I guess I enjoy planes too much...I think what is interesting to me about Ercoupes and flying history is also interesting to others on the list. Sorry, I'm new at this.
I loved experimental stuff and always "listened" to my idols and their stories for hours. I met Kelly Johnson, the Gross Bros., numerous phone calls with Ben Rich before he died with cancer, (Kelly's replacement). Otto Bohlman from Peenemunde and I flew in my Ercoupe. Later, he and his wife, Betty, and my girl flew many times in my Bonanza to dinner. He led the design group on the V1 Buzz-bomb and later led the design team for the unique tail assembly for the L-1011. I met Darryl Greenamayer through his F104 deeds and later he was nice enough to let me be a gopher for him at Reno (clean up this and that, go get the food and drinks, etc.) Oh, that huge Connie prop!. My cousin introduced me to Mira Slovak and I "crewed" (gophered) for him too with his F8....I was in heaven. I remember my lunch with Mira in Santa Paula...wonderful stories following his accident. And talking with Duane Cole.......I went in my coupe to the Reno races faithfully. I called it my P-51 and my cousin and I looped it several times over Lake Elsinore like we did his clipped wing T-Craft and Kinner powered Ryan. In my later years, I became partners with Jack Ryan (father of the Hawk and Sparrow missiles) and listened to his wonderful stories. He shot himself after his stroke. Fellows named Bob Yates, Ole Fahlin, Gene Trennile, Nick Milakovich (ran Lockheed's B-17 line, P3 line and others) I sat in their garages, learning how to make wooden props, etc.,.....they told me what they knew about how Lockheed leased some Ercoupes. I got to work with 4 astronauts during Gemini at Lockheed. I took teasing well when the checker looked at some of my tool designs when I first became a tool designer. "This is for a Polaris not a damned Ercoupe!!" I love the fun things people talk about and their interests and non-Ercoupe lives too. When I had that unforgettable afternoon/evening with Fred, at his house, "he" talked about Piper, Aerostar, American Cement, politics, mean spirited people in his past, his wife and kids, people trying to rip him off, his books, the Wright Bros., and on and on. I'm sure nobody on the coupers mailng list would have told him to keep his topics "Ercoupe Only!" He thought my antique race boats and outboard motor collection was interesting also my race cars and 6 flatheads, my 5 old motorycles and when I played trumpet in the Palm Beach symphony for 3 seasons with my Dad. I showed him the pictures where I salvaged a Boeing 727 from St. Thomas where I had a home for 14 years. Plus he flipped that I owned a large personal 2 man submarine (18 ft. side by side) and looked at my pictures with great interest. I met coupers when I was Purchasing Manager for Sikorsky and later for Hughes with 5 departments and 68 buyers. Then I lived over-seas, semi-retired and took care of my folks. Now, I play at being a lobbyist for the US Congress, Member of the American League of Lobbyist and was invited by the government to the Collier event at Andrews (C-17).... So, I threw all of this out there to the coupers because I miss all the old times and wanted to meet others in the industry/hobby of flying like a chat room, ......even though I'm only 56....still single..no family,.... I have bad belly full of cancer (spreading) so I guess you re-live the fun times at other's expense....sorta like my verbal "home movies"!! Sorry, again. After this long posting, I'll just listen or sign off. All the best to you coupers, John
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