Antonow
I got to go for a flight in this tiny Soviet biplane. It was a little weird because the roof was leaking, the pilot didn't close the cabin door before taxi, and he asked some of the passengers to get out and push to help reposition the plane before takeoff.
The plane flies at an amazingly low speed, closer to an automobile on a freeway than a jet. This makes the takeoff remarkably gradual and also makes the landing a bit of a surprise: the pilot can approach the runway at a right angle and then make a quick turn immediately before landing.
The Chaos Communication Camp remains just about the coolest event I've ever attended. It's especially amazing at night. Its only obvious competition is the Rusticatio Californiana (which was going on at the same time this year).
