New to all this

[pfer10]

Been around flying since a kid here and there since my dad had a license. He always tried to get me interested and I enjoyed going up but it wasn't something I wanted to do. I was always more in to racing and dabbled in stock cars, dirt bikes and go karts over the years. Now fast forward some years (just turned 50 this year) and I moved to the country 7 years ago with some barns and a little land. I noticed the neighbor about a mile down the road had a strip. Over the years I have seen him go up on a nice calm evening. He usually has old radial stuff that was just music to my ears since I have been into air cooled Volkswagen's for 30 years. Just always a nice distinctive sound about the radial or a VW.

 

Last year during one of my VW campouts a few planes started the downwind pattern over my place and landed so I decide to drive down with a couple of the people camping at my place as one guy works on planes for a living. I introduce myself and looked at all the cool planes which I bet he had 15 to 20 by the time I left. Then this year I was coming home and really needed to do some weedeating and chores but as I am approaching the house I see a few plans in the pattern again so I decided to head down to check out the action. This time I actually met a guy I use to work with that flew in so we chatted for a while to catch up. While I was chatting a guy asks if I want to go up in an old bi-plane. I was like for free? lol.

 

So next thing I know I am in an open cockpit Fleet aircraft from the 40s or 50s I assume with a radial cruising over my house as I have seen my neighbor do some many times before! Like I said I have been up in multiple small craft over the years with my dad in Cessnas and Arrows but there was something about chugging along nice and slow and just enjoying the scenery that I have not experienced before while flying. Almost like being on a back country road in my 71 VW panel bus purring along and not getting anywhere quick.

 

Anyway that next week it was hard to let that memory go and I traveled for work so I had time in the hotel room in the evenings to do nothing but look around at aviation like I never have before. Some how I saw some STOL aircraft (kinda knew about them before but didn't know what they were capable of) and actually found a VW powered one that peaked my interest. Then I found kits and love to build things so I guess I will try to go down that route. Anyway ended up here as I seemed to key on the Zenith machines since I am from the States and that is what the VW was in. More and more searches led me to the Savannah and this place. For some reason there is something I like about that Savannah so I decided to join here since it is the most information I have found on it.

[red750]

Hi pfer10. to the forum. Ask any questions - there are plenty of guys to help out. What part of the States are you from? Don't be coy.

[pfer10]

Thanks for the welcome. I hail from Indiana. More specifically right around The Racing Capitol of the World at Indianapolis. I live about 45 minutes from the track and am a huge Indy 500 fan. I was out at Iowa for their race several weeks ago. Was down in Florida in March but Covid shut that down. Would have been on vacation these couple of weeks for Indy but Covid took care of that also. Oh well.

[pfer10]

Maybe you guys have heard of Will Power? Or Scotty McLaughlin? Okay I know Scott hasn't done Indycar yet but from what I have seen he'll have a career in these cars for sure. Pure car control with that kid and a mental attitude like he has been around for ages.

[old man emu]

a guy asks if I want to go up in an old bi-plane. So next thing I know I am in an open cockpit. There was something about chugging along nice and slow and just enjoying the scenery.

 

Hallelujah! The man has gotten over his NASCAR fetish and come into the Light.

 

Maybe you guys have heard of Will Power? I had some of that once, but like my get-up-an-go, it got up and went.

[Old Koreelah]

Maybe you guys have heard of Will Power? Or Scotty McLaughlin? Okay I know Scott hasn't done Indycar yet but from what I have seen he'll have a career in these cars for sure. Pure car control with that kid and a mental attitude like he has been around for ages.

Welcome to the forum, pfer10. I'm sure you'll have lots of fun with aeroplanes.

 

No, never heard of those people. Have you heard of Peter Brock or Jack Brabham?

[pfer10]

Welcome to the forum, pfer10. I'm sure you'll have lots of fun with aeroplanes.

 

No, never heard of those people. Have you heard of Peter Brock or Jack Brabham?

I think you forgot the Sir in front? I was more in the time when Geoff ran the 83 Nissan. I was only able to watch on TV at the time but once I got my license I was at the small tracks watching Jeff Gordon and Rich Vogler rip up the circle tracks around Indiana. When I could skip school I would make it over to Indy during practice sessions. They use to have this thing called the Snake Pit that a 16 year old should probably have never be in. I did see Matty Brabham take a stab at Indy a few years back and he ran some go karts out at New Castle, Indiana that isn't more than 15 to 20 minutes from me.

 

Again thanks for the welcome. Someday I'll make it down under. I was in Singapore once for work and still regret not taking the next week off and spend the time down there.

[GraemeK]

Welcome pfer!

 

Spent many great times in Indianapolis in the '70s working with Eli Lilly - and a few times managed to organise my visits to coincide with the Indy 500, lots of memories!

[M61A1]

Maybe you guys have heard of Will Power?

Will Power was a local kid from around where I live. He pops up on the local news every so often in an interview about Indycars.

[red750]

Before Covid, he used to race n the Indy on the Gold Coast.