Cap’n Randy Sohn is one of the most interesting people in aviation. He has been everywhere, flown everything and knows everybody in aviation. He retired as a captain with Northwestern, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
The story is that Cap’n Randy is licensed to check out anyone in any airplane, whether he has ever flown that model before. I don’t understand that, so don’t ask me for details.
Recently I talked with one Hugh Wheelless, Jr. who grew up as the son of Hugh Senior, a legendary man who owned and ran a very large aerial application (cropduster for the unwashed) operation in Dothan, AL. At one time they operated a fleet of B-17s which they used, oddly enough, to spread Mirex poison to kill fire ants in the south.
Hugh, Jr. mentioned to me that one of those B-17s was the currently-famous "Aluminum Overcast." I hadn’t known that and was greatly impressed. I sent a message to Cap’n Randy because I knew he had worked with Hugh Wheelless, Sr. at one time, and I wasn’t sure he knew about the Wheelless-Aluminum Overcast connection. I should have known better.Cap’n Randy sent back to me a detailed account of the entire history of the Aluminum Overcast, including everyone who ever owned the airplane before, during, and after the Wheelless ownership.You could have knocked me over with a feather. The things this man knows and on which he keeps records is absolutely astounding.If you would like to know how to get a copy of Cap’n Randy’s history of Aluminum Overcast, please leave your name and e-mail address in the comment section or write directly to me at [email protected].
Total change of subject…
A coupla weeks ago this BLOG was about entrepreneurial types working like all getout to solve the fuel crisis. Today cometh online the information that Volkswagen is going to sell—this year—a few two-place cars that should get maybe 200 mpg. I kid you not.
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