This cool old bird is in the hangar next to me in Carson City. It's being prepped for auction in Phoenix. The guys working on it say it's the only fly able one in the country. I hope my pics are right side up

He was flying it all over the place here in the Phoenix area last spring.

If this is the same one, I flew this plane back in the 80s
It was owned by a guy named Tom Thomas in OKC
It was one of 60 different airplanes he flew on his 60th birthday. And yes he owned all of them !
I did a lot of flying with him when he got older and had to have another pilot with him when he carried passengers in some of his larger airplanes (DC3 etc)
He had more hours of crash than I had of flying. Could fill a forum on stories of some adventures this guy had.
Anyway. This was the first airplane that Braniff bought when he started the airline.
One day Tom was at PWA and wanted me to go fly the vega with him. Turned him down because he was. How can I say this. Drunk
He ground looped the vega and tore up a wing tip. ( did the same thing to the DC3 but tore the gear out of it. Was still holding his drink when they found him in the cockpit, a few years later tore the gear out of a turbo prop comander )
Back to the story, He taxied the vega back to the hangar. Knew the tower saw him do it. Told me if I took the wrap for the ground loop. He would sell me the Vega for $70 K. Called the wife and told her I was buying a plane. She informed me I was NOT buying another plane. Should of got rid of her then instead of several years later.
The last time I saw the plane, I helped load it on a trailer. Tom had sold it to a airline pilot from Nevada. Always wondered what happened to it
BTW. Kermit Weeks has a flying Vega. Talked to him about it at a party at Oshkosh several years ago.

Kevin,

Thanks for the story about Tom! I was telling someone about him this last week and wondering what happened to him and his collection of airplanes. I thought he did the big fly when he was 50? I remember it was 1983-1985, somewhere in there.

This must be the Vega that was sitting in front of the Vintage Barn at KOSH all week.
Very cool old airplane.

Greg

It may of been 50. Buy he was a WWll pilot. So if he did it in the 80s. He would have been in his 60s
He died several years back. Think most of the planes ended up somewhere in KS
Another story. He wanted me to move a T28 from Fredrick OK to OKC
I told him I didn't have any T28 time. He said I was a good enough pilot and I didn't need a check out. So I flew my bonanza to Fredrick, got into the 28. Figured out how to start it ( no poh). Taxied to the end of the runway, sat there for about 10 minutes waiting for the oil to warm up. Decided while I was waiting that this was a dumb thing to do. Taxied back and parked it. Called him up and said I could not get it started. Problem solved.
Remember when he ran out of gas and sunk the 310 in the lake SW of PWA?
I never could figure out why the Feds didn't pull his ticket. Think he might of had a few senators in his back pocket

Yes..

I thought the vega at OSH this year was a different airplane.

leldon

This plane has been in several magazines for the last few months, including Air & Space that I just read recently. It is truly magnificent, and has quite a history!

Hearing some of the stories that aren't fit for print is quite enjoyable too.

I think the one at oshkosh this year belonged to Kermit weeks
Btw. When you crawl into the front seats. You have to duck under the main wing spar
I remember a head rest attached to the front of it

John Desmond, A friend who recently passed away was restoring a Wooden Version that preceded the metal version.
I believe the restoration is ongoing but will probably be sold.
They built a one wood piece wing about 40' long.
Made a mold and produced the fuselage skins. L and R are the same so you glue them together to make a fuselage. Lockheed had a low wing and high wing version that used the same fuselage skins. It just where you cut the holes and glued in the structure that was different.
This one was originally used by Shell Oil.
I'll try to find the photos.

Taken a couple months ago after mating the wing and fuselage.

I know those are photos, but I swear I can hear airplane noise!
Nice find,
Mark

According to June issue of EAA sport aviation, owner is John Magoffin.
And it is the one that was at vintage barn at KOSH, as there is apparently only one.

Greg

Yes, a very cool plane. The interior must be awesome.