Is any one interested in writing articles? I think it would be cool if we had a few user submitted articles similar to what you used to find in Northern Pilot and Mountain Pilot. If anyone is so ambitious, we could even have a "column" or two.

These could be trip logs, or a photo piece, or just a story with a few pics... Something to add some juicy content to the site while the message board is still thin.

== update ==============

So far we've received about 6 articles, pretty good! Keep em coming.

Write/pm me or post here if you are interested. Do not post your story in this thread, as it doesn't show up in the View Recent Topics area, so it's easy to look over it.

Z

Hey there one seventy, I have one I'm sending you that you should find interesting about the infamous Helio aircraft Co. that will be published in Sport Aviation (EAA) later this year.......I will e-mail to you..

Cheers for now,

Stephen

I have been doing research on my first airplane purchase and was able to purchase several old 50' , 60', and 70's era pilot magazines.
In Sept. 1970 issue of Plane & Pilot magazine is a REALLY GOOD article about flying Idaho Back Country as a new pilot. It has a lot to ; what to watch for , along with helpful tips and such about BCP pilotage ?

Is there any of our folks that keep library stuff like that available ?
if so , my e-mail is : tinsta4453.1 @juno.com

I am always willing to share stuff as long as it helps our people along lifes rocky roads ?

Thanks,
mike

tinstar4453 wrote:Is there any of our folks that keep library stuff like that available ?

Our EAA chapter has quite a bit in its library. That wouldn't be for lend to non-members, but if you knew of a specific article in an issue I'd take a look for it and photocopy.

Benton 17feb09

What happened to "old" web site- I really enjoyed the home page with the pictures / links and such. What you' done with this ??? Inquiring minds want to know.
Thanks
Bill Reid 182 STOL Driver

Here's a true story, somewhat of interest what with the current situation over there! BTW Rogers last name was Helms, Richard Helms, his uncle,was with the CIA from '62 to '73

http://www.pterodactylhangar.com/

Forget the previous link, it was incorrect, here is the story I wrote in 2002:

As an old time hard core Dac pilot (my bird was on the cover of the National Geographic August '83) I saw the KitPlanes article and immediately started to see if any misconceptions or errors were there about the mighty Dac. None were, you did a great job on getting across what a unique and still very cool aircraft the Dac is! I put over 600 hours on various wings, and once flew over 1600 miles up into Canada (Gimli) on a solo XC. This was back when the other ultralight designs were lucky to get off the damn ground, much less go anywhere. My favorite trick was keeping a roll of toilet paper on the inboard compression stmt, very handy while camped out and a huge laugh guaranteed when shown to others.' I wrote the following story after 9-11, the first time I'd put down on paper what had happened. Enjoy. (PS I fly a Rans S-7 Courier now, great bird if you ever want something different)

During the early 1980s I was selling, building, flying, and training others in ultralight aircraft. The “PteroDactyl” was my choice of aircraft, it had excellent rough/short field capabilities, I was very familiar with the airframe, having flown Manta Fledge hang gliders, which the Dac wing was based on, it had great climb performance, useful in the mountains of Idaho, and the company prez, Jack McCornack was a lot of fun to deal with. Those who know Jack know what I mean!

I was helping to man the official Pterodactyl booth at the 1981 S&F Event as part of my unofficial duties as a good Dac dealer, it was fun meeting all the interesting people and talking flying non-stop, and it freed up Jack to do who knows what. During the second day I had a longer then usual conversation with a couple in their mid 20s, Roger was going to Harvard, and was obviously well bred, plus a nice guy. His lovely young wife, whose name escapes me, was very interesting to look at, I couldn’t quite pin down her country of origin however, she clearly was not US born. Roger’s questions about the Dac quickly turned to its high altitude performance and payload capability. I told him I routinely flew over the highest mountains in Idaho and other western states while packing full camping gear, he was very intrigued by that, as most were. Then I mentioned how one person could break it down in less then an hour and throw it on a compact car without even needing a roof rack, how it could operate safely out of plowed fields, and it also was a good power off soaring machine. Over the next couple days Roger and his wife came back to chat several times, and we got to know each other. The last day of the event he confided his real interest in the Dac: his wife was a member of the exiled Afghan royal family, and he was looking for the ultralight most capable for the mission he had in mind.

The mission was to help the Afghan freedom fighters battle the Soviet invaders with Pterodactyls! It seemed that the Soviets were well aware of the lack of aircraft equipped freedom fighters, and were lax in protecting their compounds from aerial attack. The idea was that some serious damage could be done by the first few Dac attacks, after that, heavy casualties could be expected by the flying freedom fighters, but that was a sacrifice they were willing make.

The following month Roger and his wife flew out to Idaho, and stayed for 2 weeks while I demonstrated the Dac’s flight performance carrying different payloads representing different weapon systems. He had a catalog, (who know where he got it, but his uncle was a past director of the CIA during the Nixon administration), that had all kinds of lethal weaponry, their sizes and weights. Roger assiduously videotaped every flight, also the complete procedure of assembly and disassembly. They had purchased a Dac from me, I trained him to fly it, and he did quite well. The second week they were visiting her uncle arrived for a few days, he had just been released from a Russian prison camp. He looked like a holocaust survivor, very emaciated; he had been chief physician at the largest hospital in Kabul and as such was imprisoned in the Soviet effort to undermine the Afghan society. When he first arrived I was drilling some holes in my concrete shop foundation, which was under construction. He was very interested in the rotary impact drill, the reason being that the freedom fighters were fighting Hind helicopter gunships while exposed on rocky slopes, and he thought such a tool might be able to make a hole big enough for a man to hide in! That really brought home what they were dealing with over there.

As their visit drew to a close, Roger made me an offer: I could be flown to Pakistan, and assist in training select members of the freedom fighters to fly Dacs, and they would train others. Instruction in assembly and disassembly would be followed by a nighttime trip over the Khyber Pass with donkeys carrying the broken down aircraft. I could participate in that also, and perhaps even a combat mission if I desired. Fat chance! My life was not that boring to need such a major adrenalin fix, I got that flying local. I never heard from Roger again, the sale of dozens of Dacs never materialized, the covert supplying of Stinger missiles by the US government to aid the freedom fighters no doubt proving a more effective weapon then a 200 lb ultralight.

Gump has to have some interesting stories to tell. I know he has a lot of great things to say in most of his post's. But if you put them all together, heck, you might even have one hell of a great book to sell. I dunno, maybe he's already working on a book??

The mission was to help the Afghan freedom fighters battle the Soviet invaders

And to think we're fighting them(Afghan freedom fighters) now with UAV's.

I vote for Gump

To fight the Soviet invaders?????

I passed, you're up!

OK, let me go dig my rifle out of the closet. When do I ship out?

Gump

1SeventyZ wrote:Is any one interested in writing articles? I think it would be cool if we had a few user submitted articles similar to what you used to find in Northern Pilot and Mountain Pilot. If anyone is so ambitious, we could even have a "column" or two.

These could be trip logs, or a photo piece, or just a story with a few pics... Something to add some juicy content to the site while the message board is still thin.

== update ==============

So far we've received about 6 articles, pretty good! Keep em coming.

Write/pm me or post here if you are interested. Do not post your story in this thread, as it doesn't show up in the View Recent Topics area, so it's easy to look over it.

Z

Bill Berle (EZFLAP ) is man for the job, see his http://www.grantstar.net/ web site for articles on aviation.

This is not a recent request. This was originally posted Dec 2004. I know I have it stickied, but no one has posted anything article-like it nature in a long time. We had a few originally that were entertaining reads, but interest waned. Perhaps when the new website arrives, which will be more magazine-like, we can have some contributing writers add some non-forum articles. It will be good.

Thanks.

Anyone interested in humorous aviation adventure articles is welcome to read any of the ones that I have written over the years. Thanks to 182STOLdriver for the kind words.

These articles can be found at http://www.grantstar.net/index.php/avia ... ories.html

Anyone looking for an experienced professional grant proposal writer (for some back country aviation project or otherwise) is welcome to peruse the other areas of that website as well.

courierguy,
Thanks.....interesting read. Reading it brings up old memories (and I'm only 50). Gave me quite a chuckle and reminded me of a personal situation along similar lines. I was living overseas and was given an offer to teach Cambodians shooting techniques. I'll end it there.
WW

If anyone is interested in tales of flying big airplanes in Africa, then I can tell some tales. Bush flying in a 747 freighter can be fun.
JW