normb@tekred.UUCP (Norm Babcock) (10/11/85)
O.K. guys, if your "significant other" is always complaining that she doesn't know what to get you for Christmas, run a print of the following and leave it on the kitchen table as a subtle hint. A high flying fantasy comes alive. Imagine yourself seated in the cockpit of a P-51 Mustang-one of the most famous of all WWll fighter planes. Your white silk scarf blows in the wind.(?). You're climbing toward the clouds, diving straight toward earth only to pull up at the last minute (!) finishing off with dazzling aerobatics. It's the kind of excitement and exhilaration known to only a few, but now you can experience this fantasy first hand. For the adventurer who is not faint of heart or weak of stomach, this fantasy package takes you on an unforgettable flight...with you at the center of the action. Dressed for the part in a leather jacket and white silk scarf, you take your seat behind the pilot in an authentic WWll P-51 Mustang. You are handed a flight manual (why?) and the plane takes off. For 30 minutes you are airborne, executing all the twists, loops, climbs and dives you can handle (or allowed by the FAA). When your flight is over, you are greeted with a champagne celebration. A photographer captures your adventure-for a color photo album and 11 x 14 print that will be presented to you as a remembrance of your bravery and daring. For the rest of your life people will call you 'ACE'. The fantasy has become a reality! The P-51 Mustang Fantasy Trip includes round trip limousine service to and from the airport, a minimum 30-minute flight in a P-51 Mustang Fighter and use of a World War ll type leather flight jacket. The champagne celebration, white silk scarf, flight manual, album of color photos and 11 x 14 print are yours to commemorate the event. Scheduling of your flight will be determined by weather (at least VFR minimums) and availability of the planes. Your transportation to the plane or transporting the plane to your area is additional. $1,500 or $150 a mo for 10 mos. The above text appeared in the Diners Club catalog. Anyone know who's doing this? Are there others? What does it cost to fly a P-51 per hour? I have a hunch that a good portion of the cost is for insurance. I notice they don't mention anything about a barf bag, either. You don't suppose the plane has a dual stick, do you? If you're curious, they list a toll free number 800-621-0569,x900, (which I have not called yet). If you do call, post the details, as I'm wondering how they handle this in various parts of the country. Norm tektronix!tekred!normb
ron@brl-sem.ARPA (Ron Natalie <ron>) (10/13/85)
> Your transportation to the plane or transporting the plane to > your area is additional. $1,500 or $150 a mo for 10 mos. > > The above text appeared in the Diners Club catalog. > Anyone know who's doing this? Are there others? What does it cost > to fly a P-51 per hour? I have a hunch that a good portion of the > cost is for insurance. I notice they don't mention anything about > a barf bag, either. You don't suppose the plane has a dual stick, > do you? > I would expect that it costs in excess of $600 an hour to keep these war birds flying. In addition to burning a bit more fuel than your 152, the maintenance probably runs a bit more. -Ron
jeffw@ISM780.UUCP (10/14/85)
> Your transportation to the plane or transporting the plane to > your area is additional. $1,500 or $150 a mo for 10 mos. > The above text appeared in the Diners Club catalog. > Anyone know who's doing this? Are there others? What does it cost > to fly a P-51 per hour? I don't know what it costs to fly a P-51 for half an hour, but the 1500 bucks for this fantasy seems a little steep and who out there would really care about all the other frivolous (:-) trappings anyway? Sounds like the Diner's Club is getting the best of this deal. I just called the Planes of Fame museum out at Chino Airport (that's in So. Calif.) to confirm that they were running a similar operation. They are. And what's more, you can be taken for a ride in one of three different vintage WWII aircraft - a T-6 at $150, a P-40 at $250, or a P-51 at $275. The length of time in the air is @ 25 minutes. So, if you're in the L.A. area and have been looking for one of these "fantasy-come-true" sort of things, I'd recommend a call to the Planes of Fame. The money, instead of going into the pockets of credit card company officials or some other greedy individual, will go to the much more worthwhile cause of acquiring and restoring vintage aircraft by the museum. The phone number of the Planes of Fame museum is (714) 597-3722. jeff wise decvax!cca!ima!ism780!jeffw