Cover Story, Eric Downing

Bill Greenwood · **Posted:** Wed Dec 20, 2006 3:20 pm

Eric Downing's Skyraider is the cover story of the current magazine that I saw on the newsstand yesterday. I think it is Air Classics as the photos are by Michael O'Leary. Whether you like Mike are not,, he does good shots. He said the only difficult part was finding a wide enough angle lens to encompass the whole Skyraider. A funny unrelated incident, in the Boulder paper yesterday there was a story on noise complaints of glider tow planes, 235 hp Apaches. When I went to the checkout counter I happened to meet another customer who was the guy who had made the complaint in the paper. I also fly gliders there at Boulder. One lady called in a noise gripe once when a glider flew over her house solo, not even on tow. Hard to believe not everyone loves airplanes.

astixjr · **Posted:** Wed Dec 20, 2006 6:37 pm

Eric's Skyraider has generated a few calls to the airport office from "concerned" citizens living on the bluff just north of Creve Coeur Airport. Per Eric's advice, we have instructed the line service to explain to the callers that..."it's not that the plane is so low, it's just that it's so large". For the most part, this explanation has worked. :twisted:

Warbirdnerd · **Joined:** Fri Apr 30, 2004 7:34 pm **Posts:** 2923

astixjr wrote:

"it's not that the plane is so low, it's just that it's so large". For the most part, this explanation has worked. :twisted:

That is awesome! I love the SPAD, and Eric has one of the best looking examples around...

Lynn Allen · **Posted:** Thu Dec 21, 2006 12:01 am

Bill, how much snow is covering your Spit? We went from Chicago to San Diego today and flew over must of So. Colorado and were checking the atis's as we went by. We couldn't get Aspen's, I'm sure is was :shock:

Lynn

Manonthefence · **Posted:** Thu Dec 21, 2006 3:28 am

Quote:

He said the only difficult part was finding a wide enough angle lens to encompass the whole Skyraider

having shot Eric's Spad air to air all I can say is that Mr O'Leary is talking out of his pants!

Erik H · **Posted:** Thu Dec 21, 2006 6:15 am

When on the subject of "concerned" citizens, I came to think of an incident that happened to a friend of mine here in Norway a few years back.

He was on transit with his DeHavilland Vampire jet and decided (and got permission) to make a few passes at an airport enroute, just to say hello to some friends working there.
As you may know the outline (and sound) of the Vampire is bit different than what you might expect at an airport mostly handling airliners.
So, the next day the local newspaper reported that they had several calls from people that were convinced that they had seen a flying soucer/UFO of some sort.....

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Cover Story, Eric Downing

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