A Fortunate Stroke of Serendipity

A wee bit nervous, but anxious to go!

The day before yesterday, Peter (our landlord and friend) popped in the flat and asked me if I would like to go flying in the Tiger Moth in the morning. The weather looked very promising, albeit cold for the suggested 8:00am skyward journey. He said that I should plan on wearing warm clothing and take gloves. The old-style leather jacket, helmet, goggles and silk scarf would be provided. 

Looking the part. Vintage... just like me!

 It's going to be a glorious day for a Tiger Moth ride.

Ever since Bob experienced flying in the TigerMoth two years, I’ve wanted to do it. It scared me to think about it, but I still wanted to go. For the last two months, I’ve seen Peter flying the TigerMoth over Lake Wanaka while I was biking, flying above the Clutha River while I was hiking and flying over the house while I was outside reading or hanging clothes at the flat. I’d always look upward and hope that someday I’d get a chance to fly in a rare aircraft that was unique to aviation history. 

I'm ready. Peter gets the plane gassed up.

I'm going to concentrate on not touching the instruments once I'm strapped in the seat.

Is it too late to use the restroom before take-off?

However,  one day I saw Peter doing aerobatic maneuvers over Lake Wanaka. I rethought my intentions and wondered if I could do it. I’m prone to stomach flip-flops on roller coasters, ferris wheels and anything that swings and rolls. Peter’s company, Classic Flights calls this aerobatic flight “The Ultimate Barnstormer.” It is not for the fainthearted.  No thanks. 

But Peter assured me that he wouldn’t do any aerobatics. Amen. I’m going.  

First: stand ON the seat. 2nd: one leg at a time. 3rd: Peter hooks the leather straps over you and shows you where to unhitch in case we have to ditch the plane. 4th: Ummmmm, where's the parachute? 

I'm ready for the "sky blue yonder.'

Get your motor running... Oh, that's right, you have to give a push to the propeller! 

It was a wonderful experience of WOW! The morning was perfect. Flying in an open-cockpit TigerMoth is like riding on a motorcycle in the sky with the engine shut off.  With the wind in your face and the sky surrounding you, you look down and up and around and you feel like you are the ultimate lightness of being. It’s a feast of floating for the whole body. The quiet touches you and your unbelievable sensation of weightlessness makes the smile on your face be never-ending for the entire flight! I loved it and didn’t want it to end.

I’ll let my photos do the rest of the talking. 

Checking our instruments. Well, I'm checking my camera!  It does seem odd to be in the front with the pilot in the back. 

Yippie,  we're heading for the runway. 

The dew is propelled from the grass.

Okay, we will not go over 160m.p.h. At the moment, we are not up in the air.

Those are my legs/shoes. I will not be touching the instruments. No way.

Self-protrait: We are taxiing towards the runway.

Looking good for lift-off.

Heading straight!

That's Mt. Iron up ahead. My favorite workout mountain. To the right is where we live.

Up, up and away! 

Lake Wanaka and  Wanaka in the foreground.

Part of Wanaka town and Wanaka's Golf Course... Bob's favorite place. 

Gorgeous Lake Wanaka.

Feels as though we are "floating" over the Lake. 

Oh-happy-day! As Willie Nelson sings... "The wind  beneath my wings."

The quiet touches you. There is absolutely no sound up here.

Loving the view. Loving the glide/ride.

We're turning to follow the Clutha River back towards the airport. That's one of my favorite hiking trails down below. 

I spy the runway at the Wanaka Airport up ahead. However, we will land on the grass. That's what the Tiger Moth does best... land on a pasture, land on a beach or on the grass. I do not want this flight to end. It was magical.

Julie will book your flight at www.classicflights.com.

This is what is was like "back in the day."

Tiger Moth will now join Fernie, Churchill, Glacier, Maple Leaf and Jasper in RioV.