N941WR
Legacy Member
I live on a small airpark, maybe 20 homes and a smooth 2500' grass strip down the middle.
A friend with an F1 Rocket called me Saturday morning and as it turned out, he was in the neighborhood topping off his tanks on the way home.
I was out helping a neighbor clean up his hangar when we heard the sound of a high speed airplane approaching. As we stepped outside, we could see the F1 circling high overhead. The F1 completed the last circle, and dove for the end of the runway, in compliance with our HOA operating procedures, he performed a low "clearing" pass, pulled up, dropped his flaps and promptly landed.
We stood outside, by the F1, talking airplanes and catching up.
Eventually, it was time to go and he asked which way was best for his departure. After point to the other end of the runway, he climbed in, fired up, and taxied down the runway.
At midfield, he turned around and departed in spectacular F1 Rocket fashion. Meaning, he rolled about 200 feet and then went almost vertical. After doing some mild acro, he again made a departing pass down the runway, zoomed up and disappeared behind the trees.
As I looked down the runway, I notice one of the long time residents standing by the edge of the runway, It was BettyJane. BJ's husband had died a year earlier and he was an amazing guy; A26 Marine pilot in WWII, NASCAR in the 50's, and Pitts pilot (his neighbor in FL was Curtis Pitts).
As I approached BJ, I realized she was crying. She looked at me and said, "This is how Cotton used to fly! Make sure he comes back and does that again! Oh, and I want a ride!"
What a great lady!
One other thing, after he left, my neighbors started blowing up my phone with text messages. The best message was simply, "WOW!"
A friend with an F1 Rocket called me Saturday morning and as it turned out, he was in the neighborhood topping off his tanks on the way home.
I was out helping a neighbor clean up his hangar when we heard the sound of a high speed airplane approaching. As we stepped outside, we could see the F1 circling high overhead. The F1 completed the last circle, and dove for the end of the runway, in compliance with our HOA operating procedures, he performed a low "clearing" pass, pulled up, dropped his flaps and promptly landed.
We stood outside, by the F1, talking airplanes and catching up.
Eventually, it was time to go and he asked which way was best for his departure. After point to the other end of the runway, he climbed in, fired up, and taxied down the runway.
At midfield, he turned around and departed in spectacular F1 Rocket fashion. Meaning, he rolled about 200 feet and then went almost vertical. After doing some mild acro, he again made a departing pass down the runway, zoomed up and disappeared behind the trees.
As I looked down the runway, I notice one of the long time residents standing by the edge of the runway, It was BettyJane. BJ's husband had died a year earlier and he was an amazing guy; A26 Marine pilot in WWII, NASCAR in the 50's, and Pitts pilot (his neighbor in FL was Curtis Pitts).
As I approached BJ, I realized she was crying. She looked at me and said, "This is how Cotton used to fly! Make sure he comes back and does that again! Oh, and I want a ride!"
What a great lady!
One other thing, after he left, my neighbors started blowing up my phone with text messages. The best message was simply, "WOW!"
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