Columnist Susan Snyder: Dreams realized in clouds

Saturday, Nov. 25, 2000 | 2:51 a.m.

Susan Snyder's column appears Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays in Accent. Reach her at snyder@lasvegassun.com or 259-4082.

High over Southern Nevada's desert, Rabun Harper stepped back 51 years.

Donned in khaki and sporting an aviator's cap with the golden ring and winged propeller insignia of a 1949 aviation cadet, Harper celebrated his 72nd birthday at the controls of a real World War II warbird.

He did bank turns, barrel rolls and loops, recapturing the romance and thrill of being a U.S. Air Force aviation cadet.

"It was great because I did these maneuvers that I never got a chance to do before," Harper, who lives in Chatsworth, Calif., said.

For one glorious hour Harper flew a T-6 advanced training aircraft. The plane is one of six operated out of Boulder City Airport by North American Top Gun.

The 9-year-old Florida company offers former pilots and wannabes a chance to take the stick and actually fly a World War II vintage flight trainer.

And it couldn't be safer, company owner Bruce Moore said. The T-6 was used for decades to train U.S. fighter pilots.

The front seat is for the pilot-in-training, who has all the controls to fly the plane and shoot down the enemy. The flight instructor sits directly behind and has the controls to take over at any time.

Each aircraft also is equipped with a mechanism that belches smoke when it is "hit" by another's gunfire. In-flight controls determine whether a hit is a hit.

And people really can fly the airplanes and do dog fights, even if they never have flown an airplane.

"This is what the airplane was built for," Moore said.

The rest is up to the client's desires and budget. There are five basic options, from a 15-minute discovery flight for $190, to a half-day of air combat training with two dog-fight flights for $1,490.

A sixth option, available only to licensed pilots, offers special training and complete T-6 certification for $745 an hour.

Moore, a civil pilot, was running a stunt-flying school in St. Augustine, Fla., when he decided to add a new dimension. He latched onto an old T-6 trainer and went about the business of fulfilling World War II dreams. He has six trainers, six pilots and a mechanic.

Like a modern-day barnstormer, Moore and his crew now take their planes "on the road." This past year they've set up shop in Ohio, California, Indiana and Wisconsin.

Although flying enthusiasts make up the bulk of Moore's clients, he says a handful of others are hesitant participants pushed into it by loved ones.

He recalled an airline pilot who bought the combat class for himself and his wife, whom Moore described as "dainty."

"She was dragged into it kicking and screaming," Moore said. "She ended up shooting down her husband on one of the engagements. We record the flights. She was swearing a blue streak."

Moore says she has since earned her pilot's license.

Moore originally planned to stay in Boulder City through spring, but he'll stay longer if the business warrants it.

Harper says he was grateful for the opportunity to relive a moment of his youth.

"It's kind of expensive but, oh, what the heck," Harper said. "You can't take your money with you."