Warbird Information Exchange

Hmmm,
Free Aztec in Bedford, has been on the tie down since the last airshow. Before that it has sat on other tie downs on the airport totalling 25 years.
What a shame to pay that kind of tie down fee for nothing.

I have seen a few twin Navions over the years. One at Sun-n-fun, and the other at the air museum in Liberal, KS.

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"Hindsight is usually 20% off!"

Lynn and Rogue: Yes, that poor ol' derelict Navion is still there at 30F, Lakeview Airport, which is about 3/4 mile from my house as the warbird flies. I was told this past summer that someone was still paying the tiedown fee. The airplane has been sitting in that same spot as long as I've lived in Lake Dallas (I moved here in the spring of '81). Someone else told me that it suffers from corrosion and is not worth restoring. I tried to approach it one day this past summer for a closer look, but it was swarming with big, yellow wasps! I'm allergic to many types of wasps and yellow jackets, so in the intereset of self-preservation, I backed cautiously away and got back in my truck and left! Now that the WX is getting colder, perhaps I'll try again some weekend day.

That second airplane in the original set of pictures looks a lot like a Morrissey. One of our VFM members owns Morrissey s/n 001 and keeps it in our hangar.

Cheers!

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Dean Hemphill, K5DH
Port Charlotte, Florida

Small world eh Dean. I flew J-3's out of Lakeview to build time and took students in there at night to show them what a unlighted field looks like. You never knew if someone was parked on the runway for the Sub races . I remember the Bumble Bee nest just off the right wing as were mowing around it Did you know Jr.? He owned the Marina, a really great person to be around. He pasted away about 3 weeks ago. RIP

Lynn

Lynn, Dean, a very small world indeed.

When I was converting my CAA licence to FAA, I flew in there a couple of times in a 172. Soon discovered that the "non grass" runway, was actually a lot narrower than "what the little green book said" and was full of pot-holes, and that the masts of boats in the marina seem to multiply and grow in height faster than rate of climb!!

Julian

Lynn,

I didn't see the bumble bees. My mind was focused on the wasps that were swarming into and out of the engine bay! I used to enjoy seeing that yellow Cub flying in and out of there all day on the weekends, back in Lakeview's better days, which are sadly long gone.

Needle,

You're right, that paved runway is mighty narrow, 30 feet as I recall, and has always been completely unmarked. I remember landing there in Dad's Cherokee back in the early 1980s and feeling like we were landing on a little piece of Christmas ribbon! The runway is really no longer usable. The asphalt is crumbling and pockmarked with nasty potholes. I don't think the airport is going to last much longer. That land has got to be worth some big bucks for development (despite being located right next to the sewage treatment plant!)

Cheers!

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Dean Hemphill, K5DH
Port Charlotte, Florida

I am looking for a derelict Cessna 150 or 172 for an A&P is the Bay Area (CA). Anyone need a tax write-off?

Patrick

At the Dupage County airport in Aurora IL (where Barbie III lives or at least used to live) there is an old Navion on the ramp. Doesn't look like it has moved much. There is also a Beech 18, with no engines (if I recall correctly... at least no props) and a really long nose and also a Super 18 missing a prop.

The Mooney is a '65 or newer "E"-seems a shame that so many airplanes end up like these.

What a hoot... My Private Pilot Certificate Check Ride pilot was Hank Henry. Hank was a Test Pilot for Navion when it was in Galveston.

He said Hurricane Carla put the factory out of business, until they were bought out and moved.

Just got my first ride in a Stinson 108 yesterday from CAF West Houston.
A little twitchy on the rudders, but a nice airplane. I would hate to see one go to waste.

I am afraid demographics are going to start working against a lot of neat old airplanes being rebuilt, much less flown again.
With an aging pilot base (myself included) there just aren't going to be as many people interested (or able) in buying and flying the "fleet" of older GA planes.

On that happy note: IF YOU HAVE EVER THOUGHT OF GETTING INTO WARBIRD FLYING... start now. Get your License and tailwheel endorsement and KEEP 'EM FLYING!

Just don't do nuthin' stupid!

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Support Your Local Warbirds! KBO!
The only reasons the airplanes matter is what the veterans did with them... and why.