Hawkins & Powers getting liquidated

[Dan K]

Looks like H&P is going the way of the Great White Buffalo.

http://www.greatamerican.com/APCM/APCMv ... ?a=337&z=6

Anyone else hear the same?

[JohnH]

Yup it's all over Aero News right now. Sad to see this.

John

[Forgotten Field]

Sad to see this. Is this a retail sale arrangement, or is there going to be an auction? Is the company in financial distress, or are the principals just folding it up?

I guess that old dream of going to fly firebombers in the great Northwest is gone with it. I'm going to go watch "Always."

[Xrayist]

Did they sell any of the aircraft that were listed on Courtesy Aircraft Sales? I hope that someone bought at least one of the PB4Y's they had to keep it flying. I talked to them several years ago when I was planning a trip to that part of Wyoming. They were very nice and said that if I called a few days in advance, they would be happy to let me have access to all their aircraft so I could photograph them. Unfortunately, time was not on my side and I never made it. Wish them all well in any future endeavors.

[O.P.]

My bud is up there picking up a C130 for the Air Force to take over to the desert. He said that they will still do maintenance and overhauls for the military, they just won't be in the firefighting business anymore. He also sent me a brocure and pictures of a great looking T6 project they are selling also.

[wendovertom]

CRAP! I was hoping that the Privateers would be saved - maybe they still will - plus they have an A-26 and a few P-2V Neptunes. Sad to think that all those (4-5) KC-97s and maybe some of these other aircraft are about to meet thier end in a scrap yard.

Tom P.

[Randy Haskin]

Sad to think that all those (4-5) KC-97s and maybe some of these other aircraft are about to meet thier end in a scrap yard

Is anyone saying that the other items are going to be scrapped?

[wendovertom]

Randy - sorry, the scrap comment is just my thought - most of the planes they have are big and expensive to operate - seems like very few organizations out there could afford to buy and operate something like the Privateer, Neptune or KC-97 (especially the KC-97). I would have thought at least the A-26 would have been bought by now - maybe folks are just waiting for a "real deal".

I have a hard time seeing any of those other than the A-26 and maybe the PB4Ys leaving Greybull any other way than in pieces.

Tom P.

[Chad Veich]

I can't imagine the consternation that would be shown on this and other sites if something as rare and significant as a Privateer was scrapped. I just can't see that happening. Now, they may leave Greybull on flatbed trucks and end up static displays somwhere, but surely they won't be scrapped. Just look at how much ruckus was caused by the scrapping of the little known XCH-62 helicopter prototype/mock up. Rohr would certainly blow a gasket if the PB4Y's got similar treatment! (just jokin' Rob) However, I would not be surprised if the KC-97s and/or the Neptunes got the ax.

[ww2John]

My favorite H&P story comes from 1997 when they flew their Fairchild C-82A Packet N97015 (c/n3202) to the camping area at Oshkosh, complete with their jeep! Imagine the look on the faces of the adjacent campers when they opened those big clamshell doors for the first time, slid out their ramps and drove the jeep down them!

I can only imagine the surprise in the Warbirds area (my first year as a linecrew volunteer) when H&P's C82 was "discovered" over in the camping area. The next year H&P must have received a special invitation from Warbirds because their C82 spent Oshkosh '98 in the Warbirds area. We got a lot of "What's That?" questions that summer. Unfortunately, I missed seeing it fly as they arrived before I got there and left after I did and they did not fly it in the daily airshow. But, they did receive the "Most Rare Transport" award.

As far as the other H&P aircraft that I truly hope find good homes; I have never seen a PB4Y-2 fly and was always hoping to make a trip to Greybull some day...oh, well. I am waiting for the day that LSFM gets theirs completed and in the air.

[ww2John]

The H&P aircraft are no longer listed for sale on Courtesy Aircraft's web site. Not sure what this means.

[Dan K]

I think it means some serious bargains could be had.

Reminds me of the Globe Air auction in Arizona back in the 80's.

[Eric Friedebach]

Is there some online inventory somewhere? The link I saw only had a one page PDF.

[kennsmithf2g]

When I was there several years ago, I remember seeing two rows or various carge type planes in the far back. I also remember several planes sitting in parts and what looked like piles of engines laying around. Unfortuately, that other people in my car wanted to get going.....


Kenn

[tom d. friedman]

fuel prices, insurance coverage from a to z, with a major notation on the l word as in liability in the event of a crash with fatalities etc. it is getting near impossible to run your own independent business regardless if you are a fire bomber, baker, or doctor etc. i'm a merchant, i own 2 stores along with my 3 brothers & sister as partners, we've been in business 46 years. naturally my old man now 89 started the biz. bottom line between state & federal govt b.s., regs, taxes, walmart, china, etc, it is pretty apparent that the free enterprise system is near extinct in this country. i hope those birds in grey bull go to good homes.