Blade Show Photo

[Don Cowles]

Left to right: Kim Cover, Ray Cover, Jim Small, Tim Adlam, Simon Lytton, Tex Skow, Joe Mason, Don Cowles, Amayak Stepanyan, Tim Wells

This was taken in Atlanta on Saturday evening at the Pappadeaux restaurant, and a good time was had by all!

 

[Ron Smith]

Pretty good food too! Good to see you guys there! Sorry we didn't get to spend more time together. The GRS booth kept me pretty busy. That must have been before we got there. (the pcture) How long did you guys have to wait?

 

[Don Cowles]

Ron, we were at the two table behind you in the same room you were in. Sorry you folks didn't get into the picture- it was taken just after dinner.

 

[Tim Wells]

Ron,
By the looks of my gut so cleverly camouflaged by the foilage on my shirt I should have waited about another month before I ate again. Actually this was taken after supper when everyone was good and bloated and outside smoking pipes and such.

That was a good feed as usual despite the waiter spilling catsup and alligator nuggets all over my arm. I really enjoy the friendships we share and the comeraderie toward one another that this group of people have, it's pure treasure. It was a special treat to get to meet Ray's sister and his parents. Can't wait till next year.

 

[Ron Smith]

Yeah, I know you guys were at the next table, I just didn't see you all together like that in the picture. I was outside smoking pipes and such too, but went around back to see where that walkway went. they wouldn't let us go down there. It was a beautiful garden. Anyway, I was there but didn't see you all together like that and thought it must have been before we got there. Couldn't imagine it after the meal as I said. Forgot about going around back................Ron

Hey Tim, Is that your plane?.and do you fly it? ......Been wanting to ask you that.............Super cool!!!!!!

 

[Tim Wells]

I wish Ron. I lived on a private grass strip in Washington state for 7 years that a dear friend of mine owns and logged a lot of time in that plane. If you could blow that picture up you'd see me in the back seat. It was a bit spooky because I hadn't flown in a year. As any biplane or taildragger pilot knows you can't see squat till you get the tail up on takeoff, you just hope the cows stay off the runway till you clear it or it's hamburger for supper. Incidently, when we came back I greased it on like I had never left that seat all year.

When I moved up there I had a private license in Cessna's but really learned to be an aviator from those guys and was extremely lucky to live where I did, when I did because I got to fly a lot of cool stuff that most pilots dream about. Here's a few not to boast or anything but to partially illustrate how lucky I was.

Stearman (the one in the pic and a few others with different engines), Ryan PT-22 ( the other one I learned to fly taildragger in), PA-20 Piper Pacer, T-6 Texan, Beech Staggerwing (what a hoot that was), PA-11 Cub Special, Stinson Reliant SR9 "Gull wing", RV4, just a whole bunch of neat and somewhat rare planes.

I learned to fly taildragger in that Stearman and a PT-22 Ryan "Recruit" which are both trainers from WWII. So basically I got to live the life of a young Army Air Corps trainee learning to fly. In the 40's the recruit would transition from those to a T-6 then on to the P-40, P-51 or whatever fighter he got assigned to. What a thrilling time in our nations history, I was lucky to sort of go through it with some folks who really did; only I did it 50 years later...

 

[gail.m]

enthusiasm for flying....and engrave-in pics

Tim,
I understand your enthusiasm for flying. My dad had one of the sister ships to the Spirit of St.L., flew out of Lambert with Lindy, and had a commercial and mail license which consisted, back then, as mostly a certificat from a Dr. stating he was healthy enough to fly! He never got over his love for flying.....ever!
Neat pics of the engrave-in. Hope to be able to attend next year and meet you all from the Cafe. Thanks Sam for the great coverage. I am glad no one saw your shiny head and mis took it for an empty practice plate that needed some fancy scroll work on it....heh heh!
Gailm

 

[Jack Davenport]

cubs

Boy O Boy when you mention piper aircraft it made my heart jump, I flew in a J5 Piper in the Everglades back when I was a Game Warden in the late 60's, then when I left that job I flew J3 cubs all over south Florida. I once tested the rubber band landing gear to its limits, then experianced ground effect in a summer sun soaked cow pasture, three strand barbed wire fences are good stoppers. I have some good storys about the pilots from the glades.