Taylorcraft Tour Pacific North West

[Robert Lees]

To cut a very long story short, I bought a Taylorcraft in the States to join Jim and Mike on a tour of the western USA to help Jim complete flying in every State in the lower 48.
This is in memory of the late Lee Bowden, who was Jim's flying companion for many trips, and they missed flying in only six of the contiguous States.

My new steed:



and Mike's new steed:



The trip started from Dacy, Illinois (0C0) with just Mike & I.



We met up with Jim at the annual AAA fly-in at Blakesburg, Iowa. From there, we went to Jim's airport where we carried out some pre-trip maintenance and had a respite from the 90-plus temps of Blakesburg:



At the moment, we're at Spearfish (SPF):



En route we stopped at Wall (of drug store fame), where we enjoyed some hilarity:



More to follow when internet access allows.

[waltermrich]

Re: Taylorcraft Tour Pacific North West

thanks for your post Lee , It was really great to meet you guys at Blakesburg, Your journey sound incredible . Be safe

[N96337]

Re: Taylorcraft Tour Pacific North West

Well, if you get to NW Montana.....drop in!!! "Hanson" on the Great Falls Sectional.... Between Kalispell and Libby.
John

[Stumpy]

Re: Taylorcraft Tour Pacific North West

Hello Fellas,

Not sure about your schedule, but if you're in the Pacific Northwest this weekend (11th-13th) swing down to the WAAAM (Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum) Fly-In. Great museum, and the fly-in has grown into one of the best in the region. Friday evening is "pilot's night"...including a spaghetti supper, beer garden, hangar flying, and a movie with an appropriate aeronautical theme. Camping under the wing is encouraged, but hotels are available nearby. Pancake breakfast Saturday and Sunday mornings, along with other things going on. For those desiring a practical learning activity there are several FAASTeam seminars scheduled as well.

Another nice thing...five bucks for aeroplane registration includes camping and access to the museum for the whole weekend...gotta pay for grub and beer though.

I'm hoping to sneak away for a couple of off-days from wildfire season. The WAAAM is located at Hood River, Oregon...just follow the Columbia River upstream from Portland, can't miss it, ha ha. Here's a web link and a few details. The website has all the info, ie: frequencies, parking, etc., you need. Hope you can make it...a solid "T" population would be nice!

Ken Jernstedt Field/Hood River Airport 4S2

http://www.waaamuseum.org/news/425-2015-fly-in-schedule

WAAAM 1600 Air Museum Rd. Hood River, OR 97031 (541) 308-1600

[Robert Lees]

Re: Taylorcraft Tour Pacific North West

Friday 11th September

Wednesday we hired a car and spent the day largely driving around the Black Hills of South Dakota. Some touristy silliness was mandatory:





but an impromptu evening flight saw us overfly the placed we had visited by road:



Leaving Spearfish on Thursday morning, we flew past Devil's Tower:



before heading south-west to Rawlins, Wyoming. There were some vast open-cast coal mines on the way:



Rawlins would be one of the highest elevation fields for us at 6800' or so. DA on our day was 9500' (good thing it has a 10,000 ft runway!




A further brief fuel stop at Rock Springs saw us west-bound for the high stuff for our destination of Brigham City, Utah. We needed to climb to 10,000 feet or so to maintain a safe clearance, and with a stiff headwind and being at about gross weight and with only 65hp and no mixture control, this took us some time!





Brigham City:




Today, Friday 11th, we had another glorious day, with clear skies and a slight tailwind for the two-stop trip from Brigham City to Mountain Home for fuel and then an overnight at Dry Creek air park, staying with friends of Lee & Linda Bowden:





More to follow as furthert internet access allows.

[Robert Lees]

Re: Taylorcraft Tour Pacific North West

And yes, Stumpy, we will be at Hood River tomorrow at 10 or 11 am or so.

Rob

[Stumpy]

Re: Taylorcraft Tour Pacific North West

That's great! I'm camped in the east field...will look for you fellas. Hope the trip's going well!

[Robert Lees]

Re: Taylorcraft Tour Pacific North West

Saturday 12th

When we departed for this trip, we always knew it would be an adventure. Well, things have a habit of changing rapidly. We departed our kind hosts at the airpark to go to a fly-in breakfast at the local airport a few miles away.

6 miles out, I noticed my oil pressure, which had previously been very steady at 32psi, had dropped to less than 10.

When I knew I could glide in, I turned the engine off and landed.

A quick check at the side of the runway revealed oil still in the tank and no leaks at all, so I taxied to the local EAA Chapter hangar.



I thought that there may have been a bit of crud or carbon stuck under the oil pressure relief valve, so I checked that and found some small metallic pieces.

Pulling the screen revealed this:









The filter was so blocked the pressure had crushed the screen.

So here we are still, considering our options.

Anyone got a good mid-time A65 or A75 available?





More to follow.

[N96337]

Re: Taylorcraft Tour Pacific North West

Ouch! Better that you found it when you did.... it could've been very inconvenient later on!

[Robert Lees]

Re: Taylorcraft Tour Pacific North West

Tuesday 15th Sept 2015

I left something out on purpose in my last entry, because nothing was finalised at that time of writing. You may note in the last photo the tail of a blue aeroplane, which is an Aeronca Chief.



Very shortly after my little problem was identified, the local EAA Chapter told us that the Chief had been purchased by a new owner in Texas, and that he had not found a ferry pilot to deliver it (remember, we are in central Oregon).

The new owner had commissioned the local Engineer to dismantle it for road freight to El Paso, which was due to be done in the next few weeks.

Unfortunately, it hadn't flown for several years, was out of annual and was uninsured. Within an hour, I had spoken to both the new and previous owners and a plan was formulated. We also phoned the local IA, who approved us to do the work for the annual. Bearing in mind this is Saturday, the IA agreed to come in on Sunday to do the inspection.

Without delay, the three of us and the EAA Chapter dove in to get the annual done.



By Sunday evening, the annual was done, signed off and aeroplane put back together again. All we needed now was insurance.



Come Monday morning (yesterday), the insurance was sorted, and after a short check-out with the local CFI...



...the triumverates resume journey west & north. Our delay cost us 48 hours. We missed the Hood River fly-in, and amended the trip to catch up one more day.








So since Monday morning, we have NOT been a three-Taylorcraft tour, but given the circumstances (and the co-incidence of finding an aircraft available), I'm a happy bunny.

Monday saw us fly to McMineville (KMMV) for the Evergreen museum, home of the Spruce Goose. Jim's Sabreliner (N50CR) is parked underneath it. This machine was used by Collins for the development of the first TCAS in the late eighties, and Jim flew many hundreds of hours in it during those tests.










...and soon after departure from there, we reached the Pacific:



HOORAY!

Tonight sees us at Paine field (KPAE), Everett, Seattle, for the Boeing Restoration facility, having already been into Boeing field (KBFI) for their big museum.

(below is my newer steed taken through one of the windows of G-BOAG)





I don't know what will happen to the Taylorcraft we left at Prineville. That decision can wait until we finish this tour.

[john reinert]

Re: Taylorcraft Tour Pacific North West

So glad your back on track Robert! Enjoying the posts! Best wishes for a great journey.

[Mark Julicher]

Re: Taylorcraft Tour Pacific North West

I have a friend here that has a few A-65s squirreled away and for sale. I can look into it further if you wish. Obviously a long way from San Antonio, Texas to your plane, but if nothing else materializes in the way of an engine -- let me know.

[waltermrich]

Re: Taylorcraft Tour Pacific North West

What an adventure , each of your posts reveal another exciting story , thanks for sharing your story , be safe.

[3Dreaming]

Re: Taylorcraft Tour Pacific North West

My dad's airplane had a screen that was covered and collapsed like that. It wound up being a piston pin plug. There was no damage to the cylinder. We replaced the plug, and after talking to a old time AI (he had been working on airplane since before the little Continental A-65) we rinsed out the lower end and put it back together. It ran many trouble free hours after that.

BTW, the trip sounds like fun, and keep the pictures coming.

[N96337]

Re: Taylorcraft Tour Pacific North West

Nice looking Chief!!! Glad to hear you're back in the air. Invite's still there if you decide to swing over this way....
John