Editor,
Meaford pickleball members and the community of Meaford were treated to a special performance of aerial acrobatics by fellow pickleball member and flying ace Gord Price yesterday (Sunday, August 6). As well as being a Meaford Pickleball player, Gord is also in the over 80 club.
The performance took place over the Meaford Harbour around 1 p.m. to a large enthusiastic crowd that waved, cheered and applauded at the spectacle we witnessed.
His previously scheduled performance a couple of weeks ago had to be stopped due to weather restrictions so we only had a brief glimpse of the distinctive looking Russian built Yakovlev 50 flying below the clouds before turning back to the Billy Bishop airport.
Although the weather for this show was perfect yesterday, the performance still had its last minute challenges as Gord reported that one of his wheels practically fell off as he was taxiing on the ground just a few days ago. Being an older (and very unique) Russian built aircraft, getting spare parts for the Yak 50 is a challenge but, knowing his sources well, Gord was able to have the items shipped out ASAP and installed just in time for a test flight the day before the show.
I must say here, that it is one thing to see pictures or read about a performance like this but it is something else again to actually see it in person.
This show was a work of art, the product of a lifelong passion for flying, of countless hours of being in the air in every type of weather and circumstance in many kinds of aircraft. To say Gord is one with his machine does not really describe how he is able to literally fling the aircraft around in the sky in stalls, spins, in every possible attitude, coping with the forces of many ‘Gs’ on him when he is right side up or upside down. And yet he is always able to maintain his awareness of himself in space, what procedure he is doing and how fast he is going when he pulls out of a power dive just 50’ above the water.
This really is ballet in the air, a concert performance, a manifestation of love and dedication and the product of a passion for flying that has been a lifelong reality for Gord.
Watching the show, we wanted it to simply keep going. It seemed that Gord too was having fun up there with his personal form of self expression and that he would be happy to keep playing and juggling with his favourite routines. We were there with him, watching in disbelieve as the airplane magically recovered from heart-stopping stalls, spins, and being momentarily motionless while facing up to the stars, falling backward down towards earth then turning and gracefully flying again as if this was all just a bit of casual fun on a summer day.
Needless to say this fluid and captivating performance of high-risk manoeuvres requires superb flying skills on the part of the pilot.
Finally it was time to head for home and Gord flew low and slow past the crowd waving his wings to us as we all waved back.
As a fellow pilot I could only watch in wonder and admiration and try to understand why I found tears rolling down my cheeks as the show came to an end.
Jonn Ord, Meaford
