"You have a race,
you have a race"
The command given by
McNeely from our pace plane begins the adventure
for the four race pilots beside us and signals
the end of our part in this great event. But
there is one more treat in store for me!
Having watched the start
for several days prior to my flight, I knew that
Gene had to make a dramatic pull up to clear the
course after the race start and I was prepared
for it!
NOT!
I've felt *some* G's
before and had been briefed by AAFO.COM's, Mark
S. Daniels on what to expect with this pull up
maneuver. Completely braced, with my elbows at my
chest to secure the camera in position to shoot
in one instant, in the next, the G's pulled my
headset off my head and I automatically looked
down to see where they landed, in that same
instant, my upper body followed the headset to my
knees!
Despite my normal
automatic effort level to return my upper body to
where it should be, I remained where I was.
" I guess I'll just stay here for a while
" was the thought that ran through my mind.
Then just as suddenly, the effort to return to my
upright position was sufficient against the
lessening forces and I was now upright, looking
at a world almost upside down.
This was a truly
unforgettable experience and I would like to
sincerely thank Jimmy Leeward for inviting me
along and Gene McNeely for being such a great
host in his T-6 racer/showplane! I hope in these
pictures and my descriptions of them, that I have
been able to share with you as much of the
feeling of the 15 minutes of this flight as
possible.
-Wayne Sagar-
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