Gracie's First Flight

My dad had decided Gracie was old enough for her first flight in the Luscombe and I was to go with them to “supervise”. I believe I was 7 or so with my sister being 2 ½ years younger.

We put her in the mailbag which went window-to-window behind the seats and was just right for her to stand up and see everything.

The taxi out to the runway on the grass was a bit rough in the old tail-dragger, no problem for a excited little big-eyed girl! Now dad wanted to give his daughter a gentle first flight, the take-off was smooth, climb-out the same, then a gentle turn toward the Gulf. Gracie had a perfect view of the world and all the houses getting smaller and smaller, the Gulf becoming visible to the south...

Dad and I had planned the next; since Gracie was doing so well, we were going to let her “fly” the plane. In order to do that, she would need to be in my lap. I released the seat harness and dad pulled up into a stall, giving us a few moments of “zero G”, allowing me to float Gracie out of the mailbag and into my lap! ...I just thought her eyes were big earlier!

Well, we got all strapped in and dad took us into a few wing-overs, nothing radical, just something that one can only do in an airplane. Now I, of course, wanted to do a few loops, maybe a spin or two! Got shot down on that, this is not my first flight!

We continued with some more wing-overs (her favorites) and a few stalls. She liked those as well, however she was showing some signs of air-sickness. Might better stop that! I was thinking it was time to quit for the day.

We came in for a normal landing, all “passenger quality”, very unlike what dad and I called normal! What he and I did was a controlled crash, MUCH more to this kids liking! ...and the big kid!

Dad and Gracie left the plane. I was kinda slow. That last stall or so got to me.

You see, Gracie had peed all over me...

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