Not sure what category to put this in. In March I went to visit my 82 year old stepmom in rural Tennessee. A nephew took me out to see a neat airstrip in the middle of nowhere. .. the type place you would never dreamed existed where it was. I later learned it was called Askey Field (was 9TN5) and that the local govt had closed it down in 2006. It used to be about 1600feet of rolling lawn type pasture that was also Harry Askey's front yard. ... definitely Super Cub size when I saw it. But that wasn't the best part. The best part was the pregnant quonset hut/hanger across the grass runway that was puking its contents out the open doors. To the right were several old cars and a derilect tractor. To the left were some cool antique gas pumps. In the doorway were 3 Model A trucks, one of which was on an antique lift. As I entered the darkness after meeting Harry, my eyes started to see the other goodies.....the 2 Luyscombe L8a's, the 1935 Chevrolet Cabrolet roadster that had a flathead v8 that started instantly and purred (I know, I heard it run), the parital T-6 canopy and the P51 panel in the rafters....the antique boat trailer from the 1920's, etc. You had to literally weave your way around in the hanger through all the COOL STUFF!!! You get the picture. A place where you could wander and poke and prod for hours contained in a hanger large enough to hold about 6 airplanes carefully placed. Also there were many memorabilia posters of Harry's earlier days of being on the airshow circuit in his various Stearman biplanes and the several scrapbooks with stuff that could never, ever, ever be replaced............I greatly enjoyed meeting and talking with Harry and discussing the possible plan to come in and see him in my 182 some day. Harry is a gracious gentleman and somewhat of a local icon and character. I hoped to get back to visit again before my week in Culleoka, TN was over, but didn't make it.

On Tuesday, June 2, I called my step mom to see how she was doing and she told me Harry's hanger was no more. Here is what I could find on the web..

"WSMV-TV
updated 3:15 p.m. AKT, Fri., May 29, 2009
COLUMBIA, Tenn. - A barn went up in flames Wednesday in Maury County, destroying two airplanes and several antique cars, among other items.

Harry Askey, the owner, said he tried to start a golf cart in the barn on East Sheepneck Road, but it stalled, so he used another one to drive out onto his property.

When Askey came back five minutes later, the barn was fully engulfed".

She said that Harry mainly now just drives up and down the road or sits at the local town meeting spot talking to the older timers with a somewhat lost look. The place he used to putter is no more. Tell me that life doesn't suck sometimes.

Our main farm is 30 miles from Frasca field. I had stored the 185 there for a few months at one time. As you said, it is a great place to visit. I heard he owned around 70 planes at one time. Lots of things on display and the really good stuff is tucked away out of site. Two grass strips and a paved one.

I don't know if Rudi still flys, but I assume he does. Stopped in there a month ago and he wasn't around. He was part of the Lima-Lima T34 group that performs at Osk Kosh and elsewhere. The first time I ever saw a plane on skis was Rudi, when he flew into a small local airport. He flew across the public road on the end of the runway, just high enough to clear the lights and plopped it down. The snow was so wet, we helped push to get him going again. When I was at his field one winter morning, he was cutting donuts on the snow, out on the ramp in his Cadillac. Quite a hot dog and a part of aviation history as we want to remember it. Worth a stop if you are in the area. Steve

How sad.... all that history. What a lose

You know what they say,
If the world didn't suck, We would all fall off.

We had a similar thing happen to Ritsky's avionics shop in Garrison MN.
Don liked the old Avion, and had a few in his hanger / shop when it burned. No insurance.
One of the Avions was cherry with a panel to dream about.

Some trophy's are in your mind, and the interesting people you meet on the trail.
I knew a couple old timers like this, I think of them more than the planes they had.
happy day

FRASCA,

Wasn't it his son "Joe" who died some years while flying an aerobatic airplane. My recollection is that he bailed out of the aircraft, after an engine failure. That the chute was unfastened and not secured to his body when he jumped. Seems like it was in Arkansas somewhere....maybe Ft. Smith?

All this is a foggy memory of 14/15 years ago. Feel free to correct all the errors.

Bob

Bob,

I don't remember exactly how long ago it was either, but Arkansas sounds like the right state. You are right, he did not have the chute fastened when he bailed out. Bad enough he had to depart the plane and then to have that happen. He would have had a few seconds knowing what the outcome was going to be. Steve