Flying Through History Over Napa Valley

It’s hard to believe I started flying 10 years ago. If you look at pictures from my childhood you will see that I have always loved airplanes. There is one of me at Loring Air Force Base sitting by a C5A military cargo plane and I still remember that moment to this day. I remember the pilot saying it was 3 flights of stairs to the cockpit and thinking I could climb up there if they would let me. I would still love to try that haha. He also said it was big enough to fly a small plane from inside it out the back cargo door. I was so small and the inside of that plane was immense. It was like being in a giant warehouse with wings.

The first time I ever got off the ground though was in a helicopter. I was at Shriner’s hospital in Springfield Massachusetts and it was Christmas time. Santa came in a Hughes 500D helicopter. Instead of being interested in what Santa was handing out I was interested in that helicopter. I approached the pilot and asked him what the circles on the windows were. He told me they were air vents. We struck up a little conversation and by the time we were done I had an offer to go flying as soon as I got out of the hospital. Unfortunately, he couldn’t come to pick me up at the hospital so we had to go to his hangar and take off from there. I remember thinking as we were flying that everything on the ground looked so perfect and as if it was meant to be there. We flew down the Connecticut River over the ice and at the edge of the ice were some geese just lying there relaxing. It was so beautiful. The pilot Leo Vergnani, a name I will never forget, asked if I wanted to go buzz the ski resort nearby and of course, I said yes. That was quite an interesting view and I am betting those people were a bit startled as we came over the top and down the slopes haha. We finished off the flight by getting really low behind the hangar and sneaking around the side so my mom wouldn’t know where we were coming from and then landed right in front of her. This was the day I knew I wanted to fly a lot more.

It wasn’t until about 15 years later that I finally decided to try to do something about that dream. I did a Google search of course and found a place in Sanford Maine that was giving flying lessons to disabled people. I traveled with my dad to Southern Maine Aviation after setting up an introductory flight and went to meet my instructor, Rich Whicker. That was one of the best experiences of my life. The freedom of leaving the earth behind and being able to see the world from a perspective that very few people will ever get to see is an amazing feeling. There is a quote that is associated with Leonard Da Vinci but not actually confirmed that he said it, “When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return” , truer words have never been spoken. I am most happy and alive when I am high above the ground.

My girlfriend Sandy having known me for 6 years now also knows that I am most happy when high above the ground and being the most amazing person on the planet decided to buy me a flight in a 1942 Stearman for my birthday. I decided to cash in my gift certificate today and WOW what an amazing birthday present.

My flight originated at Sonoma Valley Airport in Sonoma, CA. The company Vintage Aircraft has 2 Stearmans and they were both out flying when I arrived. A whole family booked both of them and took a flight. What an awesome family memory for sure.

When it was my turn the pilot and another pilot took me out to the plane and said “So how would you like us to help you”, as it was quite a ways off the ground to get into the plane. I looked at the situation and devised a plan and said: “I think I got it.” So I hopped up onto the wing, slid myself up to where I could grab the strut and proceeded to lift myself up onto the edge of the cockpit and slid backward right into the seat. They said, “well that’s the easiest we have ever done that before.” The flight Sandy bought me included some aerobatic maneuvers including barrel rolls, aileron rolls, a Cuban eight and some loops. I think this confirmed that I am more comfortable the crazier the situation haha. I had a smile on my face the whole time and couldn’t wait for the next maneuver.

I have to say there is nothing like the sound of a radial engine. It is hard to describe but luckily you will hear it in my video. I guess it’s like listening to history.

The video didn’t come out quite like I had hoped but I had to hold the camera with my hand so I may edit it into parts tomorrow but for now, you can view the whole thing including the maneuvers on my YouTube Video Adventures page.

I hope this gives you a taste of what it’s like and inspires you to try it for yourself. I promise it is something you will never forget and always want to do again.

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