Here's some pictures from the 2006 Brodhead Pietenpol & Hatz Fly-In. Turnout was a little low this year because of weather (many planes were stranded on the ground. I was there Thursday night, Friday, and Saturday until about 2pm.
Despite the weather, there were several very nice Piets, and the people were wonderful. I especially enjoyed talking to the Kentuckians and Texans, who were highly interesting people.
Bill Rewey's Piet, NX17WR (N17WR)
July 31, 2006
Continental A65
Bill built this plane back in the 80's; He flies it all over the place and runs the Pietenpol forum at Oshkosh. A really nice guy.
I got a chance to sit in his plane, he showed me how to maneuver my way in to the cockpit:
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Stand facing the left side of the airplane.
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Grab rear cabane strut with left hand.
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Swing right leg up and over on to the seat.
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Grab far side of cockpit with right hand.
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Bend your head way over underneath the wing on the other side of plane, which will pick your left leg off the ground.
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Rotate your body until you are facing forward.
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Bring in right leg.
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Sit down.
I would assume the front cockpit is similar, except it's higher up, and there's a step on the landing gear (at least on Bill's plane). Still seams vaguely impossible, but people get in there all the time.
Dennis Hall's Sky Scout, NX899EM (N899EM)
July 31, 2006
Very pretty Piet, looks like the villain's plane from a 30's serial. Gorgeous.
The Last Original, NX899H (N899H)
July 31, 2006
When I first arrived on Thursday night, The Last Original was flying overhead. It just doesn't get much better than that really. The corvair has a very nice growl to it.
This is of course the last Pietenpol that Bernhard Pietenpol built himself. Legend has it took him about 6 weeks to build an Aircamper. By the time he built this one, he was past his 80th birthday and had slown down a bit -- it took him 12 weeks.
Perk's Time Machine, N34KP
July 31, 2006
"Flying is a Gamble", Indeed.
I really like the joke instruments that are in the front cockpit. Nice sense of humor -- If you ever meet Ken Perkins, ask to see the documentation for the Navibird.
Other Pietenpols
August 1, 2006
There are two planes that I inexplicably did not take pictures of.
Dick Navratil's Continental A65 powered plane was there -- a pretty example, and he's building a 2nd plane with a Rotec radial which should be really cool when it's finished.
And there was Lowell Franks' radial powered plane (you can see it in the panorama I took, it's blue...)
Many apologies for not taking pictures, I don't know what I was thinking.. :)
