Nostalgia - Engine Failure in a Republic SeaBee
Chronicles are wonderful sources of planes and pilots in unusual places! The scene is Gaylord Municipal Airport in Michigan somewhere in the past. Participants were my Dad and his Son-In-Law, Jack. Nice day for a spin in the SeaBee, practice a few touch and go's in Otsego Lake and a quick return back to the airport and drive back to Bradford Lake, a few miles south of Otsego Lake to join the ladies for a planned lunch.
Chronicles are wonderful sources of planes and pilots in unusual places! The scene is Gaylord Municipal Airport in Michigan somewhere in the past. Participants were my Dad and his Son-In-Law, Jack. Nice day for a spin in the SeaBee, practice a few touch and go's in Otsego Lake and a quick return back to the airport and drive back to Bradford Lake, a few miles south of Otsego Lake to join the ladies for a planned lunch.
The takeoff started out ok but over the end of the runway, about 300 feet into that wonderful CAVU weather, the Franklin engine decided to take a rest!
Pops didn't have time to drop the wheels (SeaBees have a cumbersome wheel retraction system) but a field full of cattle, just to the NW of the airport, provided the emergency strip "Pops" headed for, gear up! I have to admit my Dad really knew his aircraft.
The "Flying Stone," built just after WWII by Republic Aviation, slid in among the scattering cattle and pulled a rivet or two. Shook "Pops" and Jack up a bit but otherwise no damage was done to either the plane or crew - well, maybe a bruised ego or two.
Pops didn't have time to drop the wheels (SeaBees have a cumbersome wheel retraction system) but a field full of cattle, just to the NW of the airport, provided the emergency strip "Pops" headed for, gear up! I have to admit my Dad really knew his aircraft.
The "Flying Stone," built just after WWII by Republic Aviation, slid in among the scattering cattle and pulled a rivet or two. Shook "Pops" and Jack up a bit but otherwise no damage was done to either the plane or crew - well, maybe a bruised ego or two.
Now came the fun! Belive it or not the field was flat enough and big enough to fly the SeaBee out of rather than dis-assemble and tow back to the airport, a short distance away.
That required a days work with Bob Nichols, the airport manager, helping Dad and Jack hoist the plane up with a series of jacks so the wheels could be jacked down again.
All three men were without shirts on a nice sunny day in northern Michigan with cows licking their backs for the salt.
That required a days work with Bob Nichols, the airport manager, helping Dad and Jack hoist the plane up with a series of jacks so the wheels could be jacked down again.
All three men were without shirts on a nice sunny day in northern Michigan with cows licking their backs for the salt.
The Chronicle doesn't end with the safe takeoff and return to the airport later that afternoon after a through going over by Bob to determine what went wrong. Bob is a certified A&E.
It ends with two very sunburned men, two irate wives waiting for that nice lunch and the embarrasing day they struggled to explain.
It ends with two very sunburned men, two irate wives waiting for that nice lunch and the embarrasing day they struggled to explain.
