Letters

I was stationed at Dover Air Force Base from 1986 to 1989, and during my time there the base had a small museum that was restoring a World War II veteran Boeing B–17 Flying Fortress, Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby. I saw it before the engines were remounted, and the volunteers did an amazing job. Ultimately the airplane, with the original nose art recreated by the airman who painted it during the war, was flown from Dover, Delaware, to Dayton, Ohio. I believe that one of the World War II pilots who flew her manned the right seat. It was impressive to see this historic warbird dwarfed on the ramp by massive C–5 Galaxy jets. When it fired up its engines and took off escorted by two P–51 Mustangs we knew it would be the last time it would ever fly again. Great story about a great museum.

Tom Duquette / AOPA 3695155
Cross Plains, Texas

Curious craft

I enjoyed Barry Schiff’s article in the December 2022 AOPA Pilot magazine titled “Curious Craft.” The Transavia PL–12U Airtruk is quite a beast. Looks to be built more for a schoolyard playground than flight. Have you ever seen the cover of Jefferson Airplane’s double album, After Bathing at Baxters? A funny resemblance.

Marc Meyer / AOPA 11167652
Mission Viejo, California

Barry Schiff’s “Curious Craft” Transavia AirTruk review brought back memories of that aircraft upstaging Tina Turner in Mad Max: Beyond the Thunderdome, especially the escape scene. Yes, it can haul a wild bunch!

Al Allenback / AOPA 4070124
Montgomery, Alabama

Tale of two parties

In Natalie Bingham Hoover’s article “Tale of Two Parties” in the December 2022 issue of AOPA Pilot, she mentioned, “Very rarely does someone get into flying simply for the fun of it.” Her comment makes me feel very special, since my only reason to get into flying was for fun! I was in my late 50s when I got a ride in a J–3 Cub and decided I needed to have one. So, I got my private pilot in Cessna 172s and tailwheel endorsement in a Citabria. I started looking for a Cub and found one within “reasonable” range to fly home. So, mission accomplished: 1946 J3C65 Piper Cub Tweety Bird is mine now. It’s too slow and cramped to go anywhere, it boasts no navigation equipment besides a wet compass, and the lack of transponder and 60-mph pattern speeds make it unwelcome at many airports, but it sure is a lot of fun! I’m going fly it until I no longer can.

Kerry Broeckling / AOPA 833503
North Bend, Washington

I am a private pilot from Switzerland, and I have flown in the United States as a renter pilot since 1989. The article “Tale of Two Parties” has prompted me to write a comment from my perspective. The author asks the question, “Who has the money to spend on frivolity?” Well, most European VFR pilots take up flying for the pure fun of flying. And that may very well mean to scrimp and save for the next flying lesson. I have met an adult female pilot in Australia cleaning buildings at the airport for her flying money. Again, not for a career but for the love of flying. So, the majority of these pilots are organized in flying clubs making it somehow financially possible to keep flying. And you may know that both in Australia and Europe the validity of a pilot license is linked to a minimum amount of flying hours and landings within a time frame. When I started flying in the United States I still found many fellow renting pilots, but it has changed and become rare. The reasons are various.

Benno Breit / AOPA 5663999
Bassersdorf, Switzerland

Real life breakdowns

After reading Mike Busch’s article in the October issue (“Savvy Maintenance: Real Life Breakdowns”), I don’t think he is spot on recommending flying an aircraft with an EGT probe issue without having a mechanic look at the aircraft to make sure the probe has not come out of the exhaust pipe by a broken clamp. This would cause a blow torch in the engine compartment and possible fire. I respect Busch’s knowledge and have used his advice numerous times but disagree on this advice to fly an aircraft with an EGT indication issue until verified by a mechanic.

Mike Harris / AOPA 2487020
Middleton, Florida

Fire is not your friend

While James Nova’s story “Fire is Not Your Friend” in the November 2022 issue of AOPA Pilot was exciting and must have been for him a validation of his training, the question that comes most prominently to mind is why he did not get the aircraft on the ground sooner. In almost 40 years of instructing, I have taught my students to get the aircraft on the ground for all but the most trivial of fires immediately, to include an off-airport landing should a runway not be immediately available. Aviation history is replete with accidents that turned fatal when the urgency of an engine/airframe fire was not recognized. That his instructor said nothing continuing a flight for 20 minutes with an uncontained fire is inexcusable.

George M. Woods / AOPA 894989
Anchorage, Alaska

America’s first warbird

At the end of World War I, the United States Navy had sent 570 aircraft to Europe that had been designed and built in the U.S. and flown by U.S. Naval aviators on combat missions in Europe. All these aircraft were flying boats designed by the Curtiss Aircraft Corp. and built by either Curtiss or under contract at the Naval Aircraft Factory in Philadelphia. The two types of aircraft used were the Curtiss HS–1 and HS–2 (both single engine) and the Curtiss/NAF H–16 (twin engine). The mission was primarily antisubmarine patrol with bombs and depth charges as weapons, and by the end of the war U.S. Navy aircraft were operating out of 27 different bases in Europe.

So to set the record straight, the DH–4 Liberty Plane (“First Look: America’s First Warbird,” November 2022 AOPA Pilot) was not the only U.S. built aircraft to have been flown in combat in World War I by U.S. airmen. However, the only aircraft designed in the U.S., built in the U.S., and flown in combat during World War I by U.S. airmen were the U.S. Navy aircraft described above.

Bob Thomas / AOPA 4419458
Pensacola, Florida

Most powerful rocket ever to fly

I read Ian J. Twombly’s article regarding Artemis 1 (“Most Powerful Rocket Ever to Fly”) in the December 2022 issue of AOPA Pilot magazine. Having spent my career working in the aerospace industry, as well as proposals for different phases of the Artemis mission, it’s nice to see a mention of this important program in the public eye.

I wanted to point out that the mission is called Artemis, not the rocket. The Artemis 1 payload (there will be many Artemis payloads in the mission) is launched using the new NASA Space Launch System (SLS). The SLS is the part with the astonishing 8.8 million pounds of thrust. The SLS can be used to launch other missions as well, but its cost relegates it to government missions only.

Jeff Nocket /AOPA 10279213

Oakhurst, California

We welcome your comments! Send letters to [email protected] or Editor, AOPA Pilot, 421 Aviation Way, Frederick, Maryland 21701. Letters may be edited for length and style.