Video She's gone.

smiffy

smiffy

Zorg Guru (III)
British Zeds
Joined
Nov 1, 2015
Points
147
Location
Lowestoft
Model of Z
Z3 2.8 pre-facelift in Montreal Blue
Since joining zroadsters, my avatar has been the black biplane. The story behind the biplane is I met the owner when he was part way through restoring her, about 7 years ago.

At the time I was recovering from a car accident induced spinal injury and in the middle of what turned into a nightmare of a legal battle to gain compensation. Life was not fun and I was under the Doc for more than back pain. This suddenly became something positive for once!

After a year of promises to take me flying, but no progress on the rebuild, I offered to get involved both physically and financially with the rebuild. Less than a year later, she flew. Since then we've flown, polished and fettled and occasionally sworn at her. If you think zeds soak up time, stay away from vintage aircraft!

Sadly, my now very close friend and aviation mentor has needed to sell her after having been her caretaker for nearly 40 years. My flying skill set and financial circumstances precluded me from buying his much larger interest.

Today, she left our airfield headed south to her new home. My friend couldn't, maybe didn't want to, be there so I did the honours of starting her one last time, and seeing her off.

Blue Skies old girl.

 
Must have been painful to see her go but at least it’s going somewhere to cared for and kept in the air. If you’ve had lots of experience in that a small plane classed as a micro light might be a affordable alternative.

I have mate who’s a pilot back on my village and used to work with him on occasions doing air ambulance. It was great for me to get some supervised free stick time and learn some navigation. My mate has a few planes his latest one a Pitts.
 
It must of been difficult to watch her go :p
At least your still got your Z ;)
Take care :)

 
Sad to hear, when I was working, I used to fly the company PA28, just paying for fuel but since I retired they have gone into administration so no more flying. It is difficult to have to give up but now I concentrate on enjoying the Zed.
 
Very sad can understand your friend not wanting to be there especially after he was the one that initially found her and started her restoration, it must have been difficult for you also. It’s crazy how we get so attached to some things. Great story with a sad end for both of you.
 
That is a real shame after all the work and time lavished on it.
Where abouts in the south is she going? Not Goodwood Aerodrome????
 
smiffy said:
I did the honours of starting her one last time, and seeing her off.
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Quite a sad time, I can only imagine. End of an era, unless you find yourself able to replace it?

Tony.
 
It would tend to be normal for a pilot to fly a circuit of the airfield climbing to altitude before heading off, however time was getting short as we'd had trouble starting her, so the chap delivering her, took off, picked his heading and just climbed away more or less into the sun. We stood watching and listening for quite a few minutes as she disappeared into the distance.

I was sad to see her go, but, she brought me back into an activity that was all but a distant, forgotten memory, I'd been out of flying for decades before getting involved with this. Since, I've done the first bit of my licence and now fly another mates microlight. The hangar is reserved for the latest project already well underway! @Althulas and @t-tony there is your answer!! Within the next month or so a Kitfox will be occupying that hangar and my avatar will change to include it posing with the zed this time.

@Gremlin we do get oddly attached and it was a bit sad, but they do say "it is better to have loved and lost, than not loved at all". But this is not a complete loss as the new owner has also become a friend, through the process of the sale and hand over we've spent quite a bit of time "downloading" the technical oddities and we've now planned to meet up at a fly-in later in the year. The route to which actually involve overflying @t-tony 's!

As for the zed, well, the re-bush planned for this winter has been postponed until the new plane is flying! One chapter ends, another begins.
 
Nothing more true than a biplane, pure mechanical! The best way to understand flying! I love most this pioneering part of aviation!:thumbsup:
It's so great keeping them alive!:)
I would like to see, if you have and can share, some more pics and info of the biplane!
And good luck with the new project!:)
 
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smiffy said:
It would tend to be normal for a pilot to fly a circuit of the airfield climbing to altitude before heading off, however time was getting short as we'd had trouble starting her, so the chap delivering her, took off, picked his heading and just climbed away more or less into the sun. We stood watching and listening for quite a few minutes as she disappeared into the distance.

I was sad to see her go, but, she brought me back into an activity that was all but a distant, forgotten memory, I'd been out of flying for decades before getting involved with this. Since, I've done the first bit of my licence and now fly another mates microlight. The hangar is reserved for the latest project already well underway! @Althulas and @t-tony there is your answer!! Within the next month or so a Kitfox will be occupying that hangar and my avatar will change to include it posing with the zed this time.

@Gremlin we do get oddly attached and it was a bit sad, but they do say "it is better to have loved and lost, than not loved at all". But this is not a complete loss as the new owner has also become a friend, through the process of the sale and hand over we've spent quite a bit of time "downloading" the technical oddities and we've now planned to meet up at a fly-in later in the year. The route to which actually involve overflying @t-tony 's!

As for the zed, well, the re-bush planned for this winter has been postponed until the new plane is flying! One chapter ends, another begins.
Click to expand...

Hey mate, please let me know when you'll be overhead as I'd like to keep an eye out for you.

Tony.
 
@Zeti here are a couple more



@t-tony I'll post a screen grab of my route plan tomorrow when I'm near a PC and we can have a look and see how close I'll get.
 
Thanks mate, that would be cool.:thumbsup:

Tony.
 
Lovely aeroplane, my first instructor had (and still has ) a Jungmann which she displays in at airshows. Would love to have had a flight in it.
 
mwpe said:
Lovely aeroplane, my first instructor had (and still has ) a Jungmann which she displays in at airshows. Would love to have had a flight in it.
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just looked at your location and you are less than 20 miles away from her at the moment!

Was your instructor Jenny?
 
t-tony said:
Thanks mate, that would be cool.:thumbsup:

Tony.
Click to expand...

just realised you are west of Scampton, I don't know why but I thought you were further south east.

East route is my planned route, but west route only adds a few minutes flight time, subject to Cranfield, Waddington and Scampton being friendly on the day! Just have to see if the RAF will play ball!

torksey.webp
 
smiffy said:
just looked at your location and you are less than 20 miles away from her at the moment!

Was your instructor Jenny?
Click to expand...

No it was Anna Walker. Where is the Jungmann now, I will keep alook out for her.
 
My God, how it shines under the sun! It's a full reward for the time spent on it!
It has the same freedom in the wings like a 29 Triumph in the wheels!
Machines made in those times will keep always something more special than other and definitely more than modern ones...
I think if I'll jump again on the island, it will be great to catch beside a Zed meeting , a prewar plane meeting on an aerodrome somewhere...
Can you help me with some events where you can see that planes in the air?
 
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