by Steve Mahoney
This guy in the hanger across from mine recently purchased a bright Yellow
AT-6. Actually it is the Canadian built version called a Harvard. This thing
is in show condition. All the chrome is polished and it looks newer than new.
Last weekend I was flying my BD on a trip from my cabin in Sunriver, OR to
home when a flash caught my eye some 1000 ft below me. It was the sun reflecting
off the brightly painted Harvard. As my wife was not with me that day, I did
a quick split S and came in from behind and above. I could see him in the
front with his instructor in the back as I passed by. I probably was doing
over 200 mph as I traded altitude for airspeed and passed off his right wing
some distance away.
I didn't want to startle him as I knew he was new to the airplane and was
still getting checked out, so I pulled out in front where he could clearly
see me. I kept cruise power setting for sometime thinking that if he wanted,
he would come along side. After awhile with no sight of him, I figured he
didn't want to play, so I rolled to a new heading returning me to my home
airport.
I had just pulled my airplane in the hanger when I heard the sound the big
radial engine taxi up behind the hanger. The two pilots jumped out looking
a little annoyed. I thought uh-oh..... may be I shouldn't have gotten so close!,
when they exclaimed that they really wanted to fly formation with me and that
the had the big 600 hp Pratt&Wittney firewalled but they couldn't catch
me.
Steve M.