91-Year-Old Takes Flight of His Life

Forget skydiving and roller coasters—this 91-year-old prefers daredevil airplane maneuvers over Lake Skinner.

Robert Blandin, a San Juan Capistrano man turning 92 on July 20, was surprised Thursday by family members with a flight on a flashy red, white and black airplane built for specifically for stunts.

In a plane co-piloted by well-known aerobatics pilot, Doug Jardine, of Murrieta, Blandin took off from the French Valley Airport. They headed to Lake Skinner, where for 15 minutes, they did loops and hammerheads—straight drops—in the specialized aircraft.

"He loved it," said Jardine. "He got to do a loop; as soon as we got up high enough he was flying."

Jardine's plane, the SBach 342 Thunderbolt, is a prototype he flies in air shows.

Blandin's son, Gary, is an aircraft mechanic at the airport just outside of Murrieta, and arranged for the flight before Jardine soon moves to Colorado.

Nancy Anderson, Blandin's daughter, and Travis Anderson, a Murrieta firefighter/paramedic and Blandin's grandson, made sure they were on hand for the special occasion.

"This has been his dream," Nancy said.

"We were always afraid he was going to try it in his Cessna," she said of her father, who for many years had a pilot's license.

Blandin's plane is still stored at French Valley Airport.

Travis remembers flying in his grandfather's 182 Cessna from a young age.

"I think he is super lucky," Travis said. "He has more lives than a cat. There are no signs of him slowing down."

Blandin has had few health problems, save a heart bypass about 10 years ago around the time his wife died. He misses her, he said, recalling their engagement in the late 1930s.

"To tell you the truth, I have been very lucky. I have a wonderful family...my friends call me 'Lucky Bob,'" Blandin said. "The only thing I miss is my wife. That has been a terrible thing but I was lucky she married me."

Blandin has three children, four grandchildren and five great grandchildren. He retired from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, where he worked as an engineer.

Once retired, he picked up surfing, but gave up his motorcycle a few years back.

The aerobatics flight Thursday was his latest adventure. It was an attempt to trump skydiving, which Blandin did for his 91st birthday last year. The year before, he took a roller coaster ride—something he had fond memories of as a teenager.

Blandin, who is still a licensed driver, woke up at 5:30 a.m. Thursday and took Ortega Highway from San Juan Capistrano so he would not be late, daughter Nancy said.

"He knew he was going to be flying, but I'm sure we surprised him with this," Nancy said. "How many more things can we think of if he lives to 100?"