Thorp Air Command - T18.net

9 out of state T-18s on the ground - one drive in builder from Washington, and a surprise layover visit from Colonel Captain Cubes - we're having too much fun to keep you posted further...will update tomorrow with photos.

Three last minute cancellations due to mechanical issues.

All for now...we are off to GO FLY!!

_________________
Fraser MacPhee
N926WM
Serial #279-1
Angel Fire, NM (KAXX)

After Action Report as follows:

9 T-18s came to town total, so eleven total on field. All arrived Friday. Howard and Elaine Ginn had rough running motor and put down safely in southern Utah. THey are fine and after speaking with Tony this morning, they found a dead cylinder and Elaine will fly the Thorp Sky Skooter up after Howard switches out the cylinder. We are just glad they are safe.
After arrivals on Friday, merriment, burgs and dogs and view admiring were the order of the day with a few passes made by Homey in the cool evening air.
Saturday was a day trip to Wendover AFB for a quick tour of the field where Col. Paul Tibbets and co. trained for the first atomic bomb drop. After returning mid afternoon, the CEO of Spanky's Smokin Hole BBQ Co. marinated, prepp'd and BBQ'd chicken to perfection and once again, Homey took to the skies for a few passes down the line.
Present were;
Rich Brazell - San Diego
John Evens - Denver, CO
Tanker Ted M. - Greeley, CO
Paul MacMichael - Tacoma WA
Gary Jacobsen - Seattle, WA
Dan "El Gato" Eggleston - Visalia, CA
Dean Cuke - Visalia, CA
Ira Zermeno - Visalia, CA
Fred "Spanky" Clifton - Vegas, NV
Norm Paulk and his lovely wife Izzadora (Izzy) - Seattle, WA
Cameo beer swill Friday by Colonel Captain James "Cubes" Grahn, LV NV....on loan from Southwest Airlines.
Cameo Appearance by Bob Clayton - T-18 N818TR on Friday.

This was a team effort, with Spanky taking over all cooking chores, Norm and Izzy helping with shuttle duties as well as bringing desset on Saturday evening and Homey shuttling and doing a lot of the heavy lifting as I was somewhat lame, yet on the mend with a ruptured Achilles tendon. Thankfully, the orthopedic brain trusts felt compelled to allow me to fly for the first time in 5 weeks on Friday. Thanks to everyone for pitching in and helping out. You guys are AWESOME!!

I hope a fun time was had by all and you all make it home safe..Thanks for the departure flybys.....Homey and I sure enjoyed it......thank you all for coming!...CHEERS!!



"El Gato" arrives.




The Visalia Vipers


Lies being told....


Paul, Tanker Ted and Gary Jacobsen


Cowls off


Cowls off


Check out that prop


Paul MacMichael does the moonwalk entertaining Tanker Ted and Dean Cuke


Homey on Spanky's wing out to Wendover


On the ground at Wendover


In front of the hangar that housed the Enola Gay.


Taken from the top of the spotting/beacon tower seen in the movie ConAir. The Sober Rough Air Ground Formation Stationary Station Keeping Team......


The CEO of Spanky's Smokin Hole BBQ


The evening view from the hangar.

_________________
Fraser MacPhee
N926WM
Serial #279-1
Angel Fire, NM (KAXX)

Thanks for the pix, Frase! Really looks like a great time.

_________________
Bob Highley
N711SH
SN 835
KLAL

Sweet!!

The Visalia crew made it home just before lunch time, after a weekend of flying fun and laughs we all 3 had a very good time. Many thanks to Frase, Norm, Homie and Can't forget Spankys Grilling, I had way too much to eat this weekend. The gathering went well and the flight to Wendover topped it off. We are going to do this again !! Dan

RB back in San Diego after getting beat to death from St. George to KSEE . 3 hours of let's play kick your ass !

Good time Fraser . Special thanks to Chef Spanky !

RB

It was a great fly-in... thanks to everyone, & especially Fraser, Homey, Norm & Spanky! Made it home in about 2.2 hrs. at around 10:00, dodging & just beating the building thunder-bumpers. It got a little nasty after the T-18 was nestled in it's hangar & all the bugs wiped off. I don't know how you can get such a s...load of bugs traveling at 12k feet! It was fun... sure glad you guys could come over from CA & Washington!

_________________
John Evens
Arvada, Colorado
T-18 N71JE (sold)
Kitfox 7 SS N27JE

Does this really happen in real life ...total electrical failure ? I was about 40 minutes out of St. George, Utah for a fuel stop when I heard 2 pops in the headset . As I looked down at the panel I saw the entire panel go blank , less PS instruments , Wet Compass and EGT/CHT . My first thought was this did not really happen ! Most GA pilots never really train for a complete electrical failure and the only time I had one at the airlines was in the sim as a FE on the 727 and in the sim in the DC-9 .

Now that I realized what had happened was to turn off all the electrical to the panel on the main switch panel . After that I began to see what may be the cause , as I looked at the CB panel and the Alternator field CB had popped ! First thought alternator failure . Do I reset the CB ? I was close to a major field where I could get maint . and the thought of resetting a high amp CB and a possible in flight fire was not appealing , so I left all the power off and did not reset the CB . Now what ? No radio , no transponder . I knew the engine was running good from the last scan prior to the failure , so I pressed on to St. George . I did buy a hand held radio for just this type of situation and it allowed me to get the WX and transmit my position thru my headset . I also had a spare backup battery pack for the GPS so I could NAV . I also bought the battery pack for just this same situation . My alternate plan was to continue to fly I-15 until St. George , but the backups were a nice stress reliever ! As I got closer to St. George I began to look at the panel for clues to the failure . This first thing that caught my eye was the electric clock . SAY WHAT ! The clock was wired directly to the battery and should have been on ? This was leaning toward a battery problem ? I was about 20 miles out from SGU and the panel came back to life for about 5 seconds and then went blank again . The clock came on and the oil pressure and oil temp gauge came alive . Left everything off on the master switch panel and landed . I taxied clear and reset the alt. field CB and turned on the alt. switch . Zero on the amp and volt gauge ? Parked at the FBO and opened the right Cowl to check the PC-680 battery. I expecting a bunch of fried wires but found that the 10mm bolt on the Neg. terminal had backed out and was only held in place by the rubber boot !

How did the bolt back out ? Could have been my fault from doing some type of maint. and not checking the bolt or it backed out on it's own ? I am not the President , but I will own up to my own mistakes and say I did not tighten down the bolt . I did notice a problem out of SGU to U42 as some of the electric gauges were "twitching" slightly a sign I thought might be a ground problem . Well it was !

Bottom line is for those out there with all electric panels (EFIS) I assume you have a battery back up built into the system ? I had Altimeter , AS and a wet compass , but I also planned for the worst possible case and IT DID HAPPEN ! Will it happen to you ? Maybe not , but I happened to me after 42 years of flying .

RB

Wow, Rich! The color of adrenalin IS brown!

_________________
Bob Highley
N711SH
SN 835
KLAL

Bob: Yep it was an "O S _ _ T moment " until the military training kicked in . Aviate , Navigate , communicate ! It was something you never expect to happen , but it did . The good thing was I did not smell smoke in the cockpit ! >:( That would have been an entire different outcome !

RB

Since I was put on KP (cook) for the fly-in and no one has yet to complain about getting a case of SMB (screaming monky butt), I guess I'm in the clear.

Spanky

NO SMB , but I did have a bad case of the "wind !"

RB

I love that patch, Spanky! I'd like to put that on a t-shirt.

The food was great! You good cook, Doris.

_________________
John Evens
Arvada, Colorado
T-18 N71JE (sold)
Kitfox 7 SS N27JE

John,
Here's an updated version using the actual Jack Daniels fonts.

Spanky

I should mention a cool story from last weekend - I thought perhaps Tanker Ted might have come on here to wax historical.

In the one photo taken on the Wendover ramp, you can see way in the background, a four engined flight machine. While there, Ted trundled his T-18 down there to see what plane it was. It turned out it was a DC-4 that Ted had flown for 6 years as a fire pilot. As well, this same plane, at one time while during it's young life was Chester Nimitz personal transportation device in 1945. See the beginning of this link.

http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675 ... e-ceremony

So......we are using Chester Nimitz' former 1945 personal transportation device to fight wildfires in the intermountain west in 2014

...and I thought some T-18s were..."vintage".

_________________
Fraser MacPhee
N926WM
Serial #279-1
Angel Fire, NM (KAXX)