Tom Melbye, are you out there?

[Hank Jarrett]

Our EAA Chapter meeting was interesting last night because the guy running the projector had old aviation pictures as screen savers. Several of them were of a Taylorcraft in the early 50s that his parents flew when he was a baby. I recorded the N number on the wing and looked up the current owner as Tom Melbye.
Tom, are you a member of this group? Anyone know him? I know I'm going to be embarrassed because he is probably someone we talk to all the time with something OTHER than his name as an identifier. If so, I apologies in advance, but Nick Jones in Chesapeake Virginia has a bunch of pictures of your plane in it's original configuration and paint scheme when it was only a few years old. I would really like to get you guys together.
Any interest or information out there?
Hank

[Bob Waldron]

Re: Tom Melbye, are you out there?

If the Tom Melbye that you are looking for is in Minnesota, then I know him. He has two Taylorcrafts, one on floats. He has about 5,000 hours in Taylorcrafts, mostly on floats. He also has thousands of hours in Howards and 190's and 195's. If you let me know what N-Number you are referihng to, I would be more than happy to contact him for you.

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Tom Melbye, are you out there?

Yes, he was in Minnesota! I don’t have the N number here and Nick’s phone has been busy all night.
One of the pictures was of his mother in the cockpit only weeks after his birth. His mom is still alive and still interested in aviation. As soon as my 41 is flying I would like to get him set up to take her for a flight in it. He is building a Velocity now, but I think he should be able to handle a Taylorcraft with proper refresher training. ;-)
We need to get together off line so we can get Nick and Tom together.
Nothing like a 55 year reunion to give you a smile after a hard day.

Hank

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Tom Melbye, are you out there?

Finally got through to Nick Jones. His web site is at http://homepage.mac.com/avyator/VelocityXL/Menu6.html
Check out the "history" section for pictures of the Taylorcraft . There is also a link at the bottom of the page in the "Send me a message" block so Tom can contact Nick.
Keep us up on Toms end of this. I would love to hear the whole history of this plane.
Hank

[VictorBravo]

Re: Tom Melbye, are you out there?

You mean Nick Jones, "the mouth of the south", of White Lightning kitplane fame, and former F-1 racer with a Cassutt named "Mother Holliday"???

Never met him but I heard he was a REAL character!

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Tom Melbye, are you out there?

No, really doesn't sound like our Nick. He and his wife Connie are VERY active EAA folks but your Nick sounds like someone I would want to meet too.
Hank

[Bob Waldron]

Re: Tom Melbye, are you out there?

Hank,

I talked to Tom Melbey tonight. He does NOT use a computer. I will PM you his phone number, and you can forward it.

He is a real nice fellow. Still owns two or three Taylorcrafts and a Cessna 190 and a Cessna 195 and a Cessna 210. He is getting too old to fly on his own, but flies with others. He was a car dealer, race car mechanic, airplane dealer, ran a machine shop and had a paper route for more than 67 years. His last great flying adventure was flying DC-3s out of the Dominican Republic.

Hope you can get these people together.