Son-in-law Loren has a friend who has a terrific airplane collection. Mr. Pemberton has a few hangers at Felts Field in Spokane. He’s offered to give Loren a tour, and Loren politely delayed until his parents and I could join him. Pemberton Sr. couldn’t make it that evening, but his son Jay would give us the tour. It was fantastic! He just arrived at our meeting time in the evening – landing in this gorgeous WWII era trainer aircraft.
The first hangar we visited has several fascinating aircraft inside… Jay told us so much about each plane, and its historical significance, and the personal story of each one, and how they purchased each one in disrepair and completely restored them… you get it. There is no way I could hope to remember all the info, and if I tried I’d get it all mixed up… So just enjoy the gorgeous planes.
Ok, a little comment here… People see this picture and assume it’s Photoshopped. It isn’t! They had three photo planes ready, in position, because Boeing would make only one pass with the new 787. This picture shows the oldest flying Boeing and the newest… captured in real life juxtaposition. (Sorry about the glare on the glass)
Jay, Stanley, Loren and Susan in the second hanger:
This Stearman was used to fly airmail back in the ’30’s. The Pembertons flew this plane on one of its legendary routes, but flying in daylight and without the rain and snow that was often endured in the ’30’s.
The star of this hanger is the fabulous “Grumman Goose.” Grumman built the Goose in 1936, at the request of a number of wealthy Long Island residents – to fly them to New York City. At home landing on land or water, it is very versatile. It was used extensively in WWII, and many still fly all over the world.
One of the coolest things about this collection is that all these planes fly… regularly! Jay said it is a rare week when the Goose doesn’t get out at least twice! He said it’s a family favorite – like an SUV that can take everyone and their gear to a picnic on a secluded lake shore. I saw a picture of this awesome plane nosed up on a beach full of happy family members. So cool!
Inside the Goose is an interesting split cockpit, with a passageway into the empty nose area. I think there is a hatch in the top of that area they can use when docking.
Here are a few pictures Jay shared with us of the planes in flight.
Another amphibious plane having fun!
Here 419, from the first hanger, flies inverted!
Here is the Goose taking off from Felts Field.
OK, that’s the easy part to write about. Now for the Up in the Air part…
About two and half years ago, Cherryl started showing symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease. We were just headed for Alaska, and couldn’t really get a comprehensive medical exam while on the road. Later that year she had the diagnosis confirmed. Parkinson’s is known for tremors, but it involves much more than that. Symptoms can vary markedly in different people, so no one person’s case may look like another’s.
Cherryl has been responding pretty well to medication, but it has been getting more and more obvious that we need to throw out the anchor on our nomadic lifestyle. I will candidly admit that was a very hard decision for us to make!!
Having come to that inevitable conclusion, we then had to decide where to drop that anchor… And after tremendous intense deliberation, have decided we will land in [Drumrolll please…] – Lincoln, Nebraska. Kids, grandkids, lots of other family, a great church, several friends, and somewhat close to Denver, our old home. Spokane came in very close, with more kids and grandkids, and some great friends. How are you supposed to choose? Not easy. But we decided to move to Lincoln.
We looked online for homes, spending a lot of time even deciding what we wanted in a home (Besides wheels.) We finally chose one, had Becky and Kevin and grandkids check it out for us, and we put in an offer. It was accepted within two hours! So we are aiming for a home in Lincoln.
Now for the next piece of a complicated puzzle. We had decided that we would sell our precious motorhome, as it would be too big for occasional use if we weren’t living in it full time. But we needed a couple of touch up mechanicals done before we’d drive to Lincoln (from Spokane.)
The day after our offer on a home was accepted, we took the motorhome to the Cummins shop in Spokane. I expected a two hour visit (Cummins built the engine.) It turned out there was a MAJOR engine problem, and parts availability might make it spend several weeks in the shop! Sigh. So we took everything we thought we’d need for a couple of months, and crammed it in the Suburban, and headed for Lincoln.
One thing we hadn’t had time to do in all the confusion about our departure, was get the oil changed in the Suburban. So on our first day on the road, we stopped in Missoula, Montana, and ate lunch on a picnic table outside the shop that changed our oil!
That evening we got to visit with Cherryl’s uncle, Dan, and his wife Gina. We haven’t seen them in years! (Decades?) We had a great visit with them! We will definitely stop in again as we go back and forth along that road (I’m sure that route will become very familiar!)
So after what seemed an age of driving, we arrived in Lincoln, and drove straight to a storage unit we’d reserved. Here we are with our bug bespattered Suburban, packed to the gills with stuff.
We brought camp chairs, because coming from a motorhome, we have absolutely no other furniture! Below is one Suburban-load of junk in the little storage room.
Hopefully next week I can say we’re in a home. Even if it’s one without wheels. Stay tuned!