The International Cessna^® 170 Association

My first rendezvous with Whiskyblue...

...was a blind date, so to speak.


I had bought her sight unseen, which meant that I hadn’t seen her. But someone I trusted had not only seen her, but also worked on her and even flown her.
So all was good.
The date was set for 7:30 am, the day after I touched down at Boston’s Logan Airport.
Was I nervous? Naa, not really!
Curious and excited would be the appropriate words to describe my feelings, no wonder after all these days, well, months of searching.


https://youtu.be/FWknRP2XUJg

THANK YOU, Wolf…!! ….for reminding Us that we are an INTERNATIONAL Association. Your input is So Refreshing.

The first adventure with my bird


And then the day had come, the day I would set off on a journey I had dreamed of as a boy.
Whiskyblue was loaded and refueled, the weather checked, nothing could stop me now.

Take-off was at 9:55 a.m. EDT on August 16, 2019 – an epic journey had begun.


https://youtu.be/1Z-klFehwPM

Will engine trouble prevent a second adventure ?


When I came back from my camping trip through the eastern USA after just over two weeks, I was hooked.
I wanted more!

After all, in my dream I had been on the road - or rather in the air - for 3 months!

Yes, there were still a few bucks in the travel fund, but would they get me through one last adventure?

And what about that hiccup of the engine?


https://youtu.be/CydD-ClB4BU

Whiskyblue is going to get an upgrade


Those two and a half weeks flying across the eastern United States and camping under the wing were not only a wonderful experience, they also confirmed that I had made the right choice in buying a Cessna 170B.

She was just what I had always dreamed of.

But dreams, desires, fantasies always keep pushing: Better!  More!  Longer!

So when I made plans for a second, longer (!), trip I asked myself: How can I make Whiskyblue better?


https://youtu.be/KWnTYyMvRZc

Making it mine - panel upgrade


Upgrading or modifying an aircraft is not only an attempt to adapt it to a particular flying style, a particular mission, but often also reflects a desire to comply with individual preferences and manifest a personal taste.

To get a bigger engine rather than overhauling the O-300 was definitely mission driven: I wanted to be able to take off safely from short backcountry strips at higher elevations.

My desire to give Whiskyblue a personal touch played a bigger role when I was looking at modernizing the panel.


https://youtu.be/u2NvfCbOejc

Engine upgrade - a new experience.


Weighing up the pros and cons of an engine upgrade and making a decision can take quite a while. Stating the conclusion, on the other hand, is only a matter of seconds: Let's do it!

Accompanying the entire project from start to finish had yet another, completely different time horizon, and doing this from a distance of 3700 miles was a totally new experience for me.

There was a lot to learn, a lot to look forward to, a lot of anticipation built up and also a few frustrations to overcome - it's all part of it, I think.


https://youtu.be/U6QkFSgRLQU

Patience required before I can start my trip...


The closer we got to the completion of the upgrade of Whiskyblue, my Cessna 170B, the more work was left to do. The famous "90% done, 90% remaining" - joke proved to be true once again.
In the end, it all paid off. Staying focused, paying close attention to every detail and patiently ticking off one task after another got us to the goal.
Engine start at 5:30 a.m., take-off into the pink morning sky. I pointed the nose of Whiskyblue to the west and set off on my great adventure.
And what an adventure it turned out to be!!


https://youtu.be/XaloKgIJzkY

A short hike triggered great memories


Hiking up to a beautiful spot close to where I live now always triggers memories of the backcountry adventure with my 170B last year.
Go there to watch the videos I shot during that trip:
http://flywithwolf.com/2023/11/03/the-videos/

https://youtu.be/J4PbT4me8K4

Great memories: adventures with Whiskyblue, my Cessna 170B.
Intro: Me, my boyhood dream and the plane to realize it.


https://youtu.be/axdMfGYftcw

Great memories: adventures with Whiskyblue, my Cessna 170B.
The beginning of my trip - nice first leg to Lockhaven, and then stopped in my tracks by thunderstorms.


https://youtu.be/g4zrQJcF0fs

Great memories: adventures with Whiskyblue, my Cessna 170B.
At the end of the second leg of my first day out on my trip.


https://youtu.be/cr1GGHVOgrw

Great memories: adventures with Whiskyblue, my Cessna 170B.
First goal achieved – I made it to Montana!
There are no mountains where I landed, but there is a huge hangar with room to spare for Whiskyblue and my tent, and a bar within walking distance with cold beer, huge hamburgers, and the local high school football stars for company.



https://youtu.be/v4zZnUC-Mhg

Great memories: adventures with Whiskyblue, my Cessna 170B.

Idaho, Idaho… you have to go to Idaho!
That recommendation came up wherever I asked for places I should visit on my adventure trip across the country.
Moose Creek was my first landing there.


https://youtu.be/CvafshVhUDE

Great memories: adventures with Whiskyblue, my Cessna 170B.
The advice of Idaho flying legend Ray Arnold made me come here: Garden Valley.



https://youtu.be/5N0JZ9Yb7mA