Eagler's Nest
General Category => Off Topics and General Interest => Topic started by: Chuck in Indiana on July 28, 2023, 10:29:41 AM
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Funny thing. A couple of days before we left for Oshkosh, an airline captain called me asking if I had restored his Commonwealth Skyranger. "833? Uh, yes." (wondering if he was going to sue me for something) He said he was the guy that bought it from Carl who developed Parkinson's :-X and never flew it. He was flying it to Oshkosh from Virginia and wanted to meet up. (!)
Got a text from him Saturday and he said it was parked in row 148. I thought, "Jee sus.. that's a mile from showplane parking. You'd have thought they would at least let him park it in the antique/classic area.." I wanted to see it, though, so hopped on a tram as far as it went then walked.. and walked.. crap. No Skyranger. Walked back, caught a tram back to the campground, and as I rode by the Antique/Classic red barn, they were tying it down front and center. (!!) It was a time capsule.. hadn't changed a bit from when it last left our strip about 20 years ago.
I'm old enough to know what old airplanes used to look like, and when I restored it, I didn't spray shiny paint, install *anything* that hadn't been invented in 1946, etc.
Apparently somebody liked it, because it was roped off in front of the red barn all week. :grin: Had a talk about it to people in the grandstands. We left yesterday, so I don't know if it won any award. Probably not..
Here's the old girl..
(https://static.imgzeit.com/large/7796a0e45692dc13/20230723_121109.jpg)
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Well. We left Oshkosh Thursday, and Karl, the keeper of the Skyranger texted me this picture Friday.
(https://static.imgzeit.com/reduced/7d38a4b8f9fd1f02/image(2).jpg)
I wondered what the award was.. best use of scrap metal found along a railroad track? :lol:
Last night, he texted me this picture from the awards ceremony. (!!)
(https://static.imgzeit.com/reduced/19c897c35c8fc27e/image(3).jpg)
There is no higher award for an aircraft builder/restorer in the US than a Lindy at Oshkosh..I was thunderstruck. A 20 year old restoration winning a Lindy? Need I say I'm in shock? Still on cloud 9. :D
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Silent justification for all the care, love, skill, and perseverence you put into it. I'll guess there was a bit of "lost" hours, blood, sweat, and maybe even a few tears added to the patina at the time, too.
Congratulations.....
Roger
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Congratulations!
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Karl, the new Commonwealth keeper :) called me when he was an hour away and asked if we wanted to hold the Lindy. "Oh, hell yes." :grin: He was on his way home to Virginia, and our strip was sorta on the way..
So here is the Lovely Assistant and yours truly with Lindy.
(https://static.imgzeit.com/large/ecfa83ffbe36d8c4/20230730_123949(0).jpg)
Just a quick picture or two and he was off to Virginia.
(https://static.imgzeit.com/large/f633ea585ad1d4c3/20230730_124309.jpg)