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Old 18th Jul 2008, 02:39
  #1626 (permalink)  
Chimbu chuckles

Grandpa Aerotart
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: SWP
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Tinny that first pic looks like the grass just opposite the hangar. The area I refer to was by the trees past SEM and SEA in your second piccy.

As an aside to the SEP restoration back in early '87 (about 8 months before I joined Talair) the L/H (might have been the R/H) aileron on my then mount P2-BAF was damaged when the hand brake failed while I was retrieving some chocks and it pivoted 90 degrees and rolled backwards, from outside the tower, down the hill (with me chasing it) and came to rest against a fire truck. Talair kindly lent us the one off SEP in the graveyard which was duly 'restored' and bolted on BAF. We returned it as soon as BAF's was repaired.

Perhaps that was the clincher for Dennis all those years later..."Well the aileron is as good as new - might as well finish the job"

The aircraft had rolled slowly past 3 burly Eastern Highlander 'Firemen', the wingtip not 10 feet away...they all stood there shoulder to shoulder, arms crossed, and simply watched it roll past and come to rest against the truck. I launched into them..."What the **** were you thinking - why didn't you grab it - you stupid...."

A Talair pilot I had been chatting to as I grabbed the chocks and headed back to BAF arrived at the scene hot on my heels and quietly said "Chuck, calm down". "But they just stood there and watched it roll past!!!"

"Was it on fire?"

Having pushed the aircraft clear we reached inside to try and set the park brake and found all the teeth stripped off the brake handle...I guess one had failed and all the rest followed like dominos.

Last edited by Chimbu chuckles; 18th Jul 2008 at 03:20.
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