Tuna Ride

[QuietOne]

About 2 1/2 weeks ago JC brought Sneak Attack back in after the initial run up, saying it didn't feel right. A little investigation turned up a cold cylinder. They pulled the spark plug, and coolant came out. Time for an engine swap, even though the Reno air races are just around the corner. So Mike has been helping out, and twice when JC went out to put more time on the engine he stuffed Mike in the back seat. This is a mix of pictures from 2 flights about a week apart, mashed together into a semi-coherent narrative. Mike took the ones from the first flight with an Olympus SP-550. He did all the in the air shots

Sneak Attack has been flying continuously since 1971. It's probably the highest time P-40 in the world.



Mike gets artistic.


Put the passenger in the back seat


And the pilot in the front seat. It works a lot better that way.


Then get her started and roll out!

[QuietOne]

Why they call it a tuna ride. (JC took this picture and the next one)


The Great Tuna himself. Not to be confused with the play.


Taking off. Did I mention these things move fast?


Really fast?


On their way to do rolls over Lake Lowell.

[QuietOne]

Couple shots of suburbia




And coming back. You can see the runway in these two.

[QuietOne]

Obligatory shot of plane overhead.


Coming back in.


We're helping out all this week. I've got more photos worked up. More to do. JC did a cam inspection on the Mustang today. He'll fly that out to Reno Friday, catch a ride back with another pilot, and they'll take the P-40s to Reno Saturday. All of which will give me time to finish up more pictures and post (nope, I'm not going to Reno. Maybe another year)

[QuietOne]

Oh, yeah. Mike wanted to know how he did with his pictures. Especially his artistic shot.

[mbrager]

I checked this thread again to recall if you had gone to Reno and noticed you mentioned you weren't going. What a terrible tragedy.