ETLB Squawk Forums — Archive

Hello Guys,

In Australia we only have two national magazines worth reading on lightweight aircraft...One is a mag called the 'Pacific Flyer'...to which I have asked Paul to write and share some of his great stories with the Aussie Aviators....so I'd thought I'd share Pauls published success with you guys....as the articles do create interest and motivation for us fun guys....SO WELL DONE PAUL....on your second article published in Australia...!

cheers Arthur

Well done Arthur!  Paul's writting talent can be published in any sports aviation magazine, he also has so much to share that I can predict many more articles in the future.
Paul, maybe by recollecting all your published articles you'll have enough material to write a book in the future.
Congratulations!

Hi Paul;
Great job!! I always enjoy reading your stories. You have a natural talent for it. Congratulations.
Bob

Hi Paul,
I'm your fan wished to have a copy all of your articles (It's priceless if signed by the author),. I enjoyed reading of what you've shared on this board. Congratulations AirbikeAce!
Phil

Paul is currently in Minnesota visiting a son and his family, it is very hard for him to correspond to the ETLB at the moment....so keep tuned.

It seems we are getting all the cold to balance your heat in the northern hemispere...........lol

keep cool....

regards Arthur

Hello from  Oshkosh (AirVenture 2011),

Thanks to Arthur for posting my latest magazine publication in the Australian flying magazine Pacific Flyer.  I have been out of touch while traveling and without you making the  post, it wouldn't be there. I appreciate all your compliments regarding my writing, I am  glad  you like the stories and I know everyone can relate to them.  Your responses  warm my heart.

Speaking  of warming my heart, I met two fellows, Hunter Jones and David Walker from Australia while sitting in  the audience waiting for the Gary Sinise Lieutenant Dan Band concert to start. They sat next to me and we started a conversation, Next thing I knew, Hunter pointed out my AirBike Ace T-shirt that I was wearing to David, then they looked at each other,  then back at me and finally back at my shirt. Finally Hunter looked at me with awe and said "aren't you the AirBike Ace guy who writes stories in the Pacific Flyer!"

We were both surprised, me that I now have actually officially met an Australian in person and they that they just met AirBike Ace. We exchanged business cards and made tentative arrangements to have lunch together at the seabase the next day. I have met several other people while here who knew about AirBike Ace and let me tell you, it is a great  feeling to be recognized by other flyers.

Hunter is from Manila  New South Wales and is  the importer of  the MTO gyrocopter. Go to his website auto-gyro.com.au  and check it out.  It is a neat little two place machine that looks to be a hoot  to fly. David is from Perth

I  also met some other AirBikers at Harold Little's forum presentation, I can't recall their names now. I  also met others who were not on the board and encouraged them to both read and join. Below are a couple of photos. Of course you will recognize Harold as he was using a wing mockup to support his presentation.  The group photo are my two new Australian friends, David Walker on the left, Hunter in the center and me on the right.

There is also another photo of the same two Australian fliers and my friend from Selby Aerodrome, Brent Boggs. Brent flies a PPC and also has taken some of the  terrific photos of my plane in flight that appear in my stories and on this board.

After leaving Oshkosh on Sunday, I will travel to Michigan (Grand Rapids) then on  Monday meet with Mike Howe and Bob Vermeulen.

AirBike Ace,
(on a road trip)

Wish I was there...too.... with an ice cold beer..thanks Paul for the update.....sounds like another wonderful adventure for you...cheers Arthur

A minor correction to Arthur's first post, this is my third article this year and fourth in total to Pacific Flyer magazine.  The July issue has an index of all articles published this year, I am in there three times.  BTW, Hunter, mentioned above also has published articles in the Pacific Flyer as well as has advertisements for his gyrocopoter.

Tonight is the air show starting about 8:00 followed by fireworks.  Should be exciting.  This is my last day here, it has been great!  If anyone else is here give me a call.  (316) 519-5739.  Seaplane base was again a good place to be this year, about 5 degrees cooler and lots of cool planes on floats!

A storm front came through about two hours ago and shut down the daytime air show.  Dust and debris was blowing all over the place.

All for now.

Paul Fiebich

I did a little visiting today and  thought you would like to see some of the fellows who participate on the board.

Today (Monday 8/1/11) three of us met for lunch at a Grand Rapids, Michigan restaurant.  On the left is Mike Howe, former owner of a Mini-Max and now a GS Hawk, myself, Paul Fiebich (a.k.a. AirBike Ace) and Bob Vermeulen former Mini-Max owner.  I visited Bob for about an hour before we drove to the restaurant to meet Mike.  We had an enjoyable 45 minute luncheon, we all at "wet" burritos.  Must be something unique with that place as I never heard of it before.

During my next stop here, (next year?)  I  will need to stay a few days and visit the hangars and airports of the people they spoke of.  Sounds interesting. Maybe  their EAA chapter would even be interested in the AirBike presentation I made at Oshkosh a few years ago.

Later that day I  drove to Schoolcraft, Michigan to visit Hap Boulette, a recent new person to  the board.  We knew each  other prior to going to AirVenture due to his asking some  AirBike questions, but we never met in person.  We agreed to do so at AirVenture.  Turns out we sat next to each other (across the center aisle) of Harold Little's TEAM presentation!  He  invited me  out to see his place.

And  what a place!  It was like I had died and gone to heaven!  It is out in the country where they grow beans and corn, he has his birds in a three bay hangar next to his sod 2500' runway. He heats  his shop/hangar with wood cut from the property.  We had a nice hour long visit and I hated to leave and continue my journey to Fenton, Michigan.

It is great to meet in person those people we talk to on  the board.

Below are the photos.

Paul Fiebich

Hi Paul;
Great stuff. It must be great for you to do all this traveling. But great for us to read about your adventures. Thank you for taking the time to do what you do. You are a big part of our little BBS. Thanks.
Bob

Quoted from Bob Hoskins Hi Paul;
Great stuff. It must be great for you to do all this traveling. But great for us to read about your adventures. Thank you for taking the time to do what you do. You are a big part of our little BBS. Thanks.
Bob

You guys are giving Ace a yet bigger head..... he is hard enough to live with in the hangar now.......lol

WELL....the best way to shrink that , is to write a better adventure story than Paul...so with a name like the Avenger...should be easy..lol

Lock and load..........

love this flying stuff

cheers...Arthur

You would be right about writing a better story... but then he moops around and sort of sulks....so is easier to live with the big head.   LOL... beside I fly with him to much to get on his bad side.  Keep in mind he is retired with his wifes money to spend so he gets to be a world traveler and has time to sit and write.... which by the way I am glad he does cause it gives us a good story to read.... just have to keep making the hangar doors wider so he can get in.

Hey Avenger;
Sorry, I didn't want to get you in trouble at the hanger, LOL.
Bob

Hi guys,

Hey, I enjoy the comments and banter.  A big head eh?  I wondered why my hat no longer fit.  Oh well, I hope to keep it under  control.  Any of you can write stories about your adventures and many of you have, they are good reading too!

I am in Virginia this evening, Wednesday Aug 3 I will go to the Udvar-Hazy museum.  I hope to get a few photos and send them to you.  Have you guys been here before?  I am looking forward to it.

Of our 44 years of marriage, my wife has worked (for an income) about 7 of those years.  I am sure glad she did and that she saved it up for me to make these aviation trips.

More after U-H.

Paul Fiebich

Congratulations Paul!  I enjoy everything you write.  We met @ Osh in 09. I fly a Kitfox out of Leander, (N of Austin), TX.  I fly a lot but enjoy reading about flights just like yours.  Avenger and I attended a class together and he spoke highly of you.

Pete
Airbike plans owner

Quoted from Peteohms Congratulations Paul!  I enjoy everything you write.  We met @ Osh in 09. I fly a Kitfox out of Leander, (N of Austin), TX.  I fly a lot but enjoy reading about flights just like yours.  Avenger and I attended a class together and he spoke highly of you.

Pete
Airbike plans owner

That was before I knew him so well... that and before I hit the hangar... how you doing ducktape... we need to get together sometime... I think I have to be in Austin soon... maybe paul and I can fly down.....lol

Quoted from Avenger

That was before I knew him so well... that and before I hit the hangar... how you doing ducktape... we need to get together sometime... I think I have to be in Austin soon... maybe paul and I can fly down.....lol

I'd love to have visitors.  Still have the ducktape but had to change it out as the lightening speeds I fly at took it's toll.  We have a spare bed for you guys and maybe by the time you get here we'll have electricity and indoor plumbing.

Pete

Hi from Massachusetts!

The Udvar-Hazy museum is a great place to see the full range of airplanes, from the early hang gliders to the Concord!

I drooled over all the gleaming airplane displays and walked my feet off for five hours.  Also viewed two Imax movies,  one on the Hubble telescope and one on the Boeing 787.  What a wonderful collection of significant aircraft, maybe  someday there will be an AirBike, Hi-Max or Mini-Max  in here!They have ultralights, hang  gliders and an Easy Riser!

On photo of AirBike Ace standing next to Loudenslager's acrobatic plane (hung vertically) and one showing a portion of the French Aviation resistance.  That's a Spad with a machine gun mounted in the aft cockpit. This is a very big plane, I believe the wingspan is over 35 feet.  Perhaps it is a special model because I know the Spad has only one cockpit.  It is nice to know that the French are improving their air force.

The Huns don't stand a chance.

Still having a good  time and putting lots of miles on the cars.  Traffic here is very congested.  Next  stop is the Statue of Liberty,  Ellis  Island then on to Rhinebeck.

More to come!

Paul Fiebich

Wow, what a day at Rhinebeck! 

I spent from 10:30 AM until 5:00 PM looking at planes, watching the "air show"  and looking through the four museums. Lots of activity, with ground support vehicles, "style show" of period clothing, taxiing aircraft, planes  making crow hops and flying the pattern.
 
The  Bleriot at Rhinebeck is the oldest flying airplane in the U.S.  I tried out the Curtiss pusher as a potential addition to the Hun hunting crew but its controls are a bit awkward.  Steering wheel rotation controls the rudder, push and pull control a front AND rear elevator, right foot is on the accelerator, left foot hovers over the "ground or cable grabber", a center pedal presses a friction pad against the nose wheel and leaning the seat left or right controls the ailerons.
 
This plane is way too complicated  to serve as a fighter, the pilot is too busy flying to attempt fighting. I will continue searching for more planes and pilots to use on the Western Front in a continuing effort to keep the Huns at bay.

Sunday I will visit Jim and Ana, both AirBike bilders living in  Woodsville, NH, to check on their construction progress and its entry into the fray.
 
Paul  Fiebich

This past weekend I visited another AirBiker and his wife, Jim and Ana Peterson, who live in New Hampshire.  Jim's wife is an Argentinean and a great cook! She selects vegetables from her garden, local stores and  combines them into her ethnic meals.  It was a great culinary experience to eat three meals with them!

Jim, a retired Mechanical Engineer from Ford, is now applying his knowledge of that multi-year career towards a multitude of activities, paramount is the construction of the AirBike wings.  These structures are examples of fine woodworking!  They should be in a museum!  To achieve those results he makes numerous jigs (which are also works of art) that permit him to maintain close tolerance, good fit-up and astounding visual appearance of the wing.  You just gotta love all those sticks!

Jim has many skills and interests,  often priorities conflict with desires of what to work on first!  While building the AirBike, he is also converting a machine shed into half living quarters and half shop, building a kayak, a one  person speedboat, rebuilding a Norton Motorcycle, maintains two cars, assorted machinery and even has plans for his second airplane---a Pietenpol! In the photo of him  with the Norton,  you can  see behind him the mockup up formers for the race boat.

I think Jim typifies many of us on the board with his ambition,  attention to detail and desire to fly.  He makes occasional posts on the board and reads it frequently.  Again,  it is a joy to  visit people I  have  met on  the board or through fly-ins and at Oshkosh.  I thought you would like to know a little more about Jim.

My homeward route will take me through Flushing,Michigan where I hope to visit Jake Cramer again, then down to Dayton where I will visit the Wright Patterson Air Force Base museum and finally a straight run to Derby from there.

Hopefully, I  will have more to  post as time goes on.  If you are along my route, let me know and  I may be able to work a visit into my schedule.  I must be home by Wednesday the 17th.

Paul Fiebich

I forgot a photo, I always  like to be in  the photo with the person I  am  visiting.  say hi to Jim Peterson.

Paul Fiebich

Perhaps the last visit on my AirBike/TEAM airplane schedule was at Jake Cramer's house today in  Flushing,  Michigan. He showed me his little piece of heaven (two intersecting runways and lots of hangars) as we walked to his hangar where his warbird was resting.

Jake's Mini-Max is beautiful!  He is a fine craftsman and unquestionably proud of his work.  He says she has flown about 10 hours so far and he has ranged about 16 miles from  the airfield.  That was a scouting mission to find Hun hiding places.  His cockpit is well appointed, paint scheme is al-a-Normandy Invasion (partial) and he even  has a smoke system which he tested on the ground.  There is enough smoke that he may use it to find his way home from a mission, sort of like a bread crumb trail.

While there, I gave Jake a canister of paratroopers (candy wrapped in a parachute) that he can use to drop on participants and EAA meetings or kids hanging around the airport.  There are 30 "paratroopers" in the self-dispensing canister, these are one-time use items but I am sure he can  figure out how to make more of them.  These paratroopers are identical are the extras tht Ron Blum made that jumped from my plane during the Candy Drop at our annual EAA fly-in in Newton.

All for now, next stop is Wright Patterson AFB museum then a bee-line for Derby,  KS.

Paul Fiebich (travelin' man)

The "Guy Trip" with my brother is over, the last stop was Wright Patterson AFB museum in Dayton,  Ohio.  What a place to  have as the last stop before the two-day drive home!  They have a fantastic collection of airplanes,  all in categories such as Early Flight, Cold War, Space, WWII, etc.  Makes it easy to select areas to visit when time is limited.  I had  only 6 hours to spend there,  could have easily made it two full days!

Below are a few representative photos in random  order:

A display panel clearly shows the definition of the Western Front where most of our aerial battles with the Huns take place. Towns such as Romagne,  Metz,  Limey,  Verdun and  the Argonne Forest where many of the French Resistance fighters assisted our downed pilots are identified.

The Spad VII is the plane  used by the famed American volunteers of the French Lafayette Escadrille (al-a-the Fly Boys movie) and later replaced by the Spad VIII.  Over 5000 of these planes were built and  used by the British and French squadrons. They were fast, rugged and maneuverable. My first plastic (Revelle) model was of a Spad. This is an  original Spad, restored of course.

My heart-throb airplane, the Tiger Moth, hung above me as I walked around in one of the display hangars.  What a majestic plane, and that vivid color!  Mine will have a different paint scheme---hopefully that of an Australian trainer.

Finally, I found a tailwheel to replace the one on my AirBike that is always wearing out!  However, it may affect the plane's CG and its stance on the ground!  Actually,  this is one  of the original B-36 tires.

I has been a great trip, covered over 4,000 miles  in almost four weeks and checked off a lot of  items from my "bucket list". I hope you have enjoyed my occasional posts of photos and comments about the Board members I visited and museums I saw.  I sure have enjoyed reading your comments.

Now it is back to the Selby Aerodrome to protect the home front and teach Bill (Avenger) how to land his T-craft without hitting stuff.

Paul Fiebich

I have never hit anything landing... it is that darn taxying that seems to get me... and I have never pulled my plane into the hangar with the door only partially open and tore up a prop.  I have never had to get 8 guys to carry my plane out of a corn field.  I have never been able to check the bottom of my wing by standing over it and looking down.   I have never gone through the seat of my plane on a ruff landing,  and I have never ran across the end of the runway then the street and put my plane on its nose over an aborted takeoff and the list goes on with people having fun at Selby.  Everyone has a bad day... but Max fliers seem to do it in front of people more often then others... and these days everyone has a camera... and a forum... and friends from all over the world to pick on them.... why yes.... I do love my life sometimes... course I didn't get to take a month vacation on the wifes money......

Hi Paul;
Did we enjoy it, LOL of course we did. Your stories are part of this forum. I always enjoy the stories, it helps keep us all "involved". As always, thank you for the time you spend keeping us entertained.
Have a safe trip home.
Bob