Currently Owned by: James C. Kellett

STATUS: In Service

LOCATION: Skyline Soaring Club, Front Royal Airport (FRR), Front Royal, VA

(Click on the image for a photo
by Hiroshi Seo taken at IVSM 2000)

According to the ship’s logbook, No. 67 was manufactured on July 4, 1969, and a US Standard Certificate of Airworthiness was issued on September 29, 1969.

The ship’s first owner was Willmar Sick of Baltimore, MD, and flying with the Mid-Atlantic Soaring Association (M-ASA). Although the paper trail of ownership is not perfectly clear, it appears that Willmar flew it until 1977, as his signature appears in the ship’s log up until June 26, 1977.

Willmar apparently had a serious accident in the first few months of the ship’s life. A form 337, executed on October 16, 1970, describes extensive repairs to the left wing, minor repairs to the right wing, refinishing the fuselage bottom and gear doors, replacing the tail wheel, and repairs to the leading edge of the fin. The ship had 128 hours total time as of November 8, 1970. AD 70-02-10 was complied with on October 20, 1970, apparently while the major repairs were being done on the ship.

It wasn’t inspected again until April 1, 1972 at which time it had accumulated 172 hours; by May, 1973, it was up to 244 hours, and in May, 1974, 282 hours. In 1975, there is a logbook entry for installation of static ports for a Scheumann system, but no other documentation; when it was inspected in September, it had accumulated 307 hours. The next two years suggest infrequent use, since it was not inspected again until June of 1977, by which time it had 363 hours total.

It is known that the ship’s registration was changed on February 7, 1978 to the group Richard D. Horigan, Jr., Theodore W. Robinson, and Roger P. Andrs, at 9706 Wichita Ave., College Park MD 20740. It is reasonable to assume that the ship was still flying with M-ASA. Logbook records are a less clear in the period 1977-1987. By July, 1978, it had accumulated
390 hours, and in August, 1979, 428. There are no entries for airframe time until 1983, although time at annual inspections were, in 1989, 474 hours and in 1982, 488 hours.

A bill of sale executed July 23, 1983 transferred the ship from Richard Horigan to Thomas E. Head, 4931-X Thales Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27104, where the ship was flown at now-defunct Meadowlark Gliderport. The logbook notes that in October 1983, the battery was replaced and on November 19, 1983, a not otherwise documented replacement of the wheel was performed. By the end of the year 1983, 521 hours had accumulated. However, another hiatus of flying apparently ensued, because the next inspection, on April 3, 1985, showed total time to be only 532 hours; by May 1, 1986, 537 hours; by May 2, 1987, the date of sale to the current owner, 542 hours.

The current owner purchased the ship on May 2, 1987. It flew for a while at now-defunct Warrenton Soaring Center, and later was hangared at Scott Airpark, in Lovettsville before moving, in 1995, to New Market airport, home of Skyline Soaring Club.   It is now based at the Warren County-Front Royal Airport, current home of the Skyline Soaring Club.  Airframe time as of the end of 1995 was 832 hours.

In 1989, the ship was taken to Gehrlein’s shop in Erie, PA for a comprehensive annual inspection, and a defective repair was discovered in the vertical fin; apparently a section of crushed leading edge had been filled with auto "bondo" and gelcoated over. (This must have been the repair cited in the Form 337 from 1970!!) The area was subsequently cut back to "original" structure and rebuilt. Later, in 1990, it was discovered that drain holes in the wingtips had apparently been sealed up at the same time, which situation was corrected.. In September, 1990, the gear inexplicably collapsed on takeoff during DuPont Regatta in Waynesboro, VA; the cause of the collapse was never determined. The rudder damper was replaced in January, 1992.

The original Schreder trailer was extensively restored in 1988. In 1995, a custom designed dolly was built to permit removing the fuselage completely from the trailer unassisted; with a commercial wing-holder, it became possible to assemble/disassemble the ship unassisted.