A very pleasant weekend...

alaskaflyer

alaskaflyer

Final Approach
Joined
Feb 18, 2006
Messages
7,544
Location
Smith Valley, Nevada
Display Name
Display name:
Alaskaflyer
Sitting in my hotel room in Seattle on the laptop, waiting for my flight a little later this morning. It was 60 degrees here yesterday, now I have to go back to another month of winter at home. Oh well, anyway...

Came down here this weekend to look at planes. I was honored to meet Tom Downey in person, after I took him up on his offer to help me inspect my primary prospect. Met him for breakfast on Saturday off of I-5 and then north to Bellingham where the plane was hangared. A couple hours kicking the tires, looking under the hood, and holding my hand ;) and then Tom gave me the thumbs up.

Weather was lousy so I couldn't test fly it, so I spent the rest of the day with Tom, who treated me to a sandwich at his beautiful home in Oak Harbor before giving me the 50 cent tour of Whitby Island. What a nice area. Even got to tour - ahem, well, it's classified :D - his work location. Fascinating.

I also got to see his Fairchild project. Wow. Talk about handicraft. I will have to make a special trip down when it is finished. Enjoyed meeting his wife B.

Yesterday the weather was much nicer and I got to go up in the plane. With three adults and full fuel the thing climbed like an elevator. Flew a quick tour over the San Juan Islands, did some maneuvers, and then I was satisfied. Some more handholding by Tom over the telephone and then...earnest money handed over. :yes:

Hopefully in another week I'll be able to change my signature line below! It'll be a process for a month or two, the plane will need to go over to Tom's for an annual and to get a few squawks taken care of, and then a few days of dual before I can fly it back - all with me flying back and forth hopefully without handing over a small fortune to the airlines - but it'll be up here and ready for summer!

Like I said, a pleasant weekend indeed. :cheers:

Oh yeah...it's a 55 model.
 
Last edited:
I think the 170 is a beautiful aircraft. There was one for sale at Hillsboro, OR a while back that was real nice. Old interior and panel, but good condition. The engine was in tip-top shape. I think it sold for more than $40,000! I was surprised that it brought in that much. Is that what they're going for, really? I hope you have a long exciting future with your 'new' bird.
 
Sounds great. Hope the annual goes well. I'm sure that once Tom is satisfied you'll have a top notch bird to fly home.
 
sweet! Don't you just love the PNW? If I were to move I'd go to the Seattle area or Vancouver. Glad you got to meet Tom, I missed out, but, I met Dave and we had a great time flying over the Cascades!
 
Holy cow! Congratulations! I am jealous as hell.
Hope you stop in Anchorage on the way up so I can admire your new bird.

--Kath
 
Congrats! You are going to post pictures as soon as you get it aren't you?
 
Pictures are

http://www.aso.com/i.aso3/aircraft_...oup=truexxxxxsearchid=8816709xxxxxregionid=-1

Richard & I looked it over pretty good I didn't see any thing scarry, the logs were in excelient shape, the aircraft is an honest old aircraft that needs cosmetic stuff, but has a good interior, workable radios, and a 300+ Freshly overhauled 165 horse Franklin by one of the better mechanics in the north west, and has been annualled for the past 5 years by the A&P-IA that I go to for guidance.

Richard was great he already knew what a good deal looked like, he had completed his home work, knew what he wanted. The seller was very accomadating, and allowed us the free run of his hangar(nice guy)

Now it is business, getting the money to flow, insurance, TG sign off,
Annual should be an easy do. and delivery.

It's always a pleasure to help a new owner, specially when they are as nice as Richard, and a Government service worker also? twice as nice.
 
Isn't it nice when you can use the services of people you can trust?

Soundly envious, am I. She looks like a nice bird.
 
kath said:
Holy cow! Congratulations! I am jealous as hell.
Hope you stop in Anchorage on the way up so I can admire your new bird.

--Kath
Click to expand...

Just got home after the 3 1/2 hour flight from Seattle and then the 4 hour drive north from Anchorage.

Well, I was hoping to bring it down to the Alaska Airmen Trade Show next month, but I doubt that I'll have it up here by then, like Tom said, a few hoops to jump through first, so maybe May. I've got a buddy with a plane in Kalispell that needs to be brought up too, so we are trying to time it so we can make the trip in a flight of two. Better weather in May anyway. I'll be at the Trade Show anyhow, I guess I'll drive ;) Look forward to meeting some Alaska folks from here and the red board.

Thanks everybody!
 
Hey Richard, you'll have to change your signiture to read "Now a proud owner!" Congrats.
 
SkykingC310 said:
Hey Richard, you'll have to change your signiture to read "Now a proud owner!" Congrats.
Click to expand...

Thanks! Though the bank will own about a 1/2 of it!

I was waiting until the ink has dried next week before changing my signature - don't want to jinx anything ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top