| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 5202.1 | | PCBUOA::BAYJ | Jim, Portables | Tue Feb 25 1997 11:47 | 21 |
| There are several of them around. One in California, one in Atlanta
(that I prefer, cause they use a tandem aircraft instead of the
F-111ish Marchetti) and at least for a while there was one located at
Hanscom here in Mass. I have heard mixed rumors about whether its
still operating or not.
I haven't been able to try this, but I definitely can't wait. A friend
tried it and really loved it.
In one of Richard Bach's books, he postulated about a post cold war
future where air combat was taken up as a spectator sport, and I
couldn't help but be thrilled by the idea. It makes AT LEAST as much
sense as football.
Strangely though, I haven't heard of many "real" people who have done
it, though they talk about group jaunts on Compuserve, and every single
reporter in the world has done it (I think someone from Chronicle might
have done it).
jeb
|
| 5202.2 | Ever been inverted chasing a bad friend? | SMURF::LIU | My Beer? Scudrunner Dark of course | Tue Feb 25 1997 13:14 | 24 |
|
They are coming to Nashua, NH this summer. The pilot shop (ASW)
is hosting them.
The outfit that you are refering to flys Marchetti's.
Most GA folks spend their lives flying straight and level.
A surprising number (99%?) of GA folks seem to never look
anywhere but out the front or down to the side. A bit of
ACM/DCM might prod them into looking everywhere they have
windows and maybe even turn occaisionally to check their
blind spots. Is an intro to this worth $700? Well, this
is an opportunity for joe/jane average pilot to do something
completely different in an airplane. And it will give you
a completely different perspective on seeing and avoiding,
or seeing and finding, other folks. Not to mention an appreciation
for flying the airplane in a manner where the position of
the horizon is irrelivant. And I think its the only aviation
"game" out there where you are one-on-one with another pilot.
$700 is a lot. There are other ways to try ACM/DCM. But be
careful.....
Have fun!
|
| 5202.3 | | TUXEDO::BAKER | | Tue Feb 25 1997 13:39 | 16 |
| As to the expense, a number of years ago I plunked down
$400 to get a ride in the Concorde for an hour. Originally
we were to go supersonic but we couldn't get out US airspace
(another whole story) so we ended up doing maximum performance
takeoffs and landings at an airshow. To me it was worth the
money to do a max perfomance takeoff, bank 45 degrees to the right,
over 45 degrees to the left back onto the runway and then do it
again. Closest thing to a jet fighter I have ever been in.
And this is a commercial airliner, and check those faces on the
stewardesses (they were volunteers) and listen to those howls of
delight from the passengers. Now if I had only brought my passport
so that I could have taken advantage of the $400 roundtrip to
London, over by Concorde and back by conventional, that they
offered so that they could pay to get the thing back to England.
$700? Yeh I would do it, once. Funny, at the time I was
embarrassed to say how much it cost me.
|
| 5202.4 | Cost justification input | SHARE::LUND | | Wed Apr 09 1997 12:33 | 3 |
| If you're looking for a fresh benchmark to justify the cost,
try comparing it to a tandem freefall, which is about $200 for
about 5 minutes in the air.
|
| 5202.5 | $$ Is The Last Determinant | SMURF::LIU | My Beer? Scudrunner Dark of course | Tue Apr 15 1997 09:15 | 25 |
|
$$ is the last comparison I would use actually.
Are you confortable in all flight attitudes. Are you
competitive? Would you like to a taste of what its
like to go head to head with someone and try your best
to kill them?
Concern for $$ is probably masking a lack of confidence
and desire. If you have to ask, you probably will be
dissapointed. None of which has anything to do with
real general aviation and your enjoyment of it. You can
buy about 100 gallons of 100LL for $200. That might
get you 20 or more hours of fun flying in your Cessna-Piper-
Mooney. Its also about what I spent on my recent BFR in
a Pitts S-2B. Aviation will swallow all the $$ you put
in. But the fun factor does not neccesarily increase
equivalent to the $$ you put in. Looking at the faces
at Sun 'N Fun, it sure looked like the ultralight guys
were having a LOT more fun than the heavy iron guys.
They certainly had the best party. But you mileage will
vary.
Have fun!
|
| 5202.6 | they moved! bummer :( | KANATA::ZUTRAUEN | always lookin' to learn | Tue Apr 15 1997 11:44 | 12 |
| 'tanks for the comments all....
As per their homepage, it appears that their operations change locals
periodically (I assume the don't get much repeat biz), and none are
close enough to drive to for me right now (Ottawa, Canada).
Still really interested tho. Just luv being tossed around - maybe I'll
have to check out some local spots to see if there are any aerobatic
passenger seats avail..
Thanks again,
Pete :)
|