Post #191345 by WenikiTiki on Sat, Oct 8, 2005 8:00 PM

One of my favorite planes is the P-51. I was working with the "Gathering of Warbirds" in Madera, CA in 1980 and scored a ride! My friend was supposed to go. The pilot showed up to get her, she had run for a last minute pee break and he couldn't wait! He said: "You've got pretty blue eyes!" to me. Grabbed my hand and off we went! I turned around to wave good-bye to my husband and all he could say was: "But I'm gonna' be a pilot..."

The best part was flying upside down and the sweat running backwards up my legs! The owner/pilot was a rich farmer from Bakersfield.

I love those air shows! I also used to be the one to drive out and pick up the aircrews when they came in the night before the air shows. We would have a cooler of beers and sodas in the back seat! You haven't had fun 'til you've driven on the taxiway with a bunch of old guys bringing in their planes!

Did any of the old nose art have tiki stuff on it? I only remember scantily clad women and the occasional Angel of Death.