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The view: The fertile land of the Salinas Valley of California
The airplane: The iconic Ford Trimotor
The pilot: Rick Torres (just riding this time)
The mission: Departing from the Salinas fly-in.
The memory: What an awesome aircraft!
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Rick has always been interested in flying, catching a ride with anyone he could, anytime he could. Finally making the decision late in life to go for it, he received his sport pilot license 4 years ago at the age of 58. He attended a Sonex builders class at the factory in Oshkosh and purchased a Waiex kit. He is just completing it and will have it in the air soon. He joined EAA and local Chapter 484 where he is Vice President. He flies out of Calaveras (KCPU), one of the special facilities in California Gold Country. His little airport is well-known and the aviators there are world renowned. Pilots come from all over the world for float plane training. By the time you read this Rick will have completed the requirements and earned his private pilot license.
Latest posts by Rick Torres (see all)
- Friday Photo: Trimotor view - June 29, 2018
- Friday Photo: Grand Island Mansion - February 24, 2017
My first airplane ride was in a Ford Trimotor waaaaaay back in the mid-to-late 1960s. I was nine or ten, out riding my bike near Vacaville (dad was stationed at Travis AFB). As I neared the Nut Tree Airport I saw a lot of activity, so I rode over to see what what going on. It was an airshow! Despite my tender years, no one stopped me, or told me I couldn’t be there. I wandered around looking at all the planes, and watching the various performers.
Then I saw the Trimotor sitting there, and I thought it was the coolest thing I’d ever seen. There was a sign on the door that read “Airplane Rides — $5” I had a pocket full of cash from my lawn mowing “business” and thought an airplane ride was just a dandy idea. I walked over to the pilot with the fiver in my hand and said I wanted to go for a ride. He said, “Where’s your parents kid?”
“Dad’s at work; Mom’s at home.”
He looked around, then grabbed the money and said, “Get in the plane, kid.”
Things were a lot different back then…