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And This Is Why We Fly!!!!

39-J3

FRIEND
Maine
Just Wanted to share a story from this weekends Fly-in at Bowman Field in Maine.......

Saturday Night I was approached by one of the founding members of Bowman Field. He told me about this lady who makes a substantial monetary donation to our flying club every year just because she has fond memories of her and her Dad when she was a little girl flying his J-3 cub out of that airfield. The Bowman member then told me that he had invited her to go for a flight and photo sight seeing plane ride in his Cessna 150. But he then thought how special it would be for her to go up in a J-3 cub and asked me if I would be willing to take her up. Of coarse I said absolutely, tell her to come by on Sunday afternoon. Well the Bowman member told her to show up around 1:00 with her camera for her plane ride (she still thought she was going up in the 150). 1:00 on Sunday I did the candy drop for our fly-in, once on the ground I was told that this lady was here. I walked up to her and introduced myself and asked her if her name was Vicky, She said yes and I then asked her if she would like to go for a ride in a J-3 Cub. Well, Vicky Broke down crying and asked me "is this for real" and then started sharing with me stories about her dad restoring his Cub in the living room of their house and how she loved the rides in his plane. I asked her where she would like to go and she said to fly over the family farm if I didn't mind. I put her in the back seat of the cub thinking it would be more comfortable for her and easier to get in and out. Once I jumped in the front seat she asked me if we could fly with the doors open because that how her Dad always flew his plane when she went for a ride. :) I told her that just made my day her asking to fly with the doors open. We took off and headed for the family farm. I had made a couple of complete turns around the farm and notice she wasn't taking pictures. I looked back and could see she was getting a little emotional and think she had totally forgotten about the camera she had with her. I then told her that I think I will set up to fly on this side of the farm because that would make a great photo. She then started snapping away with the pictures. :) After a couple of more turns around the farm and a turn around her house we headed back to Bowman. After landing she gave me a big hug and told me that I would never know how much that flight meant to her.

I have given lots of rides in the cub to people of all ages but this one certainly made the top of my list of all time favorites .


Please share your favorite cub rides.

Larry
 
Every flight with my grandson.
 

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I have given lots of rides, but nothing that comes even close to that... That was truly a special moment that I think you both will cherish! So far my favorite two rides I have given were my wife's first ride in a cub, and my daughters hunt a few days ago!
 
A couple of years ago, stopped into Hampton to use the rest room. Several people were sitting under the sun umbrella watching the activities, including an elderly gentlemen with his daughter and her family. I was in a hurry to do my business and head home cause I had stuff to do. As I walked by, the elderly gentlemen made eye contact and asked what year the cub was. When I said a 46, he said "I learned to fly in one of those and courted my wife with it." It was obvious he was excited to see it. I could have kept walking, but I looked at him and said "think you can still get in it?" With no hesitation he said "yep". His family seemed surprised but supportive. Well, it wasn't easy getting him in, and getting him out was harder.... We had a blast. WW II vet, B24 mechanic and gunner, though he said he was embarrassed he joined too late to see any combat. When we landed his daughter told me they had just left the doctors office where her dad had received some "very bad news", and asked if they could just go to the airport and watch airplanes. She sent me a framed photo with an incredibly wonderful letter telling me what a huge impact I had on all their lives by showing up that day and taking her dad flying. One of the best flights of my life.......

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Not a chance of topping you guys!

Years back I had the pleasure of taking an elderly Navajo lady for her first airplane ride, and many of her family members flying years ago in my 180. It was a neat experience for her, but not the emotional attachment the two of your passengers have had.
 
I like to stick them in the front seat so I can enjoy their facial expressions as they take it all in. This Amish boy was a joy to watch as we climbed up higher.



Glenn
 
One day I had the hanger door open and some old man drove in. He got out and was admiring my Super Cub and then told me that when he got discharged from the service he bought a Luscombe and got his Private in it. Then he got married in 1948 and had to sell the plane and never got to fly again. His wife had just died and he was just driving around feeling bad and he stumbled on my place so he pulled in. I asked him if he thought he could get in the back of my Cub, he said he would try and with my help I got him in. I took off and climbed up 1500ft and told him to take the controls, he did a great job for someone who hadn't touched the controls for over 50 years. When we landed I could see he had been crying. He was so grateful, it brought back many fond memories. I made his day, and he made my day.
 
My greatest ride was past Jan on ski's with my daughter who loved to go with me.
We had to help her to & from the plane.
She passed on Feb 7th at 30yrs old...cancer is an evil thing.
I'm crying again as I type this :cry:
 
Senior,

I am so sorry for the loss of your daughter so young. It is a pain only a parent knows and my heart goes out to you.
I have a 30 year old daughter that occasionally flys with me in my J3 and I know that special bond you both shared.
When I lost my sister, in time, the pain of loosing her was to some extent replaced by the joy of having had her in my life.
 
As a poor college CFI I managed to squirrel away $100 of gas money during the school year to take my girlfriend-now wife on her first small airplane ride. After school got out we drove out to my parents place in Vermont, borrowed my Mentor instrutor's J-3 and flew around springtime Vermont at Cub altitudes complete with a picnic lunch at Basin Harbor on Lake Champlain. To me it was the world's ultimate date and the best use of $100 ever :lol: she seemed to have fun too.

We've flown the J-3 several times since but maybe not enough because she said the Javron Cub we are hoping to build for our medical-mission project here in the Andes of Bolivia has to have a starter :cry:
 
Mine was yesterday Eaa 105 breakfast with my wife. Her first flight in the carbon cub
 
Dad's last ride

Mine was yesterday Eaa 105 breakfast with my wife. Her first flight in the carbon cub

My father was a crop duster for around 28 years and 22000 hrs. He had quit crop dusting for about 5 years when he
came down with colon cancer. Our Super Cub was a crop duster that he had acquired for a two week stint of army worms in the wheat fields that I had acquired from him, and converted to a standard Cub. I had flown down to be with him during an operation for the cancer. When we had gotten up that morning, he asked me if we could go fly the Cub first. You bet, I said. He got in the front and I rode in the back, and I think we may have simulated crop dusting half of that county.
When we came in for a landing, it was so smooth I could hear the tires but could not feel it. He looked back at me with a lop sided grin and asked "How did you like that??? He knew he had pegged that landing. It was his last flight, he passed on three months later. Our Cub will stay in the family forever.

Steve
 
I have one I have to go do for a my mentor that had Scappoose Flying service. He is now in rest home and does not get around very good. I must go make an attempt
.....
 
I'm fixin to take my best friend's son moose hunting and rainbow fishing. :)

I love young people and helping them to do the things I was taught to do at that age. Life is good.
 
Today was my first chance to fly formation with my son in the supercubs after he got his liscence last week. Then out to lunch in the 12. Great Labor Day!
 
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