One Of Only Three Flying Examples Of The Airplane To Be At AirVenture

A pristine example of one of the first transport and cargo planes, the Fairchild 71, will make its first visit to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2014. Gary Coonan, EAA 665101, of Bell Buckle, Tennessee, will bring his restored 1927 Fairchild 71 NC9727 with pilot David Williams at the controls when it lands at Wittman Regional Airport for the 62nd annual fly-in.

Coonan said he stumbled on the lumbering airplane kind of by accident while visiting John Cournoyer at the Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum, Creve Coeur, Missouri - where he had acquired his 1933 Waco UBF. “Something attracted me to the Wicker seats,” he said. “I imagined people jumping in there and just flying somewhere. Today we can’t even leave the house without making sure our phone is charged.” It’s thought to be one of three remaining 71s in the world.

After Coonan bought it in 2013, Williams wistfully recalled the picture perfect flight from Missouri to Tullahoma, where the plane is hangared. “It was a smooth, clear day and we flew along the Mississippi River until we got to the Ohio, then took a left,” he said.

Coonan and Williams came to the conclusion that the airplane needs to fly, so it was decided to take it to the Sun ’n Fun International Fly-In and Expo in Lakeland, Florida, this year. It proved to be a popular attraction beyond everyone’s expectations, Williams said. “I didn’t really get to see the show because I was by the airplane all the time answering questions about it,” he said.

“We had a wonderful time, flying in the showcase several days. We were soon invited to every air show in the country, but you can’t turn down Oshkosh,” Williams added. “We’re really looking forward to bringing the aircraft up and showing it to all the people in Oshkosh.” Look for it parked prominently in front of the Vintage Hangar just south of the EAA Ramp at Oshkosh.

Added Coonan, “I was actually amazed at the interest in the airplane. It’s great that people got to see it and people thanked me profusely for bringing it.”

The tube-and-fabric aircraft is powered by a nearly new Pratt & Whitney 600 hp R1340 Wasp engine. It measures 36 feet long and has a 50-foot wingspan.

“People ask how it flies, and I say it flies like a big Cub,” explained Williams, who has been a tailwheel instructor for 25 years. “Any tailwheel has the same tendency – just keep it straight, don’t get too slow, and don’t run out of fuel. The bigger the tail wheel, the better it flies. It is a joy to fly, but it is work.”

Williams is a professional pilot flying the Beech Jet for Flight Options. “I fly that for work,” he said. “I fly these kinds of planes for fun. With this kind of airplane, you come to realize it’s a work of art. It needs to be seen to be appreciated.”

The airplane was purchased originally by Pan Am, flying from Florida to Cuba as well as Texas and New Mexico for five years. It was restored to its original Pan Am paint scheme. The plane worked its way into South America flying for local and Mexican airlines for nearly two decades, then it returned to the states in the 1950s and 1960s where it was used as an aerial mapper and pipeline control and later as a jump platform for parachuting.

It was acquired by the Antique Airplane Association’s Air Power Museum (APM) in Blakesburg, Iowa, and was on static display for a number of years before being acquired by the Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum for full restoration.

“John did a great job getting the aircraft back to original condition,” said Williams, adding, “It originally seated eight passengers; it now seats six because we’re all bigger now.”

During its time at APM it was featured in a TV commercial for Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats cereal, filmed at the 1975 AAA/APM Fly-in.

(Photo by Jim Koepnick/koepnickphotography.com)

FMI: www.airventure.org