I finally got the Taylorcraft home.

[Greg Bockelman]

After many years and much paperwork frustration, I finally got my Taylorcraft home yesterday. Five and a half hours of flying and three stops to get it home. I have about 10 hours in it now and feel very comfortable with it.

It is a 1942 model that was basically upgraded to the F19 configuration. The F19 was built by Taylorcraft in the 70's. It now has a 100 HP engine that was in a Cessna 150 at one time.

I did stalls in it today and it stalls just like a Cessna 150. Very docile. I am expanding my personal envelope in it. It is a very straight forward airplane. I am looking forward to puting a lot of time on it this fall and winter.

 

[AdamZ]

Congrats Greg. At Gastons you were contemplating what to do with the 195 after you got the Taylorcraft home. Made any decisions. Also lets see some photos.

 

[etsisk]

what to do with the 195????? Hug it, fly it, love it, keep it!!!!!

 

[JasonCT]

LOL Congrats Greg, now head out to some of those great grass strips out there and claim some airports for the ConUS challange! Let's see some pics!

 

[Greg Bockelman]

Congrats Greg. At Gastons you were contemplating what to do with the 195 after you got the Taylorcraft home. Made any decisions. Also lets see some photos.

It wasn't the 195. It was the Taylorcraft. LOL. I can't justify owning both, but I am going to for as long as I can stand.

Photo's? Well we will see.

 

[Greg Bockelman]

what to do with the 195????? Hug it, fly it, love it, keep it!!!!!

I finally had a hydraulic lock on it today. Had to cancel some Commercial Maneuver training. I didn't have the tools to fix it. First time I have had that happen.

 

[markb5900]

I have seen it and flown with Greg in it. IT IS A SWEET PLANE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Dave Siciliano]

Heard about your trip home when you called Diana Tuesday evening (we were on our second margarita)! Glad the trip went well. Welcome to the two plane club!!! Three makes you a collector <vbg>

Best,

Dave

 

[Diana]

Photo's? Well we will see.

Greg, I'm sorry we missed you yesterday. Carol and I flew into the farm about 4:00.

Here are some pictures that Tom at the farm yesterday.

 

[flyersfan31]

Oh my!! A Taylorcraft AND a 195? That's one heckuva flying museum you've got going there. I hope you can keep both forever. Enjoy!

 

[etsisk]

I finally had a hydraulic lock on it today. Had to cancel some Commercial Maneuver training. I didn't have the tools to fix it. First time I have had that happen.

well, yeah, my wife aggravates me sometimes, too, but still.... !!!

 

[SCCutler]

Funny thing- after seeing the 195 towering over you, Greg, when you stand next to the T-craft, you're a GIANT!

Sweet lookin' boid.

 

[ladyaviator]

Hey Greg
Don`t forget your wife. If I remember, she was pretty excited about flying the Tayorcraft too.

Linda

 

[tonycondon]

Awesome Greg, it looks Great!

 

[Ghery]

That last picture is a perfect scene - tail dragger on grass. I've got to experience that some time.

 

[Kaye]

Oh man, I'm jealous, Greg! Sweet....Sweet....Sweet.....!!!!!!

Kaye

 

[Greg Bockelman]

Funny thing- after seeing the 195 towering over you, Greg, when you stand next to the T-craft, you're a GIANT!

Sweet lookin' boid.

LMAO.

 

[Greg Bockelman]

Hey Greg
Don`t forget your wife. If I remember, she was pretty excited about flying the Tayorcraft too.

Linda

True. I do tend to talk in first person about these things. But she is out of town now and hasn't even seen it yet.

I hope it rekindles interest in flying in her.

 

[Henning]

True. I do tend to talk in first person about these things. But she is out of town now and hasn't even seen it yet.

I hope it rekindles interest in flying in her.

It stands a good chance. Flying a 195 can be a bit intimidating, especially that "land by braile" thing. The T-Craft has few points of intimidation.

 

[jshawley]

I dunno--looks to me like it could be sort've an eyesore, that thar Taylor, what with all that chrome bumpers and grills and what not. Tell ya what--I'll help ya out, Greg, by offering you a discount to tow it out .

Just teasing. Seriously, what a beautiful bird! For those of us who don't know, what was the story behind your tribulations in getting it home?

She looks lovely--especially on the grass.

Jim

 

[Greg Bockelman]

For those of us who don't know, what was the story behind your tribulations in getting it home?
Jim

Well Jim, it is kind of a long story. It starts in 2000 or 2001 when I was approached about trading my Fairchild for the Taylorcraft. That is a story in and of itself.

When I agreed to the trade, I was under the impression that the Taylorcraft was VERY CLOSE to being done with it's major restoration. Well, I waited a year and figured out that it wasn't about done. At that point, I also figured out that since the airplane was put into storage in the mid 50's, (1955 to be exact) it had never been issued a permanent airworthiness certificate.

Pryor to 1956, airworthiness certificates were issued annually, I presume in conjunction with the annual inspection.

Anyway, we were faced with a conformity inspection to make sure the airplane "conformed" to its type certificate. Well, as part of it's restoration, it was "converted" to an F19 Taylorcraft. In otherwords, it did not conform to it's original type certificate.

About that time, the FAA cracked down on field approval inspections. Bottom line, it took a couple of years to even get the feds out to look at the airplane. When they did, they found the obligatory few items they wanted changed.

Well, before he could get them fixed, Mike broke his leg. That put him out of commission for a couple of months. When he did get the items fixed and called the FAA to come back out to look, they said they closed the case because they had not heard from Mike in a while. As a result, they said it would be 6 or 8 weeks before they could come out. Mike convinced them to kick it over to a Designated Airworthiness Representative.

He found a few things he wanted changed, and having done that, he signed the permanent Airworthiness Cert.

Mike wanted to put a few hours on the airplane before I took delivery, and I had NO PROBLEM with that. In that process, both landing gear bungees went soft. A bungee is a giant rubber band that a lot of the older small airplanes used for shock absorbers on the main gear. Having fixed that and a few other minor things, Mike decided to let it go.

A week ago last Tuesday, we went down to get the airplane and Wednesday I flew it home.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

 

[jshawley]

Quite the saga! Did you see that F-24 that Tom Downey linked to not too long ago? Somewhere in Tennessee, if I recall. I just love the older planes. They tell a tale of simpler times... Sigh .

Enjoy your new bird!

Jim

 

[Henning]

Quite the saga! Did you see that F-24 that Tom Downey linked to not too long ago? Somewhere in Tennessee, if I recall. I just love the older planes. They tell a tale of simpler times... Sigh .

Enjoy your new bird!

Jim

Simpler for whom?

 

[jshawley]

Well...

For Richie and The Fonz. I know, I know: life was harder back then, but as a kid, I didn't know that not having two cars, four cell phones, wireless, two laptops, &c, &c, &c meant we were not well off.

We also knew who our enemy was. We also knew right from wrong, always ate fish on Fridays at school (which was ok, even if I went to the Baptist church), and--wel-l-l-l-l you know the schtick. Of course, Cap't. Kangaroo and Romper Room, with some Tom 'n' Jerry, Daffy Duck, and Bonanza were standard fare, as well as Wild Kingdom.

Yeah, I was naive, but my granddaughter Kelsey isn't going to be allowed to be a kid, it seems. Fred (Mr.) Rogers once appealed to parents to let kids be kids.

My worst friend/best enemy, James, would toss me the bat, I would catch it, we would work our way to the top, and whoever topped it got to pick first.

We walked to school (and chased the mosquito truck). And we walked home. We got swats at school. And we got whuppins when we got home.

Just sigh. Don't worry--I'm just being maudlin, I guess. (And I didn't even mention aviation! )

Y'all have a good weekend!

Jim