Scudrunners

I just checked - only 11 A340-500 still flying - including this one I was flying. Currently stored - hope we get it back for the Summer.


[url=https://www.netairspace.com/pic/224910/][img]https://www.netairspace.com/pic/224910/ ... k_main.jpg[/img][/url]
[url=https://www.netairspace.com/pic/224910/]CS-TFX at Salzburg - W. A. Mozart
by Georg Lobendanz - AirTeamImages on netAirspace.com[/url]

There are three kinds of rare:

1) airplanes that were only ever produced in tiny numbers (really rare)

2) airplanes that may have been produced in huge numbers, but there
are only a few left and you never see them on the ramp (eg Spitfire) and
everyone that designed and built them are long dead, and very few people
know how to fly or fix them any more, and you can't buy parts for them at Spruce.

3) Prime Rib (aka Standing Rib Roast)

[img width=375 height=500][/img]

You knew that was coming.

I don't know if I ever hear of the Tiger Cat. I was thinking, "It must not be a Tiger." A school near here used to have at least one Tiger. In hind sight I should have at least went for an hour of dual to see what it was like. I have not been to Vancouver Island for a while now. Funny how quick that happens.

I won a few lotteries but it was $14 total so we bought some chicken in Claresholm instead of one of the commonwealth training plan hangars there for sale.

Here is the Tiger Cat Beef.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grumman_F7F_Tigercat

There were a few variants. The one I found with google was for sale a short time ago. Probably a good deal at $1.3 million.

Does been a passenger counts?
Then DH 90 Dragonfly

Rarest type for me:
Zlin Z-400 "Rhino" - Docile Airframe, fussy engine - 600 hp Orenda V-8.

If a 450 Stearman is rare - then a Vedenyev M-14 powered one is further down that path.  Homebuilt with 4 ailerons and a glass panel it's nice in the air.  I'm told that with a modern prop it pulls better than the 450 with the Ham Std lump.  Flew beautifully, except for the first hammer when habit took over & I kicked left.  It just ignored that and fell over straight ahead.  To the right was great...

[quote]
No Chuck unfortunately I wasn't even born when Air West was operating. The Turbo Goose for me would be the ultimate flying boat. [/quote]

I agree the thing is awesome.

I flew for Air West Airlines by accident when I was asked to be their Chief Pilot at the end of a water bombing season in 1974 so I took the job until they found some who really wanted to do it, I found it to be a pain in the ass dealing with all the bullshit such a job entails, but it did give me a fair amount of time flying the Twin Otter on floats and the Turbo Goose as they had two of them at the time.

I never flew a Royal Gull so I have no idea what it flew like.

[quote]I never flew a Royal Gull so I have no idea what it flew like[/quote]

Sideways, is what I mostly remember.  I started messing with the trims.

You would have loved it.  You probably would have gotten it trimmed
faster than I did, too.

I also remember all the dogs and young fellows in dark uniforms with
flashlights, when I landed to clear customs in Buffalo.  They seemed
oddly excited.  I guess they didn't see many Piaggio Royal Gulls.

Keep smiling and bring lots of paper, I always say.

Some years later I landed in the Pitts in Chetumal, Mexico to clear
customs - southbound, I think - and there was CMC tied down.  As
Jimmy Buffett once said, there are only 200 people in the world.  But
he was an @sshole and wrecked a Stearman, literally the day after
he told Freddy he didn't need dual in it, so I'm not sure we should pay
any attention to that.

Lots of people don't like Mexico, but the nice young Commandant of
the airport ordered me to perform surface aerobatics upon departure,
so I had to comply.

[img width=500 height=375][/img]

In retrospect, I can see why Arlo Speer and Wayne Foy and Ron MacEwen
and Joe Schwantz hated me so much.  I had more fun than 10 of them put
together.

Hey!  We're coming up on January 30th which is now the third anniversary
of TC seizing my laptop and phone.  I will have to send out my customary
email to them.

Do you think they will be surprised you can email them without a phone or laptop?