Dang Taylorcraft

[Acroeric]

Well- I have been away from flying for several months while I build my new house (yes, it has a short airstrip) Anyway- I just wanted to wish everyone a good holiday season. I feel as if I have dropped off the face of the earth with all the effort one puts into building your dream home.

The other day I had the pleasure of ferrying one of my old Tcrafts back from PA. It was a beautiful flight and I can not wait to get another one. The local fellow that bought it buzzes me on a regular basis out at the farm. Anyway- hope you guys have a good holiday season- I will be back and active around Febuary/ March when the house is done. Looks like I will be focusing on STOL capabilities instead of the clipwings now as my strip is 1200ft with an interesting approach (but it is mine;-))
Eric Minnis

[Forrest Barber]

Re: Dang Taylorcraft

STOL away me friend I wondered where you had gotten too, Pa thats close to Ohio right? maybe a picture sometime of the new strip & house...

[paulp]

Re: Dang Taylorcraft

Hey Eric,

Missed ya here on the forum and here in OKC! Got N39203 flying and am loving every minute of it. Let me know when your going to be in this part of the country again.

[crispy critter]

Re: Dang Taylorcraft

Hey Eric,
It's good to hear the new house is coming along.You mentioned doing away with the clipped wings and going with a STOL.I would like to comment on that if I may,a t-craft will operate easily out of a 1200' strip.I used to keep a C-170 and a stock T-craft on 900' with trees on one end.If you decide to keep the clipped wing then 1200'should be no problem especailly with a hopped-up O200.If you go with the STOL I would be more worried about getting it slow enough to land on 1200'.However if you do decide not to use your clipped wings I would be very interested in buying them from you or maybe trading you a set of stock wings.
Good luck and it's great to have ya back on line....keep in touch.

[Acroeric]

Re: Dang Taylorcraft

Well no sooner than I posted my earlier message about missing flying did a nice fellow from Dowagiac, Michigan give me a call. It seems he has purchased a 1938 BL-50 and needs help getting it from NC to Michigan. I get several requests annually to deliver Taylorcrafts but most end up to be tire kickers. I actually had one request to deliver one from Canada to Mexico this year and was going to take vacation to do it. Anyway- I am off from December 22 to January 2 so the first day I have with good weather for my 600 mile trip I am gone! I plan to take my 11 year old daughter with me as I need someone to help with the flying. She is a natural and can already take off without assistance from me. The route should take us over some of the most beautiful country one could imagine and as an added benefit, the field that the airplane was first delivered to in 1938 is not very far from where I am taking it. I just pray for good weather.

For this flight I am taking no radio, no GPS, just sectionals and the compass. I want to do this as close to the way it was done in '38 as possible. The days that we can pilot our machines without fancy tracking devices on board are numbered. Every flight I make in this manner I think could be my last.

You know, flying to me is about the freedom, people, and places along the way.

[crispy critter]

Re: Dang Taylorcraft

Very well put Eric.I couldn't agree with you more.Anytime I fly an airplane without an electrical system I never bring anything battery operated along......well maybe once in a while if it is a strange airplane going vast distances in less than favorable weather,then I might pull out the portable GPS from my flight bag but only if I think I have to have it(I have only had to use it once as a must and that was in a C-180,IFR at night,in the soup and I lost my generator.Landed safely near Haver,Montana).

[Jim Hartley]

Re: Dang Taylorcraft

The way flying is supposed to be...unless of course you want to make money.
But then there is no reason you can not have it both ways.

Jim

[taylorcraftbc65]

Re: Dang Taylorcraft

I agree guys. That's why I also have an ultralight. On the Taylorcraft I have Battery powered GPS, handheld VOR with radio, ( JRC ), and if I can pry my friend loose from it, an ADF. ( All battery powered. )
On the ultralight, I have NOTHING, not even a compass. The only instruments on the ultralight are Airspeed, Sensitive Altimiter, CHT, and EGT, that's it. I have a sectional strapped to my left thigh, and I follow roads.
i'm going to TRY to load a photo of the ultralight just so you guys know what I spend half the time flying. Sabrina[IMG][img]xxx[/img][/IMG]

[crispy critter]

Re: Dang Taylorcraft

Sabrina,
Who ownes the Stinson project in the background?

[taylorcraftbc65]

Re: Dang Taylorcraft

Kevin,
It belongs to my good friend Bernard (Bernie) Waltenberry, who is an avionics tech for America West Airlines at PHX.
He got it for nothing, and plans to restore it after he finishes the minimax that he is building right now.
You are GOOD. there are not many who would recognize it from the jumble
of stuff in the corner of the hanger.

[crispy critter]

Re: Dang Taylorcraft

I make half my living restoring,rebuilding,or refurbishing classic airplanes.A stinson is easy to recognize,try figuring out what a Chummy is when someone ask you and you have never seen one before.That one took me 3 weeks of research just to figure out what it was.

[Len Petterson]

Re: Dang Taylorcraft

Time,speed and distance. + a map and compass
If you know it you can go anywhere in the world.
How about a Taylorcraft air rally on what what bacis, or would the insurance rate be to high? Map, manual E6B, watch and compass (Ok than, if you have it. a DG)
Would be fun! It would not have to a long distance rally, just a littel difficult.
One time in the 80's a older fellow, like me now, was comming home with a Chief and my young instructor 20+ said : What?No VOR! How do you know where you are? Map, watch, airspeed: was the answer.

Yes, I do have a motorcycle battery for my hand held, the GPS and Intercom.
Sometime I charged it with a solarpanel. Panel and battery is heavy,13 lbs.
Len Petterson