Sold the Cub

I sold the Cub yesterday to a friend named Ernie and his boys who live up by Fire Lake.
I spent the last two days flying my butt off with his boys and they are now both signed off for solo SES and their check-rides.
They just left here a few hours ago heading back up to their place.
Hopefully we will manage to schedule a couple check rides in the near future.

It was VERY sad for me to hand-prop the old Cub one last time, before she flew north.......I was getting choked up..
She saved my butt more than a few times over the years, So I think she will serve Ernie's boys as a steady mount as they gain flying experience over the next few years...

I will NEVER sell my Cub.

Never say never!

I hope you have another airplane coming, a new toy always eases the loss but I understand the pain. Sell a car, good riddance, sell a plane and part of you leaves with it. At least its to a friend!

Alex,
I recently sold my first float plane also. Not a Cub put a highly modified Champ. Pretty gut wrenching to see it leave its nest. Nearly had tears in my eyes, sure had a heck of a lump in my throat. Had it seven years and those years consist of lots of memories filled with my son and I hopping from lake to lake in the local area.
Hope your new ride brings as many memories as the Cub did.

This Cub was my 6th plane, but it was certainly the plane that I had the most fun and adventures with...
But with various injuries and age I need something with a starter and a little more room.

Alex---I was just going to ask if you are going to quit instructing---but read on---and I guess you are going to get another plane. Keep fight'n the battle----can't quit now----.

look at the history of some of the older planes , were they started off and end up.Most of are out lasting a pilots career, so it is said you are only it's care taker for a part of it's history. sad to see them go but neat to see were they will end up as the years go by.,

Isn't it interesting, the bond of a human with a mechanical device. Those of us that spend hours of enjoyment with a particular mechanical item, i.e. an airplane either thru the joy of flight or by time spent rebuilding or building tend to allow these devices to take on a human quality known as anthropomorphism or personification. Alex, I do not know you but I do feel your pain. I have been there. I have had my Cub for about 15 years and have recently spent the last 9 months rebuilding her. It would hurt significantly to have to sell her. Too many memories. My deceased mother flew in it. My children and dozens of other children have taken their first airplane ride in it. My 91 year old naval aviator father has given me flight advise in it. I am currently teaching my 7 year old God son to fly in it. Many, many fond memories. I hope that you find another aircraft that will meet your need and provide a platform for new adventures. Sometimes the chase is more fun that the catch.

Charlie Aileron said:

Never say never!

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One man's loss is another's great gain.

A few years ago I was allowed to buy the Cub from a very nice retired United Captain. It was based at Thun Field, KPLU near Seattle. We spent several hours on the phone working the transcontinental deal but i thought it was a bit odd that he seemed to be interviewing me. None of the other planes I had bought took more than agreeing on a price.

I made the trip from the east coast and flew a CFI friend out to ride back with. My whopping 4.2 hours tail wheel time didn't impress the insurance company!

When I got to the airport we went up for a few bounces to get familiar with the plane. He didn't say much, pointed me towards a friends front yard and told me not to hit the power lines when I landed. Back to the airport we went. Called the bank, topped the tanks and as I was hitting the start button I saw the look on his face that I will never forget. It finally hit me this was NOT about an airplane. I had no clue about cubs and had been mostly an IFR type pilot until I went to get my tailwheel endorsement a month before, instead of a boring BFR. We landed in some grass and I was hooked!

I still send him updates on his plane every so often. We have a great time in it, but it's his plane. When we're out playing around in the fun places we fly out here I give more thought to not wrecking his plane than I do about not wrecking mine. Hopefully he's been able to get out again and get some stick time, but the look on is face was one that leads me to believe he certainly didn't expect to.

By the time 40 hours of flying had passed and his plane was in it's next home, I had a new appreciation for flying. A few months after that, one of the local guys saw it in the hangar, left his card said he had the same plane and pointed me in the direction of this crew. What a ride! I have sold a few planes and it was a transaction. If I sell this one it will be to get another Cub, and it will be bittersweet for sure.


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Well Alex, a new page in your book now. You have so many friends on this site alone another plane should not be to hard to find. Guess what I would do is just sit down and write down a list of what you want in a airplane. For instructing Kenmore Airport likes the 150 h.p cubs. makes the student work to get it off the water. They said the 180 h.p jumps off the water to fast. You can burn car gas with lower h.p as well. Probably a wide body cub for the extra room, also be kinda nice to have the left door. Let us know what you want, it would be fun to help you find one. Good luck Alex

Bill Ingerson said:

makes the student work to get it off the water.

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That is about the funniest I have heard in a long time. If you really want to work, go fly a luscomb, or a loaded 172.

No cub is hard to get out of the water...

Alex, I understand the decision. Not always easy, but good decisions often lead to better future.

When I teach in Super Cubs I make the float clients only go to 2200 rpm on take-off for the first 10 take-offs so they can learn to fly the wing and not the engine...



A 180 horse PA-14 on EDO 2000s is a good float plane ....