AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2012 - 15

HANGAR TALK

Flying the Tornado Husky over Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks in the summer of 2011 was just the beginning of a series of aerial adventures for the then-recently refurbished backcountry airplane. “The Tornado Husky had just reemerged from its post-Sun ’n Fun repairs at the Aviat Aircraft factory in Afton, Wyoming, and everything about the airplane was absolutely perfect,” says Senior Editor DAVE HIRSCHMAN. “This was its first foray into the high elevations and remote areas in which it was meant to excel. Seeing some of North America’s most wondrous and majestic natural areas from the air was beyond description.” (“EPIC FLIGHT: NATURAL WONDER,” PAGE 50.) The Tornado Husky will travel to AOPA Summit in Palm Springs, California, October 11 to 13, where it will be awarded to the winner of the AOPA 2012 Sweepstakes. But don’t feel sorry for Hirschman when he gives up the keys to this magnificent airplane. “This year has been so amazing,” he says, “I feel like I already won.” As a relatively new aircraft owner, Technical Editor JILL W. TALLMAN was intrigued at the notion of touring an aircraft salvage facility near Dallas, (“PARTS OF THE PUZZLE,” PAGE 66). And indeed, entering the main hangar at Air Salvage of Dallas and spying the racks

and racks of spinners, wheel pants, and other parts, Tallman admits to feeling a bit like a kid in a candy store. “But as soon as I saw the rudder from Ricky Nelson’s DC–3 hanging on the wall, I knew the article was going to take an entirely different direction,” she says. “This is a place with hundreds of stories— we had room to share just a handful.” Maule Air—in the words of its owners—just keeps on trucking despite the economy. With fewer than 10 deliveries last year, Maule survived by supporting the fleet of nearly 2,000 aircraft worldwide. The little southern town of Moultrie, Georgia, is known in South America, Russia, and even Mongolia for its rugged bush airplanes. For many years Maule wanted to increase the gross weight of its M–7-235 by 300 pounds, and it finally happened in time for the company’s fiftieth anniversary. Senior Editor AL MARSH writes on the unique family atmosphere at Maule Air (“THE GOLDEN MAULE,” PAGE 58).

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AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2012