Sunday, May 6, 2012

Above St. Augustine Bay

I found myself in the proverbial Right Place, Right Time a couple Thursdays ago, and took advantage of the unique opportunity that presented itself.

The scene - the St. Augustine Airport, where the evening's event included a private air show and dinner al fresco on the tarmac. The warm afternoon cooled had down to a perfect spring evening in Florida and I was checking out the assortment of small planes on display.

Trick Plane

Air Patrol

I was drawn to this biplane, a replica Waco YMF.
The St. Augustine

Working Bi-Plane

As I was taking photos, I removed a pamphlet from the plane's cargo door [because it was interfering with the photo I was framing]. Upon closer inspection, it was brochure for airplane sightseeing tours. I overheard someone say - "We can do plane rides tonight, if anyone is interested. In this plane here". Without hesitation, I spun around in the direction of the comment, raised my hand and said - "I'll sign up - how much?"

Long story short, I ended up riding in this gorgeous, open top biplane above the St. Augustine Bay.

Above St. Augustine Bay

1. Climbing Higher, 2. Waterways, 3. Castillo de San Marcus, 4. 116/365+1 View of St Augustine from A Bi-plane #plane #aerialview #Yolo, 5. Ships Below, 6. Pennisula

Here's some video I shot with my iPhone. I was literally clutching it for dear life while shooting this:


It was an amazing experience, "bucket list" worthy. Pilot Dave took great care of us (and insisted that I be in the picture with him when we landed):
Thanks Dave For A Great Flight!

If you are ever in the St. Augustine area and want to experience something completely different, breath taking and exhilarating, check out St. Augustine Air Tours. From their website, more information on the plane we rode:

The Weaver Aircraft Company was founded in 1920 by George "Buck" Weaver, E.J. "Sam" Junkin, and Clayton Brukner. The trade name Waco (rhymes with taco) was coined from the title letters of Weaver Aircraft Co. Originally located in Lorain, Ohio, the company later moved to Troy, Ohio, drawn by the concentration of aviation related businesses that had sprung up around nearby Dayton, home of the Wright Brothers. The first Waco YMF rolled out of the Waco factory at Troy Ohio in early 1935. In late 1942, Waco ceased production of powered airplanes.
In 1983 the founders of Classic Aircraft Corporation envisioned their childhood dreams coming true with the reincarnation of the Waco YMF Biplane. In the history of aviation, no company had ever taken a fifty year old design and manufactured it new under the original FAA type certificate. To accomplish this mission they hired experienced aeronautical engineers to re- draw over 1400 drawings and build new tooling for production. This was done while maintaining the sanctity of WACO.S original design. The WACO YMF is not a rebuild or a kit plane, but a brand new FAA certified production aircraft.
The first new production WACO YMF Classic rolled off the assembly line and received FAA certification under the original WACO type certificate in March of 1986. Today.s production aircraft has been greeted with overwhelming enthusiasm for its craftsmanship and the sheer joy brought to so many by making the thrill of flying in an .open-cockpit. biplane a reality.

Finally, the link to all the photos I took that evening:


Linked to Mosaic Monday, hosted by Mary at Little Red House.

13 comments:

  1. Lucky you, to be in the right place at the right time. The plane ride looks like fun and what great views you had. Loved the photos and a great post.

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  2. How awesome! I'm so happy that you did it and took pics for us to enjoy! I don't think I have the guts but I DO love that old city!

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  3. OMG... I would so have gone up for a ride too! What a great experience! Nice video too.

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  4. What great fun! That's what I call being in the right place at the right time!

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  5. Fantastic and very interesting shots...there is nothing like a good air show!

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  6. Now that's a great birds eye view for sure. Good for you for taking the adventure.

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  7. Wow! Adventure reached right out and grabbed you! Still, if you hadn't been willing, it would've passed you by. I just love this post.

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  8. Fantastic place to snap photos! A whole different perspective.

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  9. That´s so cool - great shots! :-)

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  10. What a wonderful experience... hooray for you, jumping in an seizing the moment! Lovely photos and video.

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  11. What a wonderful experience. Lucky you.

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  12. This looks like so much fun! Beautiful airplane pics!

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