What's the most exotic thing you've flown?

Flown in…………UK to Switzerland back seat P-40, Switzerland to UK, back seat P-51. B-25 around Manston.

Flown………YAK 11, L-4, Tiger Moth

Of 49 aircraft types which I have flown or been a passenger in, the 45 minute ride from Copenhagen/Roskilde to Gothenburg/Säve in the back seat of Scandinavian Historic Flight’s P-51 Mustang in 1988 remains an all-time high…. 😀

Other exotics/highlights: 20 minutes aerobatics in a Danish Air Force Saab T-17, joyrides in a Stinson Trimotor, Lufthansa’s Ju 52/3m and a Stearman….

Most exotic – Jag T2 with 41 Sqn at Coltishall. Eleven years on it still makes me grin. 😀

Most bizarre flight – US Army UH-1, because I didn’t land in it; four of us rapelled out of the damn thing. Like Moggy, I don’t like choppers, and was only too happy to get out early!

Exotic thing I’d most like to fly – Beaufighter, but I never will, so I’ll settle for a Tiger Moth. Lovely things.

Originally posted by Steve Beebee
Due to my pesky job, I had to turn down a flight (to Belgium!!) in a Robinson R44 chopper the other day. DOH!

Lucky escape if you ask me. Overwater in a single-engined piston chopper? No thanks. 😮

Moggy

Last time I went to Florida (12 years ago), wife and I went to Kissimmee for a flying day. We went up in the Virgin Lightship, which was more like being in a boat, then in a Waco open-cockpit biplane, piloted by one Eddie Hammock, then I had two rides in Jack Kehoe’s SNJ. This was a wonderful aeroplane to fly, he let me land it on the second trip – he tactfully described my effort as a ‘carrier landing’!.
A couple of days later I managed to talk my wife into letting me go for a ride in Stallion 51’s Mustang, but when I called to book they said it had gone to Pennsylvania for some reason.

It was a wonderful experience that I will always remember.

Due to my pesky job, I had to turn down a flight (to Belgium!!) in a Robinson R44 chopper the other day. DOH!

Hi Steve
Lucky git indeed. I have bored everyone I’ve met today about it and I’m still grinning like a cheshire cat now. Can’t wait to do it again. If you ever get the chance to take a flight in a Jodel then take it cause its well worth it, the visibility is excellent.

Neal

Neal – it’s very hard for me to reply to this post without prominently including the words YOU LUCKY GIT, so I won’t. Ooops, too late 😀

Had two flights with Denny today. The first in a Jodel D18, a great little aeroplane with fantastic visibilty. Mr Beebee, you may be thinking to yourself how I have been less than polite about the look of Jodels but I’m now converted.

The second flight today was in his Extra 300. 😮 A totally awesome experience and one which I hope to repeat. This was also the first time I have flown aerobatics and I loved every second of it.
😀
Neal

Neal

And the best of luck flying with one of the best nutters around. 😮

Posted with no intended offence to Denny.

Yes, the Tiger Moth on a summers evening, takes a bit of beating.

I do not have a PPL so I’ve not flown in a great variety of aircraft, mainly Cessna 152/ 172 and a Jet Ranger many years ago so the most exotic flight is in the Dragon Rapide at DX.
However, this year I’m commentating for Denny Dobson so over the summer I’ll be getting flights in his Extra 300, Christen Eagle as well as a Yak 52 and Yak 18T.
A dream that I have had for a while is to fly over the countryside on a warm summer evening in a Tiger Moth. Absolute heaven.

🙂
Neal

Left or Right !

Got me thinking there Moggy – nope I was in the left!! It was filmed by a couple of tv crews from the back incase the real flypast was a washout . One helicopter on each side of the runway parallel to it. The reason they chose Wittering is because the Harrier school is a large white building .
The reason I got the flight was because I was up station flight for some reason and just asked who was in the empty seat !!!

Originally posted by David Burke
The flight that sticks in my mind most was being in the right hand seat of a Puma hovering to one side of Wittering’s runway whilst a large formation of Harriers ,Tornados
VC-10’s etc flew past below practicing for the Gulf war flypast
over London.

Right hand seat?

Respect 😎

Moggy

Don’t really know how to answer this.

Is a 421 Golden Eagle more exotic or less exotic than a Tiger Moth?

Is a Stearman more or less exotic than a Pitts?

I suppose in truth it is probably, for me, the ten / twenty glorious minutes I spent as an air cadet (closely supervised) taking a Shackleton in a series of gentle turns over the North Atlantic.

For those few moments I was a Lancaster pilot heading for Germany like all those guys just a few years before.

😀

Moggy

Yep EGNM, £60 for 5 mins. It was at Lowfield heath airshow/country show, which is situated directly next door to LGW.

Its on this year, 21/22 JUNE. Its a great show. Vinatge cars etc. side shows, and the bloke who owns the land keeps old military aircraft there, some of which you can go inside.

I have flown a Maule for about twenty minutes and numerous other private types. The flight that sticks in my mind most was being in the right hand seat of a Puma hovering to one side of Wittering’s runway whilst a large formation of Harriers ,Tornados
VC-10’s etc flew past below practicing for the Gulf war flypast
over London.

£60 for 5 mins 😮 – flown in, mine has got to be in the Allouette II

Not sure if this is considered to be in the todays pilot forum, but back in 96, i had a 5 minute trip on board a Bell OH-58B. First time up in a helicopter, and hopefully wont be my last, a very enjoyable 5 minutes.

Flew in it over Gatwick airport and the surrounding area. Not cheap though mind… £60 per person!

I had 20 minutes in a Stearman last summer, in which I was treated to some aeros 🙂 Highly recommended!