A Bit of History

[cessna170bdriver]

The son of the original owner of N2597C reached out to me yesterday and sent a photo of his Dad with the airplane in the late 1950s. The airplane was used in a NYC aerial tour service based out of White Plains, NY called Panorama. He says the airplane was originally trimmed in green (so I’m 2 for 2 in that regard ).

[Richgj3]

The chocks say “Panorama”. I remember them. They might still exist. Very cool photo.

https://www.facebook.com/Panormaflightservice/

Looks like they got sold in 2013
https://www.aviationpros.com/fbos-tenan ... ht-service

[GAHorn]

Goodyear wheels.

[DaveF]

Panorama used to operate out of a Quonset hut on the east side of the airport.

[cessna170bdriver]

Goodyear wheels.

McCauleys now.

[cessna170bdriver]

The chocks say “Panorama”. I remember them. They might still exist. Very cool photo.

https://www.facebook.com/Panormaflightservice/

Looks like they got sold in 2013
https://www.aviationpros.com/fbos-tenan ... ht-service

According to the guy who contacted me, his Dad, Billy Fisher, and Billy’s partner Ted Healy started Panorama as a tour service with 97C. It was evidently very successful and morphed into an executive transport service.

[cessna170bdriver]

I just received another email from the previous owner’s son with some more history:

Miles... I dug up a transcript I did of my Dad's flight log which my brother Wayne has down in Gainesville, Florida.

Dad's first mention of 97C was on December 7, 1955:

"Washington, PA to Harrisburg, PA Cessna 170 "N2597C" Bring Home New Ship X.C. Harrisburg to HPN." HPN, of course, is Westchester County Airport in White Plains, NY.

December 14-31 1955

"T.O.s & L.D.G.S. with Flaps" (So he was obviously practicing his takeoffs and landings with the new plane.)

After that, lots of personal trips with friends and family and tour trips over NYC. I see first mention of me flying on April 28, 1956, when I was a year and a half old.

Dad's last flight in 97C was August 2, 1959 at which time he sold his share to Ted Healy and Panorama.

Interestingly, I see him on January 14, 1962 record this: "Hopped rides for Panorama in Cess. 97C." So he was helping out his buddy Ted do some tours. Another mention of the same on August 18, 1962, September 22, 1963, October 20, 1963, November 24, 1963, February 16, 1964 and March 1, 1964. He also flew 97C on May 9, 1965 when he flew the publisher of Life Magazine, Henry Luce.

Dad also mentioned flying Congressman Thomas Dodd of CT (later Senator) in 97C and his family, as well as well known bandleader LeRoy Holmes, for whom he did musical arrangements.

There's just a little window of 97C's early history.

Best, Scott Fisher

[GAHorn]

That is fantastic! Miles, do you have all the logs for the airplane? Do any of the early records reflect those flights?
Photocopies of those transcripts might be nice to have, especially those carrying VIPs.

[4583C]

That’s pretty neat Miles. Wish I knew more about the early life of 83C.

[mmcmillan2]

Man, great picture!

[GAHorn]

That’s pretty neat Miles. Wish I knew more about the early life of 83C.

I can help you out there a bit, Paul!

It sat in a shed gathering dust for many years on a hill-side up in Jack Country, Texas named after Patrick Churchill Jack who fought in the Texas revolution in 1836, and the owner finally gave-up thinking he was going to ever get it flying again and had it put back into flying condition by hiring out the work to some really fine craftsmen in Mena and it was so beautiful it won awards right-away at the next convention!
(Anything else?)

[4583C]

The questions I have are about the early years of 83C. I know where its been for the last forty years. Actually I have a pretty good idea of where it has been since the landing incident in Alexandria, La June 1970 by a young man with 3 hours in type. The only time I remember it being on the ground in Jack county was a picnic when my son Andy (now 40) was still in diapers. You were just one county off as it has for the last fourty years lived in Wise county named after Henry A. Wise, a U.S. Senator from Virginia who supported Texas annexation, Wise was later governor and a Confederate States of America General. Wise County was one of the Texas counties that voted against secession from the United States.

[GAHorn]

AHhhh…. Sooo,….YOu are a “WISE GUY”, …. heh?