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René, however, became alarmed when she saw Sean walking back from the cockpit. “Honey, aren’t you supposed to be flying the airplane?!” she asked, assuming that two pilots were required up front. (EAA’s 4AT Tri-motor weighs less than 12,500 pounds and is certified for single-pilot operation. Later and heavier 5AT models require two pilots.) After reassuring René that only one pilot was necessary, Sean knelt on one knee and asked her to marry him in front of her friends and family. “Weren’t you afraid she might say no?” I asked. “No,” said Sean. “Before she could answer, I reached up and pulled out a tattered old parachute I’d stowed in the cargo net above her seat. ‘In case the answer is no,’ I said, ‘I brought along this parachute for you.’ Fortunately, the parachute was not required!” Sean had arranged with the Oshkosh tower controllers ahead of time to use the call sign, “Engagement Flight One.” They in turn insisted on a prearranged signal if René said yes. So after René accepted, Sean gestured thumbs up to the flying pilot to rock the wings. Then the happy couple made their way to the cockpit. Sean took the controls, the other pilot retreated to the cabin, and René assumed the co-pilot seat. “Greg, you know how arriving pilots at AirVenture put those signs in their windshields showing where they want to park, like ‘North 40,’ ‘Vintage Aircraft,’ or ‘Warbirds?’ Well, after we touched down, I installed a similar pair of signs I’d made saying, ‘Just Engaged!’ in the windscreen. AirVenture volunteers wearing orange safety vests lined our taxi route back to the ramp—their hats removed and their heads bowed as if for a funeral.” You’ll be happy to learn that Sean and René celebrated their tenth anniversary in September 2011. Clearly, theirs is a marriage made in heaven, or as close to it as you can get in a 1929 Ford Tri-motor.
Greg Brown is an aviation author, photographer, and former National Flight Instructor of the Year. Visit his website (www.gregbrownflyingcarpet.com).

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MAY 2012 FLIGHT TRAINING

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Flight Training - May 2012

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