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Just out of curiosity - Airplane Guys
- Thread starter Downeaster
- Start date
They have a Concorde at the East Fortune museum of flight, about twenty-five mile from here. Of course, it's just a static display in a big hangar. Been there and done the walk through a couple of times - you're always surprised just how small they are inside. But to me, it's a kind of sad experience because you know they'll never fly one ever again.
One unfulfilled ambition was to fly Concorde to NY or whatever, but too expensive/never got a round tuit. Then they stopped.
To fly is heavenly; to hover is Devine. That was the motto in one of the hangars my H-3 Sea King squadron was in when I was a young sailor. Here is a short story why...
One of our many missions is "photo-rigging" ships at sea. The goal is to spot intel gathering antennas or new weapon systems not know of before. During many of these picture taking flights, life gets boring. Until the civilian pleasure craft happen to be floating by.
We were using black and white film back then, but there are thousands of pictures taken with my camera of topless or fully nude beautiful girls out there of the high seas. For some reason, it appears they lose all inhibition when they see a helicopter hovering off their vessel.
Our intel guys loved getting rolls of film to develop from our flights...
One of our many missions is "photo-rigging" ships at sea. The goal is to spot intel gathering antennas or new weapon systems not know of before. During many of these picture taking flights, life gets boring. Until the civilian pleasure craft happen to be floating by.
We were using black and white film back then, but there are thousands of pictures taken with my camera of topless or fully nude beautiful girls out there of the high seas. For some reason, it appears they lose all inhibition when they see a helicopter hovering off their vessel.
Our intel guys loved getting rolls of film to develop from our flights...
Happy 85th Birthday DC-3. On the road to 100!
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DC-7's were still in service contracted by the USFS out of Redmond Oregon until the mid 90's or longer. Butler Aircraft owned the small fleet of DC-7's which I worked under numerous occasions. (10 years of seasonal fire fighting on initial attack trucks)
Cal Butler, previously a WWII military pilot, was also a motorcyclist (V65 Sabre) and I also serviced his Honda a few times.
Working under the DC-7's 4 big radial engines at low altitude was exciting. I'll never forget the sounds as they flew over head, dropping the retardant load, then full throttle to climb and clear a ridge.
Is that a PBY I see tucked in the hangar behind the Douglas?
Sure looks like it to me.
I expect it's getting pretty tough to find people with the necessary skills to maintain those old airplanes, A&P license or not.
I've only found one shop that will work on motorcycles in the Memphis area (other than V-twin only). They did a great job for me. I noted that everyone working there has grey or white hair. I asked about that. No young folks are there to keep it going. Once they go, there's no one to fill the void.
I've only found one shop that will work on motorcycles in the Memphis area (other than V-twin only). They did a great job for me. I noted that everyone working there has grey or white hair. I asked about that. No young folks are there to keep it going. Once they go, there's no one to fill the void.
Looks like a flying boat but to me the tail ain't quite right for a Catalina. But what do I know - there's probably umpteen versions . . .
Is that a Cub hanging from the rafters?
Rudder's too pointed for a Cub. Stinson maybe?
Cool, thanks Jim!
My dad took me to Mitchell Airport to watch "Milwaukee enter the jet age" in July of 1961 with the arrival of a Northwest Orient Airlines Boeing 720, similar to a 707.
Milwaukee bought the land for the airport in 1926 from some guy named Hamilton who was making propellers at plant there.
Milwaukee bought the land for the airport in 1926 from some guy named Hamilton who was making propellers at plant there.
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Dad worked in the engine overhaul shop for American Airlines for 37 years. He worked on the big round piston engines of Curtis-Wrights and Pratt & Whitney. R-1820's to the mighty Wasp Majors of the R- 4360 and the C-W R-3350 Triple compound engine. He also saw the first turbo jets of P&W JT-3 or J-57 in the military world. JT 4 or the J 75 . Both without afterburners of course. Lol. Boeng 707 and Convair airliners ( I forgot what they were designated). When he retired in '75 or'77, he was on a CF6 engine crew. A huge fanjet engine of 767 and the like airliners.
I should think it would have been quite the run to go from DC-3's to 757's.
I should think it would have been quite the run to go from DC-3's to 757's.
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Well I can see you took after your Dad.
I’ll bet you and him could talk about planes and mechanics for hours.I think some of my fondest memories of spending time with my Dad were when he was fairly old and I would pick him up and take him to this annual antique tractor and engine show, we would walk around and he would light up when he’d see some old machine he had back on his farm, he always knew the most obscure stuff. We got to do that for several years before it got to be too hard for him.
Convair 880
... and the 990
