Today I peed my pants

[Scouter]

I will start this story by saying I have never won anything in my life. No door prize, no raffle ticket, never. In first grade where there were 19 prizes for 20 kids, guess who went home empty handed. I just learned to deal with lady luck whooping me with her stick and made my own luck.
Today, I was paid back for the past losers. I was asked to fly kids for Young Eagle rides at a local fly in. I paid for my own breakfast that was free so the local EAA chapter might have another 6 bucks. I bypassed the free fuel hose for the same reason. Flew 4 kids and had a great time looking at big grins.
While taking a break for lunch, I got talked into buying a raffle tix for a ride in the P-51 that was at the fly in. I decided to really help out the local chapter and bought 50 bucks worth, and stuffed them in the Scout to throw away later, please reference above success at raffle tix.
I felt kind of guilty even being there at the fly in since my whole crew was home setting pipe to run the pivots in our spuds, so I left to go home and help them after I flew my kids. The cell phone rang with the good news. I won the back seat ride in the Mustang. Cant wait, will post some pix when I go.

I peed my pants today!

Jim
The Dakota Kid- my new favorite plane
dakota-kid-main.jpg

[JP]

Great things happen to great people!

[Marty57]

To the P51 pilot you are likely going to look just like the four kids you flew with the big grins on their faces. Some reactions are the same when 10, 20, or 50 years old. Congrats and keep putting grins on kids faces!
Marty57

[Torch]

Now that is a great win. Post up the pics after you go. Congratulations.

[SteveE]

CONTRATS Jim!!! I rode in one a couple years ago... and what a ride... You will love it..borrow a GO PRO or something you can stick in the cockpit. Have your handheld ready too and turn it on video when you do a couple rolls... go to you tube and search Ike Enns P51... your gonna love it. By the way,,, my LIBERAL sister in law just moved up there to Portland (she was tired of this Republican State) and is writing for the newspaper... Probably goes by PJ. Take her up in your scout and show here around.. Shes ok, and you can push her buttons real easy...

[tempdoug]

Ah come on, give the winning ticket to me. Dont change now.

[SC3CM]

Jim, you can't hide the P51 in the shower from your wife. Better start allocating money for that new 'equipment' you need. Imagine the efficiency of checking on all your taters in a P51!!!


Rene

[Scouter]

Rene/JP/others

Thanks for the good wishes, looking forward to the ride. The Texas Legends in Wiscasset are having their summer open house the same weekend as Phils Bushwacker Flyin. Im thinking that will be a good Sat flyout. We can get some lunch there, I will get my P51 stick time, then its a short hop for a formation wedding salute flyover of Mr Meade island of wedddings in China, then back to Phils for dinner. Thats my half ass plan at this point, subject to change

SteveE, I remember your pix of your ride and the smile on your face.


Jim

[Douten]

Conrats Scouter, Sounds like we have a lot in common with luck. I wanted to go for a ride a few years ago at Sun and Fun but couldn't get the 800 bucks or so out of my pocket to make it happen. Steve E your Liberal sister in law has moved to the other Maine from where most of us live but I'm sure she would like to go flying with Jim as he can rub sholders with the common people and the elites also. See you at Phil's in a couple of weeks the strip and field was just mowed and looks great stopped in for a minute last night and said hi to Phil and Sue.

[39-J3]

Congratulations Jim, I can’t think of anyone who deserves that ride more. As said before take lots of pictures and video but most importantly absorb as much as possible and enjoy the ride.

On a side note! I was slaving away in large field last Thursday in Pownal building Horse Jumps for the upcoming Equestrian three phase event when I could hear what sounded like a large radial engine coming from behind me. When I turned around and looked up I saw a B-25 flying in formation with a P-51, P-40 and a Japanese Zero all was flying about 1,000 feet AGL. I didn’t have my camera or phone with me but the fly by made being in that field working on those horse jumps on a hot humid day all worth it.

Larry

[skywagon8a]

On a side note! I was slaving away in large field last Thursday in Pownal building Horse Jumps for the upcoming Equestrian three phase event when I could hear what sounded like a large radial engine coming from behind me. When I turned around and looked up I saw a B-25 flying in formation with a P-51, P-40 and a Japanese Zero all was flying about 1,000 feet AGL. I didn’t have my camera or phone with me but the fly by made being in that field working on those horse jumps on a hot humid day all worth it.

Larry

Cooool That reminds me of the time when I was a teenager working out in a field tying up and pruning tomatoes. The ground began to shake accompanied by a low rumbling roaring noise. Suddenly a B-36D came over the tree tops directly overhead. It didn't seem to be much more than 1000 feet high with the wing tips reaching over both sides of the field. It had apparently been at the South Weymouth Naval air station. The air base was about 7 miles away and I could hear it taking off.

[jk]

"Betty Jane" is a Kick A$$ ride for sure, but its a little more than $800 now days! Enjoy and do get a GO Pro before the ride. I used an Ipad, but that was all i had at the spur of the moment. Sounds like you paid your dues!! Good Job.

But its habit forming!

JK

[12 Geezer]

I rode in and got some back-seat stick time in Betty Jane a couple weeks ago. Yep, WELL north of $800, but worth every penny. What a rush!!!! That thing is amazingly well harmonized and light on the controls. Just a little change in back pressure in a steep turn makes for BIG vertical speed response. What a sweet-flying machine - - -

[Scouter]

I finally got the call I had been waiting for on Fri morning, an opening in the P51 schedule. Hustled down to Wiscasset in the Scout. What a great bunch of guys, they fly WWII fighters and bombers all day, and BS in between flights. Wonderful folks at Texas Flying Legends. The ride was awesome. Everything I had come to expect and more. This bird had rear controls so I got to "fly' it a fair amount. Really well balanced, light stick forces even at 275 mph.

When I got there, the pilots all said they would trade their left testicles for something with bushwheels to mess around with. I said Im sure we can work a trade today:

Attachment 8402

Finally in the air. What a beast on takeoff. We didnt use the 60 inches mp available. Hard to fly an airplane with such a grin on your face all the time
Attachment 8403

Back on the ground. I was dripping in sweat from doing aerobatics. Not used to being upside down at 200 mph. I didnt feel sick, but the sweat poured out. The pilot Alan let me get the hero shot from the front seat. It was obvious the guys who flew these at war werent 6-1 and 220 lbs

Attachment 8404

Besides the day I soloed my dads supercub at 17, it was the highlight of my pilot days so far. Thanks TFL, and pilot Alan Miller

mustang12.jpg

[Patrol Guy]

Jim - Alan is an Ohio Bush Pilot fan, complete with the "hat."
coshocton_warbirds_2012_018.jpg

[Scouter]

mustang13.jpg

mustang11.jpg

mustang14.jpg

For some reason the pix wont show in the last post, lets try again

John;
I forgot to mention Alan asked me if I knew you guys in OH. He said its in his plan someday to come back and spend a day on the hills with you. I told him I had the same plan. He said he will probably bring his champ and leave the mustang home

JIm

[Steve Pierce]

Way cool Jim. You and Lee can now compare notes between the P51 and the P38.

[cafi19]

Very cool! You deserve it Jim!

Good things come to those who wait.

cafi

[WanaBNACub]

Congratulations, sounds like you were more than due! That would be a dream flight!

[scout88305]

Love it!!

[tempdoug]

And we have a lucky gal tomorrow. Read the yellow part of the poster.http://barnescountyairport.com/app/d...ent+Poster.pdf

[Scouter]

Warren Pietch flying the T Craft in the show is the chief pilot for the warbird group here in Maine. Hes a great guy, if you bump into him tell him his friends in Maine say hello.

Jim

[Patrol Guy]

Jim - Alan did come back and fly "Ohio" with us. He just left yesterday, and now he is coming back again for sure. He is addicted.