High Flyer

Last year, I went to a professional conference. At many of these types of events, organizers offer a silent auction that benefits a worthy cause. (In this case, proceeds went to fund scholarships.) One of the auction items was particularly unique - a private flight in a WWII-era plane. My sense of adventure and competitive nature shortly found me in a bit of a bidding war with another attendee over the experience. When the dust settled, I found myself the winner!

It took a while to arrange the flight, as schedules of the Southern Heritage Air Foundation (the sponsoring organization), the pilot, and myself all had to be in sync on a day when the weather was fair enough to go up. But the planets finally aligned in May, and off I went!

A bird's-eye view!

My pilot's name was Eric Hollingsworth, and the plane was a GORGEOUS AT-6 Texan with bright yellow wings! After a quick safety demonstration (They literally strap you into a parachute and show you how to jump out of the plane, just in case. I admit, my stomach quailed for a moment.), we taxied down the runway and leaped into the sky.

First of all, I wasn't prepared for how smooth the ride would be. I'd expected something a bit bumpier, but it was like silk. Views were gorgeous from up there, as you were flying close enough to the ground to see some detail but high enough to provide marvelous perspective.

The plane was loud, so both the pilot and I were on headsets. This allowed us to communicate easily. We did barrel rolls and loops, and he let out a small string of smoke so we could look behind our plane and see the patterns we'd drawn in the air! It was seriously one of the coolest things I've ever done.

I have absolutely no chill. And I'm fine with that.

I can have a bit of a weak stomach, and I worried that I might get sick, but I didn't! Eric was very attentive and took great care of me! (When I said I thought my tummy was finished with loops, that was it. We just moved on to something else.) When my hour was up, we made our way back to the airstrip, and one smooth landing later, we were back on the ground.

I really enjoyed this flight, and I highly recommend this organization. They were super-attentive and friendly, and I felt safe and looked after throughout.