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| Stroll down memory lane http://t18.net/thorpforum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=8395 |
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| Author: | JackPark [ Mon Aug 12, 2019 7:28 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Stroll down memory lane |
In 1963 I bought T18 plan set 67 directly from John Thorp. By mid 1966, I was flying it. It was N2264B; John's Skyscooter was N2262B. By 1971 after flying all over the country, I snagged a cable over Shasta Lake and landed it in the lake. It doesn't float very well. Stumbling on this group brought back a flood of really fond memories. Thanks! Jack |
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| Author: | James Grahn [ Tue Aug 13, 2019 12:30 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Stroll down memory lane |
Wow! |
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| Author: | N2056 [ Wed Aug 14, 2019 10:50 pm ] | |||||
| Post subject: | Re: Stroll down memory lane | |||||
I have some memories for you! On April 27th, 1971 you were the test pilot for my Dad's first Thorp. 
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| Author: | JackPark [ Thu Aug 15, 2019 10:44 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Stroll down memory lane |
Wow! Ramona Airport. I recall breaking ground and noticing the cylinder head temperature climbing into the red, so I throttled back and cut short the flight. Talk about memories! Many thanks for that. What does it mean "my dad's first Thorp?" Did he build another one? I vaguely recall that he had a motorglider parked at that airport. |
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| Author: | JackPark [ Sat Aug 17, 2019 10:24 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Stroll down memory lane |
This is what "memory lane" is about; looking at photos of you taken 48 years ago, finding it hard to get to sleep at night because your brain will not let go of revisiting that experience. I was 26 years old, then, and now, through different eyes, I recognize that my identity was locked up in flying, and perhaps especially the adrenaline rush of test flying new birds. Today, things are a bit more mundane; I am a co-founder of a non-profit seeking to tame global conversations about wicked problems. Back then, test flying had its own wicked moments. Somezheimer's won't let me recall your father's name, but I have an image of a couple of men, and two young women - one of whom was introduced as his daughter - on that day. I flew there, as I recall, in a friend's T-18 because mine was already in a hanger being disassembled for parts after hauling it out of Shasta Lake. I now live in Temecula, deep in the heart of the Riverside, Ramona, San Diego region. I'd be happy to meet with others, and especially that family. |
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| Author: | JackPark [ Sat Aug 17, 2019 10:36 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Stroll down memory lane |
Ok. Roaming about this site, searching on N2056, I discovered the sad news that John Kerr had passed away due to a cancer. A sad closure on this particular memory lane. Sigh. |
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| Author: | N2056 [ Sun Aug 18, 2019 8:57 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Stroll down memory lane |
I am sorry for the delay in responding. That ended up being a trip down memory lane for me as well. Dad actually was involved with 3 builds. The one you flew, one built by an aerospace studies program at a local high school that he was involved with, and the polished one you saw here. Those pictures I posted were captured from the movie that was made of your flight. I was able to convert it off of my DVD and put it on YouTube. https://youtu.be/QZq9qqRCSxQ |
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| Author: | JackPark [ Mon Aug 19, 2019 10:28 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Stroll down memory lane |
Your father was an amazing fellow. It's even hard for me to imagine a high school building an airplane, must less a T-18. If you or anyone else wants to talk in depth, use jackpark at gmail and put [T18] or something like that in the subject line. Thank you very much for this stroll down memory lane. |
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| Author: | JackPark [ Thu Aug 22, 2019 1:53 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Stroll down memory lane |
The video cleared up what was a faulty memory of this event. Earlier, I said I recalled meeting a daughter, and there was a motorglider. It's clear now that I conflated this T-18 test flight with a completely different event, though possibly at the same airport. |
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| Author: | JackPark [ Thu Aug 22, 2019 1:58 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Stroll down memory lane |
Speaking of test flying T-18s, I recall flying with John Thorp in his Skyscooter out to Lancaster and putting flight hours on his own T-18 after it was built. Flights in the Mojave desert would otherwise be boring except that you have so many gorgeous mountains and other scenes to fly over and observe; you can fly through the Tehachapis and drop down and shoot landings at Mojave airport. |
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| Author: | Hagle347 [ Sun Jun 07, 2020 2:24 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Stroll down memory lane |
I was scanning some slides today and came across a couple neat photos. One is Rockford(pre Oshkosh) pretty sure the slide said 1969. The other is my dad’s first T-18- serial number 347. Later rebuilt and N number changed to N45881  
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| Author: | James Grahn [ Sun Jun 07, 2020 2:47 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Stroll down memory lane |
I have a memory of Rockford. I’m wondering if it was ‘69. I know it was 1960s. We stopped by DuPage on the way. There was a deep maroon Thorp there gassing up. I wonder who that was. Cool pix Terry, Cubes |
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| Author: | JackPark [ Sun Jun 07, 2020 3:24 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Stroll down memory lane |
Those pix really do bring back memories. I first flew serial# 67 in 1966, then flew to Rockford twice, once in a T-18 built by Ralph Tenhause (spelling might be off), then in mine, That would be 67 and 68, as best I can recall. |
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