Marian Said:

Dear David,

You think you have access to aerial pictures of places I've been?

  • Well, in June, try starting at Apex Airport, west of Seattle, Wa.
  • Then, fly down the coast to Long Beach, CA, watching whales headed north.
  • Turn left and fly to north Florida, criscrossing the Texas/Mexico border often enough to make Michael nervous.
  • Stop for gas in Pecos, TX, and use the FBO owners pickup to go 2 miles down the road for the best breakfast of the trip.
  • Turn left again and fly to Waycross, GA, and stop for the 1985 Enecks Family Reunion. Take assorted relatives for a ride after the reunion.
  • A stop in Lexington, KY. That was one of the biggest ego trips of my life. We landed, got transportation to a fairly prestigeous hotel and spent the night. In the morning, I asked the concierge for transportation back to the airport. She asked what time our flight was leaving and was surprised when I said "Whenever I decide to take off!". Take off and fly north to Lansing, MI. Spend several days visiting kids and taking them for rides in Mama's airplane.
  • Take off and fly west to Seattle, WA. Be awestruck at the sight of a giant missile sitting above its silo on the horizon somewhere in the Dakotas.
  • Run out gas in the Rockies because of a broken fuel pump, make an emergency landing at an abandoned grass field and have a stranger help transfer enough gas into tanks to make it to a repair shop in Montana.
  • Fly across Puget Sound and land at Apex Airport. Park airplane, unpack, stop at photo store on the way home and arrange for a dozen or so rolls of film to be developed.
  • Spend the next twenty years remembering trip and boring friends and relatives with tales of "How I Flew Around The Country".

Thanks for the memories! Marian

 

And David Said:

OK, Fasten your seat belt! Here we go!

Well, in June, try starting at Apex Airport, west of Seattle, WA:

 

Then, fly down the coast to Long Beach, CA, watching whales headed north.

 

Turn left and fly to north Florida, criscrossing the Texas/Mexico border often enough to make Michael nervous.

 

Stop for gas in Pecos, TX, and use the FBO owners pickup to go 2 miles down the road for the best breakfast of the trip.

 

Turn left again and fly to Waycross, GA, and stop for the 1985 Enecks Family Reunion. Take assorted relatives for a ride after the reunion.

 

A stop in Lexington, KY.

That was one of the biggest ego trips of my life. We landed, got transportation to a fairly prestigeous hotel and spent the night. In the morning, I asked the concierge for transportation back to the airport. She asked what time our flight was leaving and was surprised when I said "Whenever I decide to take off!".

 

Take off and fly north to Lansing, MI. Spend several days visiting kids and taking them for rides in Mama's airplane.


 

Take off and fly west to Seattle, WA. Be awestruck at the sight of a giant missile sitting above its silo on the horizon somewhere in the Dakotas.


  missile silo somewhere in the Dakotas

Run out gas in the Rockies because of a broken fuel pump, make an emergency landing at an abandoned grass field and have a stranger help transfer enough gas into tanks to make it to a repair shop in Montana.

No Airplanes Were Harmed In The Making Of This Photo

(This is not Marian's plane!)

 

Fly across Puget Sound and land at Apex Airport. Park airplane, unpack, stop at photo store on the way home and arrange for a dozen or so rolls of film to be developed.

 

The Whole Trip!

 

Spend the next twenty years remembering trip and boring friends and relatives with tales of "How I Flew Around The Country".

Here's the full story. Movie (rather large at 145 MB)

 

Hope you enjoyed the trip! Now, here's the plane:

Marian Said:

The plane is a 1946 Ercoupe, N99997, serial no. 2620. It seats two (side-by-side), has an 85hp Continental engine, burns 5 gallons of car gas (with a special certificate from the FAA) per hour at 85 mph.  I bought it in 1983 and sold it in 1998. There's a picture of it (and me) in the Enecks scrapbook because there was a writeup in the Seattle paper after the trip. There's a big group of 'Coupe owners still out there because the little planes just keep on flying. I sold mine to a couple of pilots in St. Marys, GA. I have no idea if they're flying it or not. I have fond memories but don't want to (or can't?) go back. I just keep talking about it. You know... like old football heroes or beauty queens

 

Marian's Plane today. Currently owned by:
Richard Blair St. Marys, Ga (4J6)

(Ed. May not still be the owner)

Another Ercoupe that looks just like Marian's except for the racing stripe down the side!

 

This is what Marian looked at for days on end. Is that really a gear shift in the middle of the panel?

The current owner, Richard Blair, says:

I purchased N99997 last week and it has been the resident of a hanger for the past 8 years. A local AI used it to conduct classes for mechanics and never really finished anything. Everything he touched is half done. I am starting a restoration that will take about a year depending on money, time and the weather. Removed the wings and trucked it from Folkston, Ga to St. Marys, Ga where it will reside. If you fly into 4J6, it is in the building at the very end of runway 22. Give me a call at 882-3438 if you do and I'd enjoy meeting with you at the FBO and visiting.  

Want to know more about these wonderful aircraft?

Ercoupe Owners Club: http://www.ercoupe.org/

 

 

-- end --