Airline started with a Taylorcraft

[astjp2]

http://www.alaskajournal.com/Alaska-Journal-of-Commerce/June-Issue-1-2015/Anchorage-aviation-Flying-through-time/

Read the entire article and you will see how a Taylorcraft was the first airplane for one airline. Tim

[akndrifter]

Re: Airline started with a Taylorcraft

Now Penair is taking on Saab 2000s and a few EAS routes in the Lower 48. They have come a long way from one tcrate.

[PA1195]

Re: Airline started with a Taylorcraft

I believe Al Wright (Fairbanks/Nenana/Miinto Flats, Alaska) who developed Wright Air Service (http://wrightairservice.com) started in the '50's with a Taylorcraft as one of his early planes. Many stories I've heard over the years. I later owned his PA-12-180 for some time and enjoyed learning from him whenever possible. He's still getting around and frequents hangar parties at Chena Marina airport.

One time he had the fabric (Nitrate dope) catch on fire and slowly watched the ground emerge below the fuselage. He survived as it was winter I believe and he landed on skis and hunkered down for some time...maybe walked back to town. Another time he searched and found a dead trapper and dog team that was overdue. The fellow had frozen in an odd shape so Al had to axe him into small enough pieces to fiy in the plane (T-Craft?, not sure). He let his dogs go but they weren't happy.

These tough old timers endured real hardship compared to our flying today. They were raised or accepted tough outdoor times as normal. Today we have no idea what it must have been like to fly then. But compared with poling a boat up a river, walking through clouds of mosquitoes, snowshoeing for days or mushing dogs in winter, the plane was much better and faster than the other options for getting around the country.

Gary

[Dick Smith]

Re: Airline started with a Taylorcraft

This is the original Taylorcraft used by Orrin Seybert to start what became PenAir. His son's tracked it down, had it rebuilt and gave it to their dad as a surprise. Dick

[PA1195]

Re: Airline started with a Taylorcraft

This is the original Taylorcraft used by Orrin Seybert to start what became PenAir. His son's tracked it down, had it rebuilt and gave it to their dad as a surprise. Dick

Maybe it's my eyes but there's real washout in those wings.

Gary

[perryv1]

Re: Airline started with a Taylorcraft

Now Penair is taking on Saab 2000s and a few EAS routes in the Lower 48. They have come a long way from one tcrate.

A friend of mine is flying for them out of Boston in Saabs

[perryv1]

Re: Airline started with a Taylorcraft

Now Penair is taking on Saab 2000s and a few EAS routes in the Lower 48. They have come a long way from one tcrate.

A friend of mine is flying for them out of Boston in Saabs

[akndrifter]

Re: Airline started with a Taylorcraft

While hopping on a Penair flight I saw this other former Penair bird.

[Robert Lees]

Re: Airline started with a Taylorcraft

Curtis Pitts started his aeroabatic aeroplane with a Taylorcraft too.

This year is the 70th anniversary of the Pitts. It's amazing the influence of CG Taylor.

Rob

[PA1195]

Re: Airline started with a Taylorcraft

While hopping on a Penair flight I saw this other former Penair bird.

Interesting you should have a pic of the Grumman Goose. I flew on them (and Consolidated PBY Catalinas) often before Sitka, Ak. had an airport.

My neighbor at the float pond flew a Goose for Weber Airlines in Ketchikan years ago. His tale of hand propping the left engine to start and charge a weak battery before he could start the right is quite a tale.

Edit: In 1971 I was working on Kodiak and we demob'ed a remote field camp a Fraser Lake. On takeoff the left engine of the Goose blew up internally and we landed back on the lake ok. I was laying on gear and empty propane bottles in the cargo area. The problem was the plane wouldn't taxi to the beach...only ran around in circles out in the lake. I stuck an outboard motor on the base of the rear cargo door, and by opposing the right engine's thrust with the outboard we finally made it back to camp. I had just spent 6 months working on nearby Karluk Lake and got to spend yet another night in a sleeping bag without a hot bath.

They later flew in an engine and replaced the faulty one (master rod let go I was told). Jim Starkey was the good pilot. He went on to fly Lockheed Constellations and DC-6's during the construction of the Alaska Pipeline.

Gary

[Dick Smith]

Re: Airline started with a Taylorcraft

Here's a link to another Alaskan who got started with a Taylorcraft...http://www.adn.com/article/legends-a...tion-al-wright

[Dick Smith]

Re: Airline started with a Taylorcraft

The Taylorcraft "beginnings" which are woven through Alaskan aviation show up in this link also: http://www.adn.com/article/legends-a...-glen-alsworth