Pietenpol-List: High Regards
Posted: Wed Aug 11, 1999 12:06 pm
Original Posted By: "Lassetter, Russell B (Russell)"
Group- To all those who spent their vacation time, money, sweat, and sometimes blood on making this year's 70th Anniversarygathering so good, we as a group hold you all in high regard.I personally was totally impressed with Jim Kinsella's last-minutePUSH to get his Piet inspected, test flown, and up to the great stateof Wisconsin. Jim had a pretty special passenger with him- his son !Steve Eldredge, Duane Woolsey, Ted Brousseau, and Capt. Buck (aka Randy Bruce)all flew major, major, cross country flights to join the group. Mitchel Burns from Brookfield, MO made a wonderful effort to join the grouponly to have his heart and landing gear broken after a minor landingproblem at Oshkosh upon arrival- yet talking with him a day later he spokewith gentle words about how he just was not quick enough on the controls....and that he'd be trailering his Piet for repairs back home. What an effort andwhat class this Mitchel Burns showed all of us. A pair of Pietenpols showed up at my local airport from Albion NY onthe 25thof July owned and built by a son-in-law, father-in-law team Mike Troy andFrenchy.(I still don't know Frenchy's last name !) Two really sweet Piets bothwith Model A'sand wire wheels. We all took off together Monday morning in a three flightformation.I flew about 20 min. with them before waving my wings and getting a wavefrom themboth and pulling slowly ahead. A while later they had the engine quit onMike's A'with his son John in the front seat. Mike did a good job putting the Pietdown butjust couldn't quite stretch his glide to a clear wheat field. Frenchy putdown his Piet in the wheat and all were ok. After several days of FAA paperwork andgetting a U-haul, they were back home in NY where they got in the car andgreetedus on the flightline a few days later. These guys went above and beyond totry to joinus at Osh/Brodhead and were dashed by a stroke of fate that none of uswould wishon the other, yet they are ready to fix her up and keep flying. Our hatsare offto these guys who although were not on the flight line with Piets thisyear, they werethere with class. ________________________________________________________________________________
Group- To all those who spent their vacation time, money, sweat, and sometimes blood on making this year's 70th Anniversarygathering so good, we as a group hold you all in high regard.I personally was totally impressed with Jim Kinsella's last-minutePUSH to get his Piet inspected, test flown, and up to the great stateof Wisconsin. Jim had a pretty special passenger with him- his son !Steve Eldredge, Duane Woolsey, Ted Brousseau, and Capt. Buck (aka Randy Bruce)all flew major, major, cross country flights to join the group. Mitchel Burns from Brookfield, MO made a wonderful effort to join the grouponly to have his heart and landing gear broken after a minor landingproblem at Oshkosh upon arrival- yet talking with him a day later he spokewith gentle words about how he just was not quick enough on the controls....and that he'd be trailering his Piet for repairs back home. What an effort andwhat class this Mitchel Burns showed all of us. A pair of Pietenpols showed up at my local airport from Albion NY onthe 25thof July owned and built by a son-in-law, father-in-law team Mike Troy andFrenchy.(I still don't know Frenchy's last name !) Two really sweet Piets bothwith Model A'sand wire wheels. We all took off together Monday morning in a three flightformation.I flew about 20 min. with them before waving my wings and getting a wavefrom themboth and pulling slowly ahead. A while later they had the engine quit onMike's A'with his son John in the front seat. Mike did a good job putting the Pietdown butjust couldn't quite stretch his glide to a clear wheat field. Frenchy putdown his Piet in the wheat and all were ok. After several days of FAA paperwork andgetting a U-haul, they were back home in NY where they got in the car andgreetedus on the flightline a few days later. These guys went above and beyond totry to joinus at Osh/Brodhead and were dashed by a stroke of fate that none of uswould wishon the other, yet they are ready to fix her up and keep flying. Our hatsare offto these guys who although were not on the flight line with Piets thisyear, they werethere with class. ________________________________________________________________________________