Alright, you boys have had yer fun. I'll fess up - it was me and the Bluebird barnstorming West yesterday through the Virginia and Tennessee countryside.

I'll post more fully about all this when I get home, but suffice to say the hospitality and goodwill I've encountered since agreeing to look after this special bird has been a highlight of my flying life. Fred should write a book on how to sell an airplane and how to treat a buyer. Spending a few great days in his company - flying off his grass strip in the Virginia hills, eating at his table, meeting his friends and enjoying his wisdom on things flying and otherwise - were a rare and special treat.

When it came time to leave, I told him I'd like to sneak home...avoiding the gaze of a gallery as I made the inevitable crow hops, swerves, herky-derky wheel landings and otherwise botched arrivals in the transition to this new machine.



Fat chance.

I met Keith Hale at my first stop...with camera in hand...and he hatched the idea for this thread before sending me on the way with an ANR headset to better buffer the noise. The community of pilots - especially Beech pilots - is special and Keith really made me feel welcome.

Then I was greeted by Max's golf cart at Knoxville. He hooked me up with a boxed lunch and provided some pleasant company to an already road-weary traveler. I watched him recruit an A36-pilot Fed to BT and take a sip of Glenlivet before he stuffed me into the cockpit or the day's last leg to Springfield, TN outside Nashville, where I was greeted by my cousin and another old family friend, snapping photos of my sideslip down final into a gusty crosswind. So much for suffering in solitude, I thought. This will surely be the most well documented ground loop in history. But the old girl responded when I asked the question and shortly thereafter she was tucked into her hangar and out of the wind.

And she will remain there for the week. Today's gusty winds and t-storms across the route over to Texas prevented me from attempting the trip. As Fred says: A man's gotta know his limitations. Fighting weather and 26-30 knot gusts in an unfamiliar biplane isn't my idea of fun. So I'm headed back home on the aluminum tube this evening. The trek will continue next weekend.

My thanks to all the 'BT greeters' along the way. And thanks to Fred for his friendship, for the training...and for his Waco.

By the way...any BT folks in northern Mississippi or Louisiana free on Saturday night? I know this really cool airplane that'll need a roof over her head and a road weary aviator who is likely to need a barbecue fix...

In case you want to learn more about this Waco: http://www.ballyshannon.com/bluebirdn29942.html

Why did I sell this beautiful biplane? First, she had to go to a friend. Then ... for me, it was SO much fun taking up pals in Blue Bird, and it was SO HARD to get the planets aligned to do so.. When I'm not busy and I’m ready to fly locally, when the day is lovely, when the winds are mostly calm, when the temps are comfy, etc. ... then I call someone and they are either busy or so far away (~30 miles, even) that I end up flying alone.

Or ... asking someone to fly in and take a ride, and then as the breezes freshen, say "Well, not today"... After awhile, I reckon I got tired of that.

She was truly fun to share, but making it happen, especially as far away as my many pals are, made it almost impossible, at least with my skills. I did NOT want to scratch this rare old aircraft. Those of you who have seen her will understand why. My Bundoran grass airport has a relatively narrow runway with steep banks down from the runway edges, and it's often a one way in, same way out runway... It’s easy enough in a modern aircraft, but a very poor place to be hopping rides in any aircraft. So I became ultra-cautious, not wanting to scratch her or scare anyone...and I never did. My pal John Corradi has a super-wide grass strip at the Flying Circus and it's a whole lot easier, and safer there. I absolutely could not do what he does in his stunningly beautiful ZPF-7 Waco, flying a passenger schedule by appointment off Culpeper and the Circus. He's very skilled.

So, I reckon I need to get ready for more "You did WHAT?" comments from my local pilots and pals.

When CK Lee visited last month and I was about to take him up in stiffening winds, we cancelled with the Waco engine running, so I let him taxi her (He: “She almost got away from me on the fast taxi, she wanted to fly!” <GRIN>) and he asked what it would take to buy her. I priced her fairly and he said "Agreed". In today's market, surely we both got lucky. His insurance underwriter (same as mine) asked me to transition him. After the first fifteen minutes, I knew that it would be easy and fun. In his first steep turn, the ball never left its cage. My kind of pilot! CK’s float rated; a seaplane rating really helps rudder skills.

Over the last few days, CK and I have spent ten hours of ground school, including extensive inspection and discussion of the 1940 Waco N29942 systems, controls, weight and balance issues, maintenance issues and condition. We visited the maintenance shop to learn more from the team that services this aircraft.

So far, we have flown the aircraft for seven hours of dual instruction together. Much of this was operating off the grass runway at my farm. This is not a particularly easy airport to operate from, as it's curved, sloping slightly, and has a ridge at one end. I am not a flight instructor, but, in my opinion, CK was fully qualified to fly this aircraft two days ago and his insurance underwriter accepted my opinion on that. Nevertheless, he asked me to fly a few more hours with him before he took it, all alone, on a long trip to Texas. That impressed me, and so I just rode along. Fun.

We have among us a highly skilled aviator in CK Lee. I am particularly impressed at the ease with which he transitioned into this rare and beautiful aircraft. He respects the aircraft, is aware of its quirks, and he is humble as he flies it.

Now, with his departure yesterday morning on his “quiet flight home to Texas” (HAH! That little secret lasted exactly one leg!), I’m admittedly feeling a little bit bittersweet. But, I am not at all concerned about CK. He is a truly superb aviator, with well-trained airmanship skills, and the aircraft is in great shape.

Now, as to winds, weather, fuel, getting tired in an open cockpit? etc.? Plan on seeing CK in Texas whenever Blue Bird appears! He's much too wise to push his limits. In the meantime...
... here they are, leaving Virginia yesterday:
http://www.ballyshannon.com/air/cklee.m4v (~5Mb)

To Blue Bird: Goodbye, my sweet. Hopefully, I’ll get to see you again in sunny Texas.
Fred

What fun & great story about two really nice gentlemen and one really sweet aircraft!

Thanks for sharing Fred and C. K.

Tailwinds

Joe

PS, C.K. if I was not allready committed this week-end I would offer to fly you back to BNA to pick up that fine bird.

Thanks, Joe! That would be quite a treat. Hey, if the weather doesn't cooperate next weekend, we still may get the chance!

C.K. and Fred,

Thank you both for your posts. It really is inspiring to see the transfer of a work of aviation art performed in such a noble manner!

C.K., glad to hear all is still well.

I re-posted the photo to reveal your face.

Have fun on the next leg of the trip. PM Stan Musick (or PM me for his phone number). His hangar home is just northeast of Jackson, MS on a 4,000' grass strip. He loves old planes with round engines (flies a few as well).

By the way...any BT folks in northern Mississippi or Louisiana free on Saturday night? I know this really cool airplane that'll need a roof over her head and a road weary aviator who is likely to need a barbecue fix...

CK,
I have room to hangar her @ KJAN.

Mike Pigott
Trace Aviation

Thanks, Mike. I'll touch base later in the week once the plans firm up.

At SnF, the only airplane we stopped and drooled over were the new-build Wacos.

Coincidently, they were the only folks who actually TRIED to sell us an airplane.

That was the night of the big Megamillions drawing. Had I won, there were have been some VERY happy people at SnF the next day, and a few more airplanes in the order book.

Oh, man, what a day that would have been....

Best,
Rich

As C.K. was starting his takeoff roll, leaving DKX, I noticed a guy was videoing him. I asked if he would post it to YouTube so I could post it here.

The video really shows how pretty the plane is. C.K. wagged his wings soon after he lifted off.

Thanks to pilot David Beauclair for:

[youtube]http://youtu.be/c5RxahhdzkY[/youtube]

CK, very cool!

Cool...thanks for posting, Max!

Why We Fly #147:

In what was surely a Top 5 life moment, my fearless four-year-old daughter Sofia was my first passenger in the Waco yesterday. Here's a snap of us taxiing back in. You can see her hand peeking out of the front cockpit, waving at her Mom.

Yep C. K. , in spite of those other 101+ reasons, that one ride tops them all for buying that wounderfull aircraft!

You need to bring the Waco and Sofia out to 0TX1 soon.

Joe

#148: losing a race around her pool to Sofia yesterday evening. But, what the heck, she made up the rules as we raced! Having her ask if "Mr Fred" could tuck her into bed.
#149: meeting Sofia's gracious mother and babe in arms. Our lad CK is a lucky boy.
#150: leaving Arlington at 0800 and arriving back home early afternoon. That's 3:35 chock->chock. Sweet!