Eat Your Heart Out, Snoopy!

How cool is this? While visiting the Museum of Flight in Seattle, I had the opportunity (thanks to Linda's pocketbook) to take a ride in a vintage biplane. This is a genuine dual open cockpit flying machine. While this plane was introduced in 1930, the one I flew was only a few months older than I am. Thank goodness - that's old enough.

The Plane I Flew (WACO UPF-7)

In the Front Seat

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I chose the short flight which took off and flew over the Port of Seattle and around the Space Needle and back to the airport at the museum. It was perfect. Air speed was a whopping 75 mph. Since the wind was 15 mph, that meant we were traveling at a ground speed of 60 mph heading into the wind, and 90 mph flying with the wind. 

About the Plane
This plane is a WACO UPF-7 built by the Weaver Aircraft Company in September, 1942, just three months before I was born. The WACO F-Series was designed as a pilot trainer and production began in 1930. The UPF-7 was the final version and was built from 1937 through 1942. To my knowledge, it is the last production biplane.

It was used in the Civilian Pilot Training Program, a program that started in 1939 to build a backlog of pilots in case of war. Interestingly, the Army Air Corps did not like the UPF-7 and returned 11 of the first 14 delivered. They never ordered more, but the plane continued as a civilian trainer throughout the war.

I don't care if the Army Air Corps didn't like it. I'm battle-ready. Curse you, Red Baron!