Readers of my late AOPA Flight Training magazine column often asked, “What model is the Flying Carpet?” I’ll admit to keeping the FC’s identity a bit of a mystery, except when the make and model bear directly on the story in which cases I do occasionally reveal them. The Flying Carpet is a Cessna 182. Although I am proud of her and she’s the perfect airplane for us, there are several reasons why I don’t mention it more often.
First and foremost, I like to think that flying adventure is largely independent of what model aircraft we operate. In conceiving the column I wanted to avoid all those longstanding pilot biases about low-wing vs. high-wing, tail-draggers vs. tricycle gear, homebuilts vs. production planes, flying low-and-slow vs. soaring through clouds, piloting single-engine planes vs. twins, etc. The fact is that most Flying Carpet adventures could be flown in most airplanes and I don’t want readers dismissing a column’s relevance because it was flown in something other than their preferred model. This way they are free to imagine that it was (or could be) flown in their favorite airplane.
As for my blog header photo above and the Flying Carpet book cover, I was looking for something that said “adventure of flight” as boldly as possible but again in a non-specific way. When we prepared to shoot those photos the non-pilot photographer asked, “We’re not gonna shoot this in front of some old Cessna, are we? How can we make that look exciting?” Hence the WACO biplane that suggests “romance and adventure” to almost everybody. I’ll admit that not everyone agrees with me on this logic — but that’s my reasoning, however flawed!
©2009, 2019 Gregory N. Brown
Long live Flying Carpet and many more happy landings 🙂
Thank you, Patrick!
Great explanation about Flying Carpet. I would say you have conveyed that message quite well as that is precisely what I have felt about Flying Carpet and your articles even before reading your explanation.
Thank you, Paul!
Hello Greg.
I am a grade nine student living in Calgary, Canada.
I read your book ‘flying carpet’ and found it spiked a new
Interest in general aviation, that I never know I had.
Before I read your book, I only cared about commercial
Aviation, and the world of airliners, but now I know that that the true side of flying is trips like the ones you took on flying carpet. Now that I have read your book, I have more encouragement to go out and get my pilots liscense than ever.
Thanks for the encouragement Greg!
-Taylor Giannelia
Dear Taylor, thank you for your very kind words! An adventure book you might enjoy reading about the commercial side of flying, and one which inspired me greatly, is Fate is the Hunter by Ernest Gann. I encourage you to read it when you get time! See some of my other favorite flying books here. How were you introduced to my Flying Carpet book, Taylor?
Again, thanks!
Greg
Oops! iPod is being dumb, so my apologies about those last two posts… I was looking through the iBook store trying to find a good aviation themes book and yours stood out. As for your recommendation, I will look into it!
Best regards,
Taylor
Well that’s pretty darned cool, Taylor. Thanks for making my day!
Sky King Days,
I was a local boy growing up in North Terre Haute, Indiana in the 50s & 60s. I knew Herman (Brownie), his son Steve and their daughter (can’t recall her name). I was there in the early 60s when they had their Grand Opening as Sky King Airport. A couple of days earlier in the week I was at the office when this BEAUTIFUL 310B landed and parked right in front of us! Someone told me to go out and help with the luggage, not knowing it was Kirby Grant and his friends flying in from Wichita, Kansas home of Cessna Aircraft. I even got to carry his Cowboy hat luggage! What a thrill for a 12 year old that loved flying.
Thank you, Stephen! What a great story!! Do I take it you listened to my podcast, “Sky King and the Old Apache?” In any case, a question I’ve always hoped to get answered… Did Kirby Grant fly the airplane in? Brownie indicated that Grant did not fly–didn’t know if he was licensed but in any case said he was not an active pilot. Did you see him fly in?
Greetings, Greg! I stumbled upon your YouTube channel and feel like I’ve found an old friend. About twenty years ago, I started flight training with a copy of “Magic Carpet” and the dreams of flying that it inspired. I particularly enjoyed our parallels in migrating from the Midwest to Arizona and knowing many of the places you described — although I had the good sense to learn to fly in sunshine!
Anyway, keep up the good work as the story-teller-poet-laureate of aviation; and if I ever run into you and the Magic Carpet at Falcon Field, perhaps you can help me find a fitting name for my 182, too!
Hey Carter! Thank you for those very gracious words. What model is your Skylane?