Again nice. I love the early overhead photo of El Mirage. Nothing was there. My dad used to pull a friends glider with his 1969 Ford van at El Mirage. There was and still is a group of glider enthusiasts and experimental aircraft guys out around the lake bed.
I’ve always thought that stuff was interesting. I had a friend that built an experimental in college and he died on the first flight. It is risky business. I would like to think I could do it but one false move…
About 55 some years ago my dad took me to my first airshow and I saw a P51 do a hammerhead stall and I was hooked! Many of those planes were experimental from the Experimental Aircraft Association so many of them were home built including a glider similar to the ones in the photos. One day the board of the E.A.A. approached our local airport about expanding our runways in order to base the E.A.A. in our town. Of course our airport lacking any foresight told them to go pound sand, thus the E.A.A. now resides in Oshkosh WI. and I cringe at all of the lost revenue as the fly in is now a week long event! I actually got into planes, trains and cars around the same young age and I have been a lifelong motorhead since.
The tow plane is a Navion, which was built by North American and then Ryan in the 40s & 50s. In military service it was the L-17.
I think Tom has been speaking to me in my dreams I’m actually building a glider to run on the drag strip and I’m going to use a V8-60 with Tom’s 2-71 front drive setup and I have a Beatty special swing axle for it !!
Rite-On, Agreed the shot of dudes hang'n around are as said... But if you look at the pic's going down runway, in air shot, I think You'll agree..
Gliding can seem to be magic. A desk mate ( CDL school ) of mine was in the same area. He would describe the thrill of riding thermals across mountais for hours. My own 'Av' experience began in grade #one with my father's pals ( the Model A Man ) and a Piper cub with the door removed. At school when I told my classmates,, they were all like yeah yeah sure. Thanks Ryan for sharing the wealth.
Might be off topic but is similar to hot rodding - same genetic code so to speak. Everyone should go to Oshkosh at least once in their life. I can’t imagine anyone here on this site not enjoying Oshkosh. Dan
You caught me with my assumption showing… The tow plane is an old trainer. However, when I zoom in, it looks like the tow plane has a radial engine. Ryan PT-22? Pretty cool either way.
I open up the HAMB "cracker jack box" each morning, because I never know what surprise I will get. I love this Tom Cobbs series.
The Jalopy Journal
