What oddballs have you flown or been flown in?
I am an engineer - never flown for a living but military aviation has been my life and my first love.
When I was about 7 years old I flew in a BOAC Super Constellation from LHW to Kano via Paris, Rome and Tripoli. I have the flight logged and signed by the captain in my BOAC Junior Jet Club log book (even though it wasn't a jet!).
When I was 16 I soloed in a Sedbergh and a Kirby Cadet (at Catterick).
When I was 17, and in the Air Training Corps, I was lucky enough to get a Flying Scholarship from the RAF and learnt to fly powered aircraft at Carlisle Flying Club. I did my circuits and stuff in a Cessna 150 but I learnt my aerobatics in an Auster Aiglet.
Later that year I managed to get on to an International Air Cadet Exchange and was flown from Northolt to USAFE Rhine Main (sp!) in a RAF Britannia and from there to Lisbon in a Spanish Air Force Junkers 52 (the 3 engine jobber made out of corrugated alloy). I persuaded the Captain to let me have a go and can claim 15 minutes flying a J 52. It was surprisingly light on the controls (well surprising to the 17 year old me!).
We were flown all over Portugal in a Portugese Air Force DC3 in vip fit - it was magic.
Then I joined the RAF and in 1969 was taken out into Akrotiri bay in a RAF marine branch launch and dumped into the sea, only to be rescued by the valiant winchman of an ancient Whirlwind. When we were about 10 ft above sea level the ac suffered a major hydraulics problem and we were dumped back into the sea. The marine branch launch turned round and picked us up. Later that evening I experienced my first (of many) brandy sour in the Akro mess.
So I list the gliders, the super constellation, the Auster, the Junkers 52, the VIP DC3 and nearly the Whirlwind (and the brandy sour - not an aeroplane but it did make me fly).
What about your oddball aircraft?
Rgds SOS
Last edited by SOSL; 13th Mar 2013 at 02:01.
Reason: To add more info as it comes back to me and also to add another engine