A birthday surprise

My DH turned 50 on Friday. For his birthday we surprised him with a party out here at the farm, complete with cookout, magician, entertainment, etc. But I also wanted to him to have something memorable to ring in his 50 years. :) About 2 mths ago, I reserved an hour flight for Ralph and our son, Jeff on a classic biplane tour. They both said it was awesome and they highly recommend anyone to do it. He did not do the dips (barnstorming) though, which I'm grateful for, I suppose. I just wanted to post a few pictures to share with you.

Here is Ralph and Jeff at the farm before they left. Ralph had no idea where Jeff was bringing him :)

This is a picture of Ralph before getting in the plane. I stayed at home to get ready for the party. :)

Here they are in the plane, getting ready to take off.

Ze plane, boss, ze plane........

Kathy, I am so glad I happened upon this thread. You were talking about this, and it is great to see the pictures and see that Ralph enjoyed his birthday present.

Esther, they had such a great time. A friend of ours met them at the airport and took these pictures. She then came out to the farm before the guys got home and I printed these pictures out and had them on a poster at the party for all to see. It was so much fun. He said they were about 1500 feet up and I gave them each a disposable camera, which I need to have developed. :) Kathy

What a grand birthday surprise! I don't think he will be able to forget such a wonderful day.

What a wonderful birthday celebration for Ralph!! Happy belated birthday :)

KEWLIO! What a cool birthday surprise. My dh's 40th was hot air ballooning and his 50th was jumping out of an airplane! 60th???? Maybe hang gliding???? LOL

Hank jumped out of an airplane? LOL,

This is the first chance I have had since I got back home to check out some other threads. I am so glad you posted this Kathy.
Way to go Ralph! But Kathy it's not long from this birthday to 50 - just imagine what Ralph is going to think up for YOU!
Loved the pictures, loved the idea and especially cared that you wanted to share it with your DG Family.
Hugs,
Dianne

I wouldn't have it any other way....DG family gets before the rest of my family lately..

I have to tell you the way the idea came to me though. I was reading the Courier Journal (Louisville, KY newspaper) and at the same time thinking what can I do that would be unique for Ralph's 50th birthday.......when all of a sudden.......and I telling the truth........a biplane flew across the screen and then a banner, "Classic Biplane Tours"... This made me curious, but it wasn't until 3 days later when I saw their advertisement on TV that I looked them up on the web and then called them. :) He was destined to make that trip. :) K

P.S. I kinda think those two guys in the first picture are pretty darn cute!!!

This message was edited Oct 6, 2004 8:27 PM

Wow! What a cool surprise for Ralph. The one shot of them in the cockpit made me think "journey to the center of the earth". With it unrotated, it looks like they're heading for the earth's core, not the friendly skies!

I thought you'd turn it for me, GW....LOL

Aaaaaaah....

At least they're going upwards in the last pic :-D

You'd NEVER get me in one of those thing if you tied me up and bopped me to sleep. I'd wriggle out before the plane took off :-)

Scaredymoor

That's one of the things I've always wanted to do - go up in a bi-plane. Even a prop plane ride or, even better, helicopter ride, would be great. I'd love to get arial photos of our house and the surrounding county.

My MIL said today, "you know what I want to do someday before I die? Go on a real sleigh ride." She's not sick or anything, just making an observation. Now I am on a quest for a real sleigh ride for her, maybe for Christmas if we have snow....Fat chance of that, LOL. You got me dreaming, Kathy, and hopeful of such cool surprises!

I would just type in sleigh rides .......your apt to find them in New England if you care to take a trip. :) I remember them as a young girl growing up in Massachusetts. Perhaps Vermont, or even parts of upstate NY.

At least now, they are lying on their backs instead of looking down, ha, ha......

GW, If you ever get to Louisville, that's where they hail from. The longest trip is one hour, which I got for the guys, but he might know of someone in your area that does it. Ralph said he was a very, very good pilot. I don't like roller coasters, but I might like a quick ride in the biplane. I told the pilot's wife that I might do it someday, but I would take the 15 minute tour. She said she would block me out for an hour, because once I got up there, I might not want to come down. :)

Dream high and go for it. We only go around this world once, make the most of it. :)

Great gift for Ralph! (I'm glad I'm not married to you though...my toes would clinch a'hold of Mother Earth so tight you couldn't pry me loose with a crowbar and put in that plane!) ;>)

Glad he had a great time though! "Happy Birthday, Ralph!"

Had to have enjoyed that thoroughly ... Can tell by those wonderful pics!!!

We wanted to give our youngest daughter a lil something kindly special .. for her high school 'graduation' in '97. We just happened to be goin' by the 'big' Clarksville (municipal) airport .. when it dawned on me and her dad, simultaneously - the ideal gift!!

We'd had no intentions of taking the ride at all! It was for the daughter only .. But, the pilot said there were two vacant seats . and the ride is for 4 . and we're there already .. and asked us, 'why not?' !! No additional fee charged !! So, all three of us: the kiddo, dad and myself ... rode with the pilot, in a lil Cessna ..

And this feller was ever so kind and wonderful .. He flew 'strait as the crow flies' .. up, to our property, about 30 minutes north of town .. just so (we) could make a few circles over the place. This promptly alerted our builders who were there, and working on our log home (who knew of the surprise flight) .. to stand at attention for 'us' .. and I shot tons of video!! However, we were somewhat fearful .. for they'd both 'threatened' to moon our daughter .... but they refrained! (thank goodnes!)

The pilot continued to make several circles about .. for our leisure. Even spent far more time up, than he normally would've too. He was just a mitey mitey sweet fella !!

The pilot even offered our daughter to 'man the controls' of the plane herself - This was right up her alley!!!
Without a doubt .. it was the icing on the cake - for her (and us!) !!

It was a spectacular gift for her, for she enjoyed it immensely!! .. And, naturally the mom & dad had a proverbial thrill also .. for it was my hubbys first time in a plane! And he don't particular like heights, at all !!
hee hee ... Hubby sure ate it up tho' ...

- Magpye

What a cool story, Magpye. I feel like I was there.

I failed to put in there, what our 'fees' were ..
When we'd initially inquired .. we under the impression, that it was $60 per head, for a 30 minute flight .. and we weren't about to go overboard !!
For all three of us + the pilot (of course! hee) .. and in-flight for about an hour and 15 minutes +/- ... the total was the whole of $60. ... The gentleman did 'splurge' with us tho' with the flight time .. no doubt!
But .. Geeeez .. we were indeed estatic when we were allowed to accompany her .. fer free!!
Of course, things may be far different now (and, different from any lil 'muny' airport, to boot) .. from some 7 years ago .. !!
- Magpye

(sorry MM .. have not meant to give the impression of attempting to hi-jack your thread)

We have a little airport within 5 miles of us - I just called to check on the cost of plane rides. :)

$49/ride for up to 3 people, and it's a 10-15 minute ride. You can pay for additional time, or you can pay for a lesson, which is a little more, but it's a longer ride and the passengers can pilot the plane a little, too. They're Cessna planes. That would be a BLAST to split with a friend. A friend of Howie's is a pilot, too, so he could always rent a plane and take us up; I think it's $60/hour the engine's actually running, something like that.

GOOD !! .. Sounds like 'inflation' hasn't increased ANY - with those great prices!! ..
(Heck, sounds more like .. we mite oughta've come up 'ar!! )
.. LOL ..

Oh WOW .. gw .. go fer it !!!
Hmmm, I bet that thar mite be a couply favors that Howie could 'call in' too, 'ey?!? ... heee heee

At any rate, if you guys do opt to make/take a flight - let us know, so we can get all xcited fer ya too, O K ?

(And, jes like you'd already mentioned) .. Ya jes gotta take plenny plenny pitters .. AND post 'em here on DG too .. to share with the likes o'the rest o'us .... Natchurly !!

- Magpye

Magpye, I don't think you hijacked my thread; as a matter of fact, I read yours and Shoe's posts quickly as I had to head to Louisville. I laughed so hard and then printed them out and took them along with me. Read to DH on the way and the two of us had tears in our eyes from laughing at your description of your daughter's outing!

I envisioned those darner builders with moonshine (and I don't mean the drinking kind)....not a good picture to think about!

Sounds like you got a great deal. DH's ride was in an open cockpit with the wind blowing in their hair. I gave them each a disposable camera to which I have not developed said pictures yet.

BTW, theirs was for one hour and $259....but he said worth every penny. It is warmer up there than it is down here and it was a bit chilly but ever so sunny.

You talk all you want, all of you, about your plane rides! I love it. :) K

MM .. uh huh .. yall were a makin' lite of my tawkin' now werntcha ?!?
.. You had a mite bit of trouble puttin'at slang, drawl, and dye-lect whar it wassa needed tho', didntcha!?!
... C'mon, tell a'truff now !! See, kaint jes anybody tawk lik'at ya know!! (let alone, TYPE the stuff!)
... LOL ... LOL ...

(Heavens!! .. not to mention my goofy leavin' out so many important words up there, too!! I caint believe some
of my boo-boo's! ... Wellllll, actually, I can .. and quite easily so! .. hee hee)

In all sincerity ... It pleases me greatly .. that you and your hubby enjoyed my little story ... MM !!

Now, tell me that you haint gonna wait around till Christmas to get the two disposable cameras d-velop'd ??
And, surely you WILL be posting a couply few of 'em too - Right ?!?

We'll all be chompin' at the bit .. most anxious, to see some of those! And you already know that those can be
put on a CD also .. 'Digital' has been the best thing since sliced bread, I tell ya! .. hee hee

- Magpye

Magpye, Your a mess! It hurt my jaw just trying to read that!!! :)

Here's my best try: I reckon I'd best be atryin to git them there pikchas on sum sorta deegatel type thingy. speshally since ya prolly wonna let me liv it down!

Geez, that even hurts to type.

Happy Night, Kathy

LOL .. Yeppers, thatz rite MM ... and yep, I shore haint gonna !! ..

Fetcha some zzz's now ... I'm headin' on to nappys house mahseff too !! ... hee

g'nite MM

- Mags

sueet dreemz

LOL! This is about as funny as Lisa trying to decipher Yardbird's hubby Lamar's words when he talks. It's a running joke - the dialects are so different between them. She put her arm around him and exclaimed, "I love this man....But I can't understand a word he says!" LOL

The funny thing is I can understand it fine. Glad you had a great time. My soon to be SIL, is a pilot. I have not been up YET. He started flying very young. I told him he had not been driving a car long enough for me to try FLYING with him.
He will be going in to the Air Force, right after graduating.