Warbird Information Exchange

Finally did make it to Oshkosh and back, but it was a bit of a struggle. Started Saturday more than a week early in my Taylorcraft and flew from VA to Alliance, OH, where it was built in this factory in 1939 (note the remains of the old cinder runways behind the factory)


Then traded the TCraft for one of Frank Pavliga's Pietenpols, an original 1934 one with Model A Ford engine


By Monday was in Dayton where some more vintage planes joined up, and on Tuesday helped put on a fly-in at Hagarstown, IN, one of the longest grass strips in the US. We had about 30 aircraft there, a good bunch of Wacos included thanks to Andy and Co. plus 4 Pietenpols, Travel Air, Fairchild 22, Monocoupe and some others. The next day we were supposed to go 22 miles to Winchester to visit the farm we stop at each summer, but it rained all day


On Thursday we finally made it to the farm, see www.barnstormingmovie.com for the story on this. We ended up with 9 vintage airplanes parked in the wheat field

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Unfortunately we discovered that the magneto mount on the Pietenpol was badly cracked, so we pulled it up under a shade tree, pulled the engine, took the mount to be tig welded, and got it flying again that afternoon


Everybody was up early the next morning

and after breakfast we headed for the Pietenpol fly-in at Brodhead, WI, a stepping stone to the Pietenpol 80th anniversary activities at Oshkosh.

But, the Model A wasn't done with us yet, and at 1,000 feet over Momence, IL it shook hard for a few seconds and then the prop stopped. Broken crankshaft... Fortunately there was a suitable bean field nearby


The rescue party came via rental car and it was back to Joliet to sleep on the floor of the airport office that night. On Saturday I rode in a Piper Vagabond to Brodhead where Frank and I borrowed a truck and trailer and headed back to the bean field with a couple of willing helpers to take the Piet apart


Missed the whole Piet fly-in, but by 11PM we were back on the road and finally laid down on a hangar floor at Brodhead at 3:30AM the next morning. Unloaded the airplane later in the morning and finally made it to Oshkosh that afternoon (Sunday) in a borrowed Chevy Tahoe.




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I thought it was the best Oshkosh in 4 or 5 years, with some good warbirds (really liked that checkertail P-40) and antiques on show. Got to fly the whirlygig thingie a couple of times


and finally headed for home on Friday morning, riding in a Stinson SM-8, in a gaggle with some other neat stuff


Got to fly the Stinson on one of the legs back to Dayton, and the Fairchild 22 on another, and on Saturday rode in a Cessna 180 back to Alliance to pick up the Taylorcraft and fly it back to VA. So it took 6 different airplanes and one borrowed Chevy Tahoe, but I did get to Oshkosh and back...




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Sounds like a wild trip!

I love the fact that you can work on the Pietenpol right in the field. Is it as easy to dissasemble as it looks?

Thanks for posting the story.

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Disassembly was pretty easy, the hard part was figuring out how to fit the one piece wing into the enclosed trailer. It stuck out about 8 feet, but made it to the airport OK.




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What an adventure!! Thanks for sharing.

Truly an Airventure indeed!

I love the shot of hoisting the motor via a tree limb.

Great story.

Dave

Good job on your deadstick landing! No injury to you or the aircraft you were entrusted with. glad it wasn't corn!

Saw the movie at AirVenture, the girls thought it was very cute, and I liked it lots as well. Just bought the DVD as well.

Thanks for sharing your adventure, glad to hear nobody was injured.

I likewise am glad you landed safely. You need a hobby Andrew. It sounds like you have a really boring life. :D
It also sounds like its been a rough year for the soybeans....
Doug

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"I love the smell of 100LL in the morning."

What model is that Taylorcraft?

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"I love the smell of 100LL in the morning."

It's a 1939 BC-65, which has seen its share of wheat and alfalfa fields, but not a bean field, yet...




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My father in law sold his DC-65 about a year and a half ago. N7878C was sold to a man in Colorado who apparently hasn't changed the registration yet.

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"I love the smell of 100LL in the morning."