Re: What If????

At age 70, there are, of course any number of things that stir my Nostalgia button. Re: transportation items: No longer piloting I’ll always remember flying light twin piston engine aircraft with the harmonic sound of two Lycoming or Continental engines nearly in synch cruising along at altitude at night somewhere over the West, between cloud layers, the only light visible was from the glow of the instrument panel lighting, little chatter from ARTC, a singular, solitary event, totally in control and in harmony with the machine.

As a teenager in the mid ‘50’s, after a boyhood sometimes spent traveling on the big name trains between the West Coast and Chicago, I fondly remember being a passenger on Douglas DC-6s’ and Lockheed Connies sitting between 4 Pratt &Whitney or Wright Turbo compound engines that lulled me into a marvelous state of relaxation. Always was thrilled at the start of such flights as the crew did the engine and magneto checks just before launch- as the aircraft bucked a bit on the brakes, each engine was run up, props cycled- what great sounds as each engine, from left to right went through their paces. Nothing like big radial engines working, except the sound of a working steam engine, which I too remember well.

Lets preserve some of those ancient airliners too.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/17/2009 02:02PM by n9949y.