The Thunder in the Valley Air Show holds a media day each year a few days before the weekend festivities, and I covered last week with my colleagues Sonya Sorich and Joe Paull. This usually means going up in vintage airplanes, weather permitting. And usually means an interesting ride in a vintage airplane. One year former L-E photog G. Marc Benavidez made a great shot while flying upside down. I don't like to fly upside down.

This year two World War II Stearman trainers were among the old planes that were on the tarmac for us to photograph ... and take a ride in. A 1938 PT-13 and a 1942 PT-17. They were the primary training planes for the Army Air Corp and the Navy. One is owned and flown by former Navy pilot and retired Northwest Airlines pilot John Laughter. The other is owned and flown by former Air Force pilot and retired Delta pilot Jim Ratliff. How interesting. The plan was for Sonya to ride in the PT-17 and me in the PT-13 so that I could photograph her in the PT-17 in the skies over Columbus.

Well, the pesky little PT-13 did not want to start. Hmmm. It sounded like many of the old cars that I've driven over the years. Pilot John apologized and said that he over primed it. So Sonya and Pilot Jim headed for the wild blue yonder .... and I got a jump start. Really.

The guys pulled up a thing-a-ma-jig, hooked up cables, and cranked her up. So I say to John, "I guess this means we won't be flying upside down, or killing the engine and such." And he said that it (the plane) would actually start easier in the air. "Well, no, let's not," was my nervous reply. These guys are not just amazing pilots, they're all a bit crazy, too. Perhaps it's a prerequisite. Later in the week I met an Army Lt. Col. who was describing to me (us) the pilots who flew the Huey helicopters in Vietnam - the ones that swept in close to the ground to clear out or flush out or whatever they did to the enemy so the helicopters bringing in troops could hover and drop their soldiers. Egad.

Anyway - here we are, getting a jump. That's my foot to the left. And these little planes have cute rear view mirrors. Just another day at the office.

Happy Spring -
Robin