Flight hours vs. Maintenence hours

[Jack Cook]

I dunno, something just doesnt look right about this image... maybe its the composition? , maybe its the crazy pilot, maybe its the dead engine .. i duno maybe someone else will work it out.

[retroaviation]

That picture is of a fellow Warbird owner, John Shackleford, who owns a Sea Fury. John was just a teenager at the time and was flying the Cub, while his Dad would get out and hand prop it. They used to do this as an airshow act and this was just a publicity shot, if I recall his story correctly. John said that they used to get about 800 feet or so above the ground and shut the engine off. They'd go by the crowd a time or two (with the mags off) and his Dad would just swing away on the prop. Once they got the crowd's attention, and about 200 feet off the ground, they'd turn the mags on and the engine would amazingly come to life and they'd fly around once or twice more before landing. I think he said that there were a couple of times, however, that they couldn't get the engine to start again, so they'd just land it deadstick. I want to say that the FAA started giving them enough grief about the act that they eventually quit doing it, but I might not have my facts straight about the exact reason they stopped.

Gary

[EDowning]

Gary,

Maybe next time at Midland we can do this with the Spad, I'll turn off the mags and you get out there and give that Aeroproducts prop a good tug. I bet the crowd will love and the FAA will hate it. Some things never change.

[retroaviation]

Gary,

Maybe next time at Midland we can do this with the Spad, I'll turn off the mags and you get out there and give that Aeroproducts prop a good tug. I bet the crowd will love and the FAA will hate it. Some things never change.

You can count me in, Eric! The only thing is that with me being so small, I reckon we'll have to get much closer to the ground before we switch the mags on and get the engine started so that the crowd can see me on that big ol' Spad.

I'd probably just look like another greasy spot on the airplane.

Gary

[EDowning]

I'm sure the only thing that could make it more exiting would be to do it closer to the ground.

[retroaviation]

Oh, I dunno.....going much faster might be exciting too.

Gary

[Ztex]

Wow!

I met John last year at Denton...he is way to mellow a guy for this stunt!

HEHE


BTW he has a very nice Ezell massaged Fury!