The International Cessna 170 Association

Really, VFR or IFR?

John

VFR and serious scud running! Lots easier to park when the weather goes bad.

I Follow Roads....

Finally got cool enough to ride the bike to Mena this week. There are just to many crooked roads between here and there to go in a cage unless it's absolutely necessary. The plane looks great despite the dust. There are some paint details to be finished inside and out as well as the interior installation.

It's looking really good Paul. Will be looking to see it in Columbus and I want a ride in it!

Paint turned out well if you're on the Red Team! A small amount of green primer around the baggage door needs to be hidden and one small hickey in the paint needs to be fixed. Interior installation needs to be completed and the biggest hurdle is paperwork now. Business is booming at Mountain Airframe. Del told me at one time they had 5 170s in the shop.

Plane looks really nice Paul. You might want to leave that bit of green primer as it will increase the cruising speed of that RED airplane

See you this weekend

Its always great to see another 170 almost ready to go back into the air! I know this one will be an award winner at a future convention.

Paul's comments about what a huge new family of folks were opened up with that first (1991) convention in Jennings. I would have never have thought going to somewhere like Jennings could be so much fun and allow Becky and I to get to know so many super nice folks. Hard to believe that Paul, Deborah, Jody, Andy & Megan lived so close to us. I had seen Paul's 170 numerous times where he took it for its annuals, but never met Paul until Jennings. Glad to call Paul & his family one of our friends!

170C wrote:Plane looks really nice Paul. You might want to leave that bit of green primer as it will increase the cruising speed of that RED airplane

See you this weekend

Clearly that green primer was applied in the past....and it's just insistent upon being slow to correct!

The Eternal Project has finally returned to Texas after her Mena makeover.

Looks nice Paul. Congratulations!

Beautiful Paul, maybe a little less motorcycling this year?

who is in the pilot seat? Paul does not look like you???? red/green looks good blue looks better! Judges are going to have a hard time at this years convention!!!! get your wallets out you two- and yes you know who I am talking about-- peoples choice will be tough!!!!!! Ron

c170b53 wrote:Beautiful Paul, maybe a little less motorcycling this year?

Probably so, I've been tied down with calving since February and now I need to learn to fly again

ron74887 wrote:who is in the pilot seat? Paul does not look like you???? red/green looks good blue looks better! Ron

It was Richard Pulley. After serving as test pilot Richard deliverd it. Ron, blue may look better but Red is definitely faster

Today was a milestone for 4583C and myself. Early this morning we flew together alone for the first time since April 15, 1993. My insurance required my instructor to have had five hours in a 170 in the last year which lessened the already small pool of tailwheel qualified instructors. Richard Pulley served as mentor, test pilot and delivery pilot and planned to get me checked out before returning to Alaska for the summer, however due to some problems under the cowl we lost two weeks and the day Richard brought it home I took him to DFW to catch his flight to Alaska the next day. We did get to fly for about an hour that day which left me wondering if I would ever pick up where I left off. Fortunately Karl Towle flew with me one day when the wind wasn’t 15 gusting to 25 and with his instruction and encouragement I managed to take off in a relatively straight line. I finally found a qualified, highly recommended instructor but we have yet to meet in person despite all the emails, texts and phone calls. Our lives are just to complicated Richard came back to Texas in October and we got in about 4 hours one afternoon and the next morning and I felt that I was close to competency. Well it was two months before we could get together again and it took the first hour to get back to where I was in October. Frustrated I asked Richard to do a landing so I could just watch. While I can’t articulate exactly what I learned from that short demonstration it worked. Things just felt right despite the wind jerking us around on short final. No time to fly yesterday but this morning I woke up early and arrived at the airport before daylight and did my preflight with a flashlight. As the sun got halfway over the horizon I cranked up and by the time it was over the horizon I was off. After thirty minutes of enjoying the calm morning skies I headed back to see if could indeed land the beast by myself. I did and two more times just to be sure. It’s good to be back!