Biplane flight

[lostman 198]

For years a barnstormer making his rounds through the countryside had stopped into the same sleepy little town and provided thrills for everyone willing to pay the $50 fee for the ride. He would always get screams of joy during his rides and never disappointed those who took the flight.

 

After several years of seeing this same couple come over and look at his dusty old Biplane, he stopped the man and asked him if he wanted a ride. His answer was very sincere that he indeed did want to go for the ride but "fifty bucks is fifty bucks" and he just couldn't justify spending the money. He talked for a minute or two more telling the couple that it was only fifty bucks. His competition had doubled their price and were charging a hundred for the same ride that he would give. The couples response was still, "fifty bucks is fifty bucks. The intrepid flyer thought for a moment and offered to give the couple a ride for free, with only one catch, that neither of them make a sound during the flight.

 

The husband turned to his wife and with a mutual agreement they both agreed that they could be quiet and took the pilot up on his offer.

 

Shortly after takeoff the pilot realized that this couple was serious about not having to pay the $50 for the ride and started to bank over, push over the top a little and overall create a nice rollercoaster ride. This didn't seem to have any effect, and there was no sound from either passenger, so he decided he'd have to get a little more drastic to get paid for this flight. Soon enough he was doing loops, rolls, hammerheads and all manner of maneuvers that he knew the old plane could handle, but still not a peep!

 

Realizing he was beaten he turned back and headed to the airport. After landing he turned around to congratulate the couple on their free once in a lifetime ride. That's when he realized that the wife was completely missing. He was startled and asked the man, "where is your wife"? The answer was a resounding, "I was going to say something about that, just about the second loop is when she fell overboard. I really did want to say something, but fifty bucks is fifty bucks"!

[marksires 484]

I heard that one before, but slightly different.  In that version the man really wanted to go, but his wife was adamant that fifty bucks was fifty bucks.......

[EDMO 1078]

I really hate to tell you two "youngsters" that, in that day and age, Barnstormers were more likely charging 50 cents to $1 a ride, and gas was probably 5 cents a gallon!  His plane probably cost $50, as WW1 surplus......

Prices may have been as low as 5 to 10 cents during the depression years - a farm laborer then was getting about 3 1/2 cents an hour, or 35 cents for a 10-hour day!

I was quickly told all of this when I complained about only getting 35 cents an hour in the early 1950s!

But, still, a good story - and 50 cents was 50 cents, and bought a lot of food back then!

Old EDMO

Edited 26 Mar 2014 by Ed In Missouri