It's on my bucket list. In fact, I plan to retire in a couple of years and I plan to seek out a P-51 owner (that owns one with a back seat), who will take me for a ride. The Mustang has always been my favorite war bird and I will do whatever I need to for a ride in one...
Who here has ridden in a P-51?
- Thread starter grampi
- Start date
- Status
....go to air festival in OSHKOSH, WI in 2 years?
I think you can buy a ride with Harry Barr in "Barbara Jean" at Duncan Aviation in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Then there's one in Dallas:
http://www.p51gunfighter.com/airplane-rides
I was thinking of something more along the lines of doing some plane related work for a P-51 owner, and then just tag along sometime when he plans on flying with no one else occupying the rear seat. Paying 2 or 3 grand for a ride is a bit much...
My neighbor at age 71 took a P-51 flight out of Roanoke, VA last year and flew over my house so I could photograph him. He flew helicopters in the Marines during the Vietnam War and always wanted to pilot a P-51. I believe it cost $2,200 for the ride of his life. They even did a barrel roll over my house! Cool!
Here is the newspaper article and some photos I took with a 500mm lens.
http://www.swvatoday.com/news/floyd/article_7cd21ba4-a77f-11e6-9f40-6b868b5bcc56.html
Tom NJ
Originally Posted By: Tom NJ
My neighbor at age 71 took a P-51 flight out of Roanoke, VA last year and flew over my house so I could photograph him. He flew helicopters in the Marines during the Vietnam War and always wanted to pilot a P-51. I believe it cost $2,200 for the ride of his life. They even did a barrel roll over my house! Cool!
Here is the newspaper article and some photos I took with a 500mm lens.
http://www.swvatoday.com/news/floyd/article_7cd21ba4-a77f-11e6-9f40-6b868b5bcc56.html
Tom NJ
Those pictures give me feelings that other men get by looking at other photographs on the internet. 
My bucket list has the P-47 on it, as you can tell from my username. I'd like to actually pilot one, but have a lot of work to do before that could ever happen. I'm still young enough that I could make that happen by my 40's.
Of course, I'd like to actually own one. That's a goal too, but involves significantly more doing. 
My bucket list has the P-47 on it, as you can tell from my username. I'd like to actually pilot one, but have a lot of work to do before that could ever happen. I'm still young enough that I could make that happen by my 40's.
Of course, I'd like to actually own one. That's a goal too, but involves significantly more doing. 
There are some great youtube videos from the cockpit of the mighty P-51, just in case you can't afford a ride!
I've not ridden in one, they look very sedate compared to our Extra 300L's. And they carry a whole bunch more airspeed, with rolls performed at 210Kts instead of 150Kts.
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: DoubleWasp
Those pictures give me feelings that other men get by looking at other photographs on the internet.
My bucket list has the P-47 on it, as you can tell from my username. I'd like to actually pilot one, but have a lot of work to do before that could ever happen. I'm still young enough that I could make that happen by my 40's.
Of course, I'd like to actually own one. That's a goal too, but involves significantly more doing.
My bucket list has the P-47 on it, as you can tell from my username. I'd like to actually pilot one, but have a lot of work to do before that could ever happen. I'm still young enough that I could make that happen by my 40's.
Of course, I'd like to actually own one. That's a goal too, but involves significantly more doing. You can say that again. Trainer versions were never in huge supply for them. My elders flew them, so I'd just like to see and feel what it was like for them on those days flying high above Europe, hugging the B-17s. Just get a taste of what it was all like. Very thrilling just to think about it.
Pretty sure I was 8
Moms first boyfriend after divorcing dad owned a metalworking company and restored old birds.
I flew in a trainer (I think it was called the D model) when he delivered it to the client - we flew from peoria IL to Demoines Iowa to drop it off.
Id flown with him dozens of times his normal bird was a 210, and I often flew for extended periods of time when we would go up.
The riding and flying in the Mustang was absolutely unbelievably fantastic. Life altering.
We took a 152 back home on the cheap and the realization that I was unlikely to experience that again starting sinking in.
UD
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Linctex
In Dallas, a 30 minute ride is $2000
50 minute ride $3000
Originally Posted By: CT8
Originally Posted By: Linctex
In Dallas, a 30 minute ride is $2000
50 minute ride $3000
Last edited:
Yea, if you can't afford the price, watch all of Kermit Weeks "Kermie Cam" Videos; dude has probably the best private collection of WWII aircraft in the world and has videos of him flying all of them, including 2 P51s! I think one is a back seat trainer. Heck, maybe give him a call.
Last edited:
I would like to take a trip in the front of a DC3.
In the 60's when I was finishing up A&E school getting ready for my "practical" test I sat in the cockpit of the local P-51 and with the owner on the left side went through the complete start-up. When the engine finally fired after a few turns I could feel the goosebumps on my arms and back. It was like waking up a monster. We ran it until the temps came up, checked everything and shut it down. It was a systems and installation check after installing a newly rebuilt engine. I helped with the rebuild. I was quite a process. The other engine that we rebuilt as a display engine was at the San Diego Aerospace Museum and was lost when the 1978 fire destroyed almost everything.
All the flying warbirds of that era are a treasure I hope can be kept in the air.
- Status
