Warbird woes

In the same facility was a unique yellow German military trainer: 1957 Piaggio Focke-Wulf 149D. This airplane was used by Germany for training after World War II to restart their air force. I was fascinated by its design, layout, and bright high-visibility yellow color with German markings. Even though it was not for sale, I continued following the airplane’s ownership. In 1995 this Focke-Wulf was offered for sale by a collector who owned a total of five Focke-Wulfs. At last, I had the opportunity to own the airplane I had long admired.

I agreed to purchase the airplane after the completion of the annual inspection and getting three hours of dual instruction by the owner to meet my insurance requirements. One discrepancy needed to be addressed and would be paid for by the seller if I would take it to Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport, Florida, to facilitate the propeller governor cable repair. After completion of the work, the mechanic and I went for a test flight over the Atlantic to check things out. It was not long before the governor cable failed, and I could not control the engine. As a pilot with only 150 hours of complex aircraft time in a Beechcraft Debonair, I had to call on every skill and instinct I had to make a quick return to the airport. After an emergency landing, we took the airplane back to the shop for additional work. The next day, I flew the airplane 750 miles back to Texas with no apparent problems.

Not long after that, while flying over my hometown, I experienced a reduction in engine power that required me to make another quick return to the airport for an emergency landing—no pattern flight and a downwind landing. This time the problem appeared to be spark plugs that were improperly installed, not torqued to specification. They were getting loose and consequently not producing full power. A fairly simple repair had me flying again in no time.

Now the macho part: A few years later I was flying the airplane to Lakeland, Florida, for Sun ’n Fun. I had to stop in Tallahassee, Florida, to stay overnight as Lakeland was too far and darkness had begun to set in. I did not know there would be an airshow the next day in Tallahassee, but that explains why the ground-handlers mistook me for an arriving show participant. Since I was flying a military airplane they directed me to the warbird tiedown area for display. Nice for the ego! The next morning I departed for Lakeland and was rerouted upon arrival to hold on the south side of the field with other warbirds because of a landing mishap that needed to be cleared. We used the Warbird South Arrival. A North American P–51 Mustang pulled up next to us, and we flew together briefly until it was cleared to land. It reminded me of Empire of the Sun as we were flying together.

There were too many close calls in the air and too many maintenance problems.The following fall I was flying the Focke-Wulf 149P from my home base to Kerrville, Texas, to another fly-in. I got about halfway flying at 3,000 feet when the engine began to vibrate badly. This airplane needed to land immediately, but San Marcos was about 30 miles away and the airplane likely would not make it. I declared a Mayday.

Fortunately, Luling, Texas, was nearby so I decided to land there. This runway was 2,700 feet by 45 feet—not too big but the only choice. By habit, I put the landing gear and flaps down in preparation for landing. Not a good idea. The airplane began to drop like a rock as it always does in this configuration. I pulled up the gear and flaps until just before landing. Flaps are manual and gear comes down in two-seconds, slamming to a stop. Once the airplane stopped, here comes a farmer with a tractor who gladly offered to tow us to a beat-up hangar area where we left the airplane tied down.

The problem this time was a damaged piston, likely a broken valve. Two weeks later I went back to Luling with a mechanic and replacement piston/cylinder. He worked into the night in a light rain to change out the defective parts.

While we were doing the repair in Luling, an arsonist somehow gained access to the hangars adjacent to mine at my home base airport. The arsonist opened the wing fuel drains on several airplanes in those hangers and started a fire that destroyed them. Many other airplanes and hangars suffered severe damage from smoke. Fortunately, there was hangar space available in a different section so I was able to return the Focke-Wulf back to my home base and use the alternate space until the hangar repairs were completed about nine months later. The arsonist was never caught.

A bizarre twist of fate spared my Focke Wulf from the arsonist; nevertheless, by the following spring, I decided to sell the airplane. There were too many close calls in the air and too many maintenance problems. I had my day in the sun, but I decided it was not the kind of flying I wanted to do long term. Time to move on. I sold the airplane with full disclosure of its history as I knew it and as represented in the logs. The new owner experienced the same engine piston problem a few years later and replaced all cylinders.

I had always wanted a warbird, and I got an airplane that was exciting to fly. In fact, more exciting than I ever anticipated. I’m still flying without fear but ever so cautious. Live your dreams but also, be careful what you wish for—you just might get it.

Robert Nielsen is a pilot and owner of an Aviat Husky A–1C.