Mike Austin's Page

Hi Mike. I will be around in January.  Let me know when you get into town. 

-Liza

Hi Mike! I am checking in and wanted to let you know that my Porterfield is now safely moved into my hangar, as of last Monday, and will be starting on the restoration tomorrow.  It was a challenging process to get my plane moved off an island and then shipped, via truck container, to my hangar. How's it going with your Fly Baby build? You should come out and visit me when you get a chance. My hangar is in Illinois, just south of Chicago.

Hi Mike!  

I really like the pictures. Thanks for thinking of me and for sharing. Guess What?! I found a Porterfield project and will be picking it up towards the end of this month.  Woot Woot!  I am excited to get working on it.

-Liza

Hi Mike!

How's your flight training going? I just found out the project in LA was sold. I am sad; it was a really good deal too.

I am just checking in.

Take care,

-Liza

Hi Mike,

Happy Thanksgiving! I am still looking for that special Porterfield. Did you get your project going?  Do you have a hangar?  I would like to help you restore whenever you get your parts together.  I live in San Diego.

Maybe Brad Rankin, in Maryville, MO, could put together a drawing package for you, but I'm not sure what he'd have to charge for it.  He holds the type certificate.

Most of the drawings you'll need are out there, Mike.  Hopefully Brad Rankin, the type certificate holder, will make the rarer ones available in the near future.

Some parts are available.  Those that aren't can be readily fabricated from the drawings, by you or someone you hire, as owner-manufactured parts on a FAA Form 337.  LP Aeroplastics, of Jeanette, PA, has the mold for the windshield, but not an STC, so they can make one for you as an owner-manufactured part.

You may fit, Mike, as height and leg lengths are greater factors than width in the Collegiate. Your only concern should be if the stick will hit you in the tummy. There are other Collegiates out there for sale. They seem to sell in the high teens/low twenties, when in good condition and flying.  You could easily put that much into restoring a project, but then you'd miss out on the experience of restoring one of these old girls.  Pat Cole, who has a motorcycle shop in Bryan, Texas, was selling his Dad's CP-50 that has been sitting in storage for quite a while, but I don't know if he ever sold it or not.  That old girl could definitely use some work.  She has an A-65, but I think her prop was stolen. 

There was someone in central Montana that had two projects for sale, cheap, a couple years ago.  Look back through the forum and blog and call some of these people.  The one near Rochester, NY sold.  Steve Weaver, in West Virginia, is asking way too much for his.

Soft landings,  Andy