First Solo

[Jim Baker]

Today, December 17 2003 at 10:35 am easten time my son Elliott made his first solo flight. Using our '41 DL-65 he made two trips around the patch before snow showers moved back in. His mom, sister and I witnessed two of the finest wheel landing I have ever seen him make.

I have been teaching him to fly off a 2600' grass strip not far from our house. The first thing he told me was the tail comes up much quicker with out me back there! He turned sixteen two days ago but decided to wait until today to solo due to it's historic significance. Needless to say, we are all proud of him and he is beaming from ear to ear!! We got pleanty of video and pictures of the event.

I'll need to make my pictures smaller to get them to upload. I'll work on that tomorrow!

[taylorcraft078]

Congratulations to your son. I wonder how many people of any age get to do their solo in a taildragger anymore.

My Ben started his lessons last summer. He is only 14 so he has a while to go before his solo.

Dave
N36078 '41 BC-12-65

[Bruce Bixler]

Great job Jim, send me some pictures for the March TOC newsletter. It's a great feeling seeing one's off-spring take to the air.
Bruce

[Forrest Barber]

Hi Jim & Elliot thought I would share with the tribe the stuff on your fine aeroplane: copy of e-mail to Jim will follow

N36397 an original DL-65 ( now has Continental 65) shows up in the "D" book being completed Dec 15th, l941.
She had a Lyc 0-145-B2 engine, ser#5053-2; SB#38 complied with at factory. prop ser# 23607, empty wt #781. the test pilot on that day for 45 mins was William Anderson Crawford, he had soloed on June 11th, 1935 in a Lincoln PT, NC12535 w/ OX5.
His instructor Myron Larkin jr. had license #1513 this was at Lincoln Flying School, Lincoln , Neb.. bye Forrest

[crispy critter]

Solo

Congradulations!!!!!!I love to hear that more of us youngsters are taking interest in classic aviation.My father is always telling me that us youngsters are the future of aviation and if we can't find a way to keep them interested in these old classic airplanes then the day of the classics will soon come to an end outside of a museum.
I don't think I could even stand to live if I couldn't go fly these old classics.The classics are what makes flying fun most of the time.
Kevin Mays

[Chet Peek]

solo

Jim: Congratulations to Elliot for his solo in the DL-65. I still remember my solo, Oct 10, 1940 in a Luscombe.
I'm really enjoying my DC-65.
This is my first try at communication on the new site. Hope it works.
Holiday greetings to you and yours.
Chet Peek

[captjon]

Congratulations

Jim:

Please extend my congratulations to your son Elloitt for his wonderful accomplishment. I will always remember the day our son, Jason, soloed in Traci T-craft. It really is great to get them up in our old birds and to develop in them an appreciation for these fine pieces of aviation history.

Hope you and your whole family have a great holiday.

[CraigH]

Congratulations on your son's solo. Quite an achievement, and this one will be memorable in more ways than one.

[Forrest Barber]

Hi Chet I see you soloed okay on the new web based server list thingydo too!! keep it up thanks for the info on the Roy Good stuff. Jim Baker lets see some pictures too! or do I have to download from the "other Taylorcraft" list....

[Jim Baker]

I posted to the L-2 site the same time I posted to this site. The L-2 site uploaded but I got a message back saying my pictures were too big for this site. I had to go to work and just got back. As soon as I figure out how to make my pictures smaller I'll post the same ones here. Hopefully this evening!

Since I'm a male and I am waiting till the last minute to shop, I gotta go to the store with my son and do some quick shopping!

Pictures coming!!

[Jim Baker]

picture to follow-

[Jim Baker]

another

[Jim Baker]

Takeoff

[Jim Baker]

I'm getting this resize thing down!

[Jim Baker]

almost done.