PT-19 Innerds

If you have hung around here, you’ve seen pictures before of our PT-19 trainer.I even got to fly in her once.Now she’s down for maintenance. Those of you who have only flown in modern airliners only know of planes that are build like flying tanks. These older planes were highly reliable (they’re still flying after 80 years or more) but they were built to be light and not particularly tanklike.The wings come off for servicing, which is not a big deal. But as you can see here……the body of the plane is just a structure of tubing.As much fun as it might be to sit in that seat and go flying like this……most people are more comfortable with the fabric skin back on the outside after the maintenance is done.It’s probably a little bit more aerodynamic like that.But when you’re sitting in there flying for the first time, you realize that this is no 747. Despite that, she flys like a beauty! One of these days I hope to fly her as a pilot and not just a passenger.