N4142M Time Capsule by Drew Middleton, June 19, 2008
To Whom It May Concern:
My name is Drew Middleton. As I write this I am 42 years old. I have been a licensed pilot since I was 17 years old. I am currently a Pilot and Captain for United Parcel Service Airlines. While I fly jets for a living, I consider myself first and foremost a general aviation private pilot. I am writing this letter because I want who ever finds it to understand a little history about this airplane. I hope the reason you are reading this note is because you are restoring this wonderful old airplane. I also hope that when you are reading this it has been a long time since I wrote this story. It would be great if it has been another thirty years. What you will read here is a brief history of this airplane compiled from my personal records and first-hand knowledge. For the early years, when I was not born yet, I have relied on the aircraft log books and 337 forms. I have also included photos of what the airplane used to look like.
My intent is to give the next owner an overall picture of where the plane has been and who the previous owners were. Hopefully you will enjoy this information.
To the best of my knowledge my wife Cathy and I are the sixth owners of the airplane. Super Cruiser 4142M, serial number 12-3041 was originally built in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania on March 25, 1947. It was originally purchased by the Utica Flying School of Utica, New York. From the logbooks it appears they took delivery of the airplane shortly after it was built. It also appears that the airplane was used as a primary trainer. It also appears from the logbooks that for the first five or six years of its life, the airplane was beat up pretty good. There are numerous repairs annotated in the logbook. Most of the repairs seem to be indicative of an airplane that was ground-looped quite a bit. During our restoration we discovered damage near the tail indicative of incidents that bent the frame. The repairs looked good and have obviously withstood many years. The logs show that the flight school flew the airplane on skis, floats, and tires.
The airplane appears to have spent the first fifteen or so years of its life in the New England area.
The next 15 or so years were spent in Richmond, Virginia. I came to this conclusion by looking at all the 337 forms. It was there that the airplane received numerous modifications. Primarily the airplane's panel was outfitted for IFR flight. Venturi-tubes were added to drive the flight instruments. We decided during our restoration to leave the venturi-tubes. The Gentleman who owned the airplane during that time was an FAA GADO inspector. That was when the FSDO (Flight Standards District Office) was called the GADO (General Aviation District Office). This same gentleman was also an A&P (airframe and power plant) mechanic and an I/A (Inspection Authorization). He maintained the airplane himself during all those years. When he died his wife sold the airplane to a man named Frank Blow. I do not know how much Frank paid for the airplane.
Frank Blow lived in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Frank was an airline captain who flew for American Airlines. My records indicate that sometime around 1982 is when Frank bought the airplane. He flew the airplane from Richmond to Fredericksburg, Virginia. Fredericksburg is where the airplane spent its next sixteen years. It was in Fredericksburg that I first became acquainted with 4142M. I was a line boy at Shannon airport. Shannon airport is also where I learned to fly. I remember vividly seeing Frank fly the airplane on the weekends. I was pumping gas, and he was flying the Super cruiser.
I remember one occasion where I was sitting on one of the gas pumps as Frank taxied the Super Cruiser to take off. I was probably sixteen years old. At first I did not know what kind of airplane it was. It looked like a Super Cub, but was a bit too wide. I am not sure when I discovered its true identity but do remember liking it from the start. The fact that it had a third seat was very appealing. It seemed like a much more useful airplane than the average Cub. I decided early on that someday I would own a Super Cruiser.
Frank Blow kept the airplane until about 1996. He sold it to a gentleman named Jeff Dorrow for $16,000. Jeff was the director of National Airport in Washington, D.C. From what I know Jeff bought the airplane primarily to fly to Anchorage, Alaska. He had always wanted to do it and the Super Cruiser was perfectly suited for such a journey. He told me it took 44 hours one way. He also told me that once he was up there he had numerous people make him offers to buy the airplane. I have been to Anchorage and Jeff is correct. They love PA-12s up there. It is so much more useful than a Super Cub. The third seat allows for all sorts of extra cargo.
In the spring of 1998 I decided it was time to buy an airplane. I began looking for a Super Cruiser. I called Jeff Dorrow, who at the time owned 4142M. I wanted to ask him some questions regarding the airplane. I had never actually flown a Super Cruiser and wondered if it were possible to look at his. I wanted my wife to see the type of airplane I wanted to buy. Jeff informed me that his airplane was not for sale but that my wife and I were welcome to come see it. As it turned out Cathy and I were going to be in Fredericksburg to be married on August 14, 1998. We drove out to the airport the day after we got married to see the airplane. The plane was a bit rough as it had been sitting in a ratty old hanger for some time. It had also not flown in a long time. After looking at the airplane for a while Jeff asked me if I would like to fly the airplane. It was very unexpected, but needless to say I did not pass on the opportunity.
The fact that a perfect stranger let me fly their airplane the first time we met must sound strange. The truth is an old friend of mine who taught me to fly tail draggers happened to show up at the hanger during our visit. He also was the mechanic who had been caring for the airplane. He quickly saw what was going on and very subtlety suggested to Jeff that I might want to take the airplane around the patch. He also offered to go around the patch with me once to make sure I was comfortable. It only took two times around the field and he knew I was okay to fly her. His name was Ray Wizeman. My wife and I flew the airplane for an hour. It was great to finally fly the airplane that I had loved for so many years. It was also good for my wife to see and fly a Super Cruiser.
After flying the airplane we thanked Jeff and drove home to Louisville, Kentucky. When I got home I wrote Jeff a letter. In the letter I thanked him for giving me the ability to show my wife what the airplane was all about. I also mentioned in the letter that if he was ever interested in selling the airplane I would buy it. He called a week later and said he wanted to sell the airplane. We paid Jeff $20,000. I have always thought that my thank you letter was the reason we got the airplane. So we got to buy the airplane that I had always wanted. We bought the airplane in September of 1998.
Obviously this story is easier to write from this point on because I have all first-hand knowledge.
By the time we bought the airplane it had been many years since it had been fully restored. According to the log books it was partially restored many times. The wings had been recovered many times. The fuselage had also been recovered a few times. The panel had been changed many times and in general the airplane had been cared for, but never truly restored.
About three years after we bought the airplane we flew it to Lock Haven, Pennsylvania for the Sentimental Journey Fly In. We landed on a grass runway right in front of the Piper factory. (where the airplane had been built) To my knowledge it had been about 55 years since the airplane had been home. Needless to say the whole experience felt very sentimental. Imagine that….
At the fly in we met Peter and Jeanie Reed. They had flown there in a beautiful Stearman. They also owned a J-5 Cub Cruiser. They owned an aircraft restoration business in Goshen, Ohio. Our airplane was tied down beside theirs. We struck up a conversation and spent the next three days getting to know them. Peter had brought with him a picture book filled with examples of his work. It was clear from the photos that Peter Reed was a master at airplane restorations. On the flight home I commented to my wife that if we could ever afford to restore the airplane, Peter Reed was the man for the job.
On a cold overcast day in late October 2007, I flew the airplane to Goshen, Ohio for a complete restoration. The airplane was sixty years old. Peter Reed told me the restoration would take a year.
As I write this, the airplane is going back together. I have to complete this letter before Peter is done because I want it to be sealed in the wing. The restoration process thus far has been an enjoyable experience. Every piece of the airplane has been reconditioned. We have spared no expense.
It was my intent that the airplane be recovered and painted in the original paint scheme. As you will see the paint scheme is exactly correct, however I chose Portland green instead of Tennessee red. What can I say, I like green better.
I hope this package of photos and note gives you some idea as to where this wonderful airplane has been. I hope you enjoy her as much as I have.