It's So Old!
But it still smells fresh.
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With all this old stuff sticking around, you have to wonder how we keep it
smelling so fresh. Ha! I've got quite the secret up my sleeve.
You see, my wonderful wife makes candles. Not just any candles, but
soy candles. Highly scented, and at a price anybody can afford.
Even me.
So, cruise on over to Skyline Candle
Company, and pick yourself up a candle or twelve. I recommend the
Waterfall Mist. Smells so good. Way better than all these moldy
old headlines.
FMI: Skyline Candle Co.
Taildraggers, Inc. Archives - March 2010
These are our top stories and links from March 2010. They're still cool,
but we gotta keep the home page clean and quick to load! Enjoy the
Archives!
And as always, if you have a link or photo to share, we'd love to
hear about it, and hopefully add it to the site. We are also looking
for guest writers and photographers to submit content. If you would
like to write an article or a photo essay, shoot us an email. We
won't pay you (we don't even pay ourselves), but we will give you full credit for any contributions.
Drop us a line anytime:
webmaster@taildraggersinc.com
Spring
Has Sprung
It's time to shake the winter blues,
and scrape the rust off of your flying skills.
If you are the type of pilot who enjoys low and slow in an open cockpit,
odds are you haven't seen much air time the last few months. Well,
friends, lucky for you, we live on a giant spinning ball where the seasons
change a few times a year. Flying season is officially here!
I'm hoping to get out to the airport a little more this spring than I did
over the winter. I need to brush up on my tailwheel skills, and try
to log some "good time". My goals for this year are to get checked
out in the Citabria over at
AeroEngines in Winchester, VA (KOKV),
and log enough -8 time to become RV "insurance qualified".
I've got a lot to keep me busy without any flying, however. My wife
and I just bought our first home in late February, and we're expecting our
second child in June. Time is a sacred thing, ladies and gentleman.
Enjoy the opportunities you have to spend it with the people you love,
doing things you enjoy, while you still have it.
Today's photo is from the Antique Airplane Association Colorado Chapter's
April 2010 newletter. Sorry, but I'm not sure who took the
photo.
I'll end today's update with a question: What are you planning to do
to get yourself airworthy for another year? Tell us all about your
flying goals for 2010 over in the
Forum.
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The
Plane That Thrills You
Today's update is a quote.
"I don't think anyone builds a Pietenpol expecting it to transport a whole
family (plus friends) in enclosed, heated comfort, in half the time that a
car takes. What it CAN do is transport the pilot (and one lucky passenger
at a time) back in time, to a simpler age, when getting there in a hurry
wasn't so important - back to the days when flying was more appreciated
for the wonder that it really is. Flying in a Pietenpol (or any similar
open cockpit airplane, for that matter) is an entirely different
experience than flying in any enclosed "Spam can".
In my opinion, if you're only going to have one airplane (which, by the
way, is one more than most people), get (or even better, build) one that
will give you a thrill every time you fly it, rather than be a practical
mode of transportation from A to B. If you're looking for a mode of
transportation, there are plenty of airlines that can provide that service
much more economically than owning your own plane. I don't know of any
airline that can provide the experience that a Pietenpol ride can."
- Bill Church
The photo above is of Douwe Blumberg's recently completed Pietenpol
Aircamper. If you would like to learn more about the Pietenpol,
please visit the
Pietenpol
Family website. If you really want to build a Piet, you can't go
wrong by joining all the other like-minded individuals on the
Matronics Pietenpol-List, the source of today's quote, and the best
resource for Pietenpol builders and enthusiasts.
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Pilot Hypoxia - A Real Tape From FL320
Most of us who fly for pleasure rarely
get above a few thousand feet unless we have to. Flying is just more
fun when you're flying low. That is not the case for our brothers in
their big, fancy jets. Up in the Flight Levels the air is smooth and
clear, and you can zoom right on past all but the most extreme weather.
Flying the in Flight Levels, however, is not without danger. The
extreme cold and thin air are life-threatening and potentially
un-survivable without pressurization. This tape is proof of the
effects of hypoxia on a flight crew of Kalitta Six Six, a Lear 25 flying
from Manassas, VA to Ypsilanti, MI at FL320.
Click
HERE to read the full write up from
The Aviation Herald.
Special thanks to site sponsor Shannon Coleman of
Sierra Tango
Aviation for today's update.
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Ford Tri-motor Aerobatics
Wait... Is that right? A
Ford Tri-motor doing aerobatics? Say it ain't so!!! Relax,
Harold Johnson is a professional. Oh, and it's from the 1930's.
A time when men were still men, and freedom was something you didn't just
read about in history books.
This video was posted on YouTube by one Greg Herrick. Greg has been
amassing a museum-worthy collection of vintage airplanes. They call
it the Golden
Wings Flying Museum. Check out their
website,
or give them a call to take a tour the next time you're in Blaine, MN.
Tell 'em Taildraggers, Inc. sent you. They'll have no idea what
you're talking about...
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The
Ultralight Experience
When I was a younger man, I used to
spend my days clicking through AOL looking for anything I could find that
related to aviation. They used to have the only active web presence
of hang glider pilots, and I often dreamed one day I'd learn to fly a big
kite. My grandfather was awestruck by hang gliders, and I still have
his old books with all the pictures from the early days of sky surfing.
As I'm sure you're all aware, ultralights evolved from hang gliders, so I
consider my interest in the less than 254 lb segment of aviation to be
nothing more than natural evolution.
I can hear the cries now, "But those are tricycle geared! They don't
belong here!" Well, let me 'splain
something
to you. Warbirds are neat, but to me... Meh.
Ultralights? Giggiy-giggity.
Comprende?
Where am I going with all this babbling? Okay, if you have even a
passing interest in things that fly, you will be won over by Jim McKay's "The
Ultralight Experience". A photo journal of one man's 1980's
endeavor into the world of light flight, the website is nothing short of
inspiring. You'll learn all about things you never wanted to know.
Disco camping, airgasms, doodahs, wedgies, cloud parties, and flying to
the edge of the world. Somewhere in all of this, you'll fall in love
with aviation all over again. I did.
I found Jim's website way back when, and I come back to it when I feel
like I need a new awakening. The photos and stories shake my
consciousness and remind me of all the reasons I love flying and aviation.
At the end it all, it doesn't really matter what you fly. All
that's truly important is that you fly.
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Blue Ice Aviation
Matthew Keller owns a small air-taxi
service in Alaska called
Blue Ice
Aviation. He transports people into the Alaskan wilderness in a
Piper Super Cub. He can take you for a Flightseeing Tour,
Photography Tour, Glacier Tour, go Backcountry Skiing, take a Guided Hike,
and more! Of course, you'd have to go to Alaska for that.
Now, I'm not one who does a lot of travelling, so fortunately for me, Matt
has posted some great videos on
Vimeo. Matt also has some really phenomenal photos on his
blog.
If you go to Alaska, look up
Blue Ice
Aviation. If you're just bored at work, watch the rest of Matt's
videos from the
comfort of your desk.
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Flying
Antique Airplanes
I spend a fair amount of time surfing
the internet looking for cool stuff to feature here on Taildraggers, Inc.
Sometimes I strike out, and sometimes I hit the jackpot. Don
Parsons' blog "Flying
Antique Airplanes" is a real jackpot.
Don lives in the St. Louis, MO area, and has compiled a very nice,
photo-rich blog. He has made the rounds to all the good spots in
vintage aviation, and has enjoyed the company of many of it's finest
ambassadors. All the while toting along his trusty camera. I
would like to personally thank Don for sharing so many of his photos on
his blog for all of us to see, but I have a sneaking suspicion he has a
lot more
he
hasn't posted yet.
Here are two photos from Don's
blog.
Strangely enough, the pilot in both of these photos is Andrew King.
If you don't remember, Andrew is one of the pilots featured in the
Barnstorming Movie we shared here last week. Don snapped the
Pitcairn photo at Brodhead, WI, and the Fokker photo somewhere over St.
Louis.
Don's
blog
also chronicles the restoration of his Piper J-3 Cub, and many of the
flights he's enjoyed in his Fairchild 24. As you surf Don's
blog,
you'll see lots of great air-to-air photos of many beautiful airplanes in
addition to the static shots.
I love that Don has taken the time to involve both of his children in the
restoration of his Cub. Hopefully both of them will grow up with a
deeply rooted passion for aviation.
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Bumper
Stickers Have Arrived!
Honestly, they've been sitting in my toolbox waiting for me to take the
time to get a shopping cart set up (thanks to PayPal for the free shopping
cart!). Now you can buy
one... Or twenty!
These are vinyl
printed
black on white simple stickers that look good on anything. I mean
anything. I've got one on my toolbox, one on my truck, and
another on my wife's car that she's not too happy about. But they
all look good. Your pilot buddies will laugh when they see it, and
bikers will think you're talking about trikes (which are also for babies,
by the way). Basically, if you don't have one of these stickers,
you're not living up to your full potential. So get to it!
Order a few for you and one for each of your friends. Everybody's
doing it.
Get 'em in the
Taildraggers, Inc. General Store
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Barnstorming - A Documentary Film
"Friends Really Can Drop Out Of The
Sky"
Normally I try to write something witty about the videos I share, but this
one I'm going to leave up to the folks who made the flick. All I'm
going to add is that if you haven't seen this film, you need to beg,
borrow, steal, or
buy yourself a
copy. Right now. Grassroots aviation is alive and well
thanks to folks like Frank Pavliga and Andrew King. America wouldn't
be the wonderful country it is without folks like Matt Dirksen and his
family.
"Barnstorming is the true story of an unexpected friendship that
developed between a farm family and two pilots who literally dropped out
of the sky. Their friendship has created a new tradition out of an old one
long gone: barnstorming.
Barnstorming captures their annual gathering: the visceral exhilaration of
flight, the anticipation of the barnstormers arrival, and celebration of
the reunion. Shot in real time, and told in the participants' voices, the
film immerses the viewer in the innocence of earlier times, the fleeting
nature of childhood, and the joy of friendship. It is a testament to our
ability to connect as human beings, no matter where we come from, or how
we get there."
www.BarnstormingMovie.com
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Frank
Skroback's Roadable Airplane
Here's another one for the "WTF" file.
Frank Skroback was a retired industrial technician and electrician from
Syracuse, NY. Way back in 1935, Frank built this very unique
aircraft after studying the designs of Henri Mignet, desinger of the Pou
Du Ciel, or Flying Flea series of aircraft.
Frank's idea was to build an airplane that could be used to fly from house
to house, using the roads as runways. As you can see in the photos,
it has six wing panels, each with a span of only seven feet. The
fuselage is reported to be 21 feet long. It is not known if Frank
ever tried to fly his aircraft.
If you would like to own the one and only example of Frank Skroback's
genius, you're in luck. This bird's for
sale.
Red Baron
Antiques will be holding an auction on March 13 and 14, 2010.
They are billing Frank's ship as the first "Flying Car".
Check out the
Red Baron
Antiques website for more information about Frank's pride and joy.
They have a few more photos, too.
So tell me, do you think there's any chance this thing could actually fly?
I've seen lots of strange looking airplanes that seemed to work out just
fine (think Sneddem
M-7), but this is really pushing it.
Hey, at least it's a taildragger.
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Old
Gas Pump Globes are Bitchin'
People collect all manner of weird stuff.
Trolls, beanie babies, Barbie dolls, matchbooks, salt and pepper shakers,
wives, bobble head dolls,
burnt food,
and even all things
phallic. I collected remote controlled model airplane kits for a number of years,
until a basement flood wiped out the majority of my collection. Now
that I'm married and have a kid, I collect pocket lint. It's all I
can afford.
I do still have a reasonably large collection of vintage Sport Aviation
magazines from the early sixties through the late eighties that I won't
part with for anything. The magazine was just better back then.
Way better. I don't care how much gloss you put on the pages, it's
the content that matters.
That has absolutely nothing to do with vintage gas pumps, or the globes
that go on top of them. If you've been
alive
longer than me, you probably remember seeing these as a kid. As for
me, these are just cool reminders of a time gone by. Something to
look at and reflect on where we've been as a country, as a society, and to
imagine what it must have been like "back then". I've ranted a
little bit before about the "good old days" of aviation, and I'm sure I'll
rant about it until the day I die; but there is a magic in all this old
stuff that's better than the magic in Frosty's hat. Whether it's gas
pump globes, old airplanes, vintage instruments, or just photos of a time
past, I will always have a sentimental fondness for a time I never lived
to see. I'd like to think everybody who goes to Brodhead, Blakesburg,
and Lee Bottom knows what I'm talking about.
It ain't all about glass cockpits and top speed, kids!
So, if these gas pumps get you all excited, surf on over to the source of
these photos: Primarily
Petroliana. They have all kinds of stuff I don't know anything
about, but lots of people seem to collect. Maybe there's something
there for you?
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Taildraggers,
Inc. Photo Gallery:
Soup on Sunday
It's been over three years since I
flew down to Campbell Field Airport (9VG)
on the Eastern shore of Virginia for their weekly "Soup on Sunday" fly-in.
A group from Warrenton (KHWY)
loaded up and made the trek out for some delicious chili.
Gordon Campbell operates this grass airport, and is a very gracious host.
Originally known as Kellam Field Airport (W08), Kellam was the first
licensed airport on the Eastern Shore of Virginia in 1933. It was
reported that between 1945 and 1948 nearly 100 people had been taught to
fly at Kellam Field. Gordon carries on the tradition of grassroots
aviation at Campbell field, and
welcomes
aircraft of all types to "Come Roll on the Grass".
If you're in the area, or are looking for something to do on a Sunday
afternoon, consider taking a trip to Campbell Field. The event is
held every Sunday from noon to 3pm unless conditions are below VFR
minimums, if there is any precipitation, or if the temperature is forecast
to be below 35ºF or above 85ºF. There is no fuel on the field, so be
prepared to top off at a nearby airport, such as Accomack Co. (KMFV)
If you'd like to see more of our photos from the December 31, 2006 Soup on
Sunday, visit the
Taildraggers,
Inc. Gallery, or just click
HERE. If you'd like to learn more about Campbell field events
and history, visit the
Campbell
Field Airport website.
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Pitts vs. Pietenpol :: with Tesla Death Ray!
Jeff Boatright flies a Pietenpol
Aircamper, and has been putting together some entertaining videos of late.
In this video, Jeff is flying along, minding his own business, and some
mean guy in a Pitts tries to blast him out of the sky! Or was he
just trying to fly loose formation? Maybe in the next video the
Pitts will slow down enough to keep pace with the Piet. Oh, and how
do you install a fast-forward button in an airplane? Is that
something to do with the DVR? None of this is true, is it?
Welcome, March 2010.
Please stop reading this, and just watch the video. I'm not making
any sense at all...
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Looking for some more Aerotainment? Go to February 2010 :: OR :: Check out the Archives!
