Mitsubishi MU-2 (N727TP)

Wow!!! My late father was one of the first pilots to log hours in that girl. Back then, her name was 429DT and her home was at lol the Bobby Chain Municipal airport in Hattiesburg, MS. My little sister and I rode with them every opportunity we had. I can still remember the smell of the inside of the cabin and the loud hum of the engines while dad finessed the plane, communicated with tower, and passed on his appreciation of weather and science, his passion for aviation, and his wit and wisdom in life.

I’ve never forgotten that beautiful bird, though she has a different paint job. It’s been over 30 since I’ve seen her, but if I squint hard enough, I can still see myself in that copilots seat, beaming with pride at my favorite pilot.

Noisy on the ground but quieter than a 200 King Air of the same year when inflight.