Hi, I am a new member and wanted to introduce myself. My name is Scott Kellems and I work for West Coast Aviation Services. I'm at our maintenance hangar in Long Beach, CA. We are a Hawker Beechcraft Authorized Service Center. I look forward to participating in the group.
Thanks

Did you learn to fly at SkyHarbor on the west side? My mom taught there in the late '60s and '70s. I learned to fly there. Welcome to the forum.

Did you learn to fly at SkyHarbor on the west side? My mom taught there in the late '60s and '70s. I learned to fly there. Welcome to the forum.

Jeanne,

Thank you.

SkyHarbor (or DAD?) was the Cessna dealer that we ferried planes for. I worked on the west side at Lang Aircraft (known in those days I think for the Lang tailwheel). Since I was on the "extreme college student low budget plan" I joined a flying club called "Bell Flyers" and learned in their planes. The club parked their planes over on the SW end of the ramp near the Mooney dealer's hangar (Woodaire), and used the old modular "shack" that Flight Training operated out of for scheduling.

I get back there every 5 yrs for reunions and park over on the TAC air/Elliot side of the field. As you probably know, all that remains of the 1970 airport are the runways and the wild turkeys. Even the old pilot hangout bar and grill at the extreme SW boundary was replaced with a hotel.

Mike

Hello all. I am Terry Rhew and I have been lurking for a number of months. I do not own a Beech, but I am starting to think that some day I will. The majority of my 5000+ hours have been as "hired help". Seven years in the regional airlines and a year flight instructing before that. I got my ME Comm and ATP in a 1958 B95 Travel Air, I have flown about 50 hours in a King Air 200 (that was an amazing plane) and 200 hours in the Duchess.

I have spent a ton of time on aviation related message boards, but until I came here they were airline related. It is an endless discussion of how little we got paid to do what we do, and on and on and on. I flew my last revenue flight in May of 08, and I have not missed it. In the time since I left, I got a "real" job and have been able to fly a P51, solo a glider, go to Oshkosh, join every GA related alphabet group imaginable (EAA, AOPA, American Bonanza Society, Soaring Society of America just to name a few). I always knew I loved to fly, but the business of airline flying makes you forget. Lately I have began thinking of ways to get back into flying and what I would do with currency and/or an airplane. I think by the time I am 40, I will be closing in on owning at least a share of an A36 (as much as I can hope and dream, I just don't see a TBM 850 as an attainable goal).

What I love most about this board is the passion expressed for owning and flying these beautiful machines. When I instructed, one of my co-workers helped a guy buy an A36 and wound up flying it for him for a while. He took me for a short ride, and all I did was a steep turn from the right seat. He took it back and landed. Ever since that time, I have had a feeling of "I have got to get one of these". Some day.

Terry,

Welcome aboard. You find us all willing to help you with advice and information on Bonanzas and Barons so you can make an informed decision when your ready to make the big plunge $$$.

Realizing that I never introduced myself to the group it is high time to do so and to apologize for my bad manners. This wasn't the intent, but just kind of worked out that way. When the idea of selling the airplane that I built in my garage to get a Bonanza started to become something that I thought about daily, or even obsessed about I just started reading, asking questions, and then all of a sudden I'd posted so many times it seemed embarrassing to introduce. With that said...

Hello, my name is Bryan and my wife Sherri and I live in San Jose, CA. I've been around aviation my entire life in some form, and the same for Sherri. She grew up in a family with a personal aircraft while I had dreams take root early on by admiring my father who worked in and around the coolest airplanes ever to grace the skies. He did his career and retired from the Lockheed Skunk Works. From my earliest memories I've always wanted to own a Beech Bonanza even though my loyalties were brought into question over the years with tales of woe and how the tail would fall off. The desire finally overcame the naysayers and after 41 years of wanting my own Bonanza we finally purchased one about 2 months ago. We have lived in our current house for 14 years now, but I purchased Larry Ball's "Those Incomparable Bonanza's" prior to moving into this residence and can date the model that I've been dreaming of back to then. It became apparent way back then that an S Model was the one for me and the dream has never waivered. Tonight on my way home I stopped at the hanger just to look at the plane and sit in it for a few minutes. It's the closest thing to being a kid again I've experienced in a long, long time and the excitement of having the plane seems lost on the people around me who don't understand. Most of them are polite, but tired of hearing about the plane. To others my constant babbling likely comes across as bragging, but boasting isn't what is going on in my head. I'm just so genuinely excited that I can't hardly think or talk about anything else. Thank God for places like these forums to vent off some of the excess or like many of you I'd probably burst. Anyway I'm looking forward to getting to know others from the Beech family and have enjoyed reading and learning from all of you.
Here is a shot of our plane that I took the other day after landing at my favorite watering hole to fill the tanks. This is a good example of how bad I have it. The background in the picture isn't one most people would choose to share and others might hold off for a better picture. My wife pointed this out to me, but I never saw the background until she pointed it out. I know, I've got it bad. Oh, and for the record I'm not 9 feet tall. This picture was taken while standing on a 3' concrete barrier that keeps people from running into the fuel storage tank.

Wait a minute...

Which Bryan Wood is this?

Seriously thanks for the intro., I too often find myself driving out to the airport ... just to have a look. Great post - thanks.

To all the others who are new, welcome, thanks for joining in on the fun.

I thought I saw a really nice looking airplane with a wing on the roof awhile back ... when did Beech start making those?

Seriously, Mike, Welcome! I enjoyed your post. Your passion for aviation is evident.

-MO

Bryan,

Great intro! You said, "It's the closest thing to being a kid again I've experienced in a long, long time and the excitement of having the plane seems lost on the people around me who don't understand."

I've been very fortunate in my life to have owned two V35B's and a Debbie. Even though it's been years since I sold my last V35B, I'm getting the itch again to own another one, real bad. Especially with prices on late-models being where they are today. That having been said, and having flown airplanes on and off for 30+ years I still have the "excitement" as well. To borrow a phrase from the days I rode Harleys, "If I have to explain, you wouldn't understand." Applies here as well. Oh, BTW, niiiiiiice lookin' S35!!!

Ben
(planeless)

Great intro Bryan, what exactly is the thing in your avatar?

Thanks Alejandro. The picture is a slightly scaled down version of this.

This is great: We've had quite a few folks come on board and introduce themselves in the past few days. To each of you a BIG WELCOME!

Friday was my BeechTalk anniversary...TWO years already on this forum and I've probably been on here every day of those two years. I hope all of you get just 1/!0 the enjoyment I do. I've learned a lot here and hope to learn a lot more.

MOST OF ALL...I've made some great friends on BeechTalk!

A quick reply to Bryan Wood's post: I've been a Bonanza owner for almost seven years. First was an F, for two years, and my present plane since then. I still go often to the airport just to spend time in the hangar with my plane, so what you do I consider normal. I quit trying to explain it to anyone, especially my wife. When that is no longer of great fun I guess I will quit flying. The result of all the time spent socializing with my plane is I have the best pre-flighted plane possible. I always open the cowling and make a thorough inspection and I do a visual and "touchy/feely" inspection of the airframe components. So that's my "excuse", as if I need one, i.e., the plane will be ready to go at all times.

Again, to all you guys, welcome!

Hi Max

I guess since I have been looking at this site every day for over two years it is time to put in an introduction of my self and my baby. I feel like I know many regular posters on this site very well but I am sure they don't know me.

I am based out of KGTU in Georgetown Tx near Austin. I often trek back to Knoxville to see my family in Oak Ridge

I ended up purchasing a 1979 NA F33A that my wife decided was " pretty ". It is a good deal when your wife actually convinces you to buy.

I have learned quite a bit about flying bonanza's over the last few years. A lot of the data I gathered was through sites like this. I highly recomend anyone just starting out on bonanza's to spend some time looking over past posts about LOP operations and other bits of wisdom about beechcraft operations.

I had actually had some corespondence with Tom G. about his E33 when he was selling it several years ago. Six months ago I was back at Madison County airport in Huntsville and recognized Tom's current A36 parked on the ramp. I hoped to catch him at the airport before I left just say hi but timing just did not work out.

Welcome, to BT.

Now you just need to quit lurkin and start postin!

Jay

Ed,

Welcome aboard, great looking F33A. Did you buy it with the new interior or did you have it done. It was done by Air Mod in Batavia, Ohio. I had my Baron done by Dennis Wolper and his crew so I recognize the seat and side wall styling.

Hi Bill

Yes it was.

All that was part of the " pretty " that my wife liked.

The plane had just been painted and interior cleaned up before I bought it.

When I was being checked out in it just after purchase the air traffic controller working me actually asked if I was flying that new red and white bonanza at KGTU as he had seen it on the field.