rlhawk11 wrote:There is still more to the story. Tell us about how the three of you got back home and the problems in transportation, picking up your camping gear at JC and McCall, and getting a vehicle to get home in. Also how you replaced your plane in 10 days and what with.
Hawk
Well it seems like GrassStripPilot and Hawk are on a similar track. Like Paul Harvey used to say: Here is the rest of the story.
After taking care of things like the FAA, NTSB, securing the aircraft and thanking everyone who helped, we still had to figure out how we were going to get home.
Brent & Bob N952WK landed at West Fork, MT and returned to the scene with Jim Hollis in the courtesy van provided by West Fork Lodge. Tex & Heidi Irwin welcomed us to
their lodge where the quest to figure out how we get home began. That is after a couple of very strong adult beverages.
Remember, all of our gear was at Johnson Creek and we were in West Fork, MT. Bob returned to Johnson Creek with Brent. Brent ferried Bob and all of our gear from JC
to Mc Call, ID. I began trying to locate a rental car since my insurance policy did not include transportation after an incident. After all, we are supposed to be
dead after an aviation incident. Right? This might be something you want to review with your insurance agent.
Well we were still verticle and had a problem on our hands. There was not a rental car available within 350 miles of West Fork or Darby, MT due to some event in the
area. Bob even tried to locate a car in McCall to no avial. We considered buying a junker car and renting a trailer from U-Haul to get ourselves and gear back to the
West Coast.
Bob eventually located a 21' U-Haul truck between Mc Call and Boise with help from the FBO at Mcall. Now the problem was reduced to getting from Darby, MT to McCall
ID. This is not an easy task, since there are no direct roads between the points let alone any rental cars available.
Now it began time to call in some markers of people I know through the Recreational Aviation Foundation (TheRAF.org). BTW, I recommend that you support this group
because they are getting the job done. I found a friend, Carl Hicks, in Missoula, MT and he was at West Fork within 2 hrs after hearing what happened. Unfortunately
we could not get two passengers and all their gear recovered from 27Z into Carls' plane (something about the passengers being too fat. HMMMM. Yup it is true.) So we
loaded what we could and Carl flew us to McCall. Carl then returned to West Fork, picked up our gear and shipped it to me.
Guys & gals: This is some community we play in. Carl, you will never know how much we appreciate your generosity and assistance during this stressful time.
Well, we got to McCall and began our journey home in a U-Haul truck. Now we all know how advertising tends to fluff things up. Nobody fluffs it up more than U-Haul.
Take my word for it. IT IS NOT AN ADVENTURE IN MOVING while traveling from McCall to Concord, CA in a U-HAUL.
We arrived home to stressed out significant others. My wife had a completely different take on the incident than me. Something about 'You want to fly again!???'.
Things went very smoothly with my insurance company (Global Aerospace). They were on the scene the following Monday and had 27Z in a boneyard on Wednesday and I was
paid in full within 3 weeks.
I immediately began a search for a replacement plane while getting a lot of flak from my wife. I explained I was just checking the market. I located candidates in
AZ, TX, PA, CT and MT. I was even checking flights to go look at them.
Now here is a nice twist. Remember the plane that GrassStripPilot mentioned. I encouraged him to buy this plane, as I knew its' history since it was delivered from
the factory. The plane has been at my home base (KSZP) since new, maintained by my IA since new and I have teased the owner about buying it if anything ever happened
to my C-205 (which I have flown for 37 yrs.). Well I bet you have guessed what happened. I got a sympathy call from the owner of N8450Z about 10 days after the
incident and he let me know his plane was for sale. My wife asked me how my day was when she returned home and I told her 'FANTASTIC!!!' She seemed a bit surprised
because I had been somewhat sad since losing 27Z. She was quite pleased
that I had a FANTASTIC day, but her demeanor changed
when I told her why (I had
purchased 50Z).
The waters have calmed and we have taken a couple of family trips in 50Z. All it really took was driving her from Clayton, Ca to Phoenix, AZ and she realized how
important 'our' plane is to 'us'. I have never doubted the wisdom of my wife and she came through. I have about 20 hrs on the plane and put VG's on a few weeks ago.
I'm on my way to Phoenix next week to pick up 27Z (Yes, I purchased it from the insco.) I'll be preparing the new plane (another C-205 built 23 airplanes after 27Z)
with the following that I will remove from 27Z:
HD nose gear
800x6 mains
HD brakes
LEES exhaust system
GAMIS
Alternator
Brackett Air filter (yes, I'll look at the air box very closely again)
EI engine analyzer
EI Oil Temp
EI fuel flow computer
EI Mux box (It is amazing the story revealed by looking at the EGTs and CHTs after the engine failure)
Rosen visors
Horizon tachometer
I will also have a good supply of C-205 parts warehoused in my hangar.
I have some items for sale and I'll be listing them in FS section after I get what I want from 27Z. PM me if you need something.
Now, there is one small problem with the replacement plane. It has a new panel in it, and the instruments are in the wrong places compared to 27Z. I guess I will
just have to live with this problem. I can actually see all of the instrument while flying.
Here is a pic of the new (to me) plane:
And here is that panel I need to get comfortable with
I just hope all of us can remain calm and clear headed enough to do this should we ever encounter the same situation.
