Nostalgia - Gas Cap Problems on PreFlight
Ancient relic from the past. Great memories flying with my Dad and the surrounding tales that make them special.
The SeaBee, powered by a 215 HP Franklin engine was a rear engine push propeller amphibian. The gas cap is located on the right side of the plane. A safety chain attaches the gas cap to the frame of the plane to prevent it from hitting the variable pitch (including reverse) prop located aft of the gas cap.
Dad and Mom, owned a small cottage on Big Bradford Lake near Waters, Michigan. At the time this story took place there was a large Hotel and a unique Bottle Fence along Old Highway US-27. This was long before Interstate 75 that was eventually built to expedite traffic from Detroit to the peace and quiet of northern Michigan.
At the turn of the Century (1910 or there-abouts) my grandmother worked as a cook at a lumber mill located at the north end of Bradford Lake.
The owner of the Mill drank quite a bit of whiskey back then and decided to take all his empty bottles and encase them in a cement fence that was located on either side of the entrance to his Estate near Heart Lake. This is the famous "Bottle Fence" that folks on there way up north could stop and see.
Back to the eventful trip in the SeaBee! There were three human animals and one large Collie inside for the trip and landing on Big Bradford Lake. My childhood friend, Joe Trickey, was in the right front seat next to my Dad (it was Joes first ride in the SeaBee). The plane is quite noisy since the engine is located right behind the rear seat passengers. Skipppy (the dog) was sitting in the right rear seat and I was sitting next to the mutt behind my Dad.
About ten minutes before landing at the lake the gas cap, which wasn't closed properly, decided to come off. Nobody knew what happened but we couldn't see Joe! The dog leaped right on top of poor Joe. The dog was large, about 110 pounds. The banging cap against the aluminum hull of the SeaBee made a perfect duet with the noise of the engine. All this confusion continued until we landed in the lake. Joe managed to get out from under the dog, who remained in the front seat, too frightened to move.
When we docked and opened the front hatch the dog disappeared about as fast as Joe disappeared a few minutes before. It took a while before the dog showed up at the cabin.
This story made the rounds back in Lansing where it all began with a mis-aligned fuel cap waiting for its chance to blow off while tethered to the hull!
