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« on: October 27, 2010, 07:25:29 PM »
I've been so busy with life and I saw this question several days ago. I wanted to tell my story of my first ride in a Varieze. My Greek wife that was in the flooring and carpet business came home one evening and told me about this guy that she had just sold a whole house full of carpet to. She told me he was a pilot actually a Captain for SW Airlines and thought I should meet him due to my passion for aviation as well. After his flooring was installed we went over for a look at the job and I was invited to go fly with this guy the following day. I meet this guy at Chandler AZ Municiapl Airport the next morning and arrived just as he was opening his hangar. There for my eyes to behold was a tiny two place tandem seated aircraft. I was sleek and so incredible looking, N17EZ which was built by his father who had unfortunately died of cancer several years before. Also in the hangar was a ST1 Pitts. Needless to say he pushed the EZ out of the hangar and said climb in.
After a flip of the prop and the canard lift and gear down, he climbed in and off to the runway we went, no tower at Chandler in those days, out to the runway and off we went, heading south out over the desert of south Phoenix. I don't think we ever got any higher than 500 AGL that day. Over the desert down low at times 50 feet and screaming across the cactus tops. It was the thrill of my life at that time. Needless to say this guy was one incredible dare devil pilot.
I think most of you may know this guy today, he was the youngest pilot to ever make Captain for South West Airlines, later became the Captain of the US World Aerobatic Team and now flies the Red Bull Racer. Mr Kirby Chamblis gave me the inspiration that day to make a career of aviation which continues today from just that one ride in his Varieze. Thanks Kirby I'll never forget that day. T. Mitchell