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Free Falling
October 17, 2007So, looking forward to the air show this weekend out at Sheppard AFB, I've been offered a position on the C-130 that the SoCOM team is going to jump out of on Friday.
I'm going airborne above Wichita Falls. Sweet fancy moses.
Now, just to clear it up, I am not actually jumping out of the plane. I think. I hope.
Honestly, I have no idea why on earth people would willingly jump out of a perfectly good airplane. I mean, it makes sense to jump if the engines die or something. But they say that flying is the statistical safest way to travel.
'Course, that's on a cushy 747... this is the C-130 Hercules. Not exactly traveling in style. Now this isn't the first time I've been airborne over the area. It's happened a few time before.
The last time was back in June.
Jason Palmer/Times Record News
Brian Kissinger pilots a restored 1942 L4 Piper Cub over Wichita County Tuesday afternoon. Kissinger stopped at Wichita Valley Airport on a cross-country trip to raise at least $100,000 for brain tumor and cancer research. In 2003, Kissinger, 39, was an Air Force pilot stationed at Scott Air Base when he was diagnosed with a stage II oligodendroglioma brain tumor.
I was piloted around by an 80+ year old in another Piper Cub. We took off and flew on Kissingers' wing for about 20 minutes, moving in front, above, behind and a few other angles for me to get some wonderful photos. It was pretty awesome.
Heck, anytime I get to actually lift off the ground is a blast. The only thing I was missing was a pair of goggles and a leather helmet. I'd have been all set then.
The previous two times were back in 2004 and 2003. I haven't been able to find my pictures, but I will and I'll update the rest of the blog when I do.
I'm pumped about Friday, just hoping that I don't fall out of the plane.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 10:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
