I Flew in the Batcopter!

Me before my flight on the Batcopter

That’s right kids!  I flew in the Batcopter today.

Holy Shit!

No joke, this was the actual Batcopter that Adam West and Burt Ward flew in for the 1966 seminal classic Batman – The Movie.

I was curious about county fairs, since I do not believe I grew up around any and it is a big thing around here.  I was curious.  I saw a sign for the Lexington Blueberry Festival and thought I’d give it a shot.  Well, on their site was an itinerary and I saw they were giving “Batcopter rides.”  Well, what the hell.  I didn’t know what that meant, but I was sure intrigued.  Usually, you can get your picture taken at comic book conventions with a very poor replica of K.I.T.T. or the General Lee.  I usually feel offended when these people come up to cons, because their replicas are so blatantly fake that any true fan of shows like Knight Rider and The Dukes of Hazzard would never set foot in those cars, let alone pay to have their pictures taken with them.  But you know, I figured, you never know what’s going to happen until you try.  So we went.

And great thing we did!  Turns out I wound up riding in the real, no shit, Batcopter!  The pilot bought it several years ago and has been letting people have short rides in it ever since.  The man is a freakin’ great humanitarian!  And he lives locally around here in Ohio.  It’s really amazing what I’ve lived near.  I spent four years living only a few miles away from the Spruce Goose, and now I live near the Batcopter.  And people wonder why I am such a geek.  I’m surrounded by some of the greatest gadget geekery ever made!

The ride was smooth, and if you don’t mind heights and flying machines with no doors it was a real fun ride.  Yes, as any true bat-fan knows, Batman is a stickler for safety.  The Batcopter may have no doors, but it does have seatbelts (we’re not talking about a U.S. Post Office delivery truck, after all).  I am not afraid of heights and I had no problem with this at all.  In fact, I found it quite thrilling.  The Batcopter can put jumbo jets to shame with its smooth ride and speed of takeoff.  It was great to look out the bubble cockpit, where you can see all around you.  Probably as close to personal flight as I’ll ever get.  The thing I was surprised about was when we landed my ears popped the same way they do when riding in an enclosed airplane.

I’d never been up in a helicopter before, and I can’t think of any better way to lose my bat-virginity than in this!

Here’s a link to a great bit of history on the Batcopter.

And here’s some more pictures.  Enjoy!  I did.

Me in flight

Compare to the original owners

Looking directly down mid-flight

I'm coming in for a landing!

And yes, there is a sign saying “Batcopter” under the Batcopter.  Because the giant-ass bat symbols on both sides of the helicopter isn’t enough to tell you that you’ve just been buzzed by the batcopter.

The Bat-instrument panel

Looking Straight Ahead

See #2, then keep your mouth shut to the FAA!

The pilot

He says he chauffers Julie Newmar around every now and then.  That lady has some serious class!  One day I’ll let you in on you my Julie Newmar story from a few years ago.

Bat-me and Bat-Janet with the Bat-pilot by the Batcopter