The first plane I ever flew and learned to fly in is still at my home airport. It's not flown anymore from what I can tell. Just sits there all forlorn looking.



The first airplane I ever owned was an Aeronca Champ N3115E. It went up the hill to Jackson, CA and I haven't seen or heard from it since.

The first airplane I ever built was an RV-4, N311SV is down in Las Cruces NM and still flying as far as I know. He's changed the livery on it though.

Great Cessna 185.....I put well over 3000 hours on this one, till the crankshaft broke......

After I parked it:



The wreck was bought by a fellow from Omak, WA, who rebuilt it. What it looks like now:



Great to see the beast looking good again and flyable once more.

MTV

Officially there is no avgas in Ukraine, but the old Aztruck seems to have ended up there!

http://www.planesphotos.net/details.php ... 6e12adb464

L18C-95 wrote:Officially there is no avgas in Ukraine, but the old Aztruck seems to have ended up there!

http://www.planesphotos.net/details.php ... 6e12adb464

I think "G" is a Great Britain registration, isn't it? Maybe it was just passing through?

It is G reg, but was sold to Romania, then lived in Greece, and you may be right it could well be in transit through Ukraine.

It was ferried over new and has had a colourful life with stints in Sicily, a role in a TV movie - when the photo was taken it no longer had UK maintenance release papers so it may have finally gone commando.

You want to talk about disappointment...

This isn't one of y'all's, is it?



Found in Arctic Village.

GumpAir wrote:Once they pull out all the wood splinters Rod B stuffed into the leading edge of the right wing . . . .

Gump

Would that be called deforestation? Or is de-Forestation when you sell a plane?

PA12_Pilot wrote:

GumpAir wrote:Once they pull out all the wood splinters Rod B stuffed into the leading edge of the right wing . . . .

Gump

Would that be called deforestation? Or is de-Forestation when you sell a plane?

No, de-Forrestation is when an ex would get fed up and divorce my ass!

Gump

MTV,

What's impressive to me about your "parking" job is that you were able to completely shred the wing and tail without mashing any prop blades. That's a heck of a restoration, any idea how many hours/years it took to restore?

GumpAir wrote:

PA12_Pilot wrote:

GumpAir wrote:Once they pull out all the wood splinters Rod B stuffed into the leading edge of the right wing . . . .

Gump

Would that be called deforestation? Or is de-Forestation when you sell a plane?

No, de-Forrestation is when an ex would get fed up and divorce my ass!

Gump

Truly LOL! An instant classic quote!

4Whitey wrote:MTV,

What's impressive to me about your "parking" job is that you were able to completely shred the wing and tail without mashing any prop blades. That's a heck of a restoration, any idea how many hours/years it took to restore?

Not sure how I managed that. Landed in a heavily forested are with one small area that had recently burned (like the week before I arrived). I landed in the burn, but all that hillside is swampy, and covered with tussocks. The floats touched, slid about fifty feet when the right float hit a particularly large tussock, and over it went.

I've never been able to recall the flip...I suspect that negative G blacked me out. I recall hitting that tussock, then sitting there upright. Don't know how long I checked out. Only damage to me was a divot in my left calf where my leg apparently flailed, and the back of that leg hit the adjustment handle for the seat. No big deal, but I'm guessing the tumble would have been pretty spectacular to watch.

The fellow who bought the wreck owned one of if not the largest aircraft salvage yards in the world in Omack. He told me he was getting ready to retire, and this was going to be his retirement airplane. Since he owned a salvage yard, I doubt it cost him much for parts I don't know how long the rebuild took.

He paid $26,000 for the wreck in Fairbanks. No engine, no prop. Had to drive the AK Highway with truck and trailer, load it up and drive home. While he was there, I asked him if this was worth $26 K. He responded by pointing to the cowling, and stating that a new cowling from Cessna was worth $26 K, and this one was in perfect condition.

It's all relative, I guess.

MTV

mtv wrote:

4Whitey wrote:MTV,

He paid $26,000 for the wreck in Fairbanks. No engine, no prop. Had to drive the AK Highway with truck and trailer, load it up and drive home. While he was there, I asked him if this was worth $26 K. He responded by pointing to the cowling, and stating that a new cowling from Cessna was worth $26 K, and this one was in perfect condition.

It's all relative, I guess.

MTV

Note to self: "Don't damage the engine cowling on the 185."

Glad you made it out in one piece! Hell of a parking job.

Well, it was one of my shorter landings.

They used to say it was a good landing if the doors still opened after the flight, and a great landing if you could use the airplane again the next day.

This was not a great landing.....

MTV