The Oldest Plane you have Flown In?

[Airframes]

Probably a Stampe SV-4, as pilot and passenger, in the mid 1980s, although not sure of its build date. Also flown Tiger Moth and ex-WW2 Cub, and passenger in DC3 (former WW2 Dakota) back in the 1960s.

 

[daveT]

1929 Ford Tri-Motor airplane "Tin Goose"
It's not the most comfortable thing to fly in, but it was one of the first of its kind
at Kalamazoo Michigan

 

[GrauGeist]

When I was a kid in the early 60's, my folks and I took a flight to San Francisco from Long Beach and it was in a passenger prop job...can't remember much else except those radials winding up (who can ever forget that?) and in my late teens, I rode a few times in a B-17F and spent alot of time around family friends and thier warbirds at Chino and Fullerton.

I've been in a number of older civil A/C since then and most recently, I rode in Aluminum Overcast (B-17G).

 

[wheelsup_cavu]

Boeing 737.


Wheels

 

[MIflyer]

The oldest aircraft I have flown in and also the oldest I have taken the controls of is a 1929 Waco biplane a friend of mine used to own. He also had a 1939 Luscombe 8A and I flew in that as well.

I have flown in a PT-17 but that was newer than the Waco.

My personal aircraft is a Ercoupe 415C that came off the production line on 18 Feb 1946.

The oldest operational military aircraft I have flown in would either be a USAF T-33A or a USAF C-118.

 

[davparlr]

R5D (C-54), 1969. Navy flew me and other prospective pilots from Pensacola to New Orleans for flight physicals. Of course they could have done that in Pensacola but wanted to give us a thrill (?).

 

[pbfoot]

C47, Harvard , Otter Beaver found out the Tiber moth I flew in was built in 36 and was Brit version

 

[renrich]

An N2S, built in 1940 belonging to my brother. I did a few turns and tried to maintain course and altitude for a while. It requires a full time pilot. I also got my first ride in an airplane in about 1948-49 in a Cub which may have been maufactured earlier than 1940. Also flew once in a Luscombe Silvair. Not sure when it was built but my flight was in about 1955.

 

[oldcrowcv63]

R5D (C-54), 1969. Navy flew me and other prospective pilots from Pensacola to New Orleans for flight physicals. Of course they could have done that in Pensacola but wanted to give us a thrill (?).

No wonder you ended up in the AF! Sorry we lost you from all those 6-8 month deployments on board USS Haze Gray and Under Weigh. Pensacola's NAMI was a good place to go through a flight phsyical if you wanted or could survive thorough (in 1970 at least). If you didn't want them to look too closely probably better to go somewhere else. I sweated every minute of their process (eyes and allergies).

 

[oldcrowcv63]

An N2S, built in 1940 belonging to my brother. I did a few turns and tried to maintain course and altitude for a while. It requires a full time pilot. I also got my first ride in an airplane in about 1948-49 in a Cub which may have been maufactured earlier than 1940. Also flew once in a Luscombe Silvair. Not sure when it was built but my flight was in about 1955.

Color me green. My mood ring is indicating great envy. Did he fly for the USN?

 

[renrich]

No, he is a civilian general aviation pilot. Has a Saratoga also. He got the yen for a Stearman and took some lessons in a tail dragger and finally found this one, beautifully restored and won first place at Oshkosh one year. He has about 100 hours in the N2S and made his first landing the other day on the paved runway. They have a grass cross wind runway at the FBO in Llano, Texas. It was my first flight in a biplane with open cockpits. Gets windy. My first commercial flight was in an American Airlines DC6 coming back from basic training, Louisville to Dallas.

 

[oldcrowcv63]

No, he is a civilian general aviation pilot. Has a Saratoga also. He got the yen for a Stearman and took some lessons in a tail dragger and finally found this one, beautifully restored and won first place at Oshkosh one year. He has about 100 hours in the N2S and made his first landing the other day on the paved runway. They have a grass cross wind runway at the FBO in Llano, Texas. It was my first flight in a biplane with open cockpits. Gets windy. My first commercial flight was in an American Airlines DC6 coming back from basic training, Louisville to Dallas.

That experience is on my bucket list!

 

[fastmongrel]

Air Atlantique Dakota about 10 years ago I think my ears are still ringing.

Scariest flight I have ever taken was in a god knows how old Illyushin. It looked a bit scruffy as we walked towards and it was filthy inside it but what got me worried was the luggage locker above my head that was held shut with what looked like electrical cable, my seat was patched with duct tape and half the cabin windows had misted internally with condensation probably because the vacuum in the window units had gone. Then as we taxied every panel in the cabin vibrated and rattled. Then the cabin started to smell of fuel and eventually we had to turn round and land because the port engine started smoking. The landing nearly put my spine through the top of my head and the brakes juddered as if we were landing on cobbles. I got off and was tempted to kiss the ground like the Pope. We hired a car and drove 500km rather than go anywhere near that barely flying wreck.

 

[drgondog]

It would have to be a toss up because I don't have a/c serial number but somewhere in the following: J3, PT-19, T6 and C-45 with Gooney bird and P-51D-25 (latest possible C-47 was '44 I believe and the 51D-25 was built late 44) in same genre. I have been a passenger in C-97, DC-4, B-17F and G. The DC-4 and B-17F was (and G probably) ~1943 plus a Bell Model 13 from late 40's.

 

[herman1rg]

A Tiger Moth at Cambridge Flying Group quite a few years ago,

This plane
"G-AOEI is the oldest. Built by de Havilland at their Hatfield factory in1939 this aircraft served with RAF No 81 Squadron in France during 1940 as returning to England just before the Dunkirk evacuation."

Cambridge Flying Group | The Fleet

 

[dogsbody]

A 1931 Travelaire. Got to have the controls for a while, too. Here's the place:Barnstorming.com

Chris

 

[gumbyk]

I've been passenger in a 1941 Stearman, and flown a 1943 Tigermoth. Noisy, windy, cold, and the most fun you can have with your pants on!

 

[ccheese]

In the early 50's I was attached to a Composite Squadron (VC-62) at NAS Norfolk. We had two B-17's, two B-25's, half a dozen B-26's, SNB's, SNJ's, one PBY-5a, a couple R4D's (C-47's), one R6D, several TBM's (with the lower rear position removed) several F4U-s and an old PB4Y-1. I flew in everything we had (except the F4U). Got to fly tail gun in a B-36 from Wheelus AFB in Tripoli to Rome and back. Also flew in PB4Y-2's. My favorite aircraft. Flew front seat in a Stearman, too.

Charles

 

[oldcrowcv63]

CCheese, That's quite a list! How do you remove the lower crew position? Just make it an empty shell? Have clambered around inside a TBF/M wreck, but can't remember where seemed pretty roomy. Are you planing to attend the VMAM May show this year?

 

[Rob Knox]

As a lad, I flew in 3 different Tiger Moths. Dad used to compare airshows, and I was just Lucky.
In the Army I was a Helicopter Aircrewman, I flew in Hueys for half of that time. Gotta love that.

Short Final 'Cane Toad LZ' Avu Avu Guadlcanal 2003