live on you gallant and wonderful pilots.

 

 

[Jerry_Atrick]

There's a charity here called Project Propeller where pilots donate their time and plane to ferry WW2 vets for a "reunion"; Basically, the organisers pair up one or two vets with a pilot; the pilot files to the nearest airfield/s of the vets and ferries them to the gathering airfield where a spread is laid on; after which the pilots ferry them to their home airfields. The gathering airfield waives landing fees and either they or the charity put on the food/reshreshments/marquee. It's a great day and surprisingly satisfying.

 

 

[pmccarthy]

My dad trained in the air corps weekend warriors before enlisting in 1944. Didn't make pilot, but became a navigator air gunner. When I got my pilots licence he immediately insisted I fly him across Bass Straight to Tasmania. With about 150 hrs TT I was reluctant, but I am glad I did it. It was the only time I flew him. He died nearly 30 years ago.

 

 

[winsor68]

My Dad was my flying hero...

 

 

He instructed for many years but sadly never managed to send his kids solo as the club folded in the mid 80s when Mount Isa lost it's heart and soul...

 

The last time I flew as PIC was also the last time Dad flew...after that as much as I would love to continue flying if I could afford my own aircraft and thus fly on my own terms...it wasn't so hard to walk away...sort of felt like "mission accomplished"...

 

Dad filmed our last flight together...

 

 

 

[Phil Perry]

I remember well, flying a Lovely chap named George Yardley. I did this on request from his Son, SImon, a close friend of mine at the Flying Club, Simon was still training for his PPL at the time, so asked me to fly his Dad in his Rans S6. ( Apologies, this HAS been posted before. . .but it seems On Topic, and some of the Young Bucks here may not have read the older post from a few years ago )

 

This was back in 2006 and George was then aged 93 yrs, but was stll 'Bright as a Button'. . . shades of your mate's Dad Alpi Pete. . . shortly after takeoff and well established in the climb, I asked George if he would like to take control. He was a lttle reluctant to start with, he said that he had not touched the controls of an aircraft since 1946. . . . HIs flying was superb, although I am certain that he'd never flown anything as feather light to the touch as a ragwing ultralight of 450 Kgs AUW. . . . His turns were perfectly balanced, after around 3 minutes of 'Feel' for the very light controls, and it was a pleasure to be flown by a veteran. This guy was COmpletely situationally aware, he'd obviously 'Clocked' local landmarks as we took off,. . .and had no difficulty returning us to overhead the airfield. . .Bloody amazing !

 

George learned to fly in Canada, on heavy, thirsty radial Biplanes, and when his course was finally completed, including heavy bombers, at the age of 21, he was tasked with flying either a Halifax, or a Wellington bomber, back fro Canada, in stages to a base in England. He was the eldest member of the crew. He was told that if he got back to 'Blighty' in one piece,. . .the crew had fully passed thier long distance Nav test ! ( I am sorry, I can't remember the actual aircraft, but his Son Simon, still has all of George's logbooks, so it will be well detailed therein )

 

He was later seconded onto Sunderland Flying Boats, for RAF Coastal Commmand, charged with hunting and killing U-Boats. His crowning achievement of the war, was bombing a U-Boat, and having it surrender on the surface. He and his crew then 'Sheperded' the German craft to an English port. Photographs of ths event are still to be seen at Kermit Weeks' museum in Florida. Simon later noted that George was 'Glad' in a way that he hadn't killed the entire crew of that particular U-Boat ( ? ) I guess not all 'Soldiers' had murder in their hearts. . .no matter that the enemy was killing thousands of their compatriots it was just a 'Job'. . . he and his crew had apparently dispatched 'quite a few' U-Boats to the icy depths of the Atlantic. . . .

 

It is strange that he never thought that his feat was particularly 'Special' . . . . where did they ever find these men ?. . .

 

It was indeed Fascinating to have met, as well as flown with such a man. And also very sad at the same time that friend Simon, never got to fly with his own father due to the usual humdrum of not getting it together in time. . .things got in the way. . .etc. . .

 

I feel really Glad that, shown by the comments above,. . that some of you managed to do something really wonderful like this. . . .there can't be very many of these fantastic characters left for us to even be able to take them for a flight and then say 'THANK YOU' for what you did. . . . .

 

 

[pmccarthy]

Re my previous post, here are my dad and I about to go flying in 1972.