Aircraft Ferry Adventure: The Champ from HELL
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- Опубліковано 10 жов 2024
- This is the story of a ferry, well actually multiple ferries, of a 65hp Aeronca Champ from PA to Chicago. I never intended to turn it into a full UA-cam video, but the events turned out too ridiculous not to share. I dealt with a spiteful owner that purposely kept all the useful accoutrements (including the radio) for himself, a cylinder that would not stop eating oil, ridiculous FAA overreach, and of course bad weather closing in on me in the slow-as-molasses airplane.
A special thanks to @StickAndPotato who let me use some of their footage as I was too busy dealing with FAA shenanigans to stop and film on my own.
I should have more videos on stories from the many ferry's that I have done in the past two years, so be sure to subscribe to see those when they come out. Thanks for all the support from everyone who's stuck with me these past few years, It's greatly appreciated!
Instagram: @Average_Aviator
Email: TraverseAviation@gmail.com
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Music by LiQWYD
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I’ve been following you since your Mooney. I think you’ve found your calling - storytelling. Your honesty and humility are great assets to have for storytelling because it makes it relatable and an ethos to aspire to. Obviously I don’t know you but I bet you’re a great person to know. Be safe and keep at it, you’re doing great work.
I appreciate all the kind words!
This illustrates the trouble buying airplanes. Too often the owners aren’t honest about something or leave out important details.
I love the champ. We had one in a club for a few years. Great airplane!
Aircraft sales shenanigans! Thanks for sharing and being straight to the unsuspecting buyer too bad the next guy wasn't as honest.
Excellent video. I've had a bunch of Champs, some better than others, none of them prize winners. It's a wonderful airplane. Hopefully with its new engine this Champ from hell will give it's new owner many years of trouble free flying.
That Airplane Flipper that took all the important accesories for the airplane sounds like a Real Piece of Shit of a Human Being.
_They call him Flipper, Flipper, faster than lightning, no one can sleaze, as bigger than he._ Glad you're still alive after this. You need a Snoopy leather helmet with goggles for rides like this.
Great post! My cousin Kate got her license and bought a Cessna 140. Her Dad, my uncle Mike had his commercial license and around 1,000 hours of flying. They took a trip one week from Reno down to San Diego and had their starter fail at Bishop. My cousin asked, 'What are we going to do now, Dad?' He said, Oh, well we'll just hand prop and start that way!" She was pretty nervous as she'd never done that before, but my uncle Mike assured her it would be ok. It was and they had a great trip in the end. Thanks again for the great post, cheers!
Oh my! I grew up flying our 1946 7AC N3133E and am blessed with great memories flying that plane. Great storytelling and words to the wise for would-be buyers!
Sounds like Caveat Emptor still holds true everywhere.
Great story. Thanks for sharing.🤎🇺🇲👍
That was a great story! You ferry pilots really stick you neck out there sometimes. You shouldn't always be such a nice guy with those owners that you described. I definitely enjoyed this one.
Thanks for the support! Yeah, ferrying definitely comes with some unique challenges, that's for sure!
My first aviation boss had a Champ just like that. We carried around a can of ether to help the shower of sparks mags on that tired 65 Continental. I remember getting a good look at the cars going through a mountain pass in the interior British Columbia. As low performance and poorly equipped as it was I really liked it.
Good adventure story with this ferry flight, this young man has more patience than I ever had. He is definitely an asset to the industry.
Excellent transparent narrative! Yea with only 65 HP everything has to work right! That plug fouling was the worst I've ever seen. Safe flying 👍
That sounds a lot like my Champ which has now been sitting for about 6 months waiting for me to cobble up an engine for it. Great video.
Hopefully you can cobble up an engine soon and get back in the air!
Travis I admit when I first watched your earlier videos a few years ago I didn’t know if I really liked the story telling with out as much video like other UA-camrs do. However I have come to find you a great storyteller and really do enjoy your videos. You’re a great storyteller and an even better pilot. Thanks for such an informative yet entertaining video. Glad you made the trip safely despite all the problems
Late summer of 1971 I got some XC dual instruction in a '46 7AC (N4316E, no radio, no electrical system). It took three and half days, from Pope Valley, CA to Beck's Grove, NY. Going over the continental divide was interesting. We overnighted at Rawlings, WY on the airport WX station "lawn". Got up at dawn, with some puddles showing a little ice around the rim, and headed east. We made it over the pass, but I did see an old VW bug, smoking visibly, going the same way up the slope. Passing us.
Otherwise it was a great trip; we only had to gas up at two airports along the way with a tower and us with no radio. Light signals worked great.
I always wondered how those light gun signals worked, I just avoid towers if I can, radio or not. Too much hassle and expense, and normally the FBO closes each day where a lot of small airports have 24hr access. Thanks for the story!
CFI from MT here. First time seeing your videos. Love this video! Had me rolling. THIS is aviation lol.
Great story telling my man! Keep it up and fly safe ;)
Thanks for the kind words! It seems ferrying always has some crazy stuff to deal with, its nice to share that its not all rainbows and roses out there!
I was in my 20's when I figured out that while a lot of airplane people are really awesome, there are an impressive number of snakes.
great video, well you're certainly getting flight time and experience!! I fly an American Citabria now, and it is a great little aircraft
What a great story! You are living the dream!
This is the kind of adventure I started watching your channel for!
General Aviation has gone to shit since people started trying to make big bucks on it. There's always been some that do it as a business, but most just loved to fly.
Great story !!
took me back to my first days of flying.
Learned in a 1930s 7AC out of grass strip in Washington, Missouri
understand the 65 horse and no electric !!
Not long after with around 70 hours as a student (I know what you’re thinking 70 hours !?!?
Didn’t care to get my license as I was flying Stearman’s at the time and figured who needs a passenger !!!!)
Delivered a J3 Cub from that airport to Brian station Texas again no electric or radios in any of the first three aircraft I ever flew
thank God the Stearman at least had a starter !!
ha ha ha
Anyway, thanks for sharing.
I was blessed to learn to fly in those types of aircraft
so today when the screens go black
I remember why we have a compass !!!
safe flying everyone
God bless
I couldn't imagine trying to hand prop a Stearman, what a chore! Sounds like the good 'ol days!
Your channel is one of my favorites. I'm glad you're back. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for the encouraging words, it means a lot.
Great story telling. I was laughing so hard.
Great story… I would think doing what you do would propose some very interesting adventures just like this one I can tell you this you’ve got some stones, my friend
Sweet! I love your videos, thanks for posting!
Great story! Love those Champs and flew one with the very same paint scheme and very close on the number as it was N81800. Believe that engine was an A-65, the lowest HP "C" engine was a C-75. Looking forward to the next video.
Ah it appears you are correct sir! Funny, I've seen and Heard C-65 so many times i just took it for granted. Even the FAA registry has A/C-65 for engine type!
Nice job laying that out. Lots of chances for making good decisions. Thanks for sharing.
I ferried a J3 from Oklahoma City to South Carolina a few years ago. This sounds so much like that one. You definitely have to be a MacGyver to be a ferry pilot.
Glad you got to make this video. Sounds like sonthing i may hear on pilot debrief. There a lot of cheese holes here. Sounds like the craft wasnt fit to be on the air and the airports questionable at best
Setting aside the issues you had with this particular plane, I think those types of planes are cool. They remind me of my 66 beetle, a simple no brainer vehicle. ✌️
Loved your fast paced narrative and storytelling prowess!💪👊
I appreciate it! I intend to make a few more videos like this from some of the other ferry flights I have done since.
Great Marysville lesson- thanks for sharing!
Loved the video! I just landed my Champ at Converse yesterday evening. It is quite an interestingly different airport...definitely, taxi with care.
Very cool! What a coincidence.
I hope that new engine was 90hp. We called ours a poor man's Super Cub.
She had no electrical system and no radio until the ELT mandate back in the '70s. I loved flying with the door off and visiting all of the little airports in southwestern Idaho.
Travis, Yikes what an adventure 😮......great story and video....❤
Thank you for the lovely story! 🙋🏼♀️. I miss my champ!
Reminds me of a Kerbal Space Program joke: "Everything was going fine until it exploded."
What an adventure. I love the Champ, an honest and fun plane to fly. My bucket list would be to fly one from the west coast to the east coast.
They are great airplanes. I say its a great trainer because it tells you exactly when you are being lazy and not flying it right but its not hard to correct for and will fly amazing if you are doing it right!
What a fascinating story. The title sure is appropriate. Thanks for sharing!
First time viewer. Liked, Subscribed & Notified. I dig your channel bro. I soloed in '70 I was 16. I flew an old Cessna 150. Springdale, Arkansas.
I was lucky enough to ride along on a delivery flight of a ‘47 AC7 from Bastrop La to Sky Harbor Nv. No drama, well if you don’t count the takeoff from a puddle jump airport in Tx where our loaded weight met the field’s density altitude and my buddy (PIC) told me to prepare for a very unscheduled landing 😂 luckily he was able to float us around basically in ground affect, until we caught a break and incrementally inched skyward. Other wise a fun albeit slow trip…..great times, and yea a few stops at off the beaten path location’s.
This video is so cool, terrifying but cool
Great vlog: great story, great videos, great production. Thanks for sharing. That looks like Dewey Davenport's New Standard Biplane at 9:24. He also has a Champ. ETA: Andrew King owns it now? I did not know that.
Thanks for the support! I believe its still Dewey's New Standard, but Andrew King happened to be flying it for that event.
You're Back! Great story!
Great story! I had a good laugh and was glad it all worked out.
Great story! Brave to go back up with recurrent spark plug issues. 😎
"Adventure." That's what makes it all worthwhile.
Nice story! It happens a lot
I’d put a decal of a penny with a chunk out of it on the tail and call it the Bad Penny! But it would have looked good at the grass strip in my town, Red Stewart (40I) in Waynesville OH, amongst the Cubs and the Stearman that live there. You were close!
This is so cool. I’m a pilot in training and I fly out of Latrobe (KLBE) so really close to Indiana
Very close! I have flown a green Cub and Stearman out of LBE a few times, perhaps we have seen each other in passing.
Great story about your adventure.
It’s always better to land at an actual airport than a farmers pasture.
I was also at Lock Haven during the Piper reunion, I may have seen you. The food was great and inexpensive, especially compared to Airventure
I hope you are at the little restaurant at the Jimmy Stewart A/P, the food is wonderful. You probably flew over my house (Homer City, PA) on the way to Chicago.
I go out to the airport there in Indiana, PA and eat at that restaurant all the time, its a great place. I have been to 3 of the fly ins at Lockhaven and hopefully I'll be able to go next year as well.
wow,I put a deposit on that plane before your ferry trip,soo glad the owner backed out and returned my deposit,Rick in Delaware
Crazy how small the world aviation is!
Just found your channel. Nicely done
My second flight lesson - un-logged - was in a 65 hp Aeronca 7AC Champ. I had all of the arrangements made to affordably get my pilot's licence (the Aeronca owner was a CFI) when the insurance company denied instruction coverage because the 7AC was placarded "Experimental". It had the same "dorsal fin" mod as this aircraft. So I was today wondering why this aircraft was not so marked. A bit of online research revealed that eventually Aeronca got that mod (for the 65hp 7AC) FAA approved... ...but too late to help me. (Before that approval, the dorsal fin was how you could identify an 85hp 7AC from a distance, the 85hp model had the dorsal fin from the factory.)
Interestingly enough I met the owner of the dorsal fin STC at Lockhaven when I stopped there. He was apparently instrumental in getting a lot of good modifications approved by the FAA for the Champ line of aircraft.
Super fun watch! Being a ferry pilot is not for the faint hearted
Thanks! Its definitely a lot of non-standard issues to deal with, I'll say that.
I used to deliver sailboats in the NW. Lots of similar stories.
what an ADVENTURE
Good story, well told.
Similar thing happened to Me when buying my first plane, a 1969 C-150. Got it for about ten grand back in the mid 90’s and thought it was a good deal. That is until about 10 hours of flying it started running really rough. Being over Mountains at the time, made me a little nervous, lol. Anyway, I pushed on to FCH or Fresno Chandler airport where my Father in Law was waiting to go flying. Nope, instead it sat waiting for a rebuilt cylinder and so e other goodies. I ended up spending about as much for the Cylinder repair and other miscellaneous components that were expensive as heck as the initial investment. After that, I did put a hundred or more hours of some flying in it before selling. Good lesson though on being much, much more thorough during the pre-buy inspection. 😊
Why is so had to be honest? Great video. Would have loved to have it. Have been an aircraft mechanic for 45 + years.
Great story! Love your content
Thanks, Glad you enjoy it!
Great video bro!
Went to KMRT for one of my solo XCs and have been there for the balloon festival several times.
Love the story telling
Flying by the seat of your pants.. great vid
Seeing this video after we almost went to look at buying that exact plane at KVYS a few weeks ago, dodged a huge bullet
After the engine change and all the work they put into it, its probably not a bad option now, but I have no idea.
I've owned two Champs, looks like I was lucky, no major problems with either.
The University of Illinois had a bunch of Aeronca Champs in the 1960-1970 timeframe. They were all orange and blue and were called "red raiders". They were great for building flying time but, alas, the Garmin Glass cockpit has arrived. Hope you got paid for your ferry flight to Chicago. Maybe not? As Dale Earnhart Jr. would say, the two biggest challenges of a NASCAR Driver are: 1) If I go with this team can I win? 2) If I go with this team and win, can I get paid? 🤠
I love the 65hp champs. Thats my dream plane that i will never be able to afford
I don't care how much he wanted to pay or WOULD HAVE PAID me, after flat out LIEING saying ''oh it never came with those'' when you knew full well it did, I would not have trusted him at all after that, nope, but that's me.. I guess.. ;) and just cuz you ''are not REQUIRED BY LAW to have a radio'' don't make it a ''good thing to do'' you are tossing 100 holes in the swiss cheese by flying no radio or radio inop...
Nice to see videos once more
Hopefully they will be somewhat regular, but life always gets in the way!
Years ago I sold my 7AC to the FBO owner at Marysville.
Seaman’s is local to me where i had my first solo. Who was the short term owner?
2400 rpm 60 MPH 300 FPM what’s not good about that? Got to love a Champ.
When I took off out of Lockhaven I felt like I was getting less than 100fpm! haha
@@AverageAviator lol I made the comment before finishing the video, I believe a C65 running on 3 cylinders may perform poorly.
Flew the same model back in the late 70s.
I don’t know what i would do if some aircraft i just bought needed a new cylinder part way on the way to me. Starting to eat my money before I even laid a hand on it!
Personally I’d have told the guy who first bought it and removed and lied about the radio etc exactly where he could put his aircraft.
Looks like you are local to me. I fly out of KJST, and was over at Connellsville to see the Tri-Motor a few weeks ago. How did you become a ferry pilot? EDIT.... Funny story. Was doing an night Xcountry to Lancaster. They were showing one closed runway. When I got close, ATC informed me that the airport was closed. So.... same situation as you. Wound up diverting.
Interesting! I used to work line service at JST for about 3 weeks. I should make a video on how the ferry pilot thing came about, but basically I found a niche in the tailwheel market where people who know how to fly the airplanes don't want to and of the people that may want to fly them, most don't have the tailwheel experience. Also the aircraft owner, long XC, and maintenance experience all pays dividends for a ferry pilot.
I love this!
Who pays for required maintenance when you are ferrying an aircraft? Is it you or the owner?
What was wrong with the coupe?
We replaced an exhaust gasket and a mount for the same exhaust, but in hindsight I believe the real issue was just the odd sliding canopy thing had popped open above my head and started creating the weird vibrations from the disturbed airflow as the exhaust shouldn't have caused what I experienced. Its odd though, I could have sworn the engine had lost some power when the vibration started, but now I question everything because almost everything appeared fine when we pulled the cowlings off.
That’s not a 7AC…Just saying. Sure that hasn’t an 85hp continental in there? Vertical stabiliser the giveaway.
It has an STC for the vertical stab and definitely only had a C-65. I got very familiar with that engine. Also, look up the N number on the FAA registry. It was most certainly a 7AC.
@@AverageAviator ok thanks for info…that stabiliser configuration was to accommodate the extra Hp from a C-85, C-90…a 7AC-925 is a 7DC.
@@dronemonkey2038 Interestingly enough I met the owner of that STC when I stopped at Lockhaven and he pointed out that the STC was supposed to be only for the upgraded engines. I think it may have been modified like the STC but not according to the STC as they didn't change the A-65 engine out.
@@AverageAviator 💫🙏
It definitely was an A65. When it was recovered, the larger vertical fin was installed.
The Champ has a Model A Ford fuel gauge.
There we go, Model A. I said Model T but I was mistaken. Thanks for the clarification!
Model T used a calibrated stick!
@@JohnSmith-pl2bk huh, I could have used a Model T fuel gauge as well apparently!
@@AverageAviator
Google that and get the replica stick for $6 from piquette plant...
Enjoed the story and story telling. Keep up the good work
What need does that calibrated dipstick have anywhere other than in that champ, wtf to that owner/broker
Right!? He also took the interior material that was left over from doing the interior on that specific airplane. I think he was just being spiteful to me and the next owner after I let them know it was burning oil.
🏆
It's pretty clear to those who know better if your going to fly the champ Or any of the other older lite airplanes . the ONLY thing a 65HP engine will do for you is get you in some serious trouble . YES sure with 1/2 a gas load and no passengers and maybe a Bag lunch you can fly around the pattern all day ..But if your actually going to be doing any real flying shit can the 85HP as well and just bite the bullet and go with the 120 HP or even the 145 HP motor and now your able to do more than just make some circuits around the pattern You will actually be able to climb out and maybe even go camping .with your sweet heart and some actual gear ...The Champ with the 65 HP motor is as close to practically useless as you can get before you own a static display .
Surprised they let people do so much work on aircraft without being qualified air engineers
So you mean to tell me as a professional ferry pilot you don’t carry your own spare handheld radio?
Got to ask. Do you ever take a breath while you’re talking?
I edited nearly every verbal pause out. Tried a different style of making it as fast as possible to keep people engaged, and to compensate for my lack of footage. Next time I think I'll go somewhere in the middle ground.
Good story. Who pays for all those repairs while you are ferrying?
Typically whoever happens to own the airplane at the time pays for any repairs that need to be made along the way. That is unless I caused the need for repairs, but that's only ever happened once where I somehow lost a fuel cap. Rookie move, I know, and the owner offered to get a new one, but I couldn't let that happen so I bought him a new one myself.
@@AverageAviator This is interesting. Do you have to contact the owner and get permission for the expense or is there a certain amount written into your contract? We are talking about a low cost plane here so they may decide not to repair it and send you funds to get home.
@@lancomedic I usually just contact the owner and give them the options. Many times it's small things I find and I fix them myself (stuck fuel drains, brakes without fluid, flat tires) and I call them after it's all fixed. There's only been a few times where it's been so bad I've had to call the owner and let them decide what they want to do.
@@AverageAviator Thanks.
Horse traders and airplane sellers.
Our party is tomorrow, September 21st, 2024, IL39, Curanda
Not a plane guy. (Car guy). I dont get the compression test being done at tdc. I can see a leakdown test done there. But i would think it would leak by as the piston moved up in the bore. It wouldn't show as zero since its not leaking at the top but i would think if its bad enough of a score to cause those issues that fast it would have at least measurable compression loss. Anyone? Trying to learn. Although thay compression is so much lower than even my old jeep I6 perhaps that has to do with it.
I believe its just a difference in nomenclature between cars and airplanes. I believe its technically a leakdown test from 80psi at TDC but everyone just calls it the "compressions" or "compression test" in aviation.
@@AverageAviator could be.
The guy in Scranton wasn’t initials TM, was it?
ha
i was curious who it was as well but i may know those initials
@@rcosk I ferried planes for TM, And had good luck.. the only reason I asked is because I know he buys and sells planes, and he’s at that field..
@@thomasaltruda i don’t remember this particular champ but sounds like it was short lived at seaman’s
Seems rediculous that a radio isn't required.
The Champ was so ornery because it got pissed off at those wheel landings. Champs were never meant to be wheel landed.
Interesting, because they are great wheel landers!
Beware the pretty face....
Phew! You need to slow down a little, you are talking too fast.