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Re: Recovery of my stranded Taylorcraft

PostPosted:Wed May 18, 2016 9:19 pm
by Adrian
Fabulous, Rob. Your pictures bring back happy memories of flying around there.

Re: Recovery of my stranded Taylorcraft

PostPosted:Fri May 20, 2016 2:28 am
by Rob L
Tuesday 17th saw Mike and I depart northbound (sort of parallel with the eastern side of the Rockies). Our plan was to reach northern Colorado and head east through Nebraska and then east to Illinois, so as to avoid further tears & bloodshed in the central areas beset by storms.

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(above: fuel & breakfast stop: Lamar, CO)

The whole area of NE New Mexico, SE Colorado and the associated bounding parts of Texas & Oklahoma are beef raising country. The cattle are ranch-born to adulthood, but are finally fattened for market in huge ugly pens, enough to put you off beef.

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(above: beef cattle)

We overnight at Fort Morgan, CO. A small airfield to serve a vast farming community in the supply of crop-spraying services. We kipped in the pilot's lounge (as is our wont).

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(Above: Fort Morgan)

We now find ourselved in the envious position of not being in a hurry at all, so we decide to take some scenic diversions before continuing east. First stop Fort Collins, CO, then Laramie, Wyoming.

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(Above: evidence of recent rains; floods at 7500MSL near Laramie)

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(Above: one point for the aircraft type, three points for identifying the purpose of the anterior proboscis)

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(Above: Laramie)

Eastbound next, and a climb to 9500MSL to clear the aptly-named Pilot Hill just east of Laramie before descending past Cheyenne, at a more sensible 5000 feet or so, and on to Nebraska.

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(Above: Nebraska farmland)

Wednesday evening saw us at North Platte for the night, in good company. One of the few north-south runways in the area and a 30kt southerly saw all sorts dropping in here for the night.

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(Above: North Platte and a 1929 Travel Air as company)

More to follow.

Re: Recovery of my stranded Taylorcraft

PostPosted:Fri May 20, 2016 10:42 am
by Flyin'Dutch'
Rob, Great!

What's the 'thing' between the oil temp and pressure gauge?

Re: Recovery of my stranded Taylorcraft

PostPosted:Fri May 20, 2016 2:59 pm
by Rob L
Mag switch.

Re: Recovery of my stranded Taylorcraft

PostPosted:Fri May 20, 2016 3:58 pm
by Dave W
Rob L wrote:Image
(Above: one point for the aircraft type, three points for identifying the purpose of the anterior proboscis)


I expect it is a magnetometer for geological survey purposes. (See also e.g. on the back end of Nimrods for other but similar reasons), Aircraft looks like a Cessna 180.


Rob L wrote:Image


I do believe I've used some of their European offshoots over the years.

Re: Recovery of my stranded Taylorcraft

PostPosted:Mon May 23, 2016 2:39 am
by Rob L
We spent the following morning (Weds 18th) doing some tourist stuff in North Platte. The place is famous for the largest "hump yard" (ooeer missus) in the US. Basically they receive trans-continental trains and divide up those train cars for onward distribution. The mile-long train of cars are raised on a gradual hump and each car (or cars) is then uncoupled and routed under gravity down the other slope to its new siding & engine.

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(above: North Platte hump yard)

We also had a play in Cody Park Railroad Museum on the 4-6-6-4 Challenger locomotive.

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Later the same day we flew north-east to Yankton, right on the Missouri, up and down which Lewis & Clark explored between 1803 & 1806. The country between our two airports was a lot more rolling and green than I expected; perhaps it's Kansas and not Nebraska that is covered in corn & wheat fields.

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(above: Missouri River)

Next day saw us meet up with our friend Jim (who came on the September tour last year) and two other Taylorcraft owners for a five-ship flight to Independence Iowa for lunch:

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And yesterday Mike & I returned to Dacy. It's taken 7 months for my Taylorcraft to return "home", but the engine performed impeccably.

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(Above: a summary of the route flown)

A few statistics:

Hours flown: 50 appx, 32 airfields, 11 States
Miles: 5000 appx

Re: Recovery of my stranded Taylorcraft

PostPosted:Mon May 23, 2016 9:21 am
by mick w
Lovely formation shot :thumright:

Re: Recovery of my stranded Taylorcraft

PostPosted:Thu May 26, 2016 9:44 am
by Lockhaven
What a fantastic trip and pictures, my guess for the aircraft are:-

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(above: One point to name the type)

Bellanca Aircruiser

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(above: two points to guess the type)

Convair 102

Both rare and unusual aircraft.

Re: Recovery of my stranded Taylorcraft

PostPosted:Tue Jun 07, 2016 12:59 pm
by aberdeen_taffy
Great reading Rob!!

Re: Recovery of my stranded Taylorcraft

PostPosted:Sun Jun 12, 2016 10:23 am
by Charles Hunt
I've never wanted to go to America before.

Re: Recovery of my stranded Taylorcraft

PostPosted:Wed Aug 03, 2016 11:15 pm
by pilotbarry
Excellent stuff, Rob. Quality photos and one heck of a trip.

Re: Recovery of my stranded Taylorcraft

PostPosted:Mon May 27, 2019 7:55 pm
by Rob L