This morning’s tranquillity was disturbed by an unusual amount of aircraft traffic overhead. Wandering outside to check out the source of disturbance, I spotted a squadron of light aircraft flying in formation overhead. After recent reports of Federal stormtroopers shutting down Independent Media websites, I wondered if maybe Ashcroft had escalated the action and was now calling for air strikes against others who have questioned his motives. After the squadrons third pass over my house with no strafing or bombing, I decided maybe I had nothing to fear (yet) and maybe there was something interesting happening at Marshall Field. So I headed over that direction to check it out.
A banner at the airport entrance proclaimed that today was “Aviation Day”. That turned out to be an event sponsored by a flying organization to get children interested in flight. A group of volunteers was offering kids free rides in an interesting assortment of planes like this one. Unfortunately, I didn’t qualify as a kid (emotional age wasn’t considered) and wasn’t entitled to a free ride. But the event had attracted some aviation entrepreneurs who wisely figured they could lighten the wallets of the young at heart. For a mere pittance, I was offered an opportunity to soar in a helicopter or a 1940s vintage biplane.
It wasn’t a tough choice. After the pilot suckered in a couple more customers to maximize his profits, we donned our Snoopy helmets, climbed aboard, and were soon airborne. Unfortunately, the pilot thought we would be entertained by an aerial view of the Double Stink Pumpkin Fest, so he spent some time circling that instead of venturing just a few miles further east for a view of my home. We got as far as my farrier’s house, but conversation was impossible so I wasn’t able to ask him for a slight detour.
Aside from the disappointment of not being able to buzz my beasts, we got a wonderful view of the countryside. I took a few pictures, and couldn’t resist a picture of our high-tech air speed indicator on the wing strut, which worked on simple wind pressure.
As we returned to the airport and made our final approach, it occurred to me that maybe we were just a little off-center. Then I remembered being told that a lot of tail-dragger pilots preferred grass landings, and that the Marshall Field runway had been built to accomodate them, with a smooth grass strip along the runway. Sure enough, that’s where we were headed, and we had a nice smooth landing on the well-manicured grass.