Another Time

Warbird and Vintage Aircraft Restorations to Watch in 2012

2012-01-10T19:45:00.000-06:00

Another year is upon us and I can't help but think of the the restorations under way that are to fly in the next year or two. Some aircraft types we have not seen grace the skies for many years and others may be a little more common but will stand out as spectacular works of art. Here is a short list of the ones we are watching and will be making headlines within a few short years.

The Lufthansa Starliner - The German airline acquired a Lockheed Constellation and began the extensive restoration back in 2008. To say this is a major restoration is an understatement. The "Connie" is a full time project with hopes that the Starliner will fly within the next couple years. This sleek airliner will make magazine covers worldwide when she flies and Lufthansa plans to make flights in her available to the public. Watch the Connie Survivors web site for updates.

Link - www.conniesurvivors.com

Two P-82 Twin Mustangs - One, let alone two would capture the aviation worlds attention. Two restorations are under way of this rare twin. C and P Aviation in Minnesota and Tom Reily in Georgia are actively restoring Twin Mustangs for flight. We should see great progress made this year. It will be exciting to see them sitting on their own gear and rolling out for progress photos. What a dreamy photo this will make to see two in formation roaring around the skies with Merlins and Allisons screaming! Watch the XP-82 Twin Mustang Project blog for updates on one of these restorations.

Link - http://xp-82twinmustangproject.blogspot.com

Mosquito - Recently a rare Mosquito was rolled out into the light of day. All new wood and fully restored this will be a stunning restoration. Once completed in New Zealand this ultra rare de Havilland Mosquito will reside in Virgina. Wow… what else can we say!? A flying Mosquito!!!

Links - http://www.warbirdrestoration.co.nz/ - http://www.militaryaviationmuseum.org/ - http://www.fighterfactory.com

Brewster F3A-1 Corsair - Yes, a Brewster built Corsair. Vought did not build all of the mighty Corsair fighters in world war two. Brewster built them under license to pump out more fighters for the war effort. This rare bird is under restoration in Texas with Ezell Aviation. It may be a few years from flight but this will become the rarest Corsair in the skies!

Link - http://www.ezellaviation.com/f3a.html

Vultures Row Aviation to turn out two Navy Warbirds - In California a small shop that has turned out award winning Navy aircraft is restoring two rare birds to exacting standards. A Curtiss SB2C Helldiver and a Douglas SBD Dauntless. Slow and steady wins the awards at this shop. When these Navy birds fly into airshows across the country they will take all the awards and have Warbird enthusiasts drooling on the ramps!

Link - http://vulturesrowaviation.com/

P-47 Dottie Mae - Allied Fighters in California is well along in the restoration of this rare gem. This P-47 was pulled from a lake in Austria with markings and nose art still visible! A large portion of the airframe and its components will be used in the restoration to flying condition. Another restoration to watch as it progresses.

Link - http://www.alliedfighters.com/flash.html

Waldo Wrights Travel Air on floats - On a smaller scale… The Travel Air will be exciting to see take to the skies. What makes this Travel Air so unique? It will be on floats! What makes it even more unique? You will be able to enjoy a ride in it! Waldo Wrights Flying Service operates out of Florida at Fantasy of Flight giving rides to anyone who wants to experience the Golden Age of Aviation. I have flown in the New Standard and a Stearman. Sign me up for a ride in the Travel Air seaplane!

Links - http://www.waldowrights.com/ - http://www.aerocraftsman.com/

There are MANY more rare and historic aircraft being restored around the country and around the world. Stay tuned here as we hope to cover more aircraft restoration news as the updates are made public!

New Years Eve Airport Day

2012-01-01T20:28:00.000-06:00

Dan's 170 and his airport run-about

Spent the day out at NW Regional Airport on New Years Eve day. It was a warm, sunny Texas winter day with temps in the 70s. Perfect for cleaning up the 170 and catching up with friends around the airport. The great weather brought out quite a few visitors to our airport. Below are a few pictures from the day.

Don Pellegreno's Rearwin

Mark Todd's T6/SNJ

T6/SNJ

Mark's passenger enjoying the ride!

Cockpit of Terry Wallace's Davis project

Terry's 165 Warner powered Davis

Davis

Happy New Year! Looking forward to seeing more vintage aircraft flying in 2012!

F2G Corsair Formation Flight

2011-12-29T17:24:00.001-06:00

From Scott Germain comes an outstanding photo of two rare F2G Corsairs in formation over Arizona just a few days ago. These two rare Super Corsairs were highly sought after racing mounts in the post war racing era. Today, thanks to dedicated owners and restorers, we see them flying together again! They wear paint schemes and markings just as they raced in the late 1940s.

Thanks to Scott Germain of Images of Light and Lift for allowing us to post the photo.

Links - Images of Light and Lift, Warbird Aeropress, Odegaard Aviation

Cessna 170 Rides and 108th Anniversary of Flight

2011-12-18T17:15:00.000-06:00

The 170 sits under the unique clouds on Dec 18, 2011

Yesterday marked the passage of 108 years of flight. Hard to believe that manned flight has been possible for over 100 years. When you stop and think about it from the first flight by the Wright brothers to walking on the moon... that was 66 years. That is quite a leap in just 66 years! In 2011 my interest still takes me back to the 1930s thru the 1950s. Our Cessna 170 has been flying since October of 1955 and is still going strong.

Ginger, Tyler and Eric after a ride in the 170

Last weekend I gave a ride to some friends from church and explained to them that flying in a 1956 Cessna is like going back in time. We cruised around the sky in a time machine that took us back to another time. Tyler sat in the front with me and did a fine job of flying on his first flight in a small airplane. Sharing our time machine is always fun!

This afternoon I made a quick flight over to Cowtown Aerocrafters to visit their T-6 project. It is coming along nicely and the polished aluminum is really starting to shine.

T6s at Cowtown Aerocrafters

Tom polishing on the wing of the T6

Lanny starts the polishing on the other wing

So two good weekends of flying here in Texas. Best wishes to all you vintage airplane enthusiasts, Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to all!

Vintage Flyers III - An Interview with Eric Presten

2011-11-27T20:01:00.005-06:00

Dan and Eric Presten after making a flight in his Piper Clipper

When I am researching vintage aircraft out of personal interest, an article for this blog or to answer a friends question about a rare type I grab one of the books off my shelf published by Eric Presten. Eric has traveled the globe to fill his self published books with quality photos of rare aircraft types. His newest release, VINTAGE FLYERS III is a must have for the vintage aircraft enthusiast.

This past summer my wife and I traveled to Sonoma, California on vacation. We made a point to spend some time with the Presten's and Eric was kind enough to give us a preview of his new book. VINTAGE FLYERS III is now available for purchase. For the readers of this blog I interviewed Eric so that you could get a glimpse behind the scenes of his newest release.

Dan: Vintage Flyers III is your newest release, What sets this book apart from your previous projects?

Eric: We have covered 144 new types that have not been covered in previous volumes in the series. There are over 660 pictures that I have never published before, and I have changed the layout a bit so that I can include more vertical type pictures that are usually shot for magazine and book covers only. It is also much larger. It has more pictures at 1015 color images (the last book only had 795) and is 48 pages longer. We also used a much higher quality gloss paper stock for this book, as the paper industry has improved in the last six years.

Dan: What was the most unique photo shoot location featured in this book?

Eric: We have done many sessions in the UK since the last book was released. It is much harder to do air-to-airs over there as photo planes are much harder to come by, the weather is very unpredictable and the costs are much higher in every category. On the plus side the citizens of the UK are much more aware of the pictorial beauty of their country, and strive to control the building of ugly, cluttering buildings like we build over here. It's therefore much easier to get a nice background "over there" then it is in the US.

Dan: Many of your photos are air to air, what is one of your most memorable shots in this book?

Eric: Well, even just centralizing on some of the air-to-airs that are new to this volume, there are still many to think about. Seeing one of the last two flyable Douglas DC-2s form up alongside the photo ship was a big thrill as was flying with the last flying Boeing 40. These are icon airplanes no matter how you look at them. On the other hand, we try to cover the airplanes that are mostly forgotten as unimportant types by other publications. Some of the airplanes that might fit into this category that we were able to get next to in the air are a Heath Parasol on a set of wooden floats (shot from the Curtiss JN-4H Jenny that I was flying into Oshkosh), the original one-off Kadiak Speedster racer and the Bucker Bestmann monoplane. Replicas are also a great source of air-to-airs such as the Caudron C.460 Thompson Trophy winner, and the Stinson Model O open-cockpit parasol. Some of my own favorites involve the nice places where they were photographed. The Alexander Eaglerock over the very flat plains of Great Bend, Kansas (shot from a Travel Air 6000 cabin monoplane with a passenger window rolled down), the last two flying Pobjoy-powered B.A. Swallows in formation over the very picturesque English countryside of Compton Abbas, and the all-wood Miles Gemini twin over the hallowed ground of Old Warden Aerodrome where the Shuttleworth Collection is housed. Many great memories saved for all through the medium of air-to-air photography.

Dan: Tell us about a few of the new aircraft types that are featured in this book.

Eric: Some of the great ones, like the Art Chester "Jeep" racer, the Boeing P-26 Peashooter, and the Curtiss P-36 Hawk. Some of the really rare types, like the Anderson Bi-Wing, the Bristol Boxkite, and the Corben Cabin Ace, and some of the just plain interesting ones, like the Annec II, the B.A.C. Drone (that is not really a pilotless airplane), and the Curtiss Pusher on floats step taxing in the San Diego Harbor. All of these are found just in the A, B, and C sections of the books index.

Dan: How do you choose from your expansive photo collection what aircraft types make the cut?

Eric: We tend to concentrate these days on chasing down and photographing (all over the world) types that qualify for the Vintage Flyers Series in the first place, so the photo collection is now becoming tailored to these types. These books are intended for vintage airplane people so the types included are limited to piston-powered airplanes that were first flown in prototype form before the last day of 1955.

Dan: Give us a full description of the book and tell us how we can place an order.

Eric: Vintage Flyers III features 1015 color pictures of 1047 pre-1956 restored vintage airplanes. 528 pages hardbound all done on a new very high gloss paper stock. There are 695 different piston-powered types covered (144 new types since our last book) from all over the world (20% of these pictures were taken at events and private collections that are in foreign countries). There are 430 air-to-air pictures covering over 300 different types. Over half of the pictures are in flight shots, and 219 of them are large format pictures that measure at least 10 inches in frame size.

Over 60% of the pictures included have never been published before, and they are accompanied by 136.000 words of text. There are photos from thirty US states, six countries, and three continents! There are 87 seaplanes, 156 multi-engine airplanes, 270 biplanes, 331 military marked examples, 363 open cockpit airplanes, and 507 radial powered machines. There are even eight types of tri-motor airplanes. A dozen types are shown on wheels, floats and skis. Airplanes covered span the pioneer, the WWI, the golden age, the WWII, and the classic eras.

The book is an 8.5 x 11 horizontal format and each copy is $89.95 plus $5.00 postage and handling (to U.S. customers). California residents will need to include 8% sales tax as well. To get more information or get a copy, you can see my listing on E-bay (Click here to see "Vintage Flyers III" on Ebay), send a check (or V/MC/Dis number and expiration date) and mailing address to Prewar Publications P.O. Box 660 Vineburg, California 95487 or just call me at (707) 939-8913 and I will process a credit card order for you and send it out immediately. Web site - http://prewarpublications.com/Home.html

Thanks for the interview, Eric!

Dan

Veterans Day 11-11-11

2011-11-13T17:23:00.000-06:00

Thank you to all the Veterans for your service to your country!

Todd giving his Veterans Day Fly-by

Last Friday was Veteran's Day and I took the day off to spend the day with friends and family. The first activity for the day was breakfast out at my buddy Stan's hangar. Stan and friends were flying a formation flight and then cooking up a pancake breakfast. I played photographer and enjoyed the action from the ground.

Stan's Swift

The formation flight was Stan in his Swift and Ross, Danny, Randy and Bob in their RVs.

Formation

As the gaggle taxied back in Lynn got the pancakes cooking. Good times, good food, good friends!

Lynn focusing on cooking

The photo gallery page from the airport is here - https://picasaweb.google.com/dtlinn/VeteransDay111111

I spent the rest of the day with the family around the barn. A great way to make 11-11-11 a memorable day!

Beaver flying at Kenmore Air

2011-11-05T17:46:00.002-05:00

Float flying is some of the most fun I have had while flying. Low, slow and behind a radial engine. That is some really cool flying! Ride along with AOPA in this video on Kenmore's Beavers that they fly in and around Seattle.

Custom Stearman at Rare Air

2011-11-04T17:43:00.000-05:00

Check out the custom 450 Stearman that is coming together at Rare Air! Bright colors, custom paint scheme and a growling 450. Should be a show stopper!

Updates on their blog here - http://primoresto.blogspot.com/ (post from November 2, 2011)

Flying Heritage Collection Adds a Shturmovik

2011-10-28T19:16:00.000-05:00

The internet forums were all a buzz a couple weeks ago when the pictures and videos hit the world wide web. An Ilyushin Il-2 "Shturmovik" was seen in the videos to be flying over Russia! Where did it come from and who's was it! The Flying Heritage Collection posted a news release that answered those questions. The Il-2 is on a ship and headed for Everett, Washington to join Paul Allen's growing collection of historic aircraft. Hats off to Mr. Allen for restoring such a rare ship.

Click here for the FHC press release - http://www.flyingheritage.com/TemplateMain.aspx?contentId=93

Links - Flying Heritage Collection - Ilyushin Il-2 History

Stinson Reflection

2011-10-24T20:41:00.000-05:00

Here is another shot from the Texas Antique Fly-In. I did a little editing and effects in iPhoto to create a small piece of art. The vintage car hub cap gave off a cool reflection of the Stinson SR-10. The shot below that is the vintage setting that set up the inspiration. Fun car and a GORGEOUS Stinson!

Rearwin Cloudster

2011-10-23T11:11:00.000-05:00

This weekend I can hear the jets powering through the skies over Alliance Airport for the Fort Worth Airshow but my mind is back in time at last weekends antique fly-in. Radial engines, biplanes and fabric are more to my liking! One of the highlights from last weekend was Don Pellegreno's Rearwin Cloudster. Don did a very nice job restoring this red beauty. A few photos featured below.

Flying Over Fall Colors - Max Haynes

2011-10-19T21:07:00.000-05:00

Fly along on a ride over the fall colors with ace air-to-air photographer Max Haynes. This years fall color flight photo essay features a good looking group of T6/SNJs cruising over the Minnesota countryside.

Click here to join the flight... http://maxair2air.com/11AIR/2011FallColorFlight/01.html

Links - http://maxair2air.com

Texas Antique Fly-In 2011

2011-10-16T22:28:00.000-05:00

The forecast was clear skies and light winds for this weekends Texas Antique Fly-In. So I gassed up and flew the 170 the short flight north to Gainesville, Texas. This year my buddy Keith Moody rode along for the early morning flight up. We arrived to 10 to 15 airplanes on the field and joined some friends enjoying the pancake breakfast. As the morning passed the airplanes kept arriving. We stopped to inspect airplanes around the field with the occasional stop to say hello to friends. A few of this years highlights include a Rearwin Cloudster, Stinson SR-10, Howard DGA, DC-3, Call-air, N3N and Temco Pinto... and that is just a few. I was going to call it good mid-morning and head back to my home airport when more airplanes kept arriving. We made our visit last as long as possible then left just after lunch. Another great event and great showing of rare aircraft types. At the time of our departure there were well over 50 aircraft. Pictures below showing a few highlights. More pictures over at this gallery...
https://picasaweb.google.com/dtlinn/TexasAntiqueFlyIn2011

Rearwin Cloudster

L-4

Cessna 120

Corben Baby Ace

Vagabond

Lycoming Cub

Call-Air

Howard DGA

Stinson SR-10

Temco Pinto

T-28

N3N

DC-3/C-47

The line up with a Stearman overhead

Fleet

Link - http://texasantiqueairplane.org/ - http://antiqueairfield.com/

Spartan Executive - The story of N20200

2011-10-09T21:40:00.000-05:00

Take a look over at Photorecon at the videos of Steve Marini telling stories about his Spartan Executive.

http://photorecon.net/1937-spartan-executive

Want to know how many Spartan Executives survive today? Take a look at our listing on our web site. Click on "Spartan Executive" under the Featured Pages.

http://www.flytoanothertime.com

Stinson SR-8 at Rare Aircraft

2011-10-03T19:52:00.000-05:00

While reading up on the blogs I follow I saw a post at Rare Aircraft's blog about their latest project. Check out the blog posting about the Stinson SR-8B they are restoring! Rare Aircraft turns out some finely detailed restorations. So I am looking forward to keeping up with the progress on this rare beauty. Follow the links below...

Rare Aircraft Blog - Stinson SR-8B

If you have not heard of Rare Aircraft take a few minutes to read up on them and click around on their photo filled web site!

Rare Aircraft - the web site

Blakesburg Antique Fly-In 2011

2011-09-25T21:59:00.000-05:00

It appears that 2011 was another great year at the Antique Airplane Associations annual fly-in held in Blakesburg, Iowa. Some great pictures have come thru in the form of two videos from my aviation acquaintance, Jim Savage. This years event featured the Monocoupe aircraft and it looks like one of the largest gatherings in recent years turned out! Here are a few examples of the Monocoupe's in attendance. Be sure to check out the links to the two YouTube videos that Jim produced with his pictures from this years event. Thanks, Jim, for sharing the pictures!

British Airways Ad Features Vintage Aircraft

2011-09-22T17:18:00.001-05:00

Well done British Airways! Take a look at the vintage aircraft they used in this promotional ad for the airline. It takes you back to Another Time!

And... the making of the ad. Very cool.

Cessna AW - The Oldest Cessna

2011-08-20T11:40:00.000-05:00

Andrew King, antique airplane restorer and pilot, recently flew the rare 1928 Cessna AW to its new home at the Eagles Mere Air Museum in Pennsylvania. This extremely rare airplane is the oldest flying Cessna and was restored by Gar Williams back in the late 1970s, early 1980s. Andrew posted pictures of the the Cessna on a few internet forums so I thought it was worth a re-post here on the blog. Below are a few notes from Andrew about the trip from Illinois to Pennsylvania. Thanks to Andrew for allowing me to re-post. An amazing airplane at the age of 83! I bet Cessna never imagined an AW flying the skies 80 years after it was built!

The AW flies quite well for a 1928 aircraft. It has frise type ailerons which are quite effective and not as heavy as the ailerons on a lot of the aircraft of that era. The rudder is too small but the 'plane is reasonably stable directionally, and you get used to it. Elevator is pretty normal, not too heavy, and effective. I ran the 110 Warner at 1675 rpm, which produced a cruise of about 90 mph-- when they raced them back in 1928 they got 125 mph out of them, probably at full power. It would out-climb the 2000 C-172 with 160 hp fuel injected Lycoming and two people on board. Stall was about 45 mph, and one of the surprises was the sharp break and wing drop. A base-to-final stall would be a bad event. It was about 9 flying hours over two days from Poplar Grove to Eagles Mere, the longest leg was from Mt. Vernon, OH to Somerset, PA, 2:25, and after being jammed into that small cockpit for that long I had to walk around the ramp for a while to straighten out my legs. There are two 22 gallon wing tanks, and fuel burn was about 7 gph.

It was quite an amazing experience, and thanks to Gar Williams and George Jenkins for making it possible.

Take a few minutes and watch the video here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2j4qsCV_24

Links - Eagles Mere Air Museum - Poplar Grove

Oshkosh 2011 Pictures

2011-08-15T18:45:00.001-05:00

Well, another year gone by and another Oshkosh AirVenture passed. We did not attend this year but I wanted to post a link to the outstanding pictures that were posted on the WIX forum. One great shot is the one above of Ed Vesely flying lead in the CAF Helldiver with an F-18 Hornet on his wing. The F-18 is wearing a historic Navy paint scheme in honor of the Navy's 100th Anniversary. Thanks to Chris Garber for allowing me to post his photo.

Oshkosh is THE aviation event to make so if you haven't been you need to plan to make the event at any cost. It is worth it. It is like an aviation family reunion! So many airplanes and so many friends all in one place.

Take a few minutes to look thru all the pictures by following this link to the 2011 Oshkosh Photo Thread.

Links - CAF Helldiver - AirVenture Oshkosh - Warbird Information Exchange

Oklahoma Weekend Trip

2011-08-07T21:06:00.000-05:00

Oklahoma Sunrise

My wife and I took our 170 up to Oklahoma last weekend for a family reunion and to try to avoid the Texas heat we flew up on Saturday morning. It was an easy flight up with a flying time of only 1.7 hours. The town closest to the reunion with an airport was Sallisaw. Nice little airport with a courtesy car. The car was a retired police cruiser but much to our disappointment it had the police gear removed. We could have made quite the entrance at the family reunion with lights flashing!
The reunion was my wife's side of the family and we enjoyed the whole day visiting with all of them. I met some family members that were pilots so we swapped flying stories for a few hours.
Sunday morning we made the return flight with a flying time right at 2 hours. We found 75 degree temperatures at 4500 feet. Nice way to beat the heat! It felt good to land back at our home airport by 9am. By 10am we were home and enjoyed a brunch with Mom Linn. Full family weekend with transportation provided by Cessna and a sunrise provided by God.

California Vacation 2011 - Part Five

2011-07-28T18:21:00.001-05:00

Day six of the trip began with breakfast in our room. Yes, blue skies again greeted us for our morning departure. We ran by Starbucks to snag some drinks and then hit the road. The leisurely drive lead us back to Napa Valley, as it offered many more enticing destinations yet to behold. This would be our last full day so we planned to drive to the furthest winery away first thing in the morning and then spend the day working our way back toward Sonoma.

On the highway between Sonoma and Napa you can't help but see Domaine Carneros dominating the hillside. It was early in the morning so they were not open yet but the French style architecture begged to be photographed.

Domaine Carneros

After a quick stop at Domaine Carneros, our next destination for the day would be Mumm Napa. They are a sparkling wine producer and offer tastings out on a picturesque veranda. The Ansel Adams photo gallery was another highlight to this unique place.

Mumm Napa

The town of Yountville looked to be a fun stop for lunch and more sightseeing. There is free public parking right in the heart of town and there are shops and restaurants within a short walking distance. The well known restaurant The French Laundry (owned by Thomas Keller) is located in Yountville. Just a few doors down we found lunch at his Bouchon Bakery. We sat on a shaded bench outside the bakery and enjoyed our sandwiches while shooing off the hungry birds. A large marketplace offered fun shopping from local artists and featured the signature store of Napa Style.

Bouchon

The French Laundry restaurant

Yountville Marketplace

The next two wineries we visited were just walk through and photographic visits. Clos Du Val and Andretti have really unique buildings as seen in the pictures below. Walking out of Andretti I heard the distinctive sound of radial engines and caught a glimpse of two Stearman's flying over head. A few moments later a Howard DGA roared by. I bet they all had the best view of the valley that day!

Courtyard at Andretti

Candice and I both agreed that our favorite winery was Coppola's near Geyserville. My second favorite was Jacuzzi in Sonoma. We stopped in at Jacuzzi on our way back into Sonoma towards the end of the day. Being that I am such an aviation enthusiast you think I would have spotted the propeller art work on the Jacuzzi sign out in front of the winery. No, it was my wife. She pointed it out and said we HAD to stop in. Well, of course we did!

The Jacuzzi family is best known for their whirlpools and spas, but they have also built a magnificent winery. The stone building has a two room tasting area, one for wine tasting and the other for olive oil tasting. We spent equal time in both. The propeller on the sign? In reading a history of the Jacuzzi family I learned a piece of history I had never heard. Before whirlpools the family made irrigation water pumps and before that they made propellers. Cool. An aviation link to a common name! Check out their web site - Jacuzzi

The Jacuzzi winery is right next to the Sonoma Valley airport so I drove us by to see if there was any airplanes we hadn't seen before on the ramp. A T-6 and Stearman were taxing out for rides as we pulled up. I was taking pictures when Walt, the owner of the Ryan ST we saw earlier in the week stopped to visit with me. We talked vintage airplanes for a few minutes before he went on his way. It is always good to meet the owners of the airplanes featured on my web site face to face.

Walt Bowe's Ryan ST

With some daylight and energy left we made another swing through the Sonoma square. A little shopping to find something to take home to remind us of the Sonoma area. Is this weather for sale in one of these shops? We want to by some of that! Oh look, ice cream! Just the treat to finish off the day!

Once back at the Fairmont we saw that the pool side seating was quiet and fairly empty so we snagged our books and a notepad to go sit by the pool. There was a light breeze and the temperatures were coming down. We found some seats in the shade to enjoy being outside knowing that the Texas summer heat wouldn't allow much of this when we get home! Candice did some reading while I jotted down my notes to write up this trip blog. The sun light faded after about an hour so we turned in for the night. Our last night before returning home.

Fairmont

On the last morning we took things slow and made a gradual departure from the Fairmont to enjoy our final few hours in Sonoma. There is so much to see and do in the area that we knew we would have to plan another trip! Our conversations for the day were full of what to see NEXT time. The last lunch stop for the trip was at Sunflower Cafe, a place we had read about before we arrived. It was worth the stop. The servings were large enough to pack up a snack for later. Those would come in handy later in the day as we hurried towards the San Francisco airport.

Our final stop on this California trip was the Livermore airport to see a gorgeous Spartan Executive. The connections I have made through my web page featuring Spartan Executives lead to a meeting being set to see Spartan Executive serial number 11. Steve Marini was gracious enough to take time out of his day to open the hangar for us to see his beautiful ship. He shared his story of seeing a Spartan at a young age and how he came to own a Spartan of his own. To say he is enthusiastic about owning a Spartan is an understatement! He gave us the full walk around tour and let me sit in the cockpit. Our visit was too short as I could have listened to Steve's stories all day! Take a look at the pictures below of his magnificent ship. Thank you, Steve, for your time. You have an amazing piece of aerial art! (Look for Steve and his Spartan on display at the Reno Air Races this September.)

Steve and Dan

The clock was ticking and now we needed to race towards SFO. It took awhile but our Prius finally got up to highway speed. We made it across the San Mateo bridge and slid right into the rental car return at SFO. Candice and I both let out a big sigh and breethed in our last deep breath of cool California air. Time to go home.

It has been about two weeks since we returned from our vacation. Texas has been on a hot streak with over 20 straight days with temperatures over 100 degrees. You can imagine that my wife and I have mentioned almost every day that we wished we were back in northern California where it is about 20 degrees cooler! Maybe next summer we can stay longer.

Links - see our Ryan and Spartan web pages at Another Time

California Vacation 2011 - Part Four

2011-07-26T20:13:00.001-05:00

The amazing vacation weather continued on the Wednesday morning of our trip. Bright blue skies greeted us as we walked out of the hotel to cross the street to breakfast. It was back to the Barking Dog for a to-go breakfast. The goal was to make it up to the Sterling winery by mid-morning for the aerial tram ride to the top of the hill. Our route had us driving over the hills on Trinity Road to the northeast toward St. Helena. Candice and I mentioned several times on the trip how we wanted to steer clear of the bigger towns and visit small town America. The winding road over to the Napa valley gave us amazing views of the scenery near small town America!

Napa valley is surrounded by green hills and more wineries as far as the eyes could see. Is there a way to get a better view of the valley? An airplane ride would sure to it! There is another way, as well. Find your way to the hilltop Sterling Vineyards via their aerial tram! The commanding white stucco building on the hilltop offers amazing views down the valley and up towards the 4,300 foot tall Mount St. Helena. We wandered around on the self guided tour and sampled their wines. The tram ride, tour and tasting are worth the money and effort to visit Sterling.

Tram ride up

View from the aerial tram

Sterling

Tram ride down

As it approached lunch time we asked for some suggestions from the local at Sterling and they gave as many choices on the high end of the price scale but we decided just to find the closest place we could off the highway near St. Helena. What we found was Gott's Roadside. A fun walk up, outside diner that looked to be out of the movies. Good burgers, sweet potato fries and a milkshake. Good fuel for more sightseeing!

The town of St. Helena is picture perfect. Are we sure there are not movie cameras following us around? This main street and its shops, again, looks just like a movie set. My one antique store find was vintage aviation travel stickers to add to my old suitcases at home to make them look like I have traveled the world.

St. Helena

Next on the touring was the winery called V. Sattui. The grounds are covered in lush greenery and flowers. The buildings are rustic and stone faced with an old world look. They have a great wine tasting room, gift shop and deli bar. We escaped the warm afternoon sunshine by visiting the underground wine cellar.

Cellar at V. Sattui

The tour continued on to two more wineries. We stopped in at Rubicon (another Coppola owned estate) and Robert Mondavi. Both stops were just for picture taking and a short walk through. We kept the pace slow and took a few pictures of the scenic views and unique architecture.

Entrance to Rubicon

Rubicon

Robert Mondavi

Our family friends, the Sampson's, that we stayed with on day one, recommended that we make it to dinner at Mustards Grill in Napa. That place was worth the stop. Outstanding food.

To wind down the day we drove through the town of Napa to see what the town had to offer. It has fudge to offer! The Vintage Sweet Shoppe must have been calling out to us. The fudge was just the dessert we needed after a day of touring!

The sun was casting longer shadows over the hills as we made the drive back to Sonoma on highway 12/121. Another fun, full day. One more full day to come.

California Vacation 2011 - Part Three

2011-07-18T21:55:00.000-05:00

We awoke to another cool, sunny California day so we walked to the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn diner called Big 3 for breakfast. True diner feel and true diner food. With the two hour time difference from Texas we were trying to get on schedule when our bodies needed food! Over breakfast we planned our days route up towards Geyserville.

Highway 12, that goes right by our hotel, took us northeast along the edge of the hills toward Santa Rosa. There are large estate homes, ranches and wineries all along 12. A white and red trimmed Cessna 170 caught our eye sitting at the edge of a field nestled against the trees. It didn't appear to be much of a runway. Just a field that was big enough for a local to slide in and out in his own personal airplane.

170 in a field

Back on track we continued on to the north. Some traffic slowed us down as we worked our way through Santa Rosa to catch the 101 North.

Our first stop of the day was the Clos Du Bois winery. It was a short walk through to take a few pictures and move on. The architecture of the buildings in this area had us taking pictures at every stop.

Clos Du Bois

Just across the 101 was one of Francis Ford Coppola's wineries. Formally the Chateau Souverain winery, it has been remodeled and looks like a 1930's resort! Walking up the entry stairs the building captures your attention. The pool area, vintage cabines and pool cafe take you back in time. The building is magnificent inside with its soaring wood beamed ceilings and dark wood features. Movie memorabilia fills a large round showroom and featured center in the room is a Tucker car. (Coppola made the movie Tucker, staring Jeff Bridges.)

Coppola entrance

Dan and the Tucker

View from inside Coppola

Pool Side

After the self guided tour we made our way to Rustic the on site restaurant for lunch. The hostess took our name then noticed my Cessna t-shirt that I was wearing and asked if I was an aviation enthusiast. Why, yes! She asked if I knew the name Will Whiteside. I remembered the name and knew of his racing at the Reno Air Races in his Yak-3 and the Mustang called Voodoo. She was a friend of his. Small world these aviation circles.

We were enjoying our lunch and about half way through the lunch the hostess returned to our table to give me a phone number. She had called Will Whiteside, told him about my aviation interest and he mentioned we should give him a call. OK, twist my arm! Now armed with his phone number we discussed visiting him at the Sonoma County airport. Well, we ARE close by! We finished up lunch and stepped up to the wine tasting bar. We made notes of our favorites before heading back towards Santa Rosa.

Next stop was the Kenndal-Jackson winery. It was a brief stop as I made a call to Will Whiteside to see if he would show us his Yak-3. He said he was expecting my call and invited us to meet him at the airport! Visiting wineries and touring airports!? THIS is a great vacation!

We followed Will in the gate and he lead us to his hangar. For about 45 minutes he showed us his restored Warbird and told us stories of how his aviation interest began. From flying with friends to transitioning up through various aircraft types to racing powerful, vintage Warbirds around the pylons at Reno. Nice guy, cool airplane. Great side trip. Thanks again for the tour, Will!

Yak-3 "Steadfast"

Dan trying on the Yak

Dan and Will Whiteside

By now it was late afternoon so we headed back towards Sonoma. A quick swing through the Ledson winery for pictures and then on to Chateau St. Jean winery. Chateau St. Jean is another architectural gem. Are we in Italy or still in northern California? At least a small piece of Italy and its architecture.

Ledson

Chateau St. Jean

Candice and Dan in the gardens of Chateau St. Jean

Now that we had a fun, full day behind us we slid back to our inn and ate a light dinner in our room. Feeling like it was Texas time we turned the lights out at 8:30pm local time. Two full days still ahead! We need the rest! Part four to come.

Links - Clos Du Bois - Coppola - The Tucker - Will Whiteside - P-51 "Voodoo" - Ledson - Chateau St. Jean

California Vacation 2011 - Part Two

2011-07-11T16:22:00.000-05:00

Vacations are good when you can take the mornings slow and enjoy big breakfasts. Funny how most of our vacations are highlighted by eating events. Mainly because we try to find unique places to enjoy! We walked across the street mid-morning for my favorite breakfast food, waffles. The Barking Dog Roasters served up great waffles to help us start our July 4th holiday off full!

A quick phone call from my friend, Eric Presten, had us sorting out our schedule for the day. We planned to meet him after noon at his house and go from there to the local Sonoma airports.
Before meeting up with the Presten's, my wife and I took a side road into the Sonoma town square to avoid the 4th of July crowds who were departing from the morning parade. It worked out well for us to slide into a recently vacated parking spot to be close to the action. The center of the square was full of vendors and local artists selling their creations. A short walk around the art and a few shops visited along the square and it was time to head to the Presten's.
I met Eric many years ago back when I was actively dealing in aviation books at local shows. Eric has published a number of books focusing on vintage aircraft that I would offer for sale. He writes the most complete, photographic books covering vintage aircraft available today. Upon arriving at the Presten's house Eric had us pull up chairs to his iMac for a preview of his latest book featuring his photographs. It is packed full of pictures of rare aircraft types from the early 1900s through the 1950s. When available later this year it will be a must have for any aviation enthusiast!

Debbie, Eric, Candice and I hit a local spot for lunch before Eric took us on a tour of the two Sonoma airports. Stories of airplanes, pilots and airshows would dominate the topics for the remainder of the day! The Sonoma Valley Airport was first on airport tours. Eric gave us the drive through tour of the airport and we stopped at a couple hangars to see some prized pieces of aeronautical art! A Curtiss Jenny, Stearman, Ryan STA, OX powered Bird and Kreider-Reisner, Peitenpol, F3F project, Pilatus P-2 (One from the movie Indian Jones and the Last Crusade!) and many more.

Jenny

The KR and the Peitenpol

The Bird

Dan and the Ryan STA

F3F project

Then it was on to Sonoma Skypark to see the Presten's Piper Clipper. We loaded up and took a short arial tour of the Sonoma Valley in the Clipper. Town square, wineries, two airports and the local park where the evenings fireworks would be, were all spotted on the short flight over the picturesque landscape.

Dan, Candice and Eric in the Clipper

Sonoma square

Dan flying the Clipper

Sonoma Valley Airport

The hills near Sonoma looking towards San Francisco

Landing at Skypark

Dan and Eric with the Clipper

On landing we were greeted by Trevor Meeks, a friend and hangar neighbor of Eric's. We talked Cessna 170s for a few minutes as he has a clean 170A. Hangared along with the 170 is his dad's beautiful cream and green Interstate Cadet. It didn't take long for Eric to give Trevor and I an ear full about the difference in his preferred flying qualities of the Clipper versus our 170's. We laughed it off and loaded back into the rent car to return to the Presten's house.

Being that we were in small town America, the Presten's treated Candice and I to a picnic in the park for the fireworks. Debbie packed us a great meal complete with fried chicken, cheese & crackers with salami, homemade pea salad & potato salad. We ate like royalty! The park was just a short walk from their house in a large field that made for a front row seat to the show. As darkness fell on the field a spectacular fireworks display kicked off. Candice and I agreed this was one of the best fireworks displays we had ever seen. It certainly was the closest I had ever been too. A great way to celebrate the 4th of July! Visit with friends, see some airplanes and fireworks to top it all off!
The local traffic was a bit thick on our walk back to the house so we spent some more time at the Presten house sitting around the dinner table and enjoying strawberry pie while Eric and I talked about airplanes as the traffic thinned out. After a full day and a late night we retired back to the Fairmont...ahhh the Fairmont.

California Vacation 2011 - Part One

2011-07-10T20:38:00.000-05:00

Summer vacation plans came together for my wife and I in late May. The planned destination, Sonoma, California for the July 4th holiday week. After a check of the weather, the airline flights, and hotel deals we confirmed our reservations for the week in California. With forecasted weather cooler than Texas and a full page of sight seeing notes made we were ready to enjoy a slow paced getaway.

The early morning flight out of DFW to SFO was smooth and clear. We walked off the airplane and felt the cool bay area breeze. With a big comfortable sigh of relief we were happy to feel the much cooler temperatures! The little Prius rent car had just enough room in the back for our two bags. These two Texans are use to a little bit bigger cars! Can you rent Chevy trucks in California? We pointed the little putt-putt car north and the adventure started with a drive through San Francisco. Candice snapped off a few pictures of the architectural details on the nearby buildings as we approached the Golden Gate bridge area.

Typical coastal fog had the Golden Gate bridge fogged in but it peeked out just enough to get a few pictures. A quick stop for pictures at Vista Point and we decided we needed lunch.

Drive through lunch worked this time as we wanted to start our trek up Highway 1 along the coast. At the exit for Highway 1 Candice spotted a Beaver on floats sitting next to the water. Seaplane rides right there next to the house boats at Sausalito!

Upon beginning our journey on Highway 1 I told Candice it was a goal of mine to drive a part of Highway 1 someday. Well, after fifteen minutes on 1 I had had about enough of the curves. The views off the coast were amazing but I had to keep my eyes on the road. Muir Beach was full of weekend crowds so we decided to continue on to Stinson Beach. Maybe we could get out there and get our land legs back! The weekend traffic that was backed up for a few miles helped us change our plans again. No walking on the beach for this trip. One stop at a scenic overlook for coastal pictures and we wanted to head back inland.

We found out the hard way that the Panoramic Highway was more curvy than Highway 1! We just wanted a flat, relatively straight road to get us north! Hey, were those Redwood tress back there? Yes, but keep driving! At about the end of our tolerance for curved roads we made it back to the 101 to head toward some family friends house in Penngrove. The Sampson's welcomed us with a glass of ice water and offered us comfy seats on the back porch. About an hour later our eyes stopped spinning and our queasy stomachs settled. They also graciously offer us a tasty dinner and their backyard guesthouse. Day one was a full day of travel and coastal driving. It felt good to settle in for the night.

After a comfortable nights stay with the Sampson's, and a long, leisurely morning start, we did a quick review of our notes and reviewed directions to our two weeks worth of destinations that we hoped to fit in to one week. At least we could hit the highlights and plan a return trip! While packing the car for departure a Stearman biplane broke the quietness of the morning. The Stearman was a good indicator of good weather and fun plans ahead. Off toward Sonoma we went.

God created just the right conditions in this part of the country for growing grapes. It appears man figured that out and planted them everywhere! From large farms to side yards next to peoples houses, there you will find grapevines. As far as the eye could see it was grapevines on the drive into Sonoma.

We knew we were going to enjoy the small town of Sonoma when we pulled up to the town square. Just the type of town my wife and I want to spend some time in. We parked the car and walked the square for shopping and lunch. My eyes were turned skyward again as a biplane soared over. Now the excitement was building in me. Great weather, small town AND vintage airplanes flying over! I had been to Sonoma once before but only for a day. (See the June 2006 postings on this blog.) This trip was going to be good as we had plans to stay a full week!

The afternoon did warm up a little so we found some ice cream on the square. It is vacation! Bring on the $10 milkshakes! We finished our treats just as we pulled into our hotel. My wife found us an awesome deal at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn. Wine tasting in the lobby gave us an opportunity to talk through our plan for the July 4th holiday and the week ahead. Part two to come...

Fly the Cessna 170

2011-06-21T21:04:00.001-05:00

Come along for a ride in our 1956 Cessna 170B!

Fly the Cessna 170B from Dan Linn on Vimeo.

The Fighter Collection P-47 Roll Out

2011-06-14T16:15:00.000-05:00

Wow. The Fighter Collection in England has rolled out another stunning restoration of a rare Warbird. Take a look at the paint scheme on their nearly complete P-47 restoration! A short video of the roll out is posted on their blog. With their Flying Legends airshow coming up next month we should see pictures of the P47 debut soon! (photo credit to Friends of TFC blog)

Links - The Fighter Collection - Friends of TFC blog

Another Time Web Site Updated

2011-06-04T16:43:00.001-05:00

Our web site has been in overhaul for several months now and is now live!

http://www.flytoanothertime.com

Visit the rare aircraft web pages and look through all the updated pictures! Pass on any pictures, stories and links to us to make the site even more resourceful to the vintage aircraft community!

Memorial Day 2010

2011-05-30T15:05:00.000-05:00

A salute to the men and women who serve in the U.S. armed forces. Hats off to the veterans who served for their country. Happy Memorial Day.

B-29 - History Made Everyday

2011-05-01T21:32:00.000-05:00

When I walked into the Vintage Flying Museum hangar yesterday it was hard not to grin. A B-29 SuperFortress was sitting in the hangar. A hangar that housed B-29's many years ago and now one sits under its high arches once again. Granted the hangar was moved from a bomber base to Ft. Worth's Meacham Field after World War Two but B-29's lived within its walls in a previous life. I dropped by the museum to see the CAF B-29 "Fifi" as my buddy Brad Pilgrim was down from his Air Force post in Altus, OK working on the big bomber. We spent about an hour inside the bomber telling stories of seeing it flying at airshows when we were younger. Now the bomber is back on a regular flying schedule thanks to Brad and many dedicated volunteers. Every time it flies it makes history as the only flying B-29 in the world. History is made everyday and I was able to sit behind the controls and see what a front row seat to history looks like. It is a good seat! Thanks Brad. Another good memory in my aviation experiences logbook in life.

Links - B-29 B-24 Squadron, Vintage Flying Museum, CAF

Waco ZPF-7 in AEROPLANE

2011-04-26T21:15:00.000-05:00

On my way home from work today I stopped by the news stand and thumbed through the May 2011 issues of AEROPLANE. I was pleasantly surprised to see my friend Les Whittlesey's Waco featured inside. Snag a copy to see a great write up and pictures by Frank Mormillo. This ZPF-7 is one of my favorite Waco's as it is a customized version with many slick mods. Below is a shot I took of his California based Waco.

Classic Fighters 2011 - New Zealand Airshow

2011-04-25T11:28:00.000-05:00

Pictures are being posted on the internet forums from the Classic Fighters show down in New Zealand. Follow the link below and be sure to click thru all of the pages!

http://rnzaf.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=airshow&action=display&thread=13238&page=1

Thunderbolt Restoration Progress

2011-04-24T11:15:00.001-05:00

The Fighter Collection is making good progress on the restoration of their P-47 Thunderbolt. The hope is that it will fly this year in time to make a few showings during this airshow season. One of a few rare "Razorback" models, this Thunderbolt will be a great addition to the line up at Duxford as the type flew many missions from that famous airfield. We look forward to seeing the paint scheme applied and it thundering into the skies once again! Special thanks goes out to Brian Marshall for permission to post his pictures taken just a few days ago. More of Brian's pictures are posted on the Plane Talk forum here... http://forum.planetalk.net/viewtopic.php?t=10196

Links - AeroBimble Blog, The Fighter Collection, Friends of The Fighter Collection Blog

P-40C Takes to the Air!

2011-04-18T20:30:00.001-05:00

John Lamont is lining up for the first test flight. Well done to the Avspecs team! (photo - Colin Hunter)

News is circulating that another P-40C has flown! Special thanks go out to Colin Hunter for allowing me to post a picture of Rod Lewis's P-40C that is fresh from restoration at Avspecs Limited in New Zealand. This rare Curtiss is one of only a handful of early C model P-40s. It has been restored with a Pearl Harbor paint scheme. Watch for news of more amazing restorations coming from the Avspecs! Mosquito and Spitfire's are currently making progress in their shop. See more of Colin's great photos using the link below.

Links - Avspecs, Colin Hunter Portfolio

North Texas Spring - 2011

2011-04-17T14:55:00.001-05:00

After a windy week in North Texas the winds let up for our little airport to come alive with antique, classic and contemporary classic airplanes! Northwest Regional Airport in Roanoke, Texas shows its variety when the weather makes it perfect for flying.

Winged Derringer

Aeronca Champ

Super Chipmunk

Two Husky's

Contemporary Classic Apache 235

Super Swift

Cessna 120

Stinson 108-3

Taylorcraft landing in the grass

Apache 235

Davis project

Davis

Red Canoe Brands - Aviation Lifestyle Gear

2011-04-10T20:12:00.001-05:00

When I found Red Canoe - National Heritage Brands I poured over their web site at my first visit. Every detailed product page revealed sharp styles with historic logos. As a serious aviation historian, pilot, and vintage aircraft owner I want authentic gear to match my level of enthusiasm for my favorite aircraft types and Red Canoe has just that! They offer jackets, shirts, caps and bags sporting the logos of the most famous companies and air powers. They have done their research and partnered with some of the most famous legacy aviation companies to represent a myriad of historic brands. For me, I want to see accuracy and attention to detail, and Red Canoe delivers!

Nostalgic logos from Boeing, Cessna, De Havilland, North American and early insignias from the United States Air Service, United States Army Air Corps and Royal Canadian Air Force adorn the high quality shirts and hats.

I have worn my USAAC roundel cap for over a year as my all purpose, aviation event hat! The fabric is strong as is the banding inside. This cap will stand the test of time in material quality as well as the nostalgic aviation value.

When family and friends ask you for gift ideas...steer them towards Red Canoe. I now have several of their caps and shirts in my collection that were gifts. The most recent addition, “The American Airlines 50 Cap,” came from my buddy, Jay Bogenreif, as a gift for being the Best Man in his wedding. Now THAT is a good friend! (My buddy Jay and I pictured above flying my Cessna 170B over North Texas. I am wearing my USAAC roundel cap.)

If you are shopping for recognizable aviation brands for your aviation adventure lifestyle...I highly recommend Red Canoe!

Links - Red Canoe Brands

Lockheed 10 to Make World Flight in 2012

2011-04-03T17:04:00.001-05:00

The 1935 Lockheed 10E, serial number 1015, N72GT is being prepared to make another around the world flight in 2012. The Women Have Wings Organization is supporting the "Global Courage Flight" that will fly the famous flight attempted by Amelia Earhart back in 1937. This same Lockheed celebrated the 60th anniversary of Earhart's attempt back in 1997 by flying around the world. The 2012 flight will be the 75th anniversary of Earhart's flight.

The Lockheed was flown recently to California from its hangar in New Mexico. It will be brought back to full operational flying status and prepared for the world flight in 2012. The photo above from Steve Dickey was taken a few years ago at its hangar in New Mexico.

For more details about "Women Have Wings" visit their web site... http://www.womenhavewings.org

For those interested in reading about the 30th anniversary Earhart flight look up the book "World Flight, The Earhart Trail" by Ann Holtgren Pellegreno. A great read about the author flying around the world in Lockheed 10, serial number 1112 back in 1967.

To see pictures of surviving Lockheed 10s visit our site... http://www.flytoanothertime.com

Cub Convoy to Sun N Fun

2011-03-04T20:29:00.000-06:00

In the 1930s and 1940s aviation publications I have read there are stories about air meets and convoys where light planes use to gather at different points about the United States. Modern day airshows and flyins take their place but it is cool to see someone do an old time convoy! See the press release below from the American Legend Aircraft Company.

For Immediate Release

Contact: Dave Graham – 903.885.7000, dave@legend.aero

American Legend Aircraft Company To Host Gathering For Cub Convoy To Sun ‘n Fun 2011

SULPHUR SPRINGS, TEXAS, FEBRUARY 28, 2011 – American Legend Aircraft Company announced today the company will be hosting a fly-in/out gathering for the 75th anniversary Cub Convoy to Florida. American Legend is a recognized contingent leader for the 2011 Cub Convoy. The company will be coordinating a state/regional group together for the flight to Florida and mass arrival at Sun ‘n Fun Fly-In.

American Legend, with the assistance of Sulphur Springs-based EAA Chapter 1094 and Sulphur Springs Municipal Airport (KSLR) officials, will sponsor a sequence of events at KSLR. Aircraft arrivals are scheduled for Friday, March 25th. That evening, a hangar dinner will be served at American Legend Aircraft Company headquarters. On Saturday morning, a group departure will take place for an expected arrival at Perry-Foley Airport (40J) in Perry, Florida on March 26th.

KSLR has both hard surface and grass runways available. Fuel discounts and free aircraft parking will be available to all participating aircraft. Camping is available on the field. Shuttles to local hotels will also be been arranged.

The 75th anniversary Cub Convoy to Florida is a re-enactment of the first Cub Convoy to Florida held in 1936. The 2011 event commemorates production of Cub aircraft for more than 75 years. Beginning with the Taylor Aircraft E-2 Cub in 1931, and continuing today with the American Legend Cub, this aircraft type excels in flying pilots, students, and passengers for recreation, liaison, and pleasure.

American Legend participated in the 70th anniversary celebration in April 2006, when the Convoy of Cubs arrived at Lakeland Linder Airport for Sun ‘n Fun Fly-In. In similar fashion in 2011, a gaggle of Cub aircraft will make the eight-mile final leg of their journeys to Lakeland Linder Airport in unison. Many Piper rag-wing aircraft from E-2 to PA-22, and the all-new Legend Cub, are expected in the Cub Convoy. These aircraft will gather at Plant City Airport (KPCM), and then, en masse, fly out to Lakeland for an expected arrival on Monday morning, March 28th. The Cubs will land and taxi in parade fashion on the grass strip.

The Legend Cub from American Legend Aircraft Company is a thoroughly modern aircraft based on the American classic Cub. Since its introduction in 2005, the Legend Cub has led the light-sport segment as the best selling American-manufactured aircraft. The Legend Cub continues a more than 75-year history of providing memorable flying experiences.

The Legend Cub will make its sixth visit to Sun ‘n Fun Fly-in arriving in the 2011 Cub Convoy. The Legend Cub, Legend AmphibCub, Texas Sport kit version, and a fully restored Piper J3 will be on display during the show. American Legend will be in booth number MD-1-D, located along the flight line.

American Legend Aircraft Company manufacturers the sport certified Legend Cub and Legend AmphibCub, and the amateur-built Texas Sport—an aircraft kit based on the Legend Cub. The company’s Restoration Services division performs work on most tube-and-fabric aircraft, and manufactures parts to original manufacturer’s specifications.

For further information, contact American Legend Aircraft Company at 1810 Piper Lane, Sulphur Springs, Texas 75482; call 903-885-7000; or log on to www.legend.aero.

De Plane - Grumman Widgeon from Fantasy Island

2011-02-27T12:56:00.001-06:00

Back in 2003 my dad and I flew the 170 up to Bartlesville, OK for the annual fly-in. The weather was great and it was a nice flight. Clear blue skies. This was one of my first aviation events with my new digital camera. The event produce a good number of great pictures.

One unique airplane on the field for the event was the Grumman Widgeon N4453. This Widgeon has the radial engine conversion so it looks much like its big brother the Grumman Goose. When I inspected the airplane I was surprised to see that this airplane's history had it on TV for the show "Fantasy Island" as "De Plane." N4453 now calls Brandson, Missouri home. Included in this post are a few pictures of this famous seaplane.

Inspiration in Aircraft Design

2011-02-20T21:14:00.001-06:00

The fascinating aircraft designs that came out of the 1930s were truly remarkable. Who dreamed these aircraft up, put them on paper and then built them!? Where did the designers get their inspiration?

When Zantford "Granny" Granville and Bob Hall walked past the early Gee Bee's sitting in the Grandville Brothers hangar and made their way back to the work table what was on their minds? Large radial engine, yes. Small airframe, yes. Short wings, yes. Streamlines wheel pants, yes. Then what!? I am sure they both sketched out some quick ideas on paper. Some say early aircraft designs were drawn in chalk on the hangar floor and then actually built right over the lines! Creativity must have flowed freely and the gears in their brains must have been grinding. What they designed in a few short months was one of the fastest airplanes in 1931. The Gee Bee Model Z, Super Sportster. One of my favorite Golden Age air racers. Pictured above is the Eicher/Kimball Gee Bee Model Z replica. A beautiful aircraft that resides in Kermit Week's Fantasy of Flight Museum in Florida.

I sit here tonight at the computer with the gears in my mind grinding away. A web site is what I am designing. An aviation web site. One dedicated to vintage aircraft. The design possibilities are endless. Mr. Granville and Mr. Hall might have thought the same way. What will it look like? What is its purpose? My inspiration is coming from a class I took at the local Apple store over the weekend. Hopefully I can start laying out the design that is in my head and get it on my iMac screen within a few short days. It might be easier to find some chalk and start drawing it on the wood floor in my office!

Lockheed 12 Gathering at Oshkosh 2011

2011-02-13T16:56:00.001-06:00

EAA just release the news of a gathering of Lockheed 12s at Oshkosh 2011!

Text below. The link here - http://www.airventure.org/news/2011/110208_electra_junior.html

AirVenture to Celebrate 75th Year of the Lockheed Model 12 Electra Junior

Les Whittlesey’s award-winning Lockheed Model 12A NC18906 will be at AirVenture to mark the type’s 75th anniversary.

One of the world’s classic airplanes, the Lockheed Electra Junior Model 12, flew for the first time on June 27, 1936 - 75 years ago this year - and that milestone will be celebrated at AirVenture Oshkosh 2011. Les Whittlesey, of Chino, California, owner of an award-winning Model 12A NC18906, is leading an effort to get as many L-12 owners as possible to bring their airplanes to Oshkosh this summer.

“The plan is to get together, maybe even arrive at the same time in trail, and all park in the Vintage Aircraft area,” said Whittlesey, EAA 409631. “Ideally we’d love to get 12 airplanes to participate” for the Model 12, but he admits a more realistic goal might be six. Special presentations at Oshkosh on the L-12 will be announced as they are confirmed.

Whittlesey’s Model 12, the product of an extensive three-year restoration, won the 2006 Grand Champion Antique award in Oshkosh as well as the Paul Garber Trophy in Reno that same year.

Only 126 Electra Juniors were made between 1936 and 1941, when production stopped at the outbreak of World War II. The all-metal, twin-engine planes were designed for use as small feeders for airlines, but most were used by companies for executive travel, as well as government officials and wealthy individuals. It’s a six-passenger aircraft, plus crew, and weighs in at 9,200 pounds fully loaded.

The Model 12A is powered by the 450-hp Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior SB radial engine and has a top speed of 225 mph with a range of 800 miles.

Lockheed 12s are often mistaken for the plane Amelia Earhart disappeared in, but that was a Model 10, a 10-passenger airplane that first flew a little more than two years before the 12. However, a Lockheed Model 12A (NC2072) owned by Joe Shepherd, EAA 386618, played a Model 10 in the 2009 motion picture Amelia.

EAA featured the oldest flying Model 12, The Spirit of TWA, owned by Ruth Richter Holden, in 2006. Click here for the story.

Aerial Beauties - The Most Beautiful Vintage Airplanes

2011-02-07T19:54:00.000-06:00

A note from my friend Jeff today had my mind racing this afternoon. What are my top ten favorite airplanes? We talked of what our guidelines were... existing airplanes... extinct types... and just what we thought were the most beautiful airplanes ever built. Beauty, as in what an aviation and even non-aviation person would think is a good looking shape for an airplane. So I separated my personal list from the "most beautiful" list. Here is what I came up with...

Aerial Beauties - Hughes Racer, Spitfire, Lockheed Constellation, Ryan STA, Lockheed 12, Lockheed P-38, Beech Staggerwing, Stinson SR-9F. I know that is only eight! It is hard to pick the last two!

I will wait to share my all time favorites for another post. What aircraft do YOU consider the most beautiful machines that ever flew or fly today?

Mosquito Rebuild Update

2011-02-06T13:40:00.001-06:00

Victoria Air Maintenance is making good progress on the Mosquito in their shop!

Check out the update here.

Links - Victoria Air Maintenance

Warbirds For Sale - 2011

2011-02-06T13:36:00.001-06:00

So, you have been saving your Benjamins. Working hard so you can buy that toy you dreamed of as a kid, or as an adult? That bank account balance looks high enough to achieve the dream. Where do you find your dream machine? Wheel that office chair up to computer and start shopping.

The internet is where I turn when seeking out who is buying, selling and flying vintage aircraft. In the aviation world, Warbirds seem to have the most coverage on the internet so a good number of web sites, blogs and forums are listed when searching the subject. If you happened to have landed here from an internet search engine, welcome and below you will find links to the Warbird sites that I frequently visit. Whether you are an enthusiast tracking Warbird sales out of curiosity or a serious shopper for a rare Warbird these are the links where they can be found.

Courtesy Aircraft Sales
Platinum Fighter Sales
Barnstormers
Trade A Plane

Spartan Article featuring S/N 11

2011-02-02T12:46:00.003-06:00

A Spartan owner recently sent this link to me featuring Steve Marini's Spartan serial number 11. It is a short history and a nice selection of pictures of this gorgeous Spartan. Take a look here...

http://www.examiner.com/vintage-transportation-in-national/the-spartan-executive

Flying and Burgers - A Great Saturday

2011-02-01T14:53:00.000-06:00

Today I am staying inside as there is a nice covering of ice/sleet/snow on the ground. This happens just a couple times a winter here in Texas. When it does, most of the DFW area shuts down. Looking out the window today makes it hard to believe that just a few days ago I was enjoying the 70 degree temps out at the airport with my fellow aviators! It was a great Saturday with flying, telling tales of our flying adventures and hot off the grill burgers. Stan pulled his Swift out of the hangar so we could set up a few tables in the warm sunshine and enjoy the meal. Good friends, good food, great weather. Maybe this snow will be gone in a few days and we can do THAT again!

Where the Vintage Airplanes are - Sonoma

2011-01-23T18:21:00.002-06:00

In my travels I have made it a point to visit what I would call vintage airplane "hot spots." Airports around the country that are home to large collections of vintage airplanes. One of those places is Sonoma, California. I visited Sonoma a couple years back (see here for that trip report and go to the June 2006 Blog archive for all three of the posts) and was blown away at the high quality vintage aircraft that reside there. The above picture is a Curtiss Jenny based at Schellville. A recent post on the Plane Talk forum has my aviation photographer friend, Mike Shreeve, posting a nice selection of the fine airplanes from the Sonoma area. Click on the link below and come along on a tour of the airplanes! See the post here... Another Fine Day...

AvGas, JetA and Steam

2011-01-21T16:57:00.001-06:00

Advances in aviation technology surprise me. Some days it feels like we should all be flying around in flying cars or spaceships. Other days I am fascinated by the aircraft that do fly. Thanks to my friend, Jeff, for sending me a link to this video from the 1930s of a modified Travel Air with a steam engine. Just think... a good number of general aviation planes could be flying around in the skies today with steam engines! I wonder if someone will replicate this early biplane and fly on steam again!?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nw6NFmcnW-8

FW190 at Planes of Fame

2011-01-16T11:50:00.001-06:00

I must confess that I really am a big fan of these new build FW190s. What once was absent from the skies now flies again. No matter what era of aviation, no matter what type of airplane, I love to see types that haven't been seen in the skies return to tell their story again. Hats off to the organizations, men and the money that they invest in returning these rare aircraft to the air. What other aircraft types would you like to see fly again? Lockheed Vega, Northrup Gamma, Northrup P-61, Vultee P-66... who knows!?

Click here to watch a video of the Frasca FW190 take flight in Chino, CA.

Links - Planes of Fame - Frasca International - Flug Werk

Traveling Light - as in Light Plane

2011-01-09T14:55:00.001-06:00

The first couple of times I attended Oshkosh and Sun N Fun I would drive with family or airline in with friends. When I purchased my Taylorcraft I knew I wanted to jump in and fly to Florida for Sun N Fun. My friend Jeff Stone was just about to get his pilots license and was up to joining me. We had an adventurous flight down! Three days down and two days coming back. An encounter with some DEA agents, sleeping under the airplane and waking up with frost on the ground... but all in all a safe and fun trip. That same year I flew to Oshkosh solo in the Taylorcraft and camped out. When I purchased the Cessna 170 I took it to Sun N Fun and battled weather the whole trip. But the weather has been more in our favor in making trips to Oshkosh in the 170. A few friends have made the trip with me but the more memorable trips were made with Mom and Dad along. There is nothing like sitting at Oshkosh in the shade of your own airplane and watching with show with family and friends. Good times!

Somewhere in my digital files are my stories of these flying trips in detail. When I find them I hope to publish them. In thinking about my flying adventures on this snowy day here in Texas I thought of a trip that I read about my friend Kent Wien took many years ago. He wrote about it here on Gadling. Enjoy the read!

Links - Gadling - Kent Wien

Day in the Life of an Aviation Enthusiast

2011-01-02T17:25:00.001-06:00

The alarm clock goes off on his B17 alarm clock with engine noises and machine gun fire. He sleeps in his favorite worn out airshow t-shirt. Wipes the sleep from his eyes and walks into the closet. Checks the date on his airplane wall calendar. Shaves, showers and prepares for work thinking about his favorite airplanes. Puts on his airplane tie to go to the office or another worn out airplane t-shirt to go turn wrenches at the hangar. Goes to work in his office with aviation art on the walls and airplane models on the desk. Or if going to work at the hangar opens his tool box that is covered with aviation stickers and airplane pictures. Looks thru an aviation magazine over lunch. Daydreams what it would have been like to race in the 1930s Air Races. Calls an airport buddy to find out the plan for the weekend flying activities. Drives out of his way to go by another airport to see any glimpse of an airplane on his way home from the office. When he pulls in the driveway he can't hardly contain himself as he opens the mailbox to see if there are any new aviation magazines in the mail. At home after work he looks thru all the channels on tv for airplane related shows before looking at any other shows. If nothing is on tv switches to the Internet for aviation content. When tired of sitting in the office chair at the computer moves to an easy chair that is made from airplane seats. Reads aviation magazines or books from his massive collection that overflows the office and spills over into the garage until he gets hungry. After dinner calls friends to talk airplanes. Returns to the internet for more aviation content. When he about falls out of the chair from exhaustion he stumbles back to the closet to find another airshow t-shirt to sleep in. Falls into bed but before he turns the light out he grabs the aviation magazine off the night stand and thumbs through a few more pages. Wakes up at 2am with the magazine on his face, returns it to the night stand and turns out the light. The next day repeats almost exactly the same until the weekend!

Last Flight of 2010

2010-12-30T23:03:00.001-06:00

Today I was off of work to enjoy part of the New Years holiday so I spent a good portion of the day in the hangar. My normal hangar flying buddies were not there today to distract me so I actually had a productive day working in the hangar. Not that I think catching up on the airport stories is a waste of time... it just is a different type of aviation therapy to actually WORK in the hangar!

I unloaded some of the Christmas gifts out of the truck and spent a few minutes unpacking them. One gift was a light weight drill from my parents. My old drill had bit the dust a couple months back and I had resorted to the manual screw driver. (Gasp! Manual?!) The big heavy drills for working around the house just aren't that good for working on the airplane. With the battery charged I tried it out. Works... and is not too heavy or too much power.

The next gift to be unpacked was a small six inch buffer from my father-in-law. The Cyclo buffer/polisher is my polishing work horse but it can be heavy when trying to hit those vertical surfaces. The new buffer can be palmed and is not heavy. The rudder buffed out nicely with my normal procedure and using the new palm sized buffer! A great gift and it will be useful for those higher vertical surfaces.

The weather was warm but windy with low clouds when I arrived mid-day. As the day wore on I would peek out the hangar doors to do a weather check. The clouds lifted and eventually cleared out. So I wrapped up the polishing. The windsock finally stopped its vigorous flapping so the classic Cessna was wheeled out for a flight. It felt good to get up even if it was a short flight at sunset. 2010 wasn't a full year of flying but the Cessna helped get my feet off the ground for some much needed arial therapy.
Hope your 2010 was adventurous and may you have more Blue Skies in 2011.

Merry Christmas 2010

2010-12-23T09:14:00.000-06:00

A fun story from the Warbird email circles... Merry Christmas!

Santa's Ride

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

'Twas the night before Christmas all over the place,
When we were confronted by an old flying ace.
There was icing reported and turbulent air ,
He said, "File me a flight plan, I gotta get there".

Outside sat his aircraft all ready to run,
And the old man walked out to that P-51.
"Bad weather's no problem," he silently mumbled,
The prop came to life...that big Merlin rumbled.

He eased in the throttle, the roar shook the ground,
He taxied on out and turned it around.
He went through the run-up and seemed satisfied,
Then he said to himself, "I'm in for a ride."

So he lined it up straight as he poured on the coal,
The tailwheel came up as he started to roll.
Up off the runway, he sucked up the gear,
And that mighty V-12 was all you could hear.

He screamed overhead with a deafening crack,
Blue flames flying from each little stack.
"He pulled up the nose and started to climb,
No ice on that airframe, it didn't have time.

On top of the weather with the levers all set,
He looked up above him and saw a Learjet.
"With jet fuel and turbines there just ain't no class,
Gimmee pistons, and props and lots of avgas!"

Now he was approaching where he wanted to go.
But the weather had covered the runway with ice and with snow.
How will he land it? We just have to guess,
because the only way in was a full I-L-S.

Then over the outer marker, he started his run,
The ceiling was zero, visibility...none.
Still going three hundred and he felt the need,
For an overhead break to diminish his speed.

Over the numbers he zoomed, along like a flash,
Pulled into his break, we just knew he would crash.
Oh, why do they do it on these kind of nights??
Then over the threshold, we saw landing lights.

I'm on a short final with three in the green,
And I see enough runway to land this machine.".
Then he tied down that Mustang, and they all heard him say,..
"Next year, I'm stickin' with my reindeer and sleigh.."

--author's name withheld by request--..........

...OK, I can't keep a secret.....

Santa Claus

Clean Culver Cadet

2010-11-30T20:25:00.001-06:00

This clean Culver Cadet was at the last Antique Airplane Assoc. meeting I went to over in Justin, Texas. Owned, restored and flown by Gene Morris. These are clean little ships and I have always liked their compact, sporty lines. Much like one of my other favorites, the Globe Swift. Just posting a picture as it is a great example of the rare Culver Cadet. Check out this link I found for a web site dedicated to this classic speedster.

Corsair in Black

2010-11-28T18:32:00.001-06:00

In a previous post I wrote about the fine craftsmen over in Germany at MeierMotors and their work on many recently imported World War Two fighters to that country. The most recent project is the cosmetic restoration and repaint of an F4U-5 Corsair. Take a look at the unique paint scheme this powerful fighter will wear! An all black scheme of a Korean war era Corsair. It is worth the ten to fifteen minutes to read through the WIX forum post on the research for the paint scheme and the history of this Corsair. The pictures of its transformation are there as well. A special thanks goes out to Matthias Dorst for allowing me to post his photo.

Links - WIX forum post on the Corsair - MeierMotors

P-38 Reunion Video

2010-11-24T14:33:00.002-06:00

This just came to my attention. Wow... Great video from the recent P-38 reunion out in California.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdzF_i7mPgs&feature=youtube_gdata_player

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Warbird T-Shirt Quilt

2010-11-22T20:13:00.004-06:00

In this day and age of reuse and recycle it is always fun to see something repurposed, especially when it pertains to our own personal interests. My mom is an avid quilter. I grew up staying warm in the winter months under her handiwork, and over the years our family has shared her interest in quilting. As a matter of fact, we even owned a small quilt shop years ago. It was a lot of fun learning how to run a small business, and have the opportunity to meet new people who shared the love of quilting.

In the local quilting scene mom became fast friends with a woman named Melinda Hamm Giacommarro. Melinda has taken her own love of quilting to new heights and has made some rather unique creations. She repurposes t-shirts by making them into one-of-a-kind quilts. Over the years my mom had me stash away my old, worn out aviation t-shirts and this summer we finally pulled them out to give this t-shirt quilt thing a go.

We sorted through the various types and styles and ultimately narrowed down our choices to the final 12 shirts that made the cut. We’ve aptly named it the “Warbird Quilt”. Like I said, we narrowed down our selections to just 12, so I have a very strong suspicion that this will be the first of many aviation themed t-shirt quilts to come.

We scheduled a meeting with Melinda at Bluebonnet T-shirt Quilts to show her the t-shirts we had picked. We then reviewed the layout and the quilting. I have to admit I was overwhelmed by the numerous options that could be added! The creativity flowed and we came up with a good number of designs. Each block would have its own coordinating theme. Here is a breakdown of what we finally decided on:

The Corsair t-shirt block has the Blacksheep Squadron patch quilted in it.
The P-38 block is embellished with lightning bolts.
The War Bond poster block has aviator goggles.
The Super Corsair block has the “flying man” logo from the Cleveland Air Races.
The Keep ‘Em Flying block has Stars and Bars.
The Hamilton Standard block has the propeller from the airplane logo.
The Fighter Rebuilders block has a world globe.
The Old Glory B-25 block has American flags.
The Southern Cross Sea Fury block has the Australian roundel.
The Memphis Belle block has a 25 missions bomb.
The Pratt and Whittney block has eagles.
The Me-262 block has clouds.

Not only are each of the individual blocks uniquely quilted, but we even decided on detailing all the way around the edges! Quilted into the borders are the names of the airshows we have attended over the years where I purchased these t-shirts. Also in the borders are the American Stars and Bars with the phrase “Keep ‘Em Flying.” All these designs are quilted into the background of the quilt! One other very cool and unique aspect is that when you turn the quilt over, all of the quilting details and patterns are easily seen. A lighter colored backing was put on it so the beauty and workmanship would stand out. Melinda really cranked up the creativity and blew us away!

For this aviation enthusiast my new quilt is an awesome blend of repurposing the old, worn out, but highly treasured t-shirts and making them into a piece of art I can show off to friends and family! And, my wife and I can slide the quilt off the back of the couch to warm up while watching a movie. Do you have a closet full of airshow t-shirts you don’t know what to do with? I highly recommend Melinda at Bluebonnet T-shirt Quilts** to preserve all of your special memories!

**Melinda Hamm Giacomarro is an exceptional quilter. She has made hundreds of beautiful and creative creations for folks with a variety of themes including: Disney, High School, College, and Vacation Themes among others. If you have a pile of old t-shirts that you just can’t seem to part with, but no longer wear, here is a practical way to preserve those memories and give new life to something old and treasured! To contact Melinda email her at melindaquilts “at” gmail.com.

Aviation Magazine Collection

2010-11-14T17:19:00.001-06:00

As I have noted before on this blog I am organizing a rather large collection of aviation magazines. This weekend I added to it with several more boxes! Like a truck full of boxes! It is one of those aviation collectables that can be very focused or very broad. Which titles do I focus on? Which years do I keep? When boxes and boxes are passed on to me I know I wont keep ALL of them even though I may want to! Each box may have a few keepers or be full of keepers. The 1940s SKYWAYS were added to the keeper box along with some 1940s and 1950s FLYING and some of the first editions of AIR CLASSICs. So... I can see myself in a few weeks sitting by the wood stove in the living room with a pile of magazines to glean more aviation history from. Anyone looking for some rare magazines? I might just have a copy!

My list of winter projects is now growing... update web sites... sort magazines... post a few items on eBay... oh and polish the Cessna while it is not 100 deg. outside!

Harpoon 84062 Recovery

2010-11-10T19:49:00.001-06:00

The aviators dream of a Jenny in a barn, a Mustang in an old hangar or a Cub in a garage make up the stories for books. When the airplanes are larger sometimes you might find them sitting outside! Years ago on our families route to church there was a Cessna 195 sitting outside behind a house. If they are bigger than a 195 they might be more obvious commanding a spot on the ramp of a local airport. It appears that Taigh Raimey and his crew at Vintage Aircraft found an airplane that they could not let go to the scrap heap. A PV-2 Harpoon (84062) was sitting on some land that had sold in California. The tired Harpoon was a fire bomber and had been sitting since 1994! It only has about 800 hours on it since new! The mission to save the Harpoon was a success and Taigh tells a fantastic story over on the WIX forum. Check out the story here. After you read the story check out the videos here!

Links - WIX - Vintage Aircraft

Texas Antique Fly-In 2010

2010-11-09T19:38:00.001-06:00

The 48th Annual Texas Antique Airplane Association Fly-In enjoyed clear blue skies and pleasant temperatures this past October 8&9. This year I drove up on Friday night to help the set up for the event and be an extra pair of hands for the dinner. During the evening the aircraft owners and pilots were treated to great food and even a new motion picture “Pearl” that featured several antique aircraft.

On Saturday my wife, Candice and I flew the 170 up and spent the entire day on site. The weather was perfect for sitting under the wing of the Cessna visiting with friends and family. I even gave a few rides to family and a group of Young Eagles. We flew home at sunset after one of the most enjoyable fly-in events of the year!

Over 120 airplanes of all types were on display for the local enthusiasts to survey. Classic Cessnas, Pipers and Aeroncas showed in good numbers along with many unique antiques and a few Warbird trainers. This years grand champion was the beautiful 1948 Luscombe Sedan NC1666B owned by Fred Ramin. Other award winners were the 1941 Culver Cadet NC34791, the 1941 Waco UPF-7 NC32035, the 1946 Fairchild 24 NC81363, the 1941 Fairchild PT-26 N9474H and the 1962 Navion Rangemaster N262CC. With Texas being the home to many rare and lovely antiques the air was in constant motion with vintage flying machines from another time. This event is one to add on the calendar for 2011.

Links - The Movie "Pearl" - Texas Antique Airplane Association - Antique Airplane Association

Miss Veedol - 79 Years Ago Today

2010-10-05T17:50:00.001-05:00

An email crossed my desk today with this bit of history...

Oct. 5, 1931 was the first time an aviator ever flew non-stop across the Pacific Ocean. That aviator was Clyde Edward Pangborn, native of Bridgeport, Washington, along with his not very able co-pilot, Hugh Herndon. And he did it without any sort of spells, charms, or other magical intervention.

Miss Veedol - the airplane.

Clyde Pangborn - the man.

2010 Texas Antique Airplane Fly-In

2010-10-03T16:29:00.001-05:00

Come on out the the Texas Antique Airplane Fly-In Oct. 8-9!

http://www.texasantiqueairplane.org/flyin

The Sky To Myself

2010-09-29T20:43:00.001-05:00

Left work today and headed straight to the airport for some flying therapy. Took a few minutes to sweep the hangar, clean the windshield and air up the tires. Took off with about an hour of day light left. The skies were empty! Well... of general aviation airplanes. The skies near DFW Airport are never very empty!

Headed out Northeast of town to fly over a friends/coworkers new house. Adam was out in the back yard waving at me as I circled. That side of town, near Frisco, has really built up in the last ten years. There is even a runway behind Adams house that was once to be a corporate airport but it never took off, so to speak.

Flew back toward the Northwest side of town, near Justin. Not much activity at the little private airfields. It was the perfect night to fly so I am surprised that there were not more people up. Light North winds, unlimited visibility and about 80 degrees. Doesn't get much better than that! How could I be the only one out enjoying this? Oh... there goes a Champ flying at tree top level. Good... someone else taking advantage of the perfect flying conditions!

Cub Adventure

2010-09-28T20:44:00.001-05:00

Now this guy knows how to make a trip an adventure! Fly a Cub from one side of the country to the other! Amazing sunrises... cool grass airstrips... awesome photos! Click on Photos 2010 on the left hand menu!

http://www.vintageflying.com/

Flying Again

2010-09-05T16:43:00.001-05:00

It has been a long annual this year but the 170 is back in the air. My friend Lynn flew with me for a good hour long test flight. Feels good to have the 170 flyable. Lynn was also my painter as the new spinner needed painted to match the cream color. Looking forward to the flying this Fall.

Vintage Aircraft in Color

2010-08-24T08:26:00.001-05:00

Take a few minutes to scroll through these classic color pictures from EAA Chapter 673.

http://www.eaa-673.com/history.html

My favorite is the Gulf Stinson SR-9!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Viewpoint - Guest article by Walter J. Boyne

2010-08-22T13:26:00.001-05:00

Last week I published a blog titled The Future of Vintage Aircraft Operation and Restoration. This was a culmination of thoughts I have been composing in my head for months. I finally wrote it out and wanted to post it so that it might spark some thoughts in my fellow aviation enthusiasts. A few weeks ago I read an article by Walter Boyne in ProPilot magazine. With his permission I am posting it here as I really like the direction of his thoughts towards the future! Could we see a new "country club" type organization join the aviation community together for social interaction? I like the idea!
Dan

Viewpoint by Walter J. Boyne

This is written with no little trepidation, after reading the bold, insightful Viewpoints of industry leaders, whose experience, inside knowledge and vision enable them to take a longer, more perceptive view of aviation and its future than I am capable of doing. I also realize that I’ll be treading on ground that might be deemed somehow politically incorrect, a grave danger now-a-days. Nonetheless, I would like to offer a somewhat wistful, amateur approach to a couple of problems that I feel seriously affect aviation, and offer some optimistic, if perhaps ambitious, solutions to them. Both of these approaches require a change in thinking, taking advantage of what the future is offering and at some point, some capital outlay by a venturesome investor.
One of the things cited most often in arguments concerning the growth of general aviation in the future is the rising cost of flying. There is no gainsaying this, but in my view, the increased cost of flying is not the most important limiting factor. Instead, I believe that general aviation flying has missed several generations of boats by its essential lack of the social elements that one finds in other equally expensive sports such as sailing or skiing. I suggest that these two popular pastimes are as expensive as flying, but offer social benefits that flying does not, and are hence are attractive to and enjoyed by more people.
Owning a boat—power or sail, it doesn’t matter—and means, as a rule, membership in a marina or a club, the maritime equivalent of an airport. Being a dedicated skier means going to a resort often during the season to polish up skills on the slopes. Both the marina and the resort provide social opportunities for men and women to meet, something that is almost totally absent in the aviation community. There are certainly exceptions to this, but the male-dominated airport scene is all too common. It derives from the history of aviation, from the time that there was an implicit danger attributed to flying and which established a macho-male aura of heroism to our profession. This was undoubtedly a genuine expression of the times, but it manifested itself over the years into a male culture that only in recent years has been challenged by an influx of women pilots into the arena. We are grateful for this, most particularly among professional pilots, but there is room for improvement in general aviation.
For too many years, the typical scene in a fixed base operations was an austere flight planning room, perhaps with a few counters where essential gear could be purchased, a coffee or candy bar machine, a less than fastidiously clean rest-room and some chairs to slump in. The routine was for the male pilot to come out, plan his flight, execute it, perhaps landing for lunch at another similarly equipped airport, but one with a hamburger joint attached, and then returning, fulfilled with the genuine fun and emotion of a successful flight to home base. What were the odds that a pilot would meet a woman in the airport and that a relationship might develop? A thousand to one might cover it, and no wonder. There was no reason for most women to be there just to observe the departures and the arrivals. The airport as we knew it, and too often still know it, was devoid of the necessary social qualities to be attractive to couples.
Contrast this to a typical experience at a marina, where the would-be sailor invites a few friends, including some women, out to his boat, for a quick trip around the bay, with lunch to follow. Typically a marina is not lavishly equipped, but it almost inevitably has planned for women to visit, with the resultant amenities. To make a further contrast, a trip to a ski lodge can be quite luxurious, with good restaurants, specialized clothing, and even …. bars.
And I can hear the ahas! already. For there is a fundamental, unchangeable difference between flying, sailing and skiing and that is that alcohol is in absolutely forbidden commodity in the sport. None of this nonsense of twelve hours between bottle and throttle, you must not be drinking at all when you are flying. However it is my contention that society and common sense are working away from alcohol as the primary issue in social gatherings, and that flying is now in a position to compete socially without alcohol and with any sport—if we put our mind to it.
The task is to make airports a social destination for both men and women by creating an atmosphere in which women are not only welcomed as pilots or potential pilots, but as friends who enjoy the experience of being with others with similar interests. It would be ideal (if no doubt too expensive) to have an area the size of a ski resort, with similar hotel accommodations, be designated as a Flying Resort. It should be luxurious enough to have the cachet necessary to have women not particularly interested—yet—in flying to just want to be there. It should have the aircraft, the runways, the radar, and all the other essential requirements to make it a productive flying area, particularly for student pilots.
But, moving on to my second perhaps over ambitious point, it should also take advantage of the magnificent advances we already see in aviation, and which can be adapted to revitalize general aviation in particular. The age of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is upon us. It would be but a step to create a hybrid flying training, one that incorporated the advances of the UAV in terms of being monitored and if necessary controlled from the ground, with a new kind of training aircraft, one in which novice pilots could feel secure even when flying solo. And this would merely be an interim step. We are working inevitably toward pilotless flight in the military, and we will ultimately see it first in civilian cargo aircraft. I maintain that within ten years, it would be possible to have aircraft designed with redundant computers and ground monitoring so that new pilots could learn to fly within a few hours at the resort dedicated to their use.
And these could easily be “green” airplanes, perhaps electric powered, and designed at such low weights and of such strong composite materials as to be survivable in the event of almost any crash.
The resort flying would be just the start of the experience, of course. Once trained and confident, the new pilots, half of them women, one hopes, would branch out to extend their wings outside the resort air space.
Oddly enough, the basic premise of my idea has already been proven, many years ago, at the famous Aviation Country Club of Long Island, located just outside of the charmingly named town of Hicksville. In 1931 the club boasted a membership with an aircraft inventory valued at $500,000 (more than $7,000,000 in today’s constant dollar.). The Aviation Country Club had the social cachet of a F. Scott Fitzgerald novel, and attracted successful men and women of all professions. What it lacked of course, was the easy-to-fly, inexpensive aircraft, and it was ultimately doomed by the depression.
My twin points, too obvious perhaps, and both hard to achieve, is that we could rejuvenate general aviation by making it genuinely attractive on its social merits to the entire population, and that the means to do that—inexpensive, safe, and easy to learn to fly in aircraft—are easily within engineering and manufacturing capabilities to produce. What we need is a change in attitude. The vision of the Errol/Flynn/Harrison Ford flyer, indifferent to hardship, brave and always facing danger, has to be replaced by the vision of ordinary people having a great time enjoying the greatest sport in the world: flying.
It can be done. All it takes is time and money. Let’s stop groaning and get to work doing it.

S-38 Trans-Atlantic

2010-08-21T11:38:00.001-05:00

The Sikorsky S-38 owned by Unlimited Adventure sets off today on its Trans-Atlantic journey! EAA has posted a short story here. Talk about traveling back in time! What an adventure!

The Future of Vintage Aircraft Operation and Restoration

2010-08-17T08:42:00.001-05:00

A few years from now will we still see vintage aircraft flying through the skies? What does the future hold!?

Many issues come to mind in looking to the future of vintage aircraft operation and restoration. Issues related to engine parts, airframe parts, fuel, and the costs of all of those items rolled into what we will call "operational costs" for this article. Who has the skills and tools to restore and maintain vintage aircraft? Are the skills to fly these aircraft being taught to new pilots today? Then, what could be done to generate an interest in flying? What needs to take place to bring more people into the aviation community? How do we educate the newcomers and current pilots to the history and heritage of vintage aircraft? I don't have answers to all of these issues but I do have thoughts on some of them.

One of the main factors that does give me hope for the future of vintage aircraft is technology. Today's technologies provide us with the tools we need to make from scratch the once extinct engine and airframe parts. With new technology we can build old technology! And build it better! Over time the parts have become unusable because of age and wear. With the advance of technology the cost to produce new parts comes down and this should help with operational costs. I am very excited that vintage aircraft parts can be built. Put all those parts together and once extinct aircraft can be reborn!

Examples of technology in action for vintage aircraft would be... A company in New Zealand, The Vintage Aviator, is building brand new engines for World War One era aircraft! Another company is building brand new spars, very complicated spars, for the F4U Corsair! In Arizona a shop is turning out brand new Boeing 100 series biplanes. A Texas company built up brand new copies of the Grumman F3F and German Me-262. I could go on. My hope is that more enthusiasts will invest in building and rebuilding vintage aircraft.

So technology and tools are one part but who will operate that technology and those tools? Are there ways to educate future generations to what is needed to keep vintage aircraft flying? A glimmer of hopes exists in me as trade schools and aviation camps provide a draw into aviation. From those schools and events we can teach the history behind our vintage aircraft and hopefully draw an interest. There are many aviation trade schools around the country (one here - Redstone College) and a few aviation camps. Peach State Aero has a camp and EAA has their Air Academy summer camps. That is good news for the aviation community! Are we supporting these organizations? Let's do what we can to spread the word about these schools and camps!

As the airplanes are maintained to continue flying and restored to fly again, where will they be based? What airports? What hangars? What will the aviation community and vintage aviation community do to provide an outlet for those owners and pilots? Local chapters of national organizations provide monthly social events, activities and fly-ins. Are those local chapters drawing in their friends, neighbors and other community organizations? Could more be done? Back in the 1930s there was an aviation country club in New York. Why don't we have those? Why aren't there more aviation friendly locals and vacation destinations?

I know I have presented a lot of questions here and as I stated I don't have answers to them all. I would love to hear from readers what they think of some or all of these issues that deal with the future of aviation. You can comment on this blog or send me an email. I will re-publish the emails if relevant ideas are presented.

MeierMotors

2010-08-16T18:42:00.001-05:00

Visiting the WIX Hangar is on my daily to do list. Some days it takes me a few minutes to catch up on some of the Warbird news. Other days I have to take the time to read some of the great posts from all over the world! Matthias Dorst is the webmaster for MeierMotors in Germany. He has posted a series of pictures from the MeierMotors hangar.

This shop is fast becoming THE place to have your Warbird worked on in Germany! Not only do they have a cool looking hangar but what is IN the hangar is some of the most unique Warbirds in Europe. Plan to take a few minutes to read through this forum post. What a place! Thanks to Matthias for allowing me to post a few photos here!

Ryan Line Up

2010-08-12T19:52:00.002-05:00

Thanks to Mike Shreeve for posting pictures of this fantastic line up of Ryans over on WIX! Check out this beautiful line!

http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=37261

Oshkosh 2010 Photos

2010-08-10T10:10:00.001-05:00

The photo galleries for Oshkosh 2010 can be found on EAAs web site here...

www.eaa.org/apps/galleries/

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Texas Summer

2010-08-01T15:00:00.001-05:00

The summer is passing by rather quickly this year. As always there is yard work and household chores that fill the summer task lists. For most aviation enthusiasts July means it is Oshkosh time. I knew I wouldnt make it up this year as the family had a Colorado trip planned. We spent a week in the mountains near South Fork, CO and enjoyed the cool weather, mountain scenery, some hiking and fly-fishing.

Before the trip I opened up the 170 for the annual inspection and turned my mechanic loose. A few issues popped up this year. One cylinder needed work along with some exhaust brackets. The last piece to address is the broken spinner back plate. It appears that age has caught up with the back plate and a new spinner and back plate are on order. Hopefully it will arrive in the mail soon so I can drop it off to be painted. A few friends have asked why don't I just polish it. What? I don't need MORE to polish on this airplane! Anyway... it came out of the factory painted so it will be painted to match the cream trim color.

I have been looking over a few pictures posted from Oshkosh on various web sites and forums. The weather was a factor this year as the show grounds became soaked with some serious amounts of rain! It sounds like the weather improved for the later part of the show as some show aircraft arrived on WED and THUR of the event. A few highlights that I noticed were... the Hamilton Metalplane, the replica Caudron racer, over 20 DC-3s, several new Mustang restorations and one outstanding Corsair restoration. When I can round up some links to the highlight pictures I will post them.

Another Super Corsair to Fly

2010-07-29T21:35:00.001-05:00

Odegaard Aviation up in North Dakota is making great progress on their second F2G Corsair. Their first was the famous race number 57. It now lives in Arizona with a new owner. Odegaard Aviations web site now has pictures posted of the restoration progress on racer number 74. Check it out here. Wow... looking good!
(The above image from www.airrace.com)

Lockheed 12 Project

2010-07-10T10:41:00.002-05:00

Ray Walker, owner of Lockheed 12 serial number 1292, has listed his project for sale on Barnstormers.com. Let's spread the word and find a good owner who will return it to it's former glory!

LOCKHEED 12A PROJECT • $60,000 • FOR SALE • I have decided to sell my L-12 project due to lack of time to complete. Aircraft has been in storage since 1967. Some corrosion in airframe. Aircraft needs extensive rebuild. Project comes with four R-985 cores and four Ham-Std hydormatic props. There are 2 (like new) extra outboard wing pannels ailerons and flaps. Late serial number. A fair amount of extra L-12 parts including worm gears, oil tanks etc. I have more pictures that can be sent to you. Located in South Texas, contact Ray Walker at 940-735-1425 • Contact Ray A. Walker - WALKER AVIATION CO.,

DC-7 Returns to the Air

2010-07-10T10:27:00.001-05:00

First flight video of the Historic Flight Foundations DC-7 is now online.

Check it out here.

D.C. For The Day

2010-07-05T17:17:00.002-05:00

Some adventures take weeks or months of planning. Some are just thought up over dinner with friends. My buddy Jay and I had been talking about a day trip somewhere to see an aviation museum or event. So after he made a flight to D.C. for work he asked me about the Dulles NASM and was it worth the trip to see it. A resounding yes from me put the trip planning in motion. He had only toured downtown D.C. and wanted to go back to see the museum. About two weeks ago our schedules looked like they would allow a day trip to Dulles on July 2nd. I took a day off work and he sorted out the passes on the airline. My excitement to be his tour guide in "Americas Hangar" and his flight privileges would make the trip come together.

My wife helped me pack up my gear for the day and sent me out the door when Jay pulled up at 5:15am. Do all adventures have to start so early in the morning?! We launched out of DFW on a 6:55am flight to IAD. It even worked out to takes some open seat in first class! That helped make up for the early morning departure! The flight landed at Dulles at about 10:45am. With only our back packs to carry we walked right out of the terminal to catch the bus around to the museum. It was nice to have a bus that makes the round trip from the terminal to the museum about every 45 minutes to an hour. An easy way to make the trip to the museum!

The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is aptly named Americas Hangar. This museum has some of the most historic aircraft in aviation history and they are all housed in one BIG hangar! My wife and I had just made the trip to see this museum last September but I couldnt wait to bust through the door and start blasting Jay with historic facts about the aircraft inside. Just as I watched my wifes face when we walked in... I watched Jays face as we entered the main hall looking for the "OH WOW" face! Aviations history as far as the eye can see. Talk about aviation sensory overload!

Jay and I had from about 11:30am until 5:30pm to give the place a good looking over. This was my third visit. The first being the grand opening in December of 2003, the second as I mentioned was last September. This visit they had added to the displays a few jets and a couple gliders. If you love aviation this is THE museum to visit. Pieces from every aviation era are there in one hangar. This is about the time I run out of words to describe the facility. Monocoupe, Mustang, Thunderbolt, Super Fortress, Concorde, Blackbird... so much history!

Take a look at the pictures here. They best tell the story of what we saw!

We took pictures, gawked at airplanes, took more pictures, more gawking, ate lunch, more walking and more pictures. Visited the gift shop. A few more pictures. Rested our feet and looked at our new aviation book purchases. At about 5:30 we wandered outside to catch the bus. A quick bus ride back to the terminal at IAD and the day started to catch up to me. My eyes were burning from waking up early. A quick dinner and we boarded the flight back to DFW. It was a lot to fit into one day but we both commented on the flight home how we thought it was worth the trip. A fast trip... but worth it. Modern air travel took us there and back. Excitement fueled us for the day. The search for more historic aircraft will have us planning more trips just like this one!

Waco Reunion 2010

2010-07-01T20:41:00.001-05:00

Andy Heins has posted his pictures from this years reunion over on the Vintage Aircraft side of WIX.

Check part one out here.

And part two here.

Hangar Tales - June 2010

2010-06-19T13:06:00.002-05:00

Last weekend I spent Saturday morning at the hangar. Upon arrival at the airport I stopped to visit with Doug, Ross and another wingman before they launched off to a fly-in in their RV-6s. They were excited that I was going to join their formation flight as the slot. WHAT? My 170 keeping up with their RVs? They laughed and all I could think about was them calling me Capt. Slow in my Cessna! I am not sure I want to be like Capt. Slow from Top Gear so I let them go as a three ship.

The hangar that I rent has room for four airplanes in it and a new one is to move in this month. A Cessna O-2 will occupy the spot where I am at. Time for some cleaning, sweeping and trashing. A bucket of old oil needed recycled so I grabbed it to empty and smelled a funny odder. Mouse? So I swept behind the shelves looking for a dead mouse. Nothing. OK... time to dump the oil... whoa... the oil smells bad! What do you know I found three mice had fallen into the oil bucket!! Has to be the most expensive mouse trap I could have ever thought of! At least they didnt end up in the airplane!

On my way out I snapped a shot of the resident Super DC-3 owned by the owner of our little airport. A big ship for this small place!

Today I did some more cleaning. I didnt last long as the still air in the hangar was rather warm. Hope to find some time to make a flight or two before taking the 170 down for annual the end of the month.

B-29 - All Four Turning

2010-06-10T18:01:00.001-05:00

Thanks to Brad Pilgrim for the picture of the CAF B-29 "FiFi" running her newly built engines over Memorial Day weekend in Midland, Texas. Now that the engines are installed and running plans are to return to the airshow circuit this summer after being absent for a few years. Hats off to the crews, mechanics and engine builders! Read about the process of returning her to the skies here.

Pacific Northwest Warbirds

2010-06-07T19:41:00.001-05:00

Warbird enthusiast Al Sauer has posted some outstanding pictures from recent flying activities from the Flying Heritage Collection and the Historic Flight. Check out the WIX forum post here.

James Horner Scores Horsemen Music

2010-06-03T21:49:00.000-05:00

Great new video on ASB.TV!

http://www.asb.tv/videos/view.php?v=6a0572b7&a=feature

Ranger, Texas Show

2010-05-31T22:15:00.001-05:00

My friend Jay and I launched off for the morning at the Ranger, Texas Flyin/Airshow early so we could make breakfast. This was my first time at the famous Ranger Airfield. As the historical marker states... Amelia Earhart landed there years ago. Jay and I enjoyed breakfast but it soon became warm as the Texas sun heated things up. We sat under the 170 for a bit watching vintage aircraft come and go. The heat didnt stop the vintage aircraft from flying in! We wanted to stay longer but other commitments had us leaving late morning. Sounds like it was a good show. My pictures from the morning are here. Hats off to Jared Calvert for preserving history in Ranger and inviting aviation enthusiasts to drop in for the weekend.

Chino Wrap Up

2010-05-30T14:53:00.001-05:00

To wrap up the posts on Chino here are the links to the pictures from that long weekend. As noted were spent some time at the Yanks Air Museum shooting pictures of their outstanding Curtiss Robin. Detailed Robin pictures are here. This is one of three Curtiss Robins they have. This one being powered by a Challenger radial.

The welcome shade from the California sun was provided by my friend Les Whittlesey at his hangar. The hangar that he calls the Cal-Aero Aviation Country Club. If you want to develop a serious case of hangar envy take a look at these pictures! Thanks again Les for the place to hang out! (The picture above is my wife and I standing with Les's award winning Lockheed 12.)

The complete gallery of edited airshow pictures is here. A great Warbird Airshow and an amazing long weekend with my lovely bride.

Chino Saturday

2010-05-16T12:05:00.002-05:00

It is Sunday morning and we are enjoying the slow start to the day. Saturdays show was worth the trip from Texas! Lots of sunshine and cool breezes. We walked the show line in the morning to get pictures and then watched the airshow from the shade of my friend Les's hangar. The large gathering of Mustangs, the formations of two Hellcats, Corsairs and Lightnings highlighted the day. Rudy Frasca's FW190 replica was on static display next to the Lyon Air Museum's B17. Word is that it made a few flights the few days before the show. Still good to see it on the show line!

So, one more day of show to go!

Friday Chino Visit

2010-05-14T22:38:00.002-05:00

After snagging the car and checking into the hotel we made our way to the Chino airport. A friend of mine has an awesome hangar on the field (pictures to come) so we said a quick hello to him. One of the goals for this trip was to shoot pictures of the Curtiss Robin at The Yanks Air Museum. Thru a friend I made contact with the director of the museum who let me take some detailed photos of the Robin. Our friend Alan was due to arrive in his Super Swift in the early afternoon. So walking the field, visitig the museum and watching airshow practice made for a very nice afternoon. The three ship Mustang acro act, The Horsemen flew a great practice show. Sounded great and was very tight formation. To many Warbird aircraft types to name now but I counted 13 Mustangs on the show line. My first time to see the award winning Happy Jacks Go Buggy! Can't wait to see the freshly restored A36 Mustang! Weather looks good and the Warbirds seem ready!

Alan made it in his Swift after some scheduling issues with the airshow practice. We looked over some of the show line and then went to dinner. Good to catch up on flying stories with him. Winding down the evening and looking forward to the show tomorrow!

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Friday Travel

2010-05-14T12:45:00.002-05:00

The morning of day one of vacation I ended up stiring at about 5am. Airshow excitement started building! I dozed a time or two and finally got up about 6. My wife and I were mostly ready for the flight to Ontario, CA. So we wrapped up the packing and loaded up. Mom Linn made the airport drop for us.

Being fairly seasoned travelers my wife and I make the airport lines and boarding with ease. Most of the morning entertainment comes from watching little kids pull tiger striped roller bags and trying to tune out chatty passengers in the seats near us. Chatty Kathy and her new friend Chatty Nancy didn't stop talking until the beverage cart came by! The chatting started up again after a sip of the $300 drinks with a free trip to CA thrown in.

This will be my fourth trip to Ontario/Chino for an aviation event. The first with my bride. I prayed all week for cool temps and blue skies so we could enjoy the show together. Chino is one of those rare airports in the U. S. that offers a very large collection of historic aircraft all in one place. Just the place you want to go for an airshow with family and friends!

We will arrived late morning and plan to swing by the Chino airport in the afternoon. Check back later for an update of our Friday sightings.

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Off to Chino

2010-05-13T20:04:00.001-05:00

This weekend we are off to Chino! A large showing of Mustangs is expected and a FW190 surprise! Watch here for updates!

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Robin Advertisement

2010-05-06T20:29:00.001-05:00

In my sorting the piles of magazines, that I have mentioned a few times on this blog, I have found a unique Curtiss Robin Advertisement. This one shows a four seat arrangement for a Robin. Has anyone else seen a Robin in this arrangement? Of the flying Robins I have not seen one like this. Time to break out the Juptner books to look it up!

Chino Airshow Soon

2010-05-05T21:43:00.000-05:00

The last time I made it to the Chino Airshow was back in 2007. The years since my last visit have proven to be quite the aerial spectacles! One year the show attracted a large collection of Grumman Bearcats. Scott Germain caught the powerful Grumman fighters in the air as can be seen in the picture above. The 2010 show is nearing and I have been talking about it to just about anyone who will listen! This year should provide another amazing show with some of the rarest ships flying the skies today and it will be my first time to see The Horsemen live in action. The Planes of Fame Museum will host the airshow and will display their rare Warbirds for the weekend. Another museum on the field is the Yanks Air Museum. This museum also features many rare Warbirds but has a large collection of vintage aircraft as well. Watch this blog for updates and photos from the event and the visits to these museums.

Warbirds Over Wanaka 2010

2010-05-02T19:52:00.000-05:00

Stunning photos from Warbirds Over Wanaka 2010.

The forum post is here.

Vintage Aircraft Advertising

2010-04-18T12:09:00.001-05:00

There is something about vintage advertising that has captured my interest. Vintage cars and airplanes have some of the most unique advertising. They transport you back to another time and place. The clothing and hair styles are very telling of the era along with the wording of the ads. In my collecting I have pulled some of my favorite ads and scanned them to post here and note some of the details that stand out.

Aeronca leads with the heading "Tandem Riding Is Out Of Date" and words the ad with "comfort, convenience, visibility." Take note that they are talking about their Low Wing and C-3 models! Comfort? In a C-3? Even when they produced their new models of the Chief, was that comfortable?? The side-by-side seating made for a cozy arrangement. I truly think that people back in the 1930s and 1940s were a lot smaller, slimmer and trimmer! Having flown my side-by-side Taylorcraft for over 300 hours and being wedged in to the bench seat with riders it makes me wonder why they thought this was a good thing? Conversations and flight instruction may have been easier by looking each other in the eye but in flying any length of time, like a cross country, it would be tight. The ad finishes with the words... "Aeronca will never build a cheap ship. Aeronca will continue, as always, to build the best low cost plane!" Fun ad.

The fact that they went on to build the Champ and Chief for many years to come.... makes me think that the ad was right!

Stinson O Flies!

2010-04-07T21:33:00.001-05:00

The Stinson Model O that has been built up by the craftsman at Evergreen Aviation Services takes to the skies! Hats off to the people providing the funds and the laborers that made this rare ship fly!

Watch the first flight video here.

Let the Fly-In Season Begin

2010-04-06T20:49:00.000-05:00

We are blessed here in Texas to be able to fly almost year round even in the coldest or hottest months or the year. I know in other parts of the country with the change of seasons to Spring the airplanes start to see more fair weather for flying. A good number made it to The Cactus Fly-In out in Arizona for one of the first vintage aircraft shows of the season. Several good reports have been brought back via some Texas AAA members. Terry Wallace from the Texas Chapter was there and took the picture above of the Luscombe Phantom that was the Grand Champion award winner. Check out this link to see the list of award winners from the fly-in. Congrats to Dick Ramsey for taking home an award for his Texas based Luscombe 8E!

So let the fly-in season begin! What shows are on your radar for this year? I know MANY will make the bigger shows but what local shows will draw you vintage aircraft enthusiasts? Last year we made the Northwest Antique Fly-In and were very happy we made the trip to that smaller, local event.

In mid-May we will be off to the Chino Airshow. Their show is a Warbird airshow but many vintage aircraft are usually in attendance. Cant hardly wait for that show. Right after that (the end of May) will be the Ranger Airfield fly-in back here in Texas. Hopefully I can fly the 170 down for that grassroots event.

One show that has been a June tradition for many years is the Texas Antique Fly-in that will be moved to October this year. The Texas heat has taken its toll on attendance numbers for this event the last few years so the members have voted to move the event to the Fall when the Texas heat has subsided. Event details will be ironed out soon and the Gainesville, Texas airport should be full of vintage aircraft this Fall.

As the season begins I will be posting a few photos and highlights from shows we attend or receive reports on. Bring on the shows! Blue Skies and Fly safe this year my friends!

Beautiful Disaster

2010-03-25T20:45:00.001-05:00

Spring is showing up here in Texas. Yard work has begun. I already did a little mowing around the house and planted a few new rose bushes. Another Spring project that is receiving some attention is my garage. This garage has been on the family property since we bought the place back in the mid-1980's and has stored boats, VW Bugs, and construction materials (for two houses!). Back in 1991 I fixed up this garage to be my office and workshop while I built my new house. When I moved in to the finished house in 1999 the garage became my sorting room for my aviation book and magazine collection. Several good friends have passed on their beloved aviation magazine collections to me. Did they get the better end of the deal or did I? This beautiful disaster has been quite the project. Some days I am excited to go sort and organize in the garage... other days I just want to stick my head in and then go back into the house. This past year I have worked in short bursts and am finally on the down hill stretch (even though it might not look like it in the picture above!). The shelves are ready for my collection. Boxes have been packed up with magazines that will go to happy collectors. The rarest of the collection will be archived or offered up for sale. A good number of modern day issues will be sent out for recycle. I hate to send them away but.... I have to prioritize. Vintage issues will take the top spots on the shelf. Tonight I found the airshow program from my first Warbird arishow (Denton, Texas CAF Airshow!) and also found a 1912 Popular Mechanics with some wild looking aircraft inside. My issues of American Airmen (the AAA/APM publication) has already been sorted and given a spot of the shelf! As I sort I will post here some of my prized issues. Well... time to go wash the dust off my hands and set a stack of magazines on the nightstand for viewing later.

Skiing in Canada

2010-03-16T17:02:00.000-05:00

Eric Dumigan is a regular posters on one of the forums I visit often. His high quality photos sure do grab my attention. So I recommend looking through his latest photo gallery on his web site. He visited the Orillia Lake Ski-In last month up in Canada and posted some awesome photos. Check out the gallery here.

Fine Day for Photos

2010-03-11T22:06:00.001-06:00

Here in Texas we talk about the weather and how fast it can change. Snowing one day and a few days later sunny and warm. A little over a week ago we were blessed with one of those sunny days on a Saturday. Light winds and clear skies are what most pilots hope for. When shooting pictures, especially air to air pictures, you REALLY hope for those conditions. A quick email and a phone call and my friend Rex and I were set up to do a photo mission. I enlisted my friend Lynn to ride and fly right seat for me while Rex had his son, Russell, ride along to handle the cameras. We briefed our flight, formation and locations before taking off. Off into the blue skies we went Rex was first in his Cherokee. Then we switched lead and is was 170s turn. As can be seen in the above shot, Russell did a fantastic job shooting the 170. An added bonus was a few short video clips. Looking forward to making a short film of the 170 soon. Thanks again to Rex and Lynn for flying and Russell (of Seed Studios) for taking the fine shots. Check out more of the 170 pics here.

Feb 2010 AAA Meeting

2010-02-21T19:13:00.001-06:00

My wife and I attended the February Texas AAA Meeting at Fort Worth's Meacham Field. Our meeting was held at the Vintage Flying Museum. This former World War Two hangar once housed B-29s and is now home to several flying vintage bombers. The B-17 "Chuckie" makes her home here along with the B-25 "Pacific Prowler." A recent bomber addition flew in just weeks ago is a A/B-26 Invader. Our hosts Doc and Chuckie Hospers gave a short program that included the history of the museum and their beloved B-17. Joe Haynes passed on some history of the Texas Chapter and his involvement since the beginings of the group. Lynn Hearn also told of his flying history and chapter membership. As the meeting came to a close members were treated to the sounds of a maintenance run on the B-25 is the crew did an engine run up. About 50 members were in attendance.

Pictures from the meeting here.

Today in Aviation History - Book Collecting

2010-02-18T07:01:00.001-06:00

Today is the birthday of the great aviation historian, Octave Chanute. The French born engineer and aviation pioneer was born on this day in 1832. Read more of his bio here. What recently captured my attention was that he wrote a book titled "Progress in Flying Machines" back in 1894. Evidently this became a book that was studied by the Wright Brothers in their quest for powered flight. What captured my attention was a book that was written so early on the subject of aviation. This is one book I would like to own. Would a copy of this book still exist? Could one be found on the open market? Well... this is the internet age... information is easily accessable! A quick search on bookfinder.com and there they are. Reprints from the 1970s and 1990s BUT also some originals! Curious enough to look for yourself? Be warned that the originals are going for about $450 for one copy and $1200 for another! What are these books worth? As a friend of mine once said... it is worth what someone will pay for it.

I like this quote from the book...
"...let us hope that the advent of a successful flying machine, now only dimly foreseen and nevertheless thought to be possible, will bring nothing but good into the world; that it shall abridge distance, make all parts of the globe accessible, bring men into closer relation with each other, advance civilization, and hasten the promised era in which there shall be nothing but peace and good-will among all men."

Maybe I will buy a more recent reprint! I have a few rare, early edition, signed aviation books in my collection. What is in your prized collection?

Spartan Picture - Magazine Find

2010-02-17T21:45:00.001-06:00

In sorting through some of my magazine collection I found a 1963 issue of AIR PROGRESS. Inside was a 10 page photo collection of "Outstanding Antiques." The Antique Airplane Association is mentioned on the title page with the photographers listed as Don Downie and Howard Levy. Spartan Executive N46426 is one of the aircraft featured in the spread. I did a quick check of my Spartan listing and found this to be a photo of serial number 31 (NC17665) that now makes its home in California. It is always fun to spot photos of Spartans in paint schemes I have never seen before. Great... another photo for the Spartan collection!

On the subject of Spartans... check out the progress Mr. Hartness is making on the restoration of his Spartan Executive, NC13PH, serial number 13. See the photo gallery here.