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fuel truck-tail dragger


Kip Powick

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The story: The owner of the Cub was experiencing engine problems and landed in Whitehorse. He spent the next morning with the engineers trying sort things out, but, not being able to do so by lunch time, they went for something to eat. Now, being an experienced pilot, (over 20,000 hrs), he tied the wings to the embedded tie downs, but then, for some unknown reason, tied the tail to one of the fuel trucks.

The fueler, a short time later, went to answer a call and started to drive off when he heard what sounded like a really loud rrrriiip where upon he stopped and discovered the destroyed Cub with the fuselage essentially torn from the "secured" wings. Apparently the owner got very excited about the whole incident (naturally!!), but he started to calm down a bit when the RCMP asked if it was normal to tie a plane to a truck.

He still doesn't know why he did it. Last anyone heard it was crated and about to be shipped back down to California.

Hence the phrase: "YOU IDIOT!!!"

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I SWEAR TO GOD THIS IS TRUE ohmy.gif :

In Peace River in 1981 a Maule Rocket pulled into the fuel bay inside the Time Air 580 which was just finishing loading its passengers. The Maule pilot shut down, got out and fuelled over wing. He was finished just as the 580 shut its doors. I watched the following: the Maule pilot set the brake, fiddled in the cockpit then pulled the propellor through. Lo and Behold. The engine caught, started then accelerated to what must have been the full throttle setting, albeit "brakes set". Unfortunately, he was outside looking in. I watched the tail rise and the aircraft accelerate due to a now failed left brake. The Maule, which had been stopped parallel to the flight deck of the Convair departed the fuel pit in a very narrow right hand circuit on the ramp. On its second circuit, still on the tarmac, its increasingly widening radius was about to encompass the belly of the 580. For some God-Given Reason as it came through about 330 degrees of the turn that was to project it into the baggage hold of the Convair, centrifugal force (centripetal??) took over and the Maule tipped and stood on its nose. Engine stopped, forward movement stopped, Convair crew wet in their seats (as told later at Traveller's).

This stuff really happens. Thank goodness for evolution... and its well deserved Awards at you-know-where.com dry.gif

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Must have been a Convair 640 at that time (probably C-FPWS); 580's didn't show until several years later. It used to do the run out YXD to Peace River, High Level and Rainbow Lake.

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Must have been a Convair 640 at that time (probably C-FPWS); 580's didn't show until several years later. It used to do the run out YXD to Peace River, High Level and Rainbow Lake.

You must be absolutely correct! Thanks...never having flown them, I always get the models mixed up blink.gif

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You must be absolutely correct! Thanks...never having flown them, I always get the models mixed up blink.gif

That's OK; I flew the 340, 440, 640 and 580 and sometimes managed to mix them up! Even when flying!! biggrin.gif Actually I was flying the 440 when THAT incident happened.

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