From: John K. Seidts (john@astory.com)
Date: Tue Dec 31 2002 - 07:01:10 PST
I have some very strong emotions about WWII aircraft. Enough so that I
started an aviation technical center to further their cause and public
awareness of aviation. I purchased the book about Kee Bird that was
mentioned here (Hunting Warbirds) which is now making its circuit among my
friends (who probably have a hard enough time understanding me).
The author of the book really beats up Daryl Greenamyer, who is a pilot, not
a recovery expert. There is the key- he was only interested in the ultimate
achievment of the whole effort- flying. In fact, when the one member of the
recovery crew took ill and then died, some of the crew was very upset that
Greenamyer acted ambivalent about the whole thing. As I read about it
(being an aspiring pilot and warbird owner at the time), I could see that
you needed to be very prepared to get a warbird out of any situation that
came up, and resolved to never participate in such a seemingly hasty effort.
Flash forward to 2002, July. I discover a BT13B available
http://www.astory.com/forgottenfield/79.html
Certainly not Kee Bird, but definitely needing recovery as you can see. I
make arrangements, and use up my family's vacation to go get it. I take my
wife, my 5 year old son, and my friend's 13 year old son to dig up this
aircraft.
Well, without getting too much into details that you will be able to read
about in the future on the site, we were woefully under prepared. And that
is not how I typically operate. I am a planner, organizer, and task master-
I know how to make things happen, and usually think them through before I do
them. Why did I do that? Too much emotional attachment. I wanted that
aircraft so badly that I ignored some common sense things that I should have
done. The outcome? Some minor damage to the firewall, and three filthy, 15
hour days that heavily strained my marriage. Thank God that the owner had
more tools than I had, and was patient and helpful while we moved the
aircraft into the truck. Thank God for my patient wife.
I am still very happy with my acquisition, but am taking some very careful
preparations to restore it before flying it. It is a very sobering fact to
be confronted with the actual requirements of a recovery/restoration, and I
think all of us will find that we often are ruled more with our hearts than
our heads when it comes to these things. The smart ones buy them already
completed. The rest of us must often take a sharp dose of reality before
proceeding.
I still think the Kee Bird was a preventable disaster, but when it comes
down to it, with limited funds and hyped up desires running most of our
hobby, more will occur.
Next time, I'll plan for better support on my recoveries, and hope the bank
account is there to pay for what I need, or the volunteers to help.
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