Oh John, How wonderful just reading your text! I started to look at your videos but I'm at work. I started to squeak and exclaim and that just doesn't go at work. No one here understands my obsession with flying so it will have to wait until I get home - where I can also turn on the speakers. I have to have the sound. That is part of the fun.
Thanks so much, Spook --- John Craparo <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I had some business last week in Milan, Italy. > Because I had a little extra > time between Milan and my next destination in Asia, > I decide to take a day > trip up to Lake Como... only 20 minutes by train out > of Milan. I had always > heard it is magnificent, so why not a $15 train ride > to check it out. > > Well, it was great. In fact it was made better by > an unexpected side > excursion. When my buddy and I got off the train in > Como, I saw a Lake > Amphibian taking off from behind a stand of trees. I > said to Anthony that we > needed to figure out if that was operating from the > lake (water was not in > view from station). > > As we got down to town, we figured out where the > plane originated. It was > the Aero Club Como on the edge of the lake. A > pretty historic place and the > only seaplane base in Italy and largest in Europe. > To make a long story > short, I went over to the hangar and struck up a > conversation. Within 10 > minutes one of the pilots said, hey come with me and > let's go for a > tour... I even got to be the sole manipulator of > the controls for 20 > minutes... right to final in fact, but our host did > the landing... Cool on > many levels. > > 1. No idea that the club existed > 2. Beautiful place > 3. Pilots all over the world seem to have the same > open arms and hearts for > fellow flyers > 4. We got to go for a ride > 5. First time for me in a pontoon equipped plane > (Cessna 172 on floats) > 6. All the begging in the world to convince our host > to take some money or > go to lunch was ov no avail... he merely said, make > sure you get your face > back here soon to fly again... and get a rating! > Maybe an LSA Mermaid or > Lockwood is in the future? > 7. Club manager gave me one of every post card they > had in stock (probably > 15 with old and new scenes of the club) > 6. Priceless! > > I can go on and on... > > Here are two links to the flight... Part 2 is where > my new friend through up > his hands and passed me control of the ship. > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3j7z8pVHqo > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cwp8e6RtHJo >
