looking for prebuy

[Larry Huntley]

I am looking for an A&P to do a prebuy on a Colt in southern Maine. Any suggestions? Larry Huntley

[JohnW]

Larry; Hopefully you will get a response from someone closer to the airplane, but I'm in Upstate NY about 30 statute NE of Syracuse, if you don't. That puts me about 7.5-8 hours (depending on how much coffee I consume on the first leg of the trip, apparently) by car from Bean's Factory Store so we'd probably be looking at an "overnighter". On the Plus Side, I know Colts like the back of my hand (if you don't believe me, just ask me...). I currently own two Colts, both taildraggers. There have been an embarrassing number of full ShortWing restorations and/or conversions in between these two particular airplanes. I'm fully confident in saying that I know where to look at these Sweethearts.

I am naturally not ready to commit to a specific time schedule in this Post, but I am THINKING that sometime sooner rather than later would fit into my calender best, should we actually wind up getting together (of course, unless the airplane is tied down in a snowbank...). I will go so far as to say that "when Flying Season starts up here North of the Thruway, things go crazy for me" because everybody wants to be among the first with what they SHOULD HAVE had me do on their airplanes "over the Winter". PM me if you want to talk...

[Stephen]

Larry, If you have not followed the forum much, you should know that John would come highly recommended.

[Larry Huntley]

Larry; Hopefully you will get a response from someone closer to the airplane, but I'm in Upstate NY about 30 statute NE of Syracuse, if you don't. That puts me about 7.5-8 hours (depending on how much coffee I consume on the first leg of the trip, apparently) by car from Bean's Factory Store so we'd probably be looking at an "overnighter". On the Plus Side, I know Colts like the back of my hand (if you don't believe me, just ask me...). I currently own two Colts, both taildraggers. There have been an embarrassing number of full ShortWing restorations and/or conversions in between these two particular airplanes. I'm fully confident in saying that I know where to look at these Sweethearts.

I am naturally not ready to commit to a specific time schedule in this Post, but I am THINKING that sometime sooner rather than later would fit into my calender best, should we actually wind up getting together (of course, unless the airplane is tied down in a snowbank...). I will go so far as to say that "when Flying Season starts up here North of the Thruway, things go crazy for me" because everybody wants to be among the first with what they SHOULD HAVE had me do on their airplanes "over the Winter". PM me if you want to talk...

Hi John,
Thanks for the response. I am trying to find someone closeby the bird. I am almost as close as you. I would do it myself ,but don't want to travel that far right now. I have a couple of young fellows here who want to buy the plane for their trainer. I have my Tripacer down recovering the fuselage right now and hope to have it flying by May or June,but that is pretty late.
Thirty NE of SYR must put you pretty close to Beck's Grove. Last time I was in there Herb Reutter was there. Hope to run into you one day even if this doesn't go. I am a shortwing fan and would like to see your work and meet you. I have been flying N8835D for 25 years now. I am 70sm S of SYR on a farm strip. Regards, Larry Huntley

[Steve Pierce]

I know some folks up that way and will see if they have a good mechanic in the area.

[Larry Huntley]

I know some folks up that way and will see if they have a good mechanic in the area.

Thank you Steve. Plane is located near Auburn, ME. Larry

[JohnW]

Ah, Great! That's a bit of a haul from "here". Oh, yes. Beck's Grove... it's is almost too close to my strip to warrant taking the airplane, although before they paved the runway 60 feet wide and full length, I used to go over there soecial in the Vagabond just to slip in over the 60 foot pines and get stopped before the end of the asphalt. Now it's kinda like being "newly married and living across the street from Mom and Dad"...never get around much to stopping in that close to home since the Usual Suspects eventually moved on! There's still some neat airplanes (and a couple of "characters" that own them) to be found in a medium large T-hangar alongside the road (on top of the "old cross runway") but the place doesn't have quite the same "panache" as it used to. No maintenance and no Flight Instruction (that I am aware of).

I don't know if you are aware that Herb Reuter passed away a few years ago, but Robbie and his Sister have kept the flame going on Rueter Aircraft Service. They went to "the County" (Oneida County; UCA or most affectionately "Utikaka") until it closed a couple years ago after Canastota Airport closed, but you can still find them at Griffiss Airpark. They're as good as Dad was, IMO (Robbie would say "No."). Anybody that ever knew Herb said the same thing about him...he was surely GOOD, but Man was he "slow". He'd spot a loose safetie job on your gascolator, and he just couldn't allow you to fly away with that. So, he would go get the dykes to cut and remove the old wire, then he would leave the dykes right there under the airplane and go put the cutoff in the steel trash can. Next he would come back and gather up the dykes and return them to the toolbox. Back to the airplane and survey the job again, then go get the roll of safetie wire and bring it to the airplane, then it was back to the toolbox to go get the twisters, whereas he would cut off a length of wire (with the usual 1/2" of "excess" on each leg). He'd carry the new piece and the roll back to when it "sleeps" and perfectly straighten the wire as he would return to the airplane again. Then he would twist the wire, then to the toolbox to put the twisters back, come back and look and then go to the toolbox to get the dykes again to clip it off (I'm like him in that regard, I am not a firm believer in using the cutters on the twisters. They need to "stay sharp" for when you actually NEED them sometime). Then he would lay the dykes down under the airplane and carry the snippings over into the steel trash can (you would NEVER find a single piece of F.O.D. at HIS place!), then he'd get the dykes and put them back to bed. THEN he would get down again under the nose and reinspect his handywork, and if there was ONE THING about the safetie he didn't like (and his standards were HIGH)...he'd start all over from the beginning despite your protestations. All of this when your airplane was sitting on the other side of the runway from his hangar. I never heard one person say that he ever "left something in their airplane", so I have to admit that the "one thing at a time" system he used WORKED for him! All this took longer to happen than it takes to tell it. Then to top it all off, he would "send you packing" without charging you a cent for the job! All of this would take place on the ramp 200 ft from his hangar. Yepper. He was "painfully slow", but he charged for what any given job SHOULD cost, not by the time it took him to do it. Meticulous. His work was impeccable. Proud to have known him (and I just don't say that about everyone).

Yessir, I look forward to meeting you sometime, as well. The offer stands, if nothing else pans out.

[Larry Huntley]

Ah, Great! That's a bit of a haul from "here". Oh, yes. Beck's Grove... it's is almost too close to my strip to warrant taking the airplane, although before they paved the runway 60 feet wide and full length, I used to go over there soecial in the Vagabond just to slip in over the 60 foot pines and get stopped before the end of the asphalt. Now it's kinda like being "newly married and living across the street from Mom and Dad"...never get around much to stopping in that close to home since the Usual Suspects eventually moved on! There's still some neat airplanes (and a couple of "characters" that own them) to be found in a medium large T-hangar alongside the road (on top of the "old cross runway") but the place doesn't have quite the same "panache" as it used to. No maintenance and no Flight Instruction (that I am aware of).

I don't know if you are aware that Herb Reuter passed away a few years ago, but Robbie and his Sister have kept the flame going on Rueter Aircraft Service. They went to "the County" (Oneida County; UCA or most affectionately "Utikaka") until it closed a couple years ago after Canastota Airport closed, but you can still find them at Griffiss Airpark. They're as good as Dad was, IMO (Robbie would say "No."). Anybody that ever knew Herb said the same thing about him...he was surely GOOD, but Man was he "slow". He'd spot a loose safetie job on your gascolator, and he just couldn't allow you to fly away with that. So, he would go get the dykes to cut and remove the old wire, then he would leave the dykes right there under the airplane and go put the cutoff in the steel trash can. Next he would come back and gather up the dykes and return them to the toolbox. Back to the airplane and survey the job again, then go get the roll of safetie wire and bring it to the airplane, then it was back to the toolbox to go get the twisters, whereas he would cut off a length of wire (with the usual 1/2" of "excess" on each leg). He'd carry the new piece and the roll back to when it "sleeps" and perfectly straighten the wire as he would return to the airplane again. Then he would twist the wire, then to the toolbox to put the twisters back, come back and look and then go to the toolbox to get the dykes again to clip it off (I'm like him in that regard, I am not a firm believer in using the cutters on the twisters. They need to "stay sharp" for when you actually NEED them sometime). Then he would lay the dykes down under the airplane and carry the snippings over into the steel trash can (you would NEVER find a single piece of F.O.D. at HIS place!), then he'd get the dykes and put them back to bed. THEN he would get down again under the nose and reinspect his handywork, and if there was ONE THING about the safetie he didn't like (and his standards were HIGH)...he'd start all over from the beginning despite your protestations. All of this when your airplane was sitting on the other side of the runway from his hangar. I never heard one person say that he ever "left something in their airplane", so I have to admit that the "one thing at a time" system he used WORKED for him! All this took longer to happen than it takes to tell it. Then to top it all off, he would "send you packing" without charging you a cent for the job! All of this would take place on the ramp 200 ft from his hangar. Yepper. He was "painfully slow", but he charged for what any given job SHOULD cost, not by the time it took him to do it. Meticulous. His work was impeccable. Proud to have known him (and I just don't say that about everyone).

Yessir, I look forward to meeting you sometime, as well. The offer stands, if nothing else pans out.

Sorry to hear that we lost Herb. Thanx for the tale about him. The story fits the Herb I knew. I fisrt met him when I needed a jug for the Luxscombe I was learning on in the 60s. Herb Helms was instructing me on skis on Long Lake. Soloed and did most of my flying on those skis. Still have them. He sent me to his good friend Herb Reuter ,for the jug.
See you this summer. Larry

[Stephen]

John, you just took the words out of my wifes mouth when it comes to describing how I work on the house.

[Steve Pierce]

Larry, No luck on a good A&P around Auburn, ME yet. Still checking.