Vintage Flying Museum is saving another one!

[Sheila]

I can understand the confusion.
The metal has basic green paint over yellow primer. Our helicopter was built for arctic search and rescue, it has tan/grey fabric, green fabric and medium brown naugahyde panels snapped over interior walls and ceiling.

[Sheila]

It's out!
Jason Skip Crawford came up from the Kissimmee Air Museum today to do some volunteering. He put his skills of working on Precious Metal to help Leo remove the pilot seat from the Piasecki cockpit.
Three cheers to both of them!

[Sheila]

LtCol. Jerry Jennings payed us a visit on Saturday. In addition to rescuing pilots during Vietnam in his Jolly, Jerry flew our CH-21, Shaky Magoo, in Brazil. It was a pleasure to talk with him and an honor to have him sign the aircraft.

[Sheila]

Jim Kinter, former Crew Chief for our Piasecki "Shaky Magoo", stopped by for a visit today. He stood in his favorite place at the forward door. Thank you, Jim, for dropping by to see us.

[Fouga23]

He's being dangerous wearing that red shirt and standing in the door opening

[Sheila]

When Col Jennings came to visit, I didn't have his picture but I would like to share them now.

[Sheila]

Shaky got a wonderful Christmas present this year-Rotor Blades! After many years outside at Pate, the blades are almost totally gone. Thanks to Margie Hall and Robin Lundstrum for donating these replacements. Shaky will look so much better with blades.
A big thank you to Bill Garrison for arranging the donation to VFM.
Unfortunately, the shiny bling in the front of the transmissions will not be installed in helicopter. Work does continue inside the fuselage, we are now cleaning inside the fuel compartment.

[Sheila]

Magoo now has some really fantastic help. Norm is fixing up the instrument panel.

[Fouga23]

Thanks for keeping us updated

[Pogo]

Yes, thank you for the updates, and looking forward to more!

[airnutz]

Thanks to Margie Hall and Robin Lundstrum for donating these replacements. Shaky will look so much better with blades.

The late "Max" Hall and family...the gift that keeps on giving! I heard they donated his Shawnee a coupla years ago to the Arkansas Air and Military Museum and I feared they would quit flying her, but I saw a news blurb last year it being flown...hopefully that still holds true. Did they donate some timed-out rotor blades Sheila? Thank ya'll for this thread!

[Sheila]

While not Carter opening King Tut's tomb, it was better than Rivera opening Capone's vault.
Benny and Todd braved the far reaches of the North Hangar to open the blade boxes and see what was inside. The wooden blades are in a variety of conditions, none non-repairable to at least static presentable.

[Sheila]

Norm and Tree have been working on the instrument panel. There is some corrosion and Tree is learning to take care of it. He is a CAF cadet with the Invader Squadron that we 'borrow' at times.

[Sheila]

The 26th Big Band Hangar Dance is now history. Time to get back to the aircraft. Szabi has passed some of his mechanics classes (more classes to come). He promptly had a private pow wow with Benny up on the aft pylon about what to do next.

[Sheila]

There has been sad news and happy news in the VFM hangar. Benny, Magoo's Crew Chief, has died after a long, hard fight with cancer. His son Todd has stepped up to be the next Crew Chief of this fine aircraft. With Norm and Tree, the project is back track. Todd and Tree have set up a small, portable mediablaster to start removing the odd paint job applied a number of years ago.
I was using DropBox for photos and those are now gone from here. More photos when this is figured out.