History Trivia: What is the history on letting a rodent forecast the weather? It derives from the Pennsylvania Dutch superstition that if a groundhog emerges from its burrows on this day and sees its shadow due to clear weather, it will retreat to its den and winter will go on for six more weeks; if it does not see its shadow because of cloudiness, spring will arrive early. The Pennsylvania Dutch were immigrants from German-speaking areas of Europe. The Germans had a tradition of marking Candlemas (February 2) as “Badger Day” (Dachstag), on which if a badger emerging from its den encountered a sunny day, thereby casting a shadow, it presaged four more weeks of winter. The Pennsylvanians maintained the same tradition as the Germans on Groundhog Day, except that winter’s spell would be prolonged for six weeks instead of four. For the Pennsylvania Dutch, the badger became the dox, which in Deitsch referred to “groundhog”
We cannot talk about German engineering without mentioning Wernher von Braun. Von Braun is widely seen as the “father of space travel”, the “father of rocket science” or the “father of the American lunar program”. In Germany he invented the famous V-2 rocket. He got the Americans to the moon and back. Near the end of WWII, von Braun and his team were making plans to surrender to the Americans, which they eventually did. Von Braun actually became NASA’s first director in 1960 and held that position until 1970. We could do an entire post on von Braun, however his Wikipedia page has a lot of good reading.
If you enjoy history we have a new aviation history fact each day at the bottom of our webpages. Some days there may be more than one, just refresh the page. And if you like Beatles history, checkout our Events Calendar and select the Beatles category. This is a work in progress, we’re building the most comprehensive calendar of important dates in Beatle history. For those that like to stick with current news, we have an aviation news ticker on our home page. This is updated daily to show the current aviation news.
Achievements & Special Recognition: The spy gondola, spy basket, observation car or sub-cloud car (German: Spähgondel or Spähkorb) is a crewed vessel that an airship hiding in cloud cover could lower several hundred meters to a point below the clouds in order to inconspicuously observe the ground and help navigate the airship. They were used almost exclusively by the Germans in the First World War on their military airships. The Imperial War Museum in London exhibits a Zeppelin observation car that was found near Colchester after the Zeppelin air raid on the night of the September 2–3, 1916. It is believed to have been carried by the LZ 90 and was being deployed uncrewed when the winch accidentally ran out of control. The brave observer that was lowered down in one of these deserves some special recognition.
We can’t write about the spy gondola without something about the ship that carried it. Ferdinand Adolf Heinrich August Graf von Zeppelin or Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin as he was known. Von Zeppelin was the inventor of the Zeppelin rigid airships. In 1863, Zeppelin took leave (from the German military) to act as an observer for the Union’s Army of the Potomac in the American Civil War. Ferdinand von Zeppelin served as an official observer with the Union Army during the American Civil War. During the Peninsular Campaign, he visited the balloon camp of Thaddeus S. C. Lowe shortly after Lowe’s services were terminated by the Army. Von Zeppelin then travelled to St. Paul, MN where the German-born former Army balloonist John Steiner offered tethered flights. His first ascent in a balloon, made at Saint Paul, Minnesota during this visit, is said to have been the inspiration of his later interest in aeronautics. His ideas for large airships were first expressed in a diary entry dated March 25 1874. After his resignation from the army in 1891 at age 52, Zeppelin devoted his full attention to airships. His first airship was designated the Zeppelin LZ1. On 2 July 1900, Zeppelin made the first flight with the LZ1 over Lake Constance near Friedrichshafen in southern Germany. Click here for more reading on von Zeppelin. See below (under Native American Indian Transportation) for more on his travels in the United States.
Have you ever flown a blimp or ridden in one? Here’s Harry in the cockpit of the Goodyear blimp about to takeoff from Martin State Airport getting his first Lighter Than Air hours in his logbook.
Here is a drawing of a Union Army observation balloon that would have been similar to the type that von Zeppelin rode in. Click on the image for a larger view.
Aviation/Aviators in the news: The Etrich Taube, was a pre-World War I monoplane aircraft. It was the first military aeroplane to be mass-produced in Germany. The Taube was very popular prior to the First World War, and it was also used by the air forces of Italy and Austria-Hungary. On November 1st 1911, Giulio Gavotti, an Italian aviator, dropped the world’s first aerial bomb from his Taube monoplane over the Ain Zara oasis in Libya. The Taube was designed in 1909 by Igo Etrich of Austria-Hungary, and first flew in 1910. It was licensed for serial production by Lohner-Werke in Austria and by Edmund Rumpler in Germany
Air show season is always just around the corner. Want to travel to air shows in your own aircraft? Visit our used aircraft page on the Flymall to view our inventory. Coming in April 2023, we will have a low airframe time, and very low engine time, 1975 Beech Sierra for sale.
Café Sophie at the Montgomery County Airpark was all decked out for Valentines Day this year. They had a special menu just for the occasion.
Car/Motorcycle Show News: The Laytonsville Cruise In is the place to be on a Friday night in Montgomery County. The Laytonsville Cruise In was started by Harry in 2010. It has become one of the most popular cruise ins in the area. You can follow Harry on Facebook for daily updates during the many shows and events he attends.
New for Season 14 – Dash Plaques (see the picture below) will be given away on the “Opening Night” which is May 19 2023. May 19 2023 is also the first award night of the season. We hope to see you there.
Also for the season at the Laytonsville Cruise In, we will be offering some very cool “gear” for sale. One item will be these very cool looking coffee cups.
Our Events Calendar has the most current info regarding local and national car shows, air shows, and more. With nearly 30 categories, there is something for everyone. The Day Tripper section of the Flymall has dozens of day trip ideals and interesting places to visit. Check it out here.
Here’s an unusual engine. A BMW 6 cylinder 2/stroke special made by Rudi Rupp.
Barn Finds/Hangar Finds: Need an appraisal on your barn find? Visit our Appraisal Page for information on our appraisals. We have a barn find for sale. She’s a 1969 Jaguar E-Type or XKE as they are known in England. Click here for more details on this one owner car.
Visit our online store to search for hard to find car parts, aircraft parts, and much more. You can pay online in our secure store, just click on the Store button on our home page.
February 11 2023, the Flymall team was at the Timonium Motorcycle Show. This is one of the largest motorcycle shows in the area. Click here for more pictures. Just about every motorcycle manufacturer was there displaying the best they have to offer, everything from motorcycles, jet skis, and off-road 4 wheelers like the one below.
Visit the Test Drive section of the Flymall for reviews on automobiles, aircraft, motorcycles, and more. Read about it before you buy it. You can also research price info on a wide variety of vehicles, collectibles, and more in the Market Watch section of the Flymall.
CFI / DPE Notes: Visit Harry’s Practical Test page for information on his checkrides. You will also find useful information there to help you prepare for your checkride. You can also visit Harry’s Lesson Plan section of the Flymall for other flight training information. Visit our Flight Training page for information on our aviation training classes.
Earlier this month, Kelly passed her commercial pilot checkride. Her maneuvers were text book perfect. Her steep spiral and go-around maneuvers were outstanding, the best Harry has seen in a while. Kelly has already started her CFI training. She plans to be teaching by early May this year. We wish her the best in her aviation career.
Click on image for a larger view
Weather in the news: On Saturday, February 4, the Mount Washington Observatory at the peak of the Northeast’s highest mountain, famous for its extreme weather conditions, recorded an actual temperature of minus 47 (minus 44 C), tying an observatory record set in 1934 and a wind gust of 127 mph. It also set a record for the coldest wind chill ever recorded at minus 108 degrees.
In the same month that we are setting records for cold temperatures, on February 23 2023, we set a record high temperature of 81 degrees in the Washington DC area. This is a record high that stood for nearly 150 years.
Three Wheel Association (TWA)& 3-Wheelers.com: Harry started the Three Wheel Association in 2013 to promote/support the industry of three wheel vehicles of all types. Visit the Three Wheel Association page on the Flymall for more info on the association. We are also the new owners of the very popular site 3-Wheelers.com. Look for a major revamping of the site early this year.
Three wheel vehicles became popular in many European countries because they were taxed as a motorcycle. You still had the enclosed security of a 4 wheel car, however, it was taxed as a motorcycle. Once such vehicle made in Germany was the Fuldamobil. Fuldamobilis the name of a series of small cars produced by Elektromaschinenbau Fulda GmbH of Fulda, Germany, and Nordwestdeutscher Fahrzeugbau (NWF) of Wilhelmshaven between 1950 and 1969. The car’s original design was conceived by Norbert Stevenson, a freelance journalist who had worked for the Rhein-Zeitung newspaper. As with many others involved in the field of automotive design, Stevenson had little in the way of formal qualifications in this area, although he had completed one term of mechanical engineering at the Technische Hochschule Berlin. His design concept was for a very simple three-wheeled car with room for two people inside, it would have two wheels at the front for stability, and be driven by a small engine at the rear.
Want a reproduction vintage 3 wheeler. Walker Aviation can scratch built from pictures or drawings. Visit his page on the Flymall.
The Messerschmitt KR200, or Kabinenroller (Cabin Scooter), is a three-wheeled bubble car designed by the aircraft engineer Fritz Fend and produced in the factory of the German aircraft manufacturer Messerschmitt from 1955 until 1964. After WWII, Messerschmitt, was temporarily not allowed to manufacture aircraft, so they had turned their resources to making other products. In 1952, Fend approached Messerschmitt with the idea of manufacturing small motor vehicles. These were based on his Fend Flitzer invalid carriage.
Messerschmitt kr200
The Fend Flitzer was a three-wheeled invalid carriage designed and built by Fritz Fend. The Flitzer established many of the basic concepts on which Fend’s later Messerschmitt Kabinenroller microcars were developed.
Fend Flitzer
The Timonium Motorcycle Show is one of the largest motorcycle shows on the east coast. We usually attend this annual event and will often have a motorcycle or two on display. Click here for a YouTube video montage of some of the three wheelers at the Timonium Motorcycle Show, February 11 2023. Our 1912 AC Delivery Trike did win a Best of Show and Best in our class at this event several years ago.
Prototypes: A well know fact is that prior to and during WWII, the Germans were very much into tank development. What is not well know is that they also experimented with driverless tanks (self propelled). They actually produced a few and evaluated them. Most were “anti-tank” vehicles, based on half-track chassis. They tested a few, however they were never fully developed. One such prototype made was a vehicle called the 3.7 cm Selbstfahrlafette L/70 (pictured below).
There’s an episode on Hogan’s Heroes (Season 2 Episode 9: Tanks For The Memory) where they had a radio controlled tank and Hogan and his crew hijacked it. Here’s a picture from that episode. Did you know??? The actors who played the four major German roles—Werner Klemperer (Klink), John Banner (Schultz), Leon Askin (General Burkhalter), and Howard Caine (Major Hochstetter)—were all Jewish. In fact, Klemperer, Banner, and Askin had all fled the Nazis during World War II.
Nautical Notes: The German were very much into U-boats during WWII. And many of their U-boat commanders became legends. One such legend was Otto Kretschmer (pictured here). Otto Kretschmer, a German U-boat commander and WWII Ace. Otto was in command of U99, a Type 7 U-boat. Donald MacIntyre – A British destroyer captain from the beginning of the war almost to its end, captaining the destroyers Walker and Hesperus and the smaller Bickerton, as well as leading the famous Group 5 anti-submarine group, McIntyre established himself as one of the greats. He captured the number one German U-boat ace Otto Kretschmer (whose Zeiss binoculars he took and used for the rest of the war); in the same battle, he directed the attack that killed the second-scoring ace Joachim Schepke. Later in the war, his ship was torpedoed; before that he nursed a bent-nosed destroyer back to port after ramming a U-boat. The Zeiss binoculars were very special to Otto. They were presented by the high command to only the very élite U-boat commanders. To Otto, they were a part of his image.
Many do not know that the Germans actually invaded the coastal waters on the east coast of the United States during WWII. This attack was known as Operation Drumbeat. Reinhard Hardegen, the commander of the German U-boat 123, launched the first strike of Operation Drumbeat. Operation Drumbeat’s primary targets were merchant ships off of the coast of the United States. The Germans sank more ships in US coastal zones in one year, than nearly the rest of the war in all the oceans of the word combined.
The Germans used a number of different innovative torpedoes during WWII. One was especially designed as a specialized anti-convoy weapon, the FaT and LuT torpedo could be programmed to run in a straight line for a given distance, then if it did not hit a target, the torpedo then turned to the right or left (as pre-set) and began a zigzag search pattern until it struck a target or ran out of fuel. LuT was a more sophisticated version of the FaT, with more variable patterns, but was only used operationally towards the end of the war.
Riding The Rails: One of the high speed trains currently operating in Germany is the The ICE (InterCity Express). This is a high-speed train that connects all major cities in Germany. With speeds up to 186 MPH, this is one of the fastest ways to travel between cities such as Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne.
During WWII, Germany built some awesome trains. The best-known and the most produced German war locomotive, was the Kriegslokomotive.
Native American Indian Transportation: What’s the history on snow goggles?
Thousands of years ago, Inuit and Yupik people of Alaska and northern Canada carved narrow slits into ivory, antler and wood to create snow goggles. This diminished exposure to direct and reflected ultraviolet rays thereby reducing eye strain and preventing snow blindness.
While in the United States, von Zeppelin travelled to the Upper Midwest with a party that probably included two Russians. Led by Native American (probably Ojibwe) guides, they canoed and portaged (Portage or portaging is the practice of carrying water craft or cargo over land, either around an obstacle in a river, or between two bodies of water) from the western end of Lake Superior up the St. Louis River and across to Crow Wing, Minnesota, on the Upper Mississippi River.
Animals in the headlines: One of the most famous German shepherds is Rin-Tin-Yin. Saved by an American soldier serving in Germany during World War I, he was trained to act in film. Soon, he had made a name for himself, appearing in 27 Hollywood films. He was considered one of the elite stars in Hollywood during his day.
We close this newsletter with these words: We close this newsletter with one of Harry’s favorite quotes from John Lennon: “When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.”
History Trivia: Did you know??? The dashboard is a board on the front of a horse carriage meant to keep mud from kicking up on the passengers when the horse dashes. And over time it came to mean the front part of anything, as even a computer interface is sometimes called a dashboard. The first known use of the term (hyphenated as dash-board, and applied to sleighs) dates from 1847.
If you enjoy history we have a new aviation history fact each day at the bottom of our webpages. Some days there may be more than one, just refresh the page. And if you like Beatles history, checkout our Events Calendar and select the Beatles category. This is a work in progress, we’re building the most comprehensive calendar of important dates in Beatle history. For those that like to stick with current news, we have an aviation news ticker on our home page. This is updated daily to show the current aviation news.
In the early 1900s, gasoline powered vehicles were still relatively new. A lot of manufacturers were conducting trips to show how reliable their vehicles were. On January 31st 1913, a Henderson motorcycle completed an ocean to ocean trip across the United States. The three riders had left Atlantic City, NJ on September, 20 1912 to promote the Henderson motorcycle and ended up in Los Angeles on January 31st. The motorcycle and Baxter wicker sidecar were said to have withstood the months long mostly off-road trip excellently.
Achievements & Special Recognition: WaterCar – Manufacturer of World’s Fastest Amphibious get our special recognition this month. They build some awesome amphibious vehicles. Checkout their site for more information.
Aviation/Aviators in the news: The NBAA’s International Operators Conference will be held February 13 to 15 in Austin Texas. This year they’re celebrating 50 years for the conference. If you’re a global operator of a biz jet, this is the conference to attend. Lot’s of good information to be shared.
Air show season is always just around the corner. Want to travel to air shows in your own aircraft? Visit our used aircraft page on the Flymall to view our inventory.
Car/Motorcycle Show News: The Laytonsville Cruise In is the place to be on a Friday night in Montgomery County. The Laytonsville Cruise In was started by Harry in 2010. It has become one of the most popular cruise ins in the area. You can follow Harry on Facebook for daily updates during the many shows and events he attends.
We have a one owner 1969 Jaguar E-Type (XKE) for sale. We just has the car professionally detailed and it looks great. This is a true classic that will be a hit at any car show this summer. Click here for more information.
1932 Amphibious bike ‘Cyclomer’. The design which has received the most coverage is “Saidullah’s Bicycle.” The Cyclomer launched in Paris in 1932 was the world’s first amphibious bicycle. A HYBRID among vehicles, an amphibian bicycle that can travel on land or water, was demonstrated by its French inventor at a Paris exposition. Its wheels are hollow, bulbous floats that, with-the aid of four smaller globes on outriggers, sustain it in the water. All of the floats revolve freely like wheels, resulting in a minimum of drag. When the rider pedals across the water, fins on the rear wheel serve as paddles to drive the machine forward. For a ride on dry land, the outriggers supporting the outer floats may be folded up clear of the ground. Proof that the floats would be sufficiently buoyant to support the rider was given when the inventor navigated his device, without difficulty, across a large swimming pool. The Cyclomer uses a simple tricycle frame to support three floaters which provide both the flotation and thrust. The wings on the powered wheels propel the vehicle in a similar way to a paddle wheel.
If you have been to a few car shows, we’re sure that you have seen a few Volkswagens. Here’s a Volkswagen that saw action in WWII that you probably have not seen at a car show. The Volkswagen Schwimmwagen. This is a four-wheel drive amphibious vehicle, used by the German ground forces during WWII. It is the go anywhere VW. Volkswagen Schwimmwagens used the engine and mechanicals of the VW Type 86 four-wheel drive prototype of the Kübelwagen and the Type 87 four-wheel drive ‘Kübel/Beetle’ Command Car, which in turn were based on the platform of the civilian Volkswagen Beetle. Schwimmwagens were produced by the Volkswagen factory at Fallersleben /Stadt des KdF-Wagens and Porsche’s facilities in Stuttgart; with the bodies or hulls produced by Ambi Budd in Berlin. 15,584 Type 166 Schwimmwagen were produced from 1941 through 1944; 14,276 at Fallersleben and 1,308 by Porsche; the VW 166 is the most-produced amphibious car in history. Only 189 are known by the Schwimmwagen Registry to remain today, and only 13 have survived without restoration work. Click on the image for a larger view.
Our Events Calendar has the most current info regarding local and national car shows, air shows, and more. With nearly 30 categories, there is something for everyone. The Day Tripper section of the Flymall has dozens of day trip ideals and interesting places to visit. Check it out here.
Here’s a 1966 Dolphin, a Russian amphibious car. There was no information online regarding this vehicle other than this picture.
We found an amphibious bus that is used in Scotland.
The last of the air-cooled Sportsters. 2022 was the last year for this iconic bike. Harley Davidson discontinued the air cooled Sportster. The 2023 model is a liquid-cooled bike with a new name.
Earlier this month, the Flymall team attended the first winter luncheon for our local car club. Bruno was our guest speaker. He spoke about his shop and some of the work that he does on classic and custom cars.
We were also at the first bike night of 2023 at the local Harley Davidson dealer. The 2023 models are on the showroom floor. Click here for more pictures.
An annual event in the area is the Howard County Motorcycle Swap meet. This is held indoors in a heated building at the Howard County Fairgrounds. This year the show was very well attended. It seems people are getting over Covid and are ready to move on. Click here for more pictures from the event.
Barn Finds/Hangar Finds: Need an appraisal on your barn find? Visit our Appraisal Page for information on our appraisals.
Here’s something. 1988 KSM Prototype Monotrack Tracked All Terrain Vehicle. This unusual vehicle is believed to be a one-off all-terrain vehicle built by KSM Innovations of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It is powered by a Honda ATC125 engine that is connected to a one piece track drive system. KSM was working with Honda to develop the vehicle, but Honda pulled out due to design flaws. Click here for a YouTube video of it in action. Tracked motorcycles are more common place that you would think. The Hamyak mono-track ATV is one that is relatively new. During WWII, the Kettenkrad was a successful tracked vehicle. They were built by NSU for the German military between 1939 and 1944..
Visit our online store to search for hard to find car parts, aircraft parts, and much more. You can pay online in our secure store, just click on the Store button on our home page.
Visit the Test Drive section of the Flymall for reviews on automobiles, aircraft, motorcycles, and more. Read about it before you buy it. You can also research price info on a wide variety of vehicles, collectibles, and more in the Market Watch section of the Flymall.
CFI / DPE Notes: Visit Harry’s Practical Test page for information on his checkrides. You will also find useful information there to help you prepare for your checkride. You can also visit Harry’s Lesson Plan section of the Flymall for other flight training information. Visit our Flight Training page for information on our aviation training classes.
On January 30, Bryan passed his CFII checkride with Harry. He did an excellent job. He was very well prepared for the test. We wish him much success in his aviation career. He did the checkride in a plane that Harry sold new back when he was the aircraft sales manager for Frederick Aviation.
Weather in the news: January 12 storm system.
January 25, 2023 brought us another large storm system. Here are a few pictures of it as it progressed.
Three Wheel Association (TWA)& 3-Wheelers.com: Harry started the Three Wheel Association in 2013 to promote/support the industry of three wheel vehicles of all types. Visit the Three Wheel Association page on the Flymall for more info on the association.
Here’s a cool pedal power three wheeler we found online. It looks very simple, perhaps these were built from plans offered in a magazine.
Want a reproduction vintage 3 wheeler. Walker Aviation can scratch built from pictures or drawings. Visit his page on the Flymall.
Prototypes: On December 1 2022, Textron delivered the first prototype of the 6×6 Cottonmouth wheeled amphibious reconnaissance vehicle to the U.S. Marine Corps. This is one of two designs competing to become the Corps’ next Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle or ARV. Variants of the winning ARV are slated to succeed the service’s four-decade-old Light Armored Vehicle, or LAV, family of vehicles. This looks very cool to us.
Click on image for a larger view
Nautical Notes: The Tupolev A-3 Aerosledge. An amphibious vehcile, designed to transport passengers and light freight in remote areas of the Soviet Union. It uses a single pusher propeller mounted behind the enclosed cabin to propel the craft over snow or water. Year-round transportation of mail, passengers, and light freight has always been a problem in remote areas of Siberia and Eastern Europe. Many communities are surrounded by deep snow, hummock ice, marshes that remain unfrozen, and natural waterways choked by weeds. The constantly changing conditions faced by these communities required the development of a vehicle capable of traveling over a widely varied surface at high speeds in order to deliver mail and supplies, as well to transport passengers, and provide emergency medical relief and evacuation to hospitals. To satisfy these requirements, the Tupolev Design Bureau developed an amphibious aerosledge with the appearance of a speedboat, powered by a single radial engine.
The Manta5 HYDROFOILER XE-1, is basically a hybrid bicycle and hydrofoil. They’re cool but pricey. At just under $9,000 USD, its a toy for the rich.
If you’re into ice fishing, we found the perfect vehicle for you. Meet the WilCraft. It’s an amphibious vehicle with an enclosure that is designed for ice fishing. Very cool!
This cool 3 wheel boat (that can also be driven on the road) was posted on 3-wheelers.com Facebook page. This is a Reliant frame and drivetrain with the speedboat mounted on top. Click on each picture for a larger view.
Riding The Rails: Our theme this month is amphibious vehicles and this section is dedicated to trains. So it makes sense that we have an amphibious train here and we did find one. This amphibious train is designed so that a railroad can convert any of its engines and cars to be able to float and be used in the water. We’re not sure if there are any actual applications of one in use. The installation consists of a water intake on the front of each unit, a propeller for propulsion in the water on the back of each unit, a rudder for steering on the back of each unit, and many inflatable airbags. Emergency airbags will be installed on top, in case the train begins to sink.
We did find a Russian train that was amphibious and may have been in use at one time. Click on the images below for a larger view.
Here’s a different type of “amphibious” train. Here’s a car that drives on the road and is also equipped with rail wheels to be driven on train tracks. This is a 1956 Pontiac Hy-Rail.
Click on image for a larger view
Native American Indian Transportation: Many native American Indians used dog sleds for transportation. Although dog sledding may have existed before, the oldest archeological evidence of this mode of transportation has been dated to around 1,000 A.D.
Animals in the headlines: Here’s a dog powered “vehicle” we found online. We could not find any details on it, just the picture. In theory, it should work! Its like a giant hamster wheel.
We close this newsletter with these words: Live your life, take chances. Because, right now is the oldest you’ve ever been and the youngest you will be ever again.
“It was the night before Christmas and Santa was busy making his rounds, he was light on his feet making sure he didn’t make a sound. But he took notice that some homes didn’t have that Christmas Glee.so he decided to stop because he thought that just can’t be. He crept in a mommy’s bedroom and stopped dead in his steps, as he saw a little angel hugging his mom as she slept The little angel looked up and cried ” oh Santa you are finally here!! I’ve been waiting for you to help me let Mommy know I am near”. Santa picked up the wee angel and asked him ” What can I do? I’m just a simple toy maker I can’t make your mommy’s dreams come true”. So the two of them sat and they sat for a while until the tiny angel jumped up and screamed with a smile, .”let’s leave her a sign a beautiful sign from above, let her know it’s from me sent from heaven with love”!!! So Santa dug and he dug deep, in that big glorious bag that was filled with lots of treats . He pulled out a beautiful white feather that look like it was made out of snow. And he thought such a beautiful sign that only a grieving mother would know. He placed it on her nightstand and kissed the angel on his head. Then placed him next to his mom as she slumbered in bed. I think I’ll stay here with Mommy and visit her in her dreams tonight, she misses me dearly and needs to know I’m all right. Santa made his way to his sled, and wiped a tear from his eye. He fell to his knees and managed to cry. Merry Christmas to all the grieving mothers across this big land. And let it be known your angels are with you holding your hands….”
Twas the night before Christmas and all God asked for me to do was make things right. I didn’t need to hang the stockings by the chimney with care, because God wanted something different from me this year. Usually after Christmas Eve dinner, I would be nestled in my bed as visions of sugarplums danced in my head. But just before I was getting ready for dinner, I heard such a clatter. In a wink of an eye and a twist of my head not sure what God wanted from me. He went straight to work… Not saying a word, I watched with love. As He started to perform miracles right before my very eyes. And in that moment, I knew that if I continued to follow His word of peace and love that I would have nothing to dread. For I knew without a doubt that I did the inner work. And right before He left, I heard Him whisper… “You are all things you deserve to be because you did the inner work. I want you to have the Merriest Christmas of them all. For I saw all the times you were really hurting but still chose to believe as you walked blindly in faith. This year, it’s not about the money. It’s about the love in your heart.”
‘Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house, only Realtors were stirring. And, of course, a mouse. The contracts were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that the closings soon would be there. The buyers were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of homeownership danced in their heads. Mama in her kerchief and I in my cap were settling our brains for a long winter nap. When out of my cell phone there arose such a clatter, I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter. Away to my office I flew like a flash, tore open my computer and looked at the cache. When what to my wondering eyes should appear but an email saying my closing was near. The loan was closed so easy and quick, I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick. Who else would create such joy in this game, and I whistled and shouted and called out by name. Now, buyer! Now, seller! Now escrow and loan! On, inspector! On, broker! I let out a groan. I spoke not a word but went straight to work. My buyers count on me. I’m not a jerk! I filled in the blanks and gave a shout. Hot dang! We’re closing! Over and out. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.
A Confederate Night Before Christmas ‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the camp. The rations were scarce, and the firewood was damp. Wet stockings were hung by the firesides with care. In hopes that by day they’d be dry enough to wear. The soldiers were nestled all snug in their tents. While visions of Christmas feasts danced through their heads. The General in his wall tent, and I with nightcap, had just settled ourselves for a long winter’s nap. When out on the picket line there arose such a clatter, I sprang from my cot to see what was the matter. Away to the provost I flew like a flash, grabbed pistol and leathers and officer’s sash. When what to my wondering eyes did appear, but a miniature wagon and eight Army mules.–Queer!–And a little old driver so lively and quick. By the way that he cussed he sure wasn’t St. Nick. More rapid than eagles his Army mules came, and he whistled and shouted and called them by name: “Now, Stonewall, now, Lee, now, Longstreet and Baylor! On, Cleburne, on Forrest, on Barksdale and Taylor! To the top of the A-frames and the top of the tent wall, dash away, dash away, dash away all!” As Yanks that before the wild Rebel charge fly, when they meet with an obstacle, manage to shy, so through company streets the “coursers” they flew with a wagon of goodies–and the old sutler too. And then, in a twinkling, I heard vocal jewels: The musical hee-haws of eight Army mules. As I drew in my head and was turning around, into the tent the man came with a bound. He was dressed all in wool from his head to his foot, and his clothes were all tarnished with mud and with soot. A bundle of canned goods he’d flung on his back, and he looked like a sutler just opening his pack. (That’s what he was, of course.) His eyes–how they twinkled! His whiskers, how merry! His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry! His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, and the beard on his chin was a white as the snow. The stump of a stogie he held in his teeth, and the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath. He had a broad face and a little round belly. He’d brought vittles for us–fresh pies, cakes, and jelly. He was chubby and plump–no diet of hardtack .And I was quite interested in the food in his backpack. A wink of his eye and a twist of his head. Soon gave me to know he had brought some soft bread. He spoke not a word, but unloaded his treasures: Roast turkeys and hams and bottles in full measures. Then laying a finger aside of his nose, and giving a salute, to his feet he then rose. He sprang to his wain, to his team gave a whistle, and away they all flew like the down of a thistle. And I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight:” Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”
‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through hotel. Not a creature was stirring except for the Kitchen staff. They are preparing for the Christmas brunch that is tomorrow after all. The stockings were hung by Housekeeping with care, In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there; The children were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of the hotel guest danced in their heads; And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap, Had just settled down for a long winter’s night. When out near Valet there arose such a clatter, Security sprang into action to see what was the matter. The moon reflected off the new-fallen snow, gave the luster of mid-day to objects below, when, what to our wondering eyes should appear, But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer. The driver checked in with the front desk and needed extra space to park. Santa knew exactly what to do. So up to the hotel rooftop the coursers they flew, with the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too. A Bellman was ready to assist with his bag full of toys for the good girls and boys. You could hear on the roof the prancing and pawing of each little hoof. Santa wanted to stop by the hotel deli for a duck cookie or two (his favorite) and to enjoy a special cup of Hot Cocoa. You really never know who might stop by the Lobby Bar. Our story doesn’t quite end here… He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, And he filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk, And laying his finger aside of his nose, And giving a nod, up the elevator he rose; He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, And away they all flew like the down of a thistle. But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of Memphis, HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT!
This month the theme is “Going Green”. We’re featuring eco friendly vehicles and concepts including a solar power plane that flew around the world, the first solar powered car, a solar powered train, and more. Next month our theme is amphibious vehicles.
Since it’s Christmas time, here is our collection of different versions of T’was The Night Before Christmas. If you find a version that we do not have, please share it with us in the comments section below.
Two wrongs don’t make a right. But two Wrights made an airplane. December 17 1903.
On December 17th, we celebrated the anniversary of the Wright Brother’s historic first flight in 1903. On December 17, 1903 at 10:35 am, Orville and the Flyer lifted off from the starting rail and made the first manned, powered flight in the history of the world. All the years of hard work, patience, frustration, and dedication finally paid off in the form of a 12-second, 120-foot jaunt through the air. They’ve done it. Wilbur flew next and traveled 195 feet. Then Orville again at 200 feet. And finally Wilbur took the machine 852 feet in 59 seconds! The Flyer was damaged after the fourth flight of the day, so Wilbur and Orville packed up and kept their promise of being home by Christmas.
And we went from the Wright Brother’s flights to the Concord all within a lifetime.
History Trivia: Did you know that on August 31, 1955, William G. Cobb of the General Motors Corp. demonstrated a 15-inch-long “Sunmobile,” the world’s first solar-powered automobile, at the General Motors Powerama auto show held in Chicago, Illinois. Cobb’s Sunmobile model had 12 selenium photoelectric cells on top of a balsa wood body. These solar cells were connected in series-parallel and converted the sun light directly into electricity, which in turn ran a small low-inertia electric motor. The motor rotated at 2000 RPM and ran on 1.5 volts. The motor’s energy in turn was transferred to the model car’s drive shaft, which then in turn transferred the energy through its rear axle by a pulley to the car’s wheels which moved the car forward. Nearly 70 years later and we are still not driving solar powered cars. In contrast, in the U.S., the first successful electric car made its debut around 1890. It was built/designed by William Morrison, a chemist who lived in Des Moines, Iowa. His six-passenger vehicle was capable of a top speed of 14 miles per hour. While it was a little more than an electrified wagon, it helped to create interest in electric vehicles. And electric vehicles have been around ever since then. And now, you can purchase a fully electric car or truck. It wasn’t until 1962 when the first solar car that a person could drive was demonstrated to the public. The International Rectifier Company converted a vintage model 1912 Baker electric car (pictured below) to run on solar energy in 1958, but they didn’t show it until 4 years later.
If you enjoy history we have a new aviation history fact each day at the bottom of our webpages. Some days there may be more than one, just refresh the page. And if you like Beatles history, checkout our Events Calendar and select the Beatles category. This is a work in progress, we’re building the most comprehensive calendar of important dates in Beatle history. For those that like to stick with current news, we have an aviation news ticker on our home page. This is updated daily to show the current aviation news.
Achievements & Special Recognition: Earlier this month, Yarden Shalev passed his private pilot checkride with Harry. He was one of the best prepared private pilot applicants that Harry has seen in a while. He did an excellent job. He was very impressive. He is pictured here with his instructor Or and Harry. This was Or’s first sign-off or recommendation as a CFI and she is off to a great start. Both Or and Yarden are off to a great start in their aviation career.
Here’s an innovative motorcycle company that we think deserves some special recognition. Spy Motorcycles of California has developed an electric motorcycle that looks cool and that can be charged using the sun. The bike can reach speeds of 75 MPH. No gears, no clutch, no shifting. Just simply hit the power button and twist the throttle. Their website show a price of just over $6,000.00 USD. Not bad at all.
Aviation/Aviators in the news: Would you fly in a solar powered plane? In the year 2016, Solar Impulse 2 landed in Abu Dhabi after 14 months of travel and 550 hours in the air. It flew 25,000 miles around the world including over four continents, two oceans and three seas, all without a drop of liquid fuel. The sun’s rays were the only power. The aircraft is/was capable of taking off under its own power.
Air show season is always just around the corner. Want to travel to air shows in your own aircraft? Visit our used aircraft page on the Flymall to view our inventory. Maybe your next airplane could be your next car as well. The company, Lilium has recently revealed that is has raised an additional $119 million in funding to develop a flying car. Actually it is a vertical takeoff, electric jet. Kraemer Aviation’s President, Harry has been following flying car technology since the mid 1960s. Our transportation museum will have an entire section dedicated to flying cars. As they all do, the Lilium jet looks very promising on their website. Click here to read more about this “flying car”.
Car/Motorcycle Show News: The Laytonsville Cruise In is the place to be on a Friday night in Montgomery County. The Laytonsville Cruise In was started by Harry in 2010. It has become one of the most popular cruise ins in the area. You can follow Harry on Facebook for daily updates during the many shows and events he attends.
Here’s a “green vehicle” that is out of this world. In 1971, Apollo 15 took the first car to the Moon. And since they couldn’t bring it back, they left it there. It is still there today. Who owns this car? We looked up the definition of abandoned property. This is the legal definition of abandoned property; “Abandoned property is defined as personal property left by an owner who intentionally relinquishes all rights to its control”. The law goes on to say “At common law, a person who finds abandoned property may claim it. To do so, the finder must take definite steps to show their claim. For example, a finder might claim an abandoned piece of furniture by taking it to their house, or putting a sign on it indicating their ownership”. Does this mean that if someone puts a sign on this claiming it as theirs, that they own it? Just think, what if someone did claim this car and got it back to earth, how valuable would the car be?
Long before the Nissan Leaf, back to 1973, Nissan was experimenting with electric cars. Nissan built an electric pickup truck. It actually built two models. Nissan’s earliest electric cars date back even earlier, but the first of the EV pickups to be developed was the 1973 Nissan EV4-P. It ran on a bank of lead-acid batteries stored in a compartment between the front and rear axles beneath the bed. The power output was 27 kilowatts (a Nissan Leaf’s is 80 kW). The EV4-P wasn’t fast, however it could go an impressive 188 miles on a single charge. The second truck, the EV4-H, was built upon the lessons learned from the EV4-P and employed a hybrid drivetrain. In this case, hybrid meant simply two types of batteries — high-output lead-acid batteries and high-energy-density zinc-air batteries — and a control system that optimized the balance between the two in a variety of driving conditions. With the hybrid system, the EV4-P clocked an impressive range of 308 miles on a single charge.
Our Events Calendar has the most current info regarding local and national car shows, air shows, and more. With nearly 30 categories, there is something for everyone. The Day Tripper section of the Flymall has dozens of day trip ideals and interesting places to visit. Check it out here.
The Henney Kilowatt was an electric car introduced in the United States of America for 1959. The car used some body parts as made for the Renault Dauphine. An improved model was introduced in 1960 with a top speed of 60 miles an hour and a range of 60 miles. Only 47 cars were sold over the two model years, mostly to electrical utility companies. Only a few still exist.
Barn Finds/Hangar Finds: Need an appraisal on your barn find? Visit our Appraisal Page for information on our appraisals.
In this section of our newsletter, we are always looking for an interesting find or an interesting place a vehicle was found. For this month, here’s a marsh find. According to the Facebook post, this 1960 Cezeta spent 35 years in the marsh before it was finally pulled out. One of our most interesting places a motorcycle was found, was inside a wall. Click here for our post about the wall find.
Visit our online store to search for hard to find car parts, aircraft parts, and much more. You can pay online in our secure store, just click on the Store button on our home page.
Visit the Test Drive section of the Flymall for reviews on automobiles, aircraft, motorcycles, and more. Read about it before you buy it. You can also research price info on a wide variety of vehicles, collectibles, and more in the Market Watch section of the Flymall.
CFI / DPE Notes: Visit Harry’s Practical Test page for information on his checkrides. You will also find useful information there to help you prepare for your checkride. You can also visit Harry’s Lesson Plan section of the Flymall for other flight training information. Visit our Flight Training page for information on our aviation training classes.
Earlier this month, Eli passed his instrument checkride with Harry. He did an outstanding job. He was one of the best prepared instrument applicants that Harry has seen in a while. Eli flew to ATP standards.
Weather in the news: On December 15 we had a major storm system move through the Mid-Atlantic area. The radar image had a rainbow of colors.
Three Wheel Association (TWA): Harry started the Three Wheel Association in 2013 to promote/support the industry of three wheel vehicles of all types. Visit the Three Wheel Association page on the Flymall for more info on the association. Look for a newly designed website for 3-wheelers.com by early 2023. We will have an expanded A to Z list and viewers of the site will be able to send us new entries for the A to Z listings. We will also have 3-wheelers.com items for sale such as coffee cups, mouse pads, and more. Stay tuned.
Many electric vehicles are 3-wheelers. That’s most likely because 3 wheels tend to be more efficient. Here’s one by a company called Green Vehicles. It’s call the Triac. The Triac, by Green Vehicles Inc., was a two-seat three-wheeled concept car unveiled in 2010–2011. The company went out of business in 2011.
Want a reproduction vintage 3 wheeler. Walker Aviation can scratch built from pictures or drawings. Visit his page on the Flymall.
Prototypes: The aviation company, Eviation has built and flown an all electric plane earlier this year. The plane can carry nine passengers and two crew up to 15,000 feet. It has a day VFR range of 250 NM. Very cool!
1992 Fiat Cinquecento Z-ECO concept by Carrozzeria Zagato with built in bike pod. The theme of the Fiat proposal was to explore new concepts of mobility, dictated by environmental issues and by the growing restrictions on the use of cars in urban centers. Zagato proposes the concept of double mobility, with the Z-Eco it goes beyond the simple transport of people and luggage. The small car adds the possibility of having a second means of transport, to be used in areas where access to the car is prohibited. The solution is that of an electric bike that occupies the right side, ready both for use in the city and for leisure in the open spaces. The Z-Eco was Zagato’s vision of an environmentally conscious commuter vehicle of the future. It featured an odd tandem two seat layout and a removable bicycle. This would allow the driver of the vehicle to park when congestion was reached and cycle the remainder of their journey, reducing gridlock, emissions and parking shortages in city centers. What a cool idea.
Nautical Notes: Numerous companies are incorporating solar panels in sails on sailboats. The solar panels can be used to power electric drive motors or other required equipment onboard the vessel.
Sailing itself is actually solar power. Nothing is more “green” than being at sea under full sail. The sailboat probably originated in ancient Egypt. Around 4000 BC, Egyptians assembled a simple rigging system and suspended a piece of cloth in the air to pull basic log boats along rivers. These vessels were long and narrow, and their simple rigging was difficult to control.
Humans have been using various forms of boats to travel by water for longer than we have had written language. The oldest known reference to a ship was from approximately 10,000 BCE, where a carving depicted a reed rowing ship that carried twenty men. Experts believe that boats were around a lot longer than that, though so far, there has been no physical proof. Ship travel is older than any other form of transportation and has been steadily improving over the millennia. It has been determined that the first sea-worthy ships were not even built by humans but by their evolutionary predecessors, Homo Erectus, nearly 800,000 years ago. This explains how they were able to spread across the planet.
Riding The Rails: Australia has the world’s first solar powered train built by the Byron Bay Railroad Company. Byron Bay Railroad Company launched its solar train in January 2018. The company recycled a diesel locomotive which was abandoned for over 20 years into a solar-powered train. The train runs over 3km around the resort areas in Byron Bay. Solar panels have been fitted to the roof of each carriage to collect and generate solar power to charge the train’s batteries. When it is sunny, the train can run 4-5 times a day only on solar power received by the panels. In bad weather, renewable energy is charged with the help of local retail companies in order to operate the train.
Native American Indian Transportation: Long before “Going Green” was an thing, the Native American Indians were green.
Native American Indians used travois, also known as a drag sled, for carrying loads overland. It consisted of two wooden poles with a platform, basket, or netting suspended between them, attached to the back of a dog (or occasionally to a team of dogs) so that the dog could pull it along the ground. After the settlers introduced horses, the Indians were able to make larger horse drawn travois. For the horse drawn travois, they used tepee poles across the horse’s back and attach a burden platform between the poles behind the horse. This served two purposes at once, as the horses could then simultaneously carry the tepee poles and some additional baggage. Below is a travois with a basket on it.
Animals in the headlines: Meet Kome, a Golden Retriever. Kome is sporting a solar power dog jacket. The signs or lettering are made of a special type of wire to make the wire look like a neon sign. Pretty cool!
We close this newsletter with these words: Give green a chance; Live green, love green, think green.
This month the theme is “Indian Motorcycles and Indian Power Vehicles”. We celebrated Thanksgiving this month and since the early English settlers celebrated this traditional holiday with Native American Indians, we thought let’s highlight an American motorcycle that carries the Indian name.
Historians long considered the first Thanksgiving to have taken place in 1621, when the Mayflower pilgrims who founded the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts sat down for a three-day meal with the Wampanoag Indians. There are earlier “Thanksgiving” celebrations. Thanksgiving services were routine in what became the Commonwealth of Virginia as early as 1607; the first permanent settlement of Jamestown, Virginia held a thanksgiving in 1610. On December 4, 1619, 38 English settlers celebrated a thanksgiving immediately upon landing at Berkeley Hundred in Charles City County, Virginia. Thanksgiving in the United States has been observed on many different days and even different months. From the time of the Founding Fathers until the time of Lincoln, the date of observance varied from state to state. Modern Thanksgiving was proclaimed for all states in 1863 by Abraham Lincoln.
Earlier this month, Pat attended the Ninety Nines Mid Atlantic Section Meeting in Lancaster PA.
Our friend Lin Caywood is now the Section Governor. Lin is pictured here at the front giving a speech.
History Trivia: Nobody is sure if turkey was served at the harvest celebration held by the pilgrims of the Plymouth colony in 1621, but wild fowl was certainly served. It is not likely that the first settlers celebrated Thanksgiving with turkey. The use of the turkey in the United States for Thanksgiving precedes Abraham Lincoln’s nationalization of the holiday in 1863. In her 1827 novel Northwood; or, a Tale of New England, Sarah Josepha Hale devoted an entire chapter to Thanksgiving dinner, emphasizing many of the foods that are now considered traditional. Although many other meats are mentioned, “the roasted turkey took precedence on this occasion, being placed at the head of the table.
If you enjoy history we have a new aviation history fact each day at the bottom of our webpages. Some days there may be more than one, just refresh the page. And if you like Beatles history, checkout our Events Calendar and select the Beatles category. This is a work in progress, we’re building the most comprehensive calendar of important dates in Beatle history. For those that like to stick with current news, we have an aviation news ticker on our home page. This is updated daily to show the current aviation news.
Aviation/Aviators in the news: The aviation section of the Flymall is full of aviation news, training info, and much more for the aviator.
During WWI, motorcycles were often transported via airplanes for delivery. Here is a Indian Model O strapped to a biplane ready for departure. The Indian Model O was a lightweight motorcycle made by the Hendee Manufacturing Company from 1917 to 1919.
During WWII, car manufacturers were called on to produce aircraft. And just as car manufacturers produced aircraft, many motorcycle companies build bikes for the war effort. Here is a shaft driven Indian that was produced during WWII.
Air show season is always just around the corner. Want to travel to air shows in your own aircraft? Visit our used aircraft page on the Flymall to view our inventory.
In the 1930s, Indian started to branch out and one of industries that it ventured into was the manufacturing of aircraft engines. These engines were made by the Hendee Manufacturing Company. The “Indian Motocycle Co.” was founded as the Hendee Manufacturing Company by George M. Hendee in 1897 to manufacture bicycles. One of the engines they made was an eight-cylinder water-cooled Vee type pictured below. This 8-cylinder engine was used by Glenn Curtiss in some distance flights at the Harvard Aviation Meet.
Here is a radial engine produced by the Hendee Manufacturing Company. This seven-cylinder air-cooled rotary engine w as rated 50 hp. at 1 l 00 RPM. Click here for more reading on these two engines.
Car/Motorcycle Show News: The Laytonsville Cruise In is the place to be on a Friday night in Montgomery County. The Laytonsville Cruise In was started by Harry in 2010. It has become one of the most popular cruise ins in the area. You can follow Harry on Facebook for daily updates during the many shows and events he attends.
Here’s a very cool 1917 Indian powered board track racer we found online.
Our Events Calendar has the most current info regarding local and national car shows, air shows, and more. With nearly 30 categories, there is something for everyone. The Day Tripper section of the Flymall has dozens of day trip ideals and interesting places to visit. Check it out here.
Here is an Indian Motorcycle with a gun mounted to it.
Sidecar rigs were very popular as delivery vehicles. Here is an Indian sidecar that we found online.
Here is a half ton Indian Traffic Car. Part motorcycle, part delivery van. This one is believed to be the best original example of a Traffic Car anywhere, this unrestored rig has been valued at well over $100,000.
Harley Davidson also had a half ton delivery trike. It was offered by Goulding and was called a Gouldcar.
A cool Indian sidecar rig used as a milk company advertisement.
Barn Finds/Hangar Finds: Need an appraisal on your barn find? Visit our Appraisal Page for information on our appraisals.
Here’s a ceiling find for this month (not an Indian). This Sandford was hanging in the ceiling in the old Imperial Palace in Las Vegas. It ended up on eBay in November 2017. Bidding got up to $10,000 and the auction was ended for some reason. Here’s a little history on the Sandford; Stewart Sandford, a French gentleman was selling the Morgan 3 wheeler in France. Stewart saw the need for a faster, more powerful 3 wheeler so he designed the Sandford 3 wheeler. It had a 4 cylinder Ruby engine in it. Very different from the Morgan. The Sandford is all steel with the engine fully enclosed. The Morgan F series 3 wheeler also had an enclosed engine.
Indian’s like this, are sitting in barns all over the world, just waiting to be discovered. This is a 1927 Indian Factory Board Track Racer that ran on alcohol.
The Flymall Team was on hand to witness a 1903 Indian barn find / estate sale sale for $155,000.00 USD. Click here for the YouTube video.
Visit our online store to search for hard to find car parts, aircraft parts, and much more. You can pay online in our secure store, just click on the Store button on our home page.
Visit the Test Drive section of the Flymall for reviews on automobiles, aircraft, motorcycles, and more. Read about it before you buy it. You can also research price info on a wide variety of vehicles, collectibles, and more in the Market Watch section of the Flymall.
CFI / DPE Notes: Visit Harry’s Practical Test page for information on his checkrides. You will also find useful information there to help you prepare for your checkride. You can also visit Harry’s Lesson Plan section of the Flymall for other flight training information. Visit our Flight Training page for information on our aviation training classes.
Earlier this month, Ofir passed her commercial pilot checkride with Harry. She had some moderate turbulence, windshear, and direct crosswinds to deal with. Most of her maneuvers were text book perfect. Her power off 180 was outstanding, she had some windshear on this as well as a direct crosswind and the maneuver was text book perfect.
Weather in the news: Hurricane Nicole was in the news earlier this month. For just being a Category 1, Nicole did a lot of damage in Florida.
Later this month, we had a large storm system move from the southwest to the northeast and this had every color on the radar image.
Three Wheel Association (TWA): Harry started the Three Wheel Association in 2013 to promote/support the industry of three wheel vehicles of all types. Visit the Three Wheel Association page on the Flymall for more info on the association. Look for some updates to 3-wheelers.com early in the year 2023. We will also have some updates for the Three Wheel Association as well.
Indian Forecar. In 1906 it was offered as an attachment to any Indian model. Each wheel had coil springs at the steering posts and leaf springs for the front seat. The Forecar design or type of vehicle was very popular in Europe.
Want a reproduction vintage 3 wheeler. Walker Aviation can scratch built from pictures or drawings. Visit his page on the Flymall.
Prototypes: How was the V-twin motorcycle born? In 1906, the Indian motorcycle company built a V-twin factory race bike. A version of the racing engine was introduced in consumer models for the 1907 model year, making the 39-ci (633 cc), 42-degree V-twin the first American V-twin production motorcycle engine (their are some webpages that state Glenn Curtiss built the first V-twin). And the rest is history. We will have more on Glenn Curtiss and his V-twin in a future newsletter.
Nautical Notes: The USS Pocahontas was a United States Navy ship used in WWI. It was named after a very famous native American Indian. She was originally SS Prinzess Irene, a Barbarossa-class ocean liner built in 1899 by AG Vulcan Stettin of Stettin, Germany, for the North German Lloyd line. At the beginning of World War I the ship was in New York and was interned by the United States. She was seized when that country entered the conflict in 1917 and converted to a troop transport. Pocahontas was a Native American woman, belonging to the Powhatan people, notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia.
Riding The Rails: By the time the railroads were moving westward, the Indians were using horses, especially for hunting bison. Indians used bison for food, shelter, clothing, trade, and more. When the settlers (the white man) found out that bison hides could be used to make leather, hunters were eager to kill more and more bison. It wasn’t long before the bison was hunted to near extinction. This slaughter would have been unlikely and probably impossible, had railroads not provided the means to ship the hides and bones off to eastern factories. The white man hunting of the bison drastically affected the native American Indian life. Needles to say, the Indians were not too fond of trains.
Native American Indian Transportation: This month, we’re introducing a new section of our newsletter on native American Indian transportation and travels. This month, we are featuring the Wampanoag Indians. They are an Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands based in southeastern Massachusetts and historically parts of eastern Rhode Island. Their territory included the islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. The Wampanoag Indians were introduced to the the Europeans in the early 1600s when European merchant vessels and fishing boats traveled along the coast of New England. The Wampanoag taught the first settlers how to farm, hunt, fish, etc. The Wampanoag used a burn and scrape method to construct the mishoon, a type of dugout canoe. Horses were not around this area until the 1630s or 1640s, so the Wampanoag either walked or traveled via a mishoon.
This month, the theme is “Electrifying”. All about electric vehicles, past, current, and future. Electric cars are almost as old as powered vehicles. This month: William Morrison’s battery operated carriage, a 1900 Porsche hybrid, electric planes, Livewire, a 256 MPH electric supercar, electric trains, and more.
Earlier this month, Pat & Harry hosted a retirement party for the well known bicycle collector (and American Pickers guest star) Mel Short. The weather was a little on the cool side, however, a good time was had by all. Click here for more pictures.
History Trivia: It’s hard to pinpoint the first electric vehicle to one person or country. The electric vehicle was a series of developments in the 1800s that led to the first electric vehicle on the road. In the United States, the first successful electric car made its debut around 1890 thanks to William Morrison, a chemist who lived in Des Moines, Iowa. His six-passenger vehicle capable of a top speed of 14 miles per hour was little more than an electrified wagon, but it helped spark interest in electric vehicles. William Morrison is perhaps the first “gearhead” to have a “man cave”. Morrison had a secret basement laboratory where he worked on his storage batteries and electric vehicle, he called it the “Cave”. Did you know that in 1912, there were over 30,000 electric vehicles in the United States? Picture here is one of Morrison’s electric vehicles.
If you enjoy history we have a new aviation history fact each day at the bottom of our webpages. Some days there may be more than one, just refresh the page. And if you like Beatles history, checkout our Events Calendar and select the Beatles category. This is a work in progress, we’re building the most comprehensive calendar of important dates in Beatle history. We also have a “This Day In History” category in our Events Calendar. For those that like to stick with current news, we have an aviation news ticker on our home page. This is updated daily to show the current aviation news.
Achievements & Special Recognition: Earlier this month, we had the last award night for the season at the Laytonsville Cruise In. Picture here are some of the winners with their awards. They all deserve some special recognition for their hard work and dedication in taking care of these pieces of rolling history. Click here for some pictures of the award winners from the last award night of 2022.
Aviation/Aviators in the news: ZeroAvia has recently entered into a non-exclusive joint development agreement with Textron Aviation, Inc., for the development of hydrogen-electric, zero-emission powertrains for the Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft. ZeroAvia plans to obtain a supplemental type certificate (STC) to retrofit the Grand Caravan single-engine utility turboprop with the ZA600 zero-emission powertrain.
Air show season is always just around the corner. Want to travel to air shows in your own aircraft? Visit our used aircraft page on the Flymall to view our inventory.
Car/Motorcycle Show News: The Laytonsville Cruise In is the place to be on a Friday night in Montgomery County. The Laytonsville Cruise In was started by Harry in 2010. It has become one of the most popular cruise ins in the area. You can follow Harry on Facebook for daily updates during the many shows and events he attends.
Think electric vehicles aren’t performance vehicles? Have you seen the 1,914-hp Rimac Nevera electric hypercar? This is the fastest accelerating production car in the world. It has a top speed of 256 MPH.
One of Ferdinand Porsche first cars was an electric car. Here it is, the1900 Lohner-Porsche electric car. The Lohner–Porsche Mixed Hybrid (sometimes incorrectly referred to as Löhner–Porsche) was the first gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle, and was developed by Ferdinand Porsche at Lohner-Werke. First prototypes were two-wheel drive, battery-powered electric vehicles with two front-wheel hub-mounted motors. A later version was a series hybrid using hub-mounted electric motors in each wheel, powered by batteries and a gasoline-engine generator.
Our Events Calendar has the most current info regarding local and national car shows, air shows, and more. With nearly 30 categories, there is something for everyone. The Day Tripper section of the Flymall has dozens of day trip ideals and interesting places to visit. Check it out here.
The Flymall team was invited to the Mack Trucks / Volvo open house and car show held October 8th. The Mack Truck / Volvo plant was amazing to see. Here is an experimental electric truck motor being developed by Volo. We were able to see it in person. Very cool! We didn’t get any details on the horsepower rating or when it may be put into use. Click on the picture for a larger view.
In 2019 Pat, Jett, & Harry were invited to a Harley Davidson Livewire launch party at the local Harley dealer. The Livewire was intended to be a Harley Davidson model, however, by December of 2021, Harley Davidson announced that is was going to be a separate company called LiveWire. The Livewire is Harley Davidson’s first electric motorcycle. Click here for more pictures. Harley-Davidson says the maximum speed is 110 mph with it’s 105 horsepower motor.
Barn Finds/Hangar Finds: Need an appraisal on your barn find? Visit our Appraisal Page for information on our appraisals.
Visit our online store to search for hard to find car parts, aircraft parts, and much more. You can pay online in our secure store, just click on the Store button on our home page.
Visit the Test Drive section of the Flymall for reviews on automobiles, aircraft, motorcycles, and more. Read about it before you buy it. You can also research price info on a wide variety of vehicles, collectibles, and more in the Market Watch section of the Flymall.
CFI / DPE Notes: Visit Harry’s Practical Test page for information on his checkrides. You will also find useful information there to help you prepare for your checkride. You can also visit Harry’s Lesson Plan section of the Flymall for other flight training information. Visit our Flight Training page for information on our aviation training classes.
Elizabeth passed her CFII checkride with Harry earlier this month. Elizabeth is an outstanding pilot. She owned her own plane before she could drive a car. She had her commercial pilot certificate before she had her driver’s license. She is just 20 years old and already she is a commercial pilot, CFII, and advanced and instrument ground instructor. Next she will work on her A&P certificate and multi engine rating. This was he 5th checkride with Harry and this is the 6th certificate Harry issued her (including her ground instructor certificate).
Benjamin Franklin’s experiments revolved around the hypothesis that lightning was indeed electrical in nature. And he wanted to prove that lightning was electricity. Did you know that Benjamin Franklin first introduced the idea of daylight saving time in a 1784 essay he wrote? But the modern concept is credited to George Hudson from his 1895 proposal. He proposed a two-hour time shift so he’d have more after-work hours of sunshine to go bug hunting in the summer.
Three Wheel Association (TWA): Harry started the Three Wheel Association in 2013 to promote/support the industry of three wheel vehicles of all types. Visit the Three Wheel Association page on the Flymall for more info on the association.
Toronto-based electric-vehicle maker Daymak Avvenire has debuted its prototype dubbed Spiritus. Avvenire’s Spiritus is a fully loaded two-seater electric car with optional autonomous driving features, Wi-Fi connectivity, AC, 12-speaker stereo system, solar panels for additional trickle-charging- additions to add ultimate comfort to your daily commute. The Avvenire Spiritus Ultimate has a 0-to-60 mph time of 1.8 seconds thanks to its 330 kW motor making 449 horsepower. Pretty fast for an electric 3-wheeler. It has an initial base model price of $19,995.00 USD.
Want a reproduction vintage 3 wheeler. Walker Aviation can scratch built from pictures or drawings. Visit his page on the Flymall.
Alice
Prototypes: On September 27 2022, the Eviation Alice prototype, an electric passenger plane made it’s first flight. The Alice can carry nine passengers and two crew. It has been reported that Cape Air, a regional airline, has ordered 75 planes. Another aviation company, GlobalX Airlines reportedly ordered 50 aircraft. And DHL is said to have some on order as well. It is reported that Alice will have a 250 NM range and a maximum operating speed of 260 KTAS.
Nautical Notes: A company called X Shore is producing some very cool electric boats. Their coolness isn’t cheap. Their Eelex 8000 (pictured below) will set you back $329,000, the new X Shore 1 comes in at just $139,000 USD.
Here is an alternative to an electric outboard motor with a battery. Made by Torqeedo. This one has a built in lithium-ion battery. This is great for small boats where space and weight are an issue. Click on the image for a larger view.
We have been running with a Minn Kota Transom Mount Trolling Motor in our classic Walker Bay 8 for a while now. We can get over an hour running time at one of the higher power settings. So far, it has been a great motor for our use.
Disney World Monorail
Riding The Rails: One of the coolest and most famous electric train systems, is the Walt Disney World Monorail System. This rail system opened in 1971. The total rail system is just under 15 miles. Roughly 50 million people ride it each year. Surprisingly the trains have been manufactured by two big names in aviation. The Mark VI was built by Martin Marietta and the Mark VI was built by Bombardier Transportation. The Mark IV was in service from 1971 to 1991 and the Mark VI entered service in 1989. The Walt Disney World Monorail System is probably one of the safest modes of transportation. Since it started service in 1971, there has been only one death on the monorail.
Animals in the headlines: So what is the best electric vehicle to get if you have a dog? Well, TopGear says the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo. The main reason they say is because it sits lower to the ground and therefore is easier for you dog to get in. Click here for the full story.
Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo
We close this newsletter with these words: Electricity is really just organized lightning!
