Flying in formation takes caution, planning, and skill — and flying formation in the skies over summer airshows also requires a special kind of training. Last fall, AOPA Pilot Associate Editor Julie K. Boatman completed the Formation and Safety Training (F.A.S.T.) wing pilot certification given by the Yak Pilots Association (see " Going F.A.S.T.," page 74). "In the process, I had the pleasure of flying with several extremely talented, conscientious pilots. They taught me a lot about camaraderie and the satisfaction that comes from a well-executed flight," says Boatman. "There were airline captains, aviation industry leaders, experts in their chosen fields — but all were serious about flying their favorite warbird the way it was flown historically, in formation. I'm indebted to each of them for sharing the experience with me." Highlights included her first four-ship mission over the mothballed fleet near Newport News, Virginia, and the checkride near Daytona Beach, Florida. "After hours of working hard to stay in position, I finally got to the point where I made peace with the bearing line. It had been threatening rain all day, and the setting sun slipped down through the muted clouds as I finished my last pitchouts and rejoins, illuminating the calm place I'd found on the wing of another airplane."
It's always nice to see a well-preserved classic airplane. That's why Editor at Large Tom Horne went to Jasper, Texas, to fly attorney T. Alan Hart's fully restored 1960 Commander 500B (see " An Aero Commander Restoration: Checklist Complete," page 88). This beauty once reigned as one of the kings of the big-piston-twin era, and Horne found out why. Good speed, good control feel, good useful load, and a macho cockpit give this Commander utility as well as good looks, he says. "Throw in the down-home ambiance that surrounds Jasper County's Bell Field and you've got an unforgettable flying experience," claims Horne.
It's a family affair. That's what Senior Editor Al Marsh discovered when he went to Minnesota to get acquainted with our AOPA sweepstakes Waco UPF-7 (see " AOPA Centennial of Flight Sweepstakes: Win a Waco!" page 69). Roy Redman, a former Northwest Airlines 747 captain, runs the show at Rare Aircraft, where our biplane will be restored. His son Jeremy helps run the shop in Faribault, Minnesota, while son Ben directs maintenance at the company's new FBO, 12 miles south in Owatonna. Rare Aircraft is moving to the Owatonna Degner Regional Airport. And, oh yes, son Mike made new wings for our Waco.
When he was 10 years old, writer Phil Scott had his first ride in an airplane. "From that day on, I idolized pilots," he says. "I couldn't afford my license until I was 25, so I read everything I could about aviators. And as soon as I met a pilot I latched onto them and wouldn't let go." Although he's now one of them, these days he still loves pilot stories — such as NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center test pilot Gordon Fullerton's (see " Pilots: Gordon Fullerton," p. 132). In addition to having been managing editor of Flying and Omni magazines, Scott has written two books, The Shoulders of Giants (published by Addison-Wesley) and The Pioneers of Flight (published by Princeton University Press).
