Red Baron

The end of the school year in June is usually met with cheers and excitement in my household.  The cheers mostly come from my three boys, but I also let out a cheer, because my summer vacation from teaching begins just days after theirs.  Our summers usually include a trip for a week or more to Ocean City, New Jersey.  For the past three years, my youngest son, Max whose birthday is in late June, has been asking to ride the Red Baron, a 1940 Waco bi-plane that flies up and down the southern New Jersey coast.  What a great present to ask for his birthday!  After "chickening out" the previous two summers, he convinced me he was serious this time and we made our reservation for our July 6 flight.  The Red Baron has room for two passengers plus the pilot, so I was with Max in the front seat while the pilot sat behind us.  After our safety check and basic training on do's and don't's, we donned old fashioned leather headgear, sunglasses, and a microphone to talk to the pilot.    Our pilot started the engine, and as we taxied to the runway, Max said,"Well, there is no going back now," with a smile on his face.  What a great flight.  We waved to my family on the beach as we flew up the coast.  The pilot tipped his wings for the big wave.  We did rolls and a little dive down and then up.  We both kept smiling.  This a memory neither one of us will ever forget.  We took a little piece of aviation history with us and recorded videos and still pictures on my phone.  When bi-planes like the Red Baron were built years ago with the most advanced technology at the time, it was a modern wonder.  74 years later, it is a wonder to my 9 year old.