Morgans wrote:
"Margy Natalie" wrote


but I did get a few minutes stick time in an L-39 JET this weekend!!!)


Cool beans!

Shoot, I'd settle for a ride in an L-39, let alone some stick time!

Go on; you told us a little, now spill it! Tell us all about it, so we can
live vicariously! g
It was GREAT!!! The wonderful man who owns the L-39 and has flown to my
fly-in every year. He's mentioned he "owes" me a ride for a bit and we
hooked up at a local fly-in this weekend (thanks to my boss's boss who
is also checked out in L-39's).

Well, the ride was going to be around 2:30 (after they opened the
airspace from the show) so I figured I'd better eat about 1 (not too
empty, not too full) so at 12:45 I got in line. I didn't get my food
until 2:15 so I wolfed down BBQ and fries (not wise) and got out to the
airplane. Joe (boss's boss) straped me in, which I think he felt a bit
odd doing. We'd briefed earlier so he showed me what to pull "just in
case" etc. I was strapped to the parachute and it was attached to the
plane. "if something really bad happens pull that, Art will turn upside
down and you will fall out". Sounded good to me! In and locked in Art
fired up the best looking L-39 in the world (too me at least, as I was
INSIDE). All the instruments and warning lights are in Russian :-). It
was a bit odd to have my ears popping right there on the ground as he
pressurized.

He took off, over the runway we had already exceeded the Navion's red
line speed and I was way behind. We got up to about 3,500' and Art said
"you've got the airplane" and shook the stick. I said "you're
kidding" He said "No, your airplane" I shook the stick and held on
flying perfectly straight and level with a grin ear to ear. I was
flying a JET!!!! He said "you can turn if you want". Ok, I made really
gentle turns and my face hurt from smiling so wide. He said, "let me
show you a turn" and wow we turned! I flew a bit and he said "How about
an aileron roll" so I said sure (mind you I get sick on
Merry-go-rounds). So we did the roll which was really gentle until the
pull out and the BBQ started to rise, but not too far, whew. So I flew
for a bit and then it was time to go back. He thought I might know
where I was (as the ride was from my home field, but I was way not
knowing anything). A second later I spotted the "golf balls" (radomes)
and pointed them out and explained they were 45 for downwind.

He asked if I wanted him to do a break for landing or a regular pattern.
Well the stomach was back and I figured after the break we'd be on the
gound in a few seconds so I said "we can do the break", he replied "Are
you sure" I said "yeah, we can do the break" then I asked "How violent
is the break?" he replied "2 Gs" I said "OK" figuring we'd be on the
ground and out of the plane. Piece of cake.

So we zoom in faster than I normally do anything, whipped around in the
break (damned BBQ) and are coming around on final. This is WAY COOL.
Stomach is well, ok, but we will be on the ground in a few seconds, when
I hear "Culpeper traffic, Cessna xxxx departing runway 22, Culpeper". I
look down and someone is getting ready to get on the runway right in
front of us. Art calls, "Culpeper traffic can you delay your departure
for the JET on final", "Culpeper traffic, Cessna departing 22 ... "
damned she was talking, but not listening so around we go (with someone
else on the radio asking for a tail number). The go around was
uneventful and we came in for a smooth landing.

This was a GREAT moment for me. I did aerobatics (well, aerobatic
singular) and didn't throw up! I flew really fast and it was really
cool and wow it was GREAT! I would recommend it to anyone.

I'm still a bit dizzy from the thrill and people are tired of me
spontaniously shouting "I flew a JET!" periodically :-). This in one of
the great perks of my job. I get to meet really cool people. Art is
one of the best I've ever met, he has a really cool plane and as soon as
I got out he had kids in the airplane (not flying) for the rest of the
day. At my fly-in he spends the entire day putting kids in and out of
the plane. It is great. I found out this weekend he's also the only
one to ever dead-stick a Harrier in (Richmond, VA) he got a medal for
that. He recently aquired a Harrier and hopefully will have it on the
airshow circut soon. He's a really nice guy with really cool planes.

Hee hee hee I flew a JET!

Margy