Pedaling down the Willamette Valley towards another bank of cloud bringing rain, I pull into a Starbucks to shelter and consider my camping options for the night. Yesterday it poured all day and most of the night. Wild stealth camping would be impossible as nearly everywhere I've ridden through is cultivated, I briefly consider a motel, then remember warmshowers.org. I randomly call a number and the guys are home, I'm happy to camp but they offer me a bed. They are retired maths teachers that keep llamas. Pretty random.
When I arrive Kurt is in his shed. On his ramp is a part finished Cobra replica, on his bench are wing parts. He's building his own plane. As man caves go, this is exceptional. Barbara arrives with news that she had just closed the deal on her 'new' plane.
http://www.hangar9aeroworks.com/Hangar%20Sale/ChiefforSale.html
It's in Virginia. A airline pilot friend is going to fly out and fly it home. A four day flight. After hearing something of the engineering in them, I think I'd sooner have a classic plane than a classic car any day.
Go Barb!
OMG I had no idea they were vaguely affordable. That is gorgeous!
Rachel
That is a thing of utter beauty!
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Serious envy here!
Used to have a co2 one when i was a kid, thats lovely 😀
That is a thing of utter beauty!
An absolute work of art, not sure what the plane's doing there spoiling the view though. 😐
Shed envy, David? 😉
Oh yes.
They have flown to and plan to fly the Aeronca out again to the Oshkosh air show. 20000 planes fly out to this little airport, they park like sardines on the sides of the runways. Owners camp under their wings. The local Goodwill shop, imports hundreds and hundreds of bicycles, folks buy them for $20 ride them around for the event then donate them back to Goodwill.
On google earth they have a satellite picture of Wittman airport while the event is underway. Perhaps someone could post it up?
McM, from Google Images...
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Big plane fan but that one: meh. I can see it's beautifully restored, but it doesn't do anything for me. It's the same as all those other high-wing, slow speed small planes. Dull.
It does look quite nice, the Cessna I learnt in reminded me of an old Ford Anglia whereas this is a bit more of a classic.
View from the Google satellites.
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I'm in love. It's so cute and purple and everything. 🙂
Glad you're having a good time mcmoonter.
Bunnyhop, the trip has been great, you never know what is coming next.
In my best Pulp Fiction Samuel L Jackson voice...
....Example?
Over breakfast Barbara told me a tale of a trip that would make Indiana Jones look like a wimp. She and Kurt were trekking along the Pacific Crest Trail.......on llamas. Somehow Barbara fell from her ride and over a three hundred foot cliff. Miraculously her bum bag snagged on the only tree half way down breaking her fall.
Kurt managed to abseil down to her, release her from the tree and continue down the cliff. They made it to hospital. She had broken no bones so the hospital released her despite her protests of pain. She says the story sounded too fantastic to be true, she felt dismissed as a crank.
Her dentist confirmed not only that she had dislocated her jaw, but that she had fractured all her molars.
It took two years of undiagnosed pain before surgery revealed the bum bag strap had ruptured her colon in the fall. It had become infected, she had peritonitis and six feet of her bowel needed removal. There had been further complications in that surgery that led to spinal problems, but she had made a remarkable recovery. an inspirational woman.
I didn't mention my frost bitten thumb tips as I headed off towards Independence.
A ruptured colon for 2 years?
Anyway my brother is into his diy planes, sounds like he'll get one if he gets over some health stuff.
A ruptured colon for 2 years?
Somehow they missed it, the endoscope said all was good inside but the exterior was infected.
Lovely, it is quite startling you can buy such an aircraft for the same money as a standard family car. Bit more expensive to run though and in this economy that's the point.