Booking Rides on Fifi ?

Fri Apr 07, 2006 7:31 am

Has any one else tried to reserve rides on Fifi on the CAF B29/B24 Squadron web-site ?

http://cafb29b24.org/cal/calendar.php?t ... &year=2006

I think I've booked a seat for May 2 at Richmond, VA ~ but I was expecting an email confirmation to wing its way back to me ~ so far ....... nothing !

I don't want to do it again in case I then have TWO seats booked !

Any help would be appreciated .............

Fri Apr 07, 2006 12:13 pm

with bated breath............. how much for a ride?? $$$$ & how long the duration??????

Fri Apr 07, 2006 2:40 pm

tom d. friedman wrote:with bated breath............. how much for a ride?? $$$$ & how long the duration??????

$1500,- up front, and $1250,- in the rear according to an earlier thread.

T J

Fri Apr 07, 2006 4:24 pm

For those prices, I would think the potential rider would pony up the extra $250 for the front office. It's not much of a view from the back.

I've never ridden in Fifi, but did get the chance to hold the left seat toe brakes during an engine run-up years ago. You sure can feel a lot of horsepower coming up through the seat of your pants...one of the biggest rushes I've ever had without actually leaving the ground (Just don't tell Mrs. K I said that). :wink:

Fri Apr 07, 2006 4:59 pm

how long is the flight??

Fri Apr 07, 2006 9:25 pm

tom d. friedman wrote:how long is the flight??

Can't say that I've heard specifically, but bomber rides are typically 30 minutes.

Sat Apr 08, 2006 8:16 pm

tom d. friedman wrote:how long is the flight??

Not long enough

Typically 30 minutes in the air, plus another fifteen / twenty on the ground during engine run-ups, etc.

Website · Sat Apr 08, 2006 8:23 pm

I'm not going to mention names, but some museums are a total of thirty minutes from start up to shut down. Which results in only some 10 to 15 minutes worth of flight time.

Money can be a big issue resulting shorter flight times! :shock:

Mon Apr 10, 2006 11:10 pm

Another group used to sell Stearman rides. Fifteen minutes was just about right. Four turns per hour was the sweet spot.

One gal, who was easy on the eyes, hopped off the trailing edge after her flight screaming “That was better than s6x!”

Another time late in the season, people were turned away because it was getting cold, dark and the drizzle was becoming more persistent.

Website · Tue Apr 11, 2006 9:01 am

EAA's total experience from start-up to shut-down used to be 45 minutes, now it is only 35 minutes with 20-22 minutes airborne.

Tue Apr 11, 2006 3:16 pm

with the price of av gas do you know how much $$$ that saves by whacking 10 minutes from the flight?? big bucks i'm sure!!! plus it saves from accumulated air time / wear & tear. this is how it is with everything today, cut the quality, jack the price & go for the long buck. i don't like it, but i can't say that i blame fifi's handlers!!!

Wed Apr 12, 2006 4:29 pm

Thanks to the assitance of Col. Rohr for providing contact phone numbers
~ I've become the very first person to book a ride on Fifi via the CAF B29/B24 Squadron web-site !

I'm slated to fly at Ricmond ( RIC ) on May 2nd ~ there are still seats available for anyone interested

I'll report back on chock and flight times after the big day