Biplane Ride

Little Bear · 08-10-2013, 03:53 PM

We took a 1 hour biplane ride today with Phil from Lakes Biplane out of Laconia Airport. Besides being a spectacular day to fly, the flight itself was incredible. It's an open cockpit plane, and the passengers sit in front of the pilot. The route took us out over the Weirs, up to Squam Lake, down through Center Harbor, over to Castle In The Clouds, out over Long Island, down to Wolfeboro, over to Alton, then up the west shore of the lake back to Laconia Airport. Phil is a great pilot and gives a fantastic tour of the area. If you want a unique experience, you owe it to yourself to take a tour. We can't wait to go back up this fall when the leaves are turning.

http://www.lakesbiplane.com/index.html

ITD · 08-10-2013, 05:00 PM

Very cool LB, I rode in a Stearman for the first time on Father's day at the Colling's Foundation in Stow MA, great ride.

Slickcraft · 08-10-2013, 05:23 PM

We did it last year, kids gave us a gift certificate for Christmas. Best gift we ever got!

SIKSUKR · 08-12-2013, 02:30 PM

I always wondered how the pilot saw where he was going while on the ground.

kbh · 08-12-2013, 02:49 PM

Now if we could just combine this plane ride and the skydiving thread, we could be jumping out of a biplane in Laconia -- sweet!

Slickcraft · 08-12-2013, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SIKSUKR

I always wondered how the pilot saw where he was going while on the ground.

We asked him that. He can't see directly ahead so he looks side to side to keep track of position on the runway and taxi way. He probably has every runway feature memorized. It does have very short take off and landing capability.

Aguamenti · 08-12-2013, 06:19 PM

We saw the biplane over Center Harbor. Bet you didn't see us waving!!

upthesaukee · 08-12-2013, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slickcraft

We asked him that. He can't see directly ahead so he looks side to side to keep track of position on the runway and taxi way. He probably has every runway feature memorized. It does have very short take off and landing capability.

...we would get a few bi-planes that would land, or be based at the airports I worked at. Most of them would do a little zig zag taxiing to allow them to see what lay ahead of them.

It would make you thing that we had a drunk pilot on our hands.

ApS · 08-16-2013, 03:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Little Bear

We took a 1 hour biplane ride today with Phil from Lakes Biplane out of Laconia Airport. Besides being a spectacular day to fly, the flight itself was incredible...If you want a unique experience, you owe it to yourself to take a tour. We can't wait to go back up this fall when the leaves are turning.

http://www.lakesbiplane.com/index.html

That Saturday, I heard Phils' white Waco approach from the west, grabbed my camera, then noticed Phil was flying at a much higher altitude than usual. No photos taken that day...

Quote:

Originally Posted by SIKSUKR

I always wondered how the pilot saw where he was going while on the ground.

...and...

Quote:

Originally Posted by upthesaukee

...we would get a few bi-planes that would land, or be based at the airports I worked at. Most of them would do a little zig zag taxiing to allow them to see what lay ahead of them.

It would make you thing that we had a drunk pilot on our hands.

It wasn't a problem only with biplanes: even the vaunted P-51 Mustang of WWII had to zig-zag.

Sent to a friend, this frame from a long WWII Government documentary in the South Pacific shows a P-47 Thunderbolt with the US Army's answer to zig-zagging:

BaileyBecca · 08-16-2013, 06:53 AM

Phil was a very professional and kind host to our wonderful expierience! Awesome time!

Kerk · 08-20-2013, 08:02 AM

How many can be on a flight and what nisn the cost per hour? Kerk

upthesaukee · 08-20-2013, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kerk

How many can be on a flight and what nisn the cost per hour? Kerk

In Little Bear's post to start this thread (#1), he had the following link to the company. It answers your questions. There are various flights, and it appears from pictures that two can fit in the passenger area.

http://www.lakesbiplane.com/index.html

Hope this helps.

Pineedles · 08-23-2013, 11:01 AM

I thought people might enjoy seeing a picture taken last year from my bi-plane ride. I believe it is of Wolfeboro.

tis · 08-23-2013, 07:09 PM

Yes, nice pic, Pine. Did you take it?

Lakesrider · 08-25-2013, 09:42 PM

Yep. Wolfeboro. You can tell by all the traffic on Main street and the full docks...

Pineedles · 08-26-2013, 08:42 AM

Yes I did tis. It was great ride! Same course as Little Bear described but had him get close to Romney's place and I had the pilot spiral downward to my dock in Center Harbor where my daughter was waiting. That was a bit scary, but fun.

ApS · 08-30-2013, 05:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pineedles

I thought people might enjoy seeing a picture taken last year from my bi-plane ride. I believe it is of Wolfeboro.

The self-described "Fabulous Phil" flies directly over my head daily on his way to Wolfeboro. In my deep woods, I have only a few seconds to capture it by camera, after I first hear the distinctive sound of the Waco's (smallish) radial engine.

Another Waco comes over on occasion—bright red in color.

So, from this crop of Pineneedle's photo, who can identify this feature of our local terrain?

From the Lake Wentworth area, the same hill looks like a clear-cut, but it's faced with two faces of sheer granite cliff.

08-10-2013, 05:23 PM	#3
Slickcraft Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Welch Island and The Taylor Community Posts: 3,318 Thanks: 1,233 Thanked 2,103 Times in 960 Posts	We did it last year, kids gave us a gift certificate for Christmas. Best gift we ever got! Attached Images

08-12-2013, 02:30 PM	#4
SIKSUKR Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 5,075 Thanks: 215 Thanked 903 Times in 509 Posts	I always wondered how the pilot saw where he was going while on the ground. __________________ SIKSUKR

08-16-2013, 06:53 AM	#10
BaileyBecca Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Mayslanding, NJ and Tanglewood Shores Posts: 213 Thanks: 442 Thanked 74 Times in 26 Posts	Biplane Ride with Phil / October 2011 Phil was a very professional and kind host to our wonderful expierience! Awesome time! Last edited by BaileyBecca; 01-07-2014 at 11:19 AM.

08-20-2013, 08:02 AM	#11
Kerk Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 87 Thanks: 1 Thanked 7 Times in 7 Posts	Bi Plane Ride ? How many can be on a flight and what nisn the cost per hour? Kerk

08-23-2013, 11:01 AM	#13
Pineedles Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Moultonborough & CT Posts: 2,547 Thanks: 1,073 Thanked 668 Times in 367 Posts	I thought people might enjoy seeing a picture taken last year from my bi-plane ride. I believe it is of Wolfeboro. Attached Images

08-10-2013, 03:53 PM	#1
Little Bear Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 579 Thanks: 125 Thanked 247 Times in 133 Posts	Biplane Ride We took a 1 hour biplane ride today with Phil from Lakes Biplane out of Laconia Airport. Besides being a spectacular day to fly, the flight itself was incredible. It's an open cockpit plane, and the passengers sit in front of the pilot. The route took us out over the Weirs, up to Squam Lake, down through Center Harbor, over to Castle In The Clouds, out over Long Island, down to Wolfeboro, over to Alton, then up the west shore of the lake back to Laconia Airport. Phil is a great pilot and gives a fantastic tour of the area. If you want a unique experience, you owe it to yourself to take a tour. We can't wait to go back up this fall when the leaves are turning. http://www.lakesbiplane.com/index.html

08-10-2013, 05:00 PM	#2
ITD Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Moultonboro, NH Posts: 2,936 Thanks: 478 Thanked 695 Times in 390 Posts	Very cool LB, I rode in a Stearman for the first time on Father's day at the Colling's Foundation in Stow MA, great ride.

The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to ITD For This Useful Post:
Little Bear (08-10-2013), Merrymeeting (08-10-2013)

08-12-2013, 02:49 PM	#5
kbh Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Belmont, MA / Meredith, NH Posts: 32 Thanks: 21 Thanked 6 Times in 4 Posts	Now if we could just combine this plane ride and the skydiving thread, we could be jumping out of a biplane in Laconia -- sweet!

08-12-2013, 06:19 PM	#7
Aguamenti Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: MA/Tuftonboro Posts: 143 Thanks: 95 Thanked 36 Times in 21 Posts	We saw the biplane over Center Harbor. Bet you didn't see us waving!!

The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Pineedles For This Useful Post:
BaileyBecca (08-30-2013), trfour (08-24-2013)

08-23-2013, 07:09 PM	#14
tis Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 6,773 Thanks: 755 Thanked 1,464 Times in 1,020 Posts	Yes, nice pic, Pine. Did you take it?

08-25-2013, 09:42 PM	#15
Lakesrider Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 2,129 Thanks: 380 Thanked 1,016 Times in 345 Posts	Yep. Wolfeboro. You can tell by all the traffic on Main street and the full docks...

The Following User Says Thank You to Lakesrider For This Useful Post:
Pineedles (08-26-2013)

08-26-2013, 08:42 AM	#16
Pineedles Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Moultonborough & CT Posts: 2,547 Thanks: 1,073 Thanked 668 Times in 367 Posts	Great Ride Yes I did tis. It was great ride! Same course as Little Bear described but had him get close to Romney's place and I had the pilot spiral downward to my dock in Center Harbor where my daughter was waiting. That was a bit scary, but fun.

The Following User Says Thank You to Pineedles For This Useful Post:
tis (08-26-2013)