Fly-by in a biplane

Booked to fly overseas? Well, I think you probably already know what type of plane you’ll be flying on. The size, model number and color may change, but let’s face it, most modern passenger aircraft look very similar.

But this wasn’t always the case. Before the almost total adoption of the jet engine, turboprop and propeller engines powered passenger aircraft. And where now there is one aerofoil wing, there once were two.

When the Wright brothers’ airplane first took to the skies in Kitty Hawk, Arizona, it adopted a double wing, biplane design and a method of navigation that pilots to this day employ: the three-axis control. This way they could turn left and right, maneuver up and down, and bank left and right.

The age of the biplane may be passed but that’s not to say they don’t fly anymore: they certainly do! Large numbers of these classic aircraft remain in use, some as stunt aircraft, some maintained by private owners, and a handful are also used to take passengers on their own biplane flight experience.

Open-topped bi-planes are perhaps the most involving to fly in; sat just back from the propeller, the wind in your hair, you’ll have time to really enjoy the view thanks to the plane’s leisurely performance.

If you are after a bit more excitement, try flying in a stunt biplane; they are still prized for their acrobatic abilities.

So, while aircraft design may have moved on, flight is never more pleasurable than when it’s enjoyed the old-fashioned way. Chocks away!