Tweet
The linked article is written by me. Please excuse the narcissism. The story is about reuniting an airplane with a former pilot who hasn't seen the airplane for 25 years. I hope you enjoy it.
-
-
Lovely! -
Well written story Kevin, I enjoyed reading it. Well done on the time given to do the reunion, Karma is smiling on you.
It brought back memories of going home to see Dad and flying with him. Wish I could still do that.
Cheers.Mark
1945 BC12-D
N39911, #6564Comment
-
Nice read thanksComment
-
This is unbelievable!! after nearly 30 years of begging the owner to sell me the 46 BC12D Taylorcraft that my father once Co-Owned and helped his partner recover......1967 TO 1969 and I flew with dad when 12 to the first Oshkosh in 1970. I was able to finally secure the plane from the owner who lived in Altoona PA where it had made its way. You see the plane that I am restoring was, while Dad owned it hangered and flown off a farm AIRSTRIP... THAT AIRFIELD WAS CALLED LAKE HILL AIRPORT IN MARS PA.... THE SAME AIRPORT THAT YOUR PILOT FRIEND ANDREW TOOK YOU TO.!!!! You see I had dreamed of flying it to that same Airport on my way to Oshkosh next year (plane should be flying this year) I have kept up with the owners of the Airport over the years...when you first mentioned Butler County as your meeting place my eyes widened a little. you then mentioned Andrew wanted to take you to the Airport where his friend kept the T was now a housing development I started to get chills. When you said the previous owner owned a helicopter I thought no way. I had called him about a year ago (and was dismayed and sick to hear he had sold the field it to a developer) The picture from the air you took verified! Back when dad flew from it, it was a farm grass strip. It originally had one large wood hangar painted green which held what is now my Taylorcraft, the owner of the farm Bill Shenk's V tail Bonanza as well as my dad's friend Lynwood Tucker s home built "The little Swan" which was powered by a 40 or 50 hp Continental and was in the Virgina transportation museum in Roanoke last I heard. The last owner had told me that a couple of Taylorcraft's had been based there (well after ours). That Farm strip looked like a painting out of Norman Rockwell. The airstrip gave way to a cow pasture on both sides. The pasture going downhill slightly to the pond (now the back yard /woods of the homes) the land then went back up the other side of the pond a corn field up to the road named Forsyth Road which across from it was the original Farmhouse and Barn overlooking the entire property. I have pictures of Our Taylorcraft sitting in front of and also behind the hangar I am referencing also in the picture is the "lake" Farm was called Lake Hill Farm. WOW to me indeed COMING HOME! Please share this with Andrew. I grew up in the North Hills. Flew all around the area with Dad in what is now my Taylorcraft and in the winter in new Cessna 150s rented over at Zelinople "Tassa" for $10.00 wet! THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS, KEVIN!Originally posted by kevinbrooker View PostComment
-
This is unbelievable!! after nearly 30 years of begging the owner to sell me the 46 BC12D Taylorcraft that my father once Co-Owned and helped his partner recover......1967 TO 1969 and I flew with dad when 12 to the first Oshkosh in 1970. I was able to finally secure the plane from the owner who lived in Altoona PA where it had made its way. You see the plane that I am restoring was, while Dad owned it hangered and flown off a farm AIRSTRIP... THAT AIRFIELD WAS CALLED LAKE HILL AIRPORT IN MARS PA.... THE SAME AIRPORT THAT YOUR PILOT FRIEND ANDREW TOOK YOU TO.!!!! You see I had dreamed of flying it to that same Airport on my way to Oshkosh next year (plane should be flying this year) I have kept up with the owners of the Airport over the years...when you first mentioned Butler County as your meeting place my eyes widened a little. you then mentioned Andrew wanted to take you to the Airport where his friend kept the T was now a housing development I started to get chills. When you said the previous owner owned a helicopter I thought no way. I had called him about a year ago (and was dismayed and sick to hear he had sold the field it to a developer) The picture from the air you took verified! Back when dad flew from it, it was a farm grass strip. It originally had one large wood hangar painted green which held what is now my Taylorcraft, the owner of the farm Bill Shenk's V tail Bonanza as well as my dad's friend Lynwood Tucker s home built "The little Swan" which was powered by a 40 or 50 hp Continental and was in the Virgina transportation museum in Roanoke last I heard. The last owner had told me that a couple of Taylorcraft's had been based there (well after ours). That Farm strip looked like a painting out of Norman Rockwell. The airstrip gave way to a cow pasture on both sides. The pasture going downhill slightly to the pond (now the back yard /woods of the homes) the land then went back up the other side of the pond a corn field up to the road named Forsyth Road which across from it was the original Farmhouse and Barn overlooking the entire property. I have pictures of Our Taylorcraft sitting in front of and also behind the hangar I am referencing also in the picture is the "lake" Farm was called Lake Hill Farm. WOW to me indeed COMING HOME! Please share this with Andrew. I grew up in the North Hills. Flew all around the area with Dad in what is now my Taylorcraft and in the winter in new Cessna 150s rented over at Zelinople "Tassa" for $10.00 wet! THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS, KEVIN!Originally posted by kevinbrooker View PostComment
-
I'll definitely send this along to Andrew. Thanks for sharing the story. Were the two Tcrafts hangar/strip mates? Sounds like another reunion in the works.Comment
-
Please do share with Andrew. He must live not far from where we are discussing. As far as hangar mates however no they were not hangar mates. Ours now mine was there much before yours. Ours was there in the late 60s and early 70s when there were only three planes on the field well actually they did build one more hangar and a Citabria ws put in it. HOWEVER my dad had a friend that recovered a T craft and subsequently had an accident due to his ham handed engine rebuild..he had painted it yellow and black...What was the history on yours? Did it fate back to that area in the 1970s /80s ? His name was Steve Charis...Probably a long shot...but if yours is that plane I watch it be built up before the accident.
Again it was a beautiful grass strip...Ours do share the lineage of flying from it! Will send some pictures of it at the field you can share with Andrew. I have many stories of that area!Comment
-
Also I live in South Carolina.now having graduated high school up there and moving to Columbia SC for College wher I have remained my entire adult life. My Taylorcraft spent its entire previous time from when brand new all around Pittsburgh PA before going to Altoona PA where I trailered it in pieces to SC in 2020. It is getting closer to flying with painting to begin soon over the new covering now installed and every thing rebuilt to include installing a zero time 0200.
I look forward to meeting you!!!Comment
-
A quick run through of the logs shows my ship, N 95703, Ser 8003 found the ship was rebuilt with paperwork filed in 1975. They replaced a rear spar in the right wing, front spar in the left, and replaced some fuselage tubes. The paper and ink is worn and really faded obscuring a lot of the details. I have the FAA records CD and will find a computer to read the disc. So much for the permanence and ease of electronically recorded history. The owner at that time was Stephen Charis and the repairman was Herbert Miller. There are several mentions of Altoona, PA but no context of why its mentioned.Last edited by kevinbrooker; 3 weeks ago.Comment
-
Holy crap again! I watched your plane being re uilt the first time and possibly the second time! Steve Charis was a real character. He and my dad were polar opposite however great friends. Steve lent me his spray gun when I was 13 or 14 to paint a little triumph spitfire that a friend and I owned to fix up ( it was being kept at my house as the friend had kept a 64 Impala at his the previous year..yes we both had great parents that let us work with our own money earned outside the homes!)
The color combo coupled with the location of your plane is what made me bring his name up! I rembered Steve painting it yellow and black.!
Steve had the engine quit in your plane as he used steel wool in cleaning it up while apart and did not get it quite flushed out completely as a remember my dad mentioning. I think that caused damage to the plane. His wife had sewn a imitation leopard skin seat cushion it. I have a lot of Steve Charis stories!
It gets foggy after 1973 airplane wise as dad had sold his half of my now plane to his partner who took the wings off and stored it in his shop in Mars PA not far from the farm field . (His partner was not much to fly much That was a long sad story and involved me directly which I will share at a later date as it ties many loose ends with me owning the plane now!
I did not know your plane had made it to that field however not surprised as hangar space became a problem everywhere about that time with the WWII generation and below reaching a time they had some extra money..(still a problem!)
I recall vividly your plane in Steve Charis s basement being rebuilt! Steve lived within 6 miles or so of the home I grew up in that dad built in 1957.He and Dad were also in the same EAA Chapter.
Wow yes YOU and I AND our two planes DO need to get together !! This is unreal how your story has led to yet another heartwarming back home story !!!
Comment
-
Jim, when you get a sec, why don't you please post a couple of those old photos you mentioned. It would be fun to see.Mark
1945 BC12-D
N39911, #6564Comment
-
Mark will do so. I have many loaded to a thumb drive that a gent here that is in the business did for me.Originally posted by Mark Bowden View Post
In fact later (I hope this year) there will be a big one with my dad in a picture standing next to it with a new photo taken with me standing next to it when finished that will go in the game room and hangar.Comment
-
This story just seems to grow and get better and better. No leopard skin seat cover any more but something to consider. Any pics of my airplane in its old livery would be greatly appreciated if you have them. I'm definitely up for a get together.Comment
-
Will look for some. As I recall the plane spent some time with him down. I believe his flights were (perhaps) after Dad stopped flying actively which was waaaay to soon for me at age 14 or 15. I will look through our (his )collection of aircraft picturesComment
Comment