Flight Into an Era

When I arrived at the quiet Sonoma Valley Airport, an old military jeep pushing out the SNJ-4 WWII era war bird, one that I would be flying in that day, greeted me.

By Joel Williams
Published: May, 2006

When I arrived at the quiet Sonoma Valley Airport, an old military jeep pushing out the SNJ-4 WWII era war bird, one that I would be flying in that day, greeted me. The aircraft had been beautifully restored and looked like it was plucked right out of the Pearl Harbor movie set. I was set and ready to climb in the co-pilot seat to get the flight experience of a lifetime over Sonoma County.

After being outfitted with a parachute, I climbed into history and was strapped into the hard metal seat. Even though Chris Prevost, the pilot and founder of Vintage Aircraft, was only a couple feet away from me, I was fitted with a headset and shown how to communicate with him. When the engine roared to life I immediately knew why the headset was needed. The plane vibrated vigorously, while the engine was repeatedly revved up in preparation for take off. Suddenly, we spun around in place and headed for the runway.

My first thought as we took off was how smooth the ride was. It was a calm and clear day, and we soon leveled off at a few hundred feet for a low-level tour of the surrounding area. As we flew through the valleys of the rolling hills I could look straight out at the hillsides on the side of the plane. We began making some very tight slow turns that put the plane on its side, with one wing pointed right at the ground. Again, I was amazed at how gracefully the plane performed; we seemed to stand still in the air with the ground below me swirling around.

When I was graciously offered the opportunity to fly with Prevost, I immediately knew I wanted to go up in the SNJ-4, also known as the Texan. This advance trainer plane was designed to give cadets a taste for the higher speeds and experience with more complex systems of fighters and bombers that they would soon be flying.
I was told that flying low over the surrounding hills gives the passenger a feel for the speed and excitement of WWII military flying, and that I could request aerobatics if I wanted to kick it up a notch. I was not disappointed.

We ascended to 3,500 feet.

Prevost took the plane into a barrel roll, a sideways roll that put us upside down, several times. He negotiated a full loop that took us straight up until we were inverted and back over until we were headed straight at the ground, before we pulled the nose up to its upright, level position.

Exhilarating is an understatement when describing the feeling you get during these maneuvers. It feels like a super roller coaster without any tracks.

Many times my mind drifted back to childhood, when I had fantasies of flying in the model war planes I used to make, holding them in my hand over my head doing the same maneuvers I was actually experiencing in the SNJ-4.

After heading north and giving me a bird’s eye view of the vineyards and Sonoma countryside we headed back to the airport. As we landed, I lamented the fact that my short trip into history was almost over.

After our flight, I sat down with Prevost for a casual conversation next to the tarmac. He popped the top off a couple of 8-oz, bottled Cokes, and we sat down on some old wooden patio furniture outside the office at the end of the hangers. The atmosphere reminded me of an era long past as we talked about our flight and Vintage Aircraft Company.

It’s not just a business, it’s a means to keep these things flying. Prevost said. He has flown more than 75 different aircraft over his 30-year flying history, and has logged over 12,000 hours of flight time. It’s a lifestyle that requires total dedication to the point of personal sacrifice. Our goal is to allow people to be able to observe history firsthand.

My personal experience felt like just that. From the moment I arrived at the airport to the time I reluctantly left, I felt like I had taken a trip up to Sonoma and back in time.