Things you find in the air.

[MossRoad]

Directly behind my house about 500 feet is an abandoned crop duster hanger and the remains of the grass landing strip. Mr. Ben operated out of there until the mid 80’s. Mostly he flew a Pawnee but one year he had a Steerman. That one would wake me up quick in the mornings. In and out all day long spraying for nearby farmers. A joy to watch, as graceful as a ballet dancer. He finally had to retire due to failing eyesight.

Crop dusting is amazing. I've watched quite a few ride-along videos on youtube.

Another interesting occupation: Banner towing.

A friend of mine's father used to do that back in the 70s and 80. He flew a Stinson. Not sure what model at all. They'd set up two sticks out in the grass next to the runway and lay the tow-rope across it. The banner was laid out in reverse past the sticks.

The Stinson had a large treble hook on a cable that was mounted to a release hook under the tail. He'd put the hook in the pilot's window. Then he'd take off down the runway, get airborne, toss the treble hook out off the window, then slip left over the grass. He'd make a dive at the sticks then pull up. That would make the treble hook swing down and hopefully grab the tow rope. If it missed, he'd go around. If it hooked, it would peel the banner up off the grass like a ribbon and he'd climb to just before stall, then push the yolk forward and dive a bit to gain speed again. Then off he'd go. I always thought that job took some nerve!

After flying the banner around ND stadium for the paid amount of time, he'd return and release the cable from under the tail and it would drop in the grass. He'd land, get another cable, and repeat, as many times as people paid.

Pretty cool.

 

[MossRoad]

Looking things up a bit, it was the Stinson flying station wagon. I remembered that term, and there it is. A 108 model of some sort.

 

[MossRoad]

Like this.

 

[JethroB]

Like this.

The plane in the video appears to be a (repurposed?) Pawnee crop duster. They were also used to tow gliders. The chemical tank was between the engine and pilots knees where he could view the tank level. Fiberglass tank IIRC. Spooky.

 

[JasperFrank]

Driving in to Chicago I saw an oddly painted Airliner coming to land at O'Hara, and just before I lost sight of it, I could make out the lettering that said Led Zeppelin.

 

[kenmbz]

I got to help the crew of a Blimp tie it down after landing at Republic Airport (I was working there testing a new radar at the time).
It was quite windy and it took all of us to get it attached to the anchors.

The ground crew took us out to dinner for helping them.

We did try to bum a ride, but no insurance to cover passengers.
That thing was big!

 

[bcp]

A few minutes ago, I heard big radials but forest prevented a sighting. FR24 said it was a DC-3.

Bruce

 

[flyerdan]

I saw a DC a while back, turns out there is one operating out of Aurora. It could be the one you saw.
Couple days ago I saw an Osprey, don't see much military stuff around here that isn't ANG.

 

[BravoXray]

A friend had one of the AT-6 Texans that were modified to look like a Jap Zero for the movie Tora Tora Tora. The P&W engine was replaced with a Wright 1830(?) and 3 blade prop off a DC-3. Wings were rounded, tail and canopy modified also. Got to ride in it once, was a real hot rod, but the shortened wings made it a handful when slowed down to land.

 

[MossRoad]

A friend had one of the AT-6 Texans that were modified to look like a Jap Zero for the movie Tora Tora Tora. The P&W engine was replaced with a Wright 1830(?) and 3 blade prop off a DC-3. Wings were rounded, tail and canopy modified also. Got to ride in it once, was a real hot rod, but the shortened wings made it a handful when slowed down to land.

Back in the early 80's when I was working at the SB airport, 'some local guys' went over to Africa and brought back several T6's and a couple DC3s. They somehow found them sitting around in various places over there, made deals, got them running reliably enough, and flew them back here to South Bend. They then sold them to various wealthy people.

One of the DC3's they brought in smacked the tail wheel very hard on landing, and jammed it up into the fuselage. As I recall, somewhere during that repair, they tried to tow it and ripped the tail wheel off.

Those planes hung around for what seemed like a year or more. But they all sold eventually.