Tim OConnor fly`s to my airport picnic today!

[Rick Whittridge]

Today was my annual picnic at my airport. I invited Tim to come up with his Twinstarr as we had a bunch of EAA guests on the airport as well as alot of pilots, airplanes & plenty of good food. I didn`t take very many pic`s today because I was giving Tim the 25 cent tour. He must have taken 200 pic`s so I will let him fill in the gaps for me.The highlight of the day for me was the look on Tims face when he was invited to sit in the Pitcarin for the first time. I took some pics with his camera so Tim post away.
Heres our Twinstarrs together for the first time
Tim spinning up for the trip back to Cinncy

[KenSandyEggo]

Why is the ambulance parked next to the gyros?

[barnstorm2]

Why is the ambulance parked next to the gyros?

Because they saw me trying to take off in a right quartering tailwind!:eek:

[Rick Whittridge]

Don`t be alarmed by the Ambulance Ken. You see we always invite the crew out for our picnic & have for over 50 years. We support our town & they support us. They are the first to go thru the chow line & the last to get a airplane ride if wanted. They love to see us having FUN!

[Brent Drake]

Rick, Love the color of the Twinstar

[Rick Whittridge]

Thanks Brent.

[Harry_S.]

Quick question Rick.

If you keep the Gadget; what time split do you foresee between the Gadget and the Gidget...over the next 6 mos.?!;)


Cheers :)

[Rick Whittridge]

Harry, First off I don`t think I could sell the Gadget although I have been offered a good some of money & turned it down. The Gadget will always be my Hot Rod to play with. Now that the Twinstarr is done I will be flying off my test time before old man winter pays me another visit.

[JLemons]

Rick, who flys the Skymaster parked in the background?

James

[Rick Whittridge]

That Huff & Puff has not been in the air in years & is now a eye sore to the airport. The guy that owns it lives in TX. I tried to sell it to a guy for parts but owner would not sell. He does pay the tie down fee every mth but we have to mow around it ?

[dragonflyerthom]

Rick

Huff & Puff sure looks lonely out there by it self.

The Guy probably would rather let it rust into a heap than sell it. Sad


Thom

[JLemons]

Rick, would it be too much trouble to send me a close up of the "Huff n' Puff"? I'd like to get a closer look of it if it's ok. Thanks!

James

blackhawkip@charter.net

[GyroRon]

Sad indeed! Why or how a person can let a plane sit and rot is beyond me.

[Rick Whittridge]

James , I will see if I can get a pic for you.
It`s not pretty!

[Harry_S.]

That owner ought to be hung out to dry.

Why doesn't the airport powers tell him to sell or remove his AC from the premises...reason being, it is an eyesore and detracts from the communities' image.

That owner is an asshole!!!!:mad:


.

[groundhog]

"k" here go's cause i dont type.AND i don't like some of the gripping i see.And I wish this wasn't how I was intro'ing myself.
That said,Harry you passed a pretty harsh judgement.Perhaps that craft has
Huge sentimental attachments and the owner just can't let it go and yet also
can't keep it up due to the same incapacity that he can't fly,Walk a mile.

[Harry_S.]

"k" here go's cause i dont type.AND i don't like some of the gripping i see.And I wish this wasn't how I was intro'ing myself.
That said,Harry you passed a pretty harsh judgement.Perhaps that craft has
Huge sentimental attachments and the owner just can't let it go and yet also
can't keep it up due to the same incapacity that he can't fly,Walk a mile.


I see your point, Jamie but...I just can't buy it.

The *known* facts, as I see them are...He pays the monthly fees...the aircraft is a mess, probably not flyable...he refuses to sell it...it is an eyesore, bad for the community...no attempt at upkeep.

Sentimental attachments...Naw. It's rusting away, no sentiment shown there.

I stand by my post above...may I add here, there may be some rental agreement involved, if not and he refuses to move it out and local law allows it, I would move it behind the barn, out of sight, and let mother nature, weeds, animals and whatever take over.

I cannot understand how anyone can allow an aircraft to remain unattended and just rot away. It's a shame, a downright shame. Inexcusable.


.

[groundhog]

Harry, everything you say is true.I just like to know the whole story.Where I'm coming from is this.I know a woman who never ever missed a hanger payment on her deceased fathers craft and yet lost her house to bankruptcy I totally dissagreed with what she did but it was her choice to make and she had her reasons The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle,Maybe in your spare time you could clean it up for him.

[scottessex]

Oh the rotting airplanes I have seen...Right now I know where there is a rotting cessna 152 and a Maule just sitting and rotting away. Not to mention the ones out here that I see whan I am flying around, a couple of single engine aircraft and I know of 2 twins of some sort just rotting in the woods about 4 miles from my house........Tragic.

[gyroplanes]

Almost every airport has a derelict airplane. I've tried to purchase several for my former school and never sensed the slightest hint of reality from these people. Truly sad indeed.

[Brent Drake]

I'd like to find an ol stearman and redo it.

[Hognose]

Brent --

there was a lot of six Stearmans on eBay a while back. Might be more of a project than you want.

As far as the decaying planes go, we had two at my home drome... Cherokees... left to sit. Guy paid religiously and once in a while would come around, "I really have to do something about getting them airworthy." Not. Gonna. Happen. The planes had sat in the New England weather for 15 years. The rubber was rotted, the interiors baked, the avionics useless, the metal corroded.

Finally he was given an ultimatum by airport management, get them airworthy and in-license by X date or we will dispose of them. Well, that was Mission Impossible and none of the mechanics would even talk to the guy. My understanding is that they were cut into sections with a Sawzall and thrown into a dumpster 300 lb. at a time.

Most of the parts were unusable even as cores after sitting that long.

This often happens with twins. People buy them who cannot maintain them.

Not just airplanes. How often do you see a vintage car rusting in a barnyard and hear, "nope, it's not for sale," followed by the self-deluded statement,
"I'm gonna restore it some day." (Actually, your kids are gonna pay to have it hauled to a crusher after you die, but its a free country).

Now, when I had the FBO I had one hangar customer who kept a derelict Mooney -- an old, wooden-winged one -- in the hangar, a very expensive proposition. I hated to give the revenue up but I hated to be taking this guy's money so we rang him up. Turns out, he was working for the FAA, and is keeping the Mooney for a retirement project. He knows just how bad it is and just how much resto it needs, and he needs a project just like that for when he hangs up his working career. In the meantime, keeping it indoors keeps it from getting any worse. That guy was making sense.

On the Skymaster, my personal opinion is that any one of those that is out of registration now will never fly again, with the possible exception of a genuine O-2 warbird with documented combat time (like the one the EAA sold off a couple years ago, for very short money). The 337 is expensive to maintain, expensive to insure (thanks to a poor safety record), and there's still a lot of them chasing few buyers. Because the acquisition cost is low ($50-100k) people buy them that can't afford to maintain them, and that shows up in situations like gear-up landings.

Rick -- I concur that your new ride is real sharp! I like the scheme and the bright N numbers seem like a homage to the original Gadget.

cheers

-=K=-

[Rick Whittridge]

:D Kevin, You can call me Rick (Mr. Gadget) I`m the one that started this Hijacked Thread. Thanks for the comments on the Twinstarr, Yes there is alot of Gadget Technology that went into this project .

[Harry_S.]

Rick;

I'm gonna ask now...You gonna have Gidget at Bensen Days '07?

I don't think I will be fortunate enough to see it before then...if then!!

Again, a fantastic build. Congratulations.:D


Edit...I had to come back and add this...Don't allow the PRA mag to print a photo of your machine, in black and white. UGH.:(


Cheers :)

[Harry_S.]

Rick;

Another question...Are you planning on adding wheel pants to this beauty?

WOW!! Showcase gyro!!


Cheers :)

[Rick Whittridge]

Harry , Thanks for the kind words on my Twinstarr.
I don`t think I will be taking the Twinstarr to Bensen Days
No wheel pants are in the works at this time

[gyroplanes]

Whilst snooping around Cornelia Fort airport in Nashville one year, I came across an Aeronca in a falling down T-hangar. The more I looked the more intrigued I became.

This Aeronca was all original looking, down to the wood prop. It was covered in dust and had rotting fabric draping off. The right main tire had a huge black "tumor" that turned out to be an innertube extruded through a rotted tire.

The most intriguing thing was that this airplane was completely surrounded by support columns and couldn't have been moved without disassembly.

I later learned from an airport official, that the owner put the plane on tiedown back in the early 50's. He'd come out every weekend, camp out, fly and wash the bird.

A spot in the T-hangar became available, the plane was moved inside, and the owner never returned.

The rent checks started coming from Florida and eventually, from another account.The airport called the new check writer and was told he was in a "home" and that he still didn't want to sell his airplane.

The hangar was in disrepair. The roof support columns were installed around the airplane. The hangar was now being torn down. In preparation for moving the airplane, a line boy was sent to fill the tire. I don't know what happened to the sad little bird. I never was able to follow up on this story.

Once, while flying, I found an intact Cessna 182 in a land locked back yard. I later found it by car and approached the property owner. It was his brother's (who lived 500 miles away) airplane. It was due for some major engine work, so he flew it to his brother's farm. There it sat for the next 20 years.

The tires were completely underground. The prop was frozen in position. The right aileron was standing straight up and frozen. The weatherstrip had rotted away and the inside had become a terrarium of sorts. Weeds were growing quite well inside the humid interior of the "greenhouse" and large animal droppings were evident on the seats and floor.

The instrument panel, instruments and ancient radios had faded to an even, light gray color.

This plane, also wasn't for sale.

On the way out of the "farm yard" (completely surrounded by a subdivision of new homes) I spotted a Rotorway Scorpion II in the barn. It had a bunch of stuff stacked on it and it was very dirty.

It was the brother's helo. It was built by him, but never flown. It too, was not for sale.

[WHY]

Obviously memories to some are more valuable than money

Tony