pssst....wanna buy a plane?

[Bill Hough]

Dave, When I was in the Air Force, I was stationed in Bermuda. We would always stop what we were doing to see a Shackleton land. It was always an event!, but on the other hand, the VC-10 was beatiful.

[Bill Hough]

Sorry, meant to say beautiful!
Mark, I learned to fly in a Champ. I guess that dates me!

[David Morton]

FRP - what year? We 'arrived' in a Mk2 (tail wheel) to do SAR cover for a royal visiting the Carribean. 2 days transit via Lajes. I'll try and dig out my log book. My recollections were that it was incredibly expensive and the RAF treated us like paupers but BOAC catering took pity on us and catered us just like the royals with fresh everything we ever wanted everyday.
I think the local bimbos took pity on us as well but thats another story...... never a dull moment.
I also recollect the airport billed the RAF a massive amount for cleaning up where we were parked as we dripped oil everywhere on their concrete.
Does about 1970/71 ring a bell?

[Mark Worthington]

Originally Posted by Pete

My very favourite aircraft I had a rating on....The Tiger Moth.

Color me envious, Pete. Two wings are better than one, just like round engines are better than flat ones. My brother, a USAF C-130 pilot with lots of time in lots of airplanes, was a partner in a Stearman when he lived in Houston. Now that was a fun airplane, even with the weaker 220 hp engine!

I'd love to get some seat time in another bipe.

BTW, you know what they say about round engines? They don't leak oil - they just mark their territory!

[Randy V]

I've had my pilot's license for almost 30 years now. I have always loved the Canard aircraft and realize that they have some short-comings (take-off and landing speed rather high) but they have a couple of traits that general aviation could benefit from - Given their canard configuration they are exceptionally difficult to next to impossible to either stall or spin.
They will, however, get into PIO (Pilot Induced Oscillation) which may be difficult to understand and regain control over.

Burt Rutan is a genius - that I am convinced of.

The Long EZ is a later variant of tbe Veri-EZ which was one of Burt and Dick's first offerings..

Composites can be very safe but require very strict control over the resin forumulation and controlling UV exposure to the structure by proper gell-coating and/or paint.

I'm sure Bill FRPGuy knows all about that stuff..

I, like many others, also love the old Rag-Wings. Given my local, there are many Aeronca's / Bellanca's in the area as well as all the Piper offerings over the span of their existance.

[Bill Hough]

Dave, I was in Bermuda in 1967 -'68. War was hell... fighting off the girls as they hit the beach, but some one had to do it. We had four HC-130 for search and rescue. I flew as a "scanner". I spotted a piece of Atlas missil shrouding on my first mission.I think I have about forty hours flying in the dreaded 'Bermuda Triangle". I didn't see anything spooky, just a lot of whales & water. We listened to the Indy 500 while flying out in the Atlantic two years in a row.
Randy, my first airplane ride was in a Bellanca Curise Air. I don't see many Bellancas anymore. One of the few planes that will cruise at 150 indicated with a, I think, 150 horse Franklin engine.

[David Morton]

Thats how I started as a 'scope dope' along with Sonar, Radio, Photography, and gunnery on the Shack. After two squadrons and a tour in the sim, I saw the light and took my drivers licence. 67-68 was before
I went there but I resemble your remark about fighting them off though I carried a white flag with me. I capitulated every time.
Flew in the P3C quite a lot out of Sigonella as well - I think it was with VP52 but can't be sure now - hard drive is playing up.

[Jac Mac]

Originally Posted by Mark Worthington

Color me envious, Pete. Two wings are better than one, just like round engines are better than flat ones. My brother, a USAF C-130 pilot with lots of time in lots of airplanes, was a partner in a Stearman when he lived in Houston. Now that was a fun airplane, even with the weaker 220 hp engine!

I'd love to get some seat time in another bipe.

BTW, you know what they say about round engines? They don't leak oil - they just mark their territory!

Mark & others,

If your ever down my way in NZ give me a call and I will take you out to Mandeville Airfield where they restore & fly De Havilland Aircraft. If the weathers fine you could have some seat time in the Tiger Moth ( Instructor on site ) or if you have a few in your party a scenic flight can be arranged in either a Fox Moth,Dominie/Rapide. Restoration work is ongoing & current projects include Fox Moth- Moth Minor-Chipmunks- along with several operational a/c on display in the adjacent museum both of which you can walk thru and get up close & personal with the a/c.

As for my own flight training the local Aero Club had 100hp Cub, Traumahawk, 181 Cherokee on line plus access to 180/185/172/182- Cessna's. Club exists in name only now as some clever types felt it would be better to amalgamate with area flight college, all those a/c gone now, sold to purchase Robins.

Jac Mac

[David Morton]

ah De Havilland !

[SpyderMike]

While on the topic of composites- here is my current flying composite (a great traveling machine - 200mph cruise at 13GPH and 81 usable gallons) followed by the one next in line (five year building - 90% done and 90% left to finish. I like planes.

Mike

[Bill Hough]

Mike, Nice!!! The only Aircraft composite work I do now, is some repair work for a FBO in trade for rental time in a C-172. A few years back I was right out straight making parts for a plans built aerobatic plane called the "One Design"
Jac Mac, I have a good friend that is a commander of an F-15 squadron. I'll have him look you up the next time he's there. Have you seen a French biplane called a "Stampe" anywhere where you fly. A friend and I used to fly one all over New England. We threw the Frech engine out and put a Lyc. Eng. in it. And yes! I built a fiberglass cowling for it. Worked great! It's been crashed twice since then & still flying.
You know, get pilots telling "old war stories" or doing some "hanger flying" and this thread could go on forever.

[Jac Mac]

Bill,
I think there is a Stampe in NZ somewhere, read an article in Classic Wings Downunder a while back, could have been in OZ though , will check. You have my e-mail for your friend to make contact, and you have an e-mail on another matter.

cheers
Jac Mac

[SpyderMike]

FRP - I am familiar with the One Design. Rihn (sp?) was behind that plane I think (DR-107)?.

I have been involved in the homebuilt hobby for some 20+ years. My first "aircraft" was a Bensen Gyrocopter. I also once owned an avionics shop heavily involved in homebuilt instrument panels. I love airplanes.

I even once looked at buying a Stampe! Very much Tioget Moth looking - the Moth is my al time favorite bipe I think.

Mike

[Ron Earp]

David, some cool plane you have flown, that is awesome. Wish I had some of that experience, but maybe I'll get to chat with you sometime in England.

I just learned to fly a few years ago and must admit most of my time has been in boring aircraft, IMHO. Anything with tailwheel sounds exciting while everything else I've done has been interesting but not exciting. I'm afraid I'm one to use a plane for pleasure and don't want to travel in it, so the super capable IFR planes are not as appealing as say a RAV6 or even a good old Luscombe or similar.

That Moth rocks Mike!

Jac, I think my own flying club is dying a slow death too. It has been around longer than I have, since 62 I think, but the recent move to buying a bunch of IFR Mooney's and new 172s have put a lot of the "fun" crowd off, and that was the bread and butter, read high volume renters, in the club. Now the club owns a lot of expensive planes and only a handful fly, where it used to have a lot of planes a lot of people flew. The US company that imports these Allegros into the US are located at my home field and I have to say these are cool aircraft to fly, even sans tailwheel:

Fantasy Air

Cool thread, nice to learn about all the interest in aviation on this forum! Ton of knowledge here and not just about GT40s.

Ron

[David Morton]

What might have been.....
Thes most amazing project I was ever involved in was helping set up the finance and running the organisation to buy up to six B747.400 freighters. This was to have been in parallel to my flying in BA and if it went ahead, I would have resigned from BA. I was working on my days off from BA and RaceMet with Hugh Paton in JP Morgan Chase and Hugh had set up secure funding for the aeroplanes. My involvement was applying to the CAA and setting up the management for this operation, looking at building offices at Stansted Airport, recruiting pilots who could also be considered as trainers, negotiating simulator prices and so on and on. It all came to nothing on a tragic day in St Mawgan in Cornwall - the west country. Hugh flew from London to there with his family to go to a restaurant in Padstowe and the rest is history. Military Heli Pilot Denies Blame For Cessna Crash
http://www.spinalcordinjury.co.uk/pd...ompass%207.pdf
There was nobody else in JP Morgan Chase who could have taken it on from Hugh and certainly nobody with his enthusiasm ond doggedness.
Great character, sad loss.

[Scott Calabro]

Sorry to hear about your friend Dave .
What type of Helo was the military operating on the adjacent runway?
Certainly heavy rotor wash nearby could affect a light aircraft like your friend's Cessna on landing rollout.

You're eye's must have gone crazy staring at that FE's panel when you served !!!

Best,
Scott

[SpyderMike]

Ron,

That is actually a picture of a Stampe. It is very Moth looking (except for the tail)...

[Ron Earp]

Originally Posted by SpyderMike

Ron,

That is actually a picture of a Stampe. It is very Moth looking (except for the tail)...

Sorry, I thought it was a Stampe Moth and just shortened the name. Never heard of them before, but they do look a lot like a Tiger Moth. Home built and still available? I'll search on the web.

R

[Daryl Adams]

I think I'll be sticking with sailplanes.

[Ron Earp]

Flying under the perpetual engine out procedure....