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.
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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!
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This month our theme is “repurpose”. We’ll be highlighting vehicles and/or wheels & wings components that have been repurposed or reused for a purpose other than what the original intent was.
Kraemer Aviation hosted it’s annual Labor Day cookout. The weather was perfect for most of the day. A few light showers on and off, but otherwise perfect. Click here for pictures from the event.
Interested in living at an airport? Visit our Aviation Real Estate page here. You can view price data for airport property in our Market Watch section of the Flymall. Here is the data for all airport property. You can refine the search by “state” simply by searching for the desired state under “Model”. The Flymall is offering for sale a very nice grass strip in Carroll County Maryland. Click here for details. What could be better than living with your plane at an airport, how about living in your plane. Here is an aircraft that has been repurposed as a home.
Old/retired airplanes are very popular to be repurposed as a restaurant. The Grill–Avia was a restaurant in Amberieu-en-Bugey, built using two Sud-Ouest SO-30 Bretagne aircraft.
History Trivia: While it is not know for sure who was the first person to come up with the idea of using a drop tank or belly tank for a race car. Bill Burke of the famed So-Cal Speed Shop is mostly likely one of the first, if not the first to build such a race car. Here’s his most famous of these belly tank is called the Lakester (made from a belly tank from a P-38). If you can find one for sale, scale models of this sell for over $200.
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. You can also check current fuel prices on our home page. Fuel prices are as easy as entering the airport identifier and clicking on search.
Here is someone that deserves some special recognition for being creative. Harry’s friend, David Sprecher used an old gate from a fence and made it the center section of a bicycle. It is fully functional and David does ride it. He started with a Colson rear steer bicycle. Very cool David. Click on the image for a larger view.
Aviation/Aviators in the news: Airliners are popular aircraft to be repurposed as water bombers or aerial firefighting aircraft. Aerial firefighting dates back to around 1929.
The Airplane Service Station, also known as the Powell Airplane, is a service station built in 1930 in the shape of an airplane. Located at 6829 Clinton Highway in Powell, an unincorporated community in Knox County, Tennessee, it is on the National Register of Historic Places. The station was built by brothers Elmer and Henry Nickle. Their intent was to increase business by having a service station that was visually unique, both to area residents and to travelers on newly widened U.S. Highway 25. Elmer Nickle had a strong interest in airplanes, and so the station was constructed in the Mimetic architectural style in the shape of an airplane.
A drop tank or belly tank motorcycle, there was not much about this very cool motorcycle (just a picture online). Our Market Watch is a great resource for price info on drop tanks or belly tanks. Click here for the price data on the belly tank and click here for belly tank racers.
Do you have an airframe that is not airworthy? Why not put it up in a tree? Here’s an awesome Facebook find where someone used an aircraft fuselage and made a treehouse with it.
Airplanes are not the only vehicles that make a good tree house. Here’s a VW Bus three house. This looks awesome.
Here’s a Piper Seneca that Harry got for a friend that wanted to put an airplane in his front yard for his grandkids to play in. Another one saved from the scrap yard!
An aircraft can also be used just as a display piece. Years ago Harry was contacted by an aircraft owner that had an old Hawker jet that had not flown in a while. Harry was asked to do an appraisal on the plane which he did. The plane was not worth a lot due to its age and having outdated engines and avionics. Once the appraisal was completed, the owner asked Harry to try and sell the plane. With the current state of the old Hawker, it would have cost more than the plane was worth to get it airworthy. Therefore, selling the plane was difficult. So Harry arranged for the plane to be donated to the Cambridge Airport (the airport where the plane was currently located). A picnic area was made around the plane. Harry’s company Kraemer Aviation Services donated the picnic tables. So the old Hawker lives on.
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.
Penn Yan airport (home of Penn Yan Aero) is located about 20 minutes north of Hammondsport and is an excellent choice for general aviation aircraft. N36777 was parked next to a classic Beaver on floats. The de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver is a single-engine high-wing propeller-driven short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft developed and manufactured by de Havilland Canada. It has been primarily operated as a bush plane and has been used for a wide variety of utility roles, such as cargo and passenger hauling, aerial application (crop dusting and aerial topdressing), and civil aviation duties. In addition to its use in civilian operations, the Beaver has been widely adopted by armed forces as a utility aircraft. The United States Army purchased several hundred aircraft; nine DHC-2s are still in service with the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary (Civil Air Patrol) for search and rescue. By 1967, over 1,600 Beavers had been constructed prior to the closure of the original assembly line. Various aircraft have been remanufactured and upgraded. Additionally, various proposals have been made to return the Beaver to production.
The “Wheels” part of the event takes over the small town of Hammondsport. Click here for more pictures of the car show portion.
The coolest part of the event was all of the seaplane activity. They had a spot landing contest and a bomb dropping contest (they had to drop a grapefruit to hit the water between 2 pylons). Click here for more pictures of the seaplanes.
The Finger Lakes Beer Company is next to the Best Western. A great little tavern that serves locally brewed beer. Notice that the foam on their sign forms the finger lakes.
Want an aerodynamic car? Then start with an airplane. Someone has repurposed an aircraft into a road worthy car. Very cool!
District Harley Davidson hosted a weekend full of activities over the long Labor Day weekend. We attended the festivities on Saturday. Our 1975 Lomax was there on display. The weather was perfect and best of all, they had free food! Click here for some pictures.
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.
Earlier this month, the Flymall Team visited the AACA Museum. Click here for pictures from our visit to the museum.
How about repurposing an old shopping mall to house your collection of classic cars. Here’s a guy who did just that. Checkout the Classic Auto Mall.
Classic Auto Mall by the Numbers:
336,000 square foot climate controlled building
8 acres under one roof
Showroom space for 1,000 vehicles for sale and 400 barn finds on display-Capacity of 1,400 vehicles indoors!
40-acre property with 1,500 feet of frontage on the Pennsylvania Turnpike
28 acres paved, lined and lighted parking lot with space for 2,500 vehicles
Parking for 1,000 additional vehicles on the outside green space
Have an old motorcycle that doesn’t run. Turn it in to a mailbox!
Barn Finds/Hangar Finds: Need an appraisal on your barn find? Visit our Appraisal Page for information on our appraisals.
“Barn Finds”, they’re out there. Here is a 1928 Morgan Aero that was recently discovered. It had been hanging in a barn for 50 years. I guess you can say that it was repurposed as art for those 50 years. The Morgan Motor Company was founded in 1910 by Henry Frederick Stanley Morgan. The early cars were two-seat or four-seat three-wheelers, and are therefore considered to be cyclecars. Three-wheeled vehicles avoided the British tax on cars by being classified as motorcycles. Morgan three wheelers are iconic in the world of both British cars as well as three wheelers. H.F.S. Morgan quit the Great Western Railway in 1904 and co-founded a motor sales and servicing garage in Malvern Link. In 1909 he designed and built a car (a three wheeler) for his own use. Previously he developed the first independent front suspension in the engineering shop of Malvern College. He began production a year later and the company prospered. Production of three wheelers approached 1000 by WW1. Morgan soon had both racing and touring models. Morgan’s first four wheeler came in 1935 with three wheelers phased out in 1952. Morgan continued to run the company until he died at age 77 in 1959.
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.
Weather in the news: Here’s an awesome vehicle in our collection that came to be because of weather. We’re calling it the Cutlass Rollfast. Here’s the story; On Friday, June 29, 2012, a derecho hit the Mid-Atlantic region. The results were disastrous. N96747, a 1984 CESSNA 172Q Cutlass, was flipped onto it’s back as a result of this storm. The plane was totaled by the insurance company. The flight school that owned the plane kept it to salvage parts from it. After the school was finished with the plane around 2016, it was time to remove the plane from the airport and send it to the scrap yard. Harry said “Wait”! He said that he wanted a section of the fuselage to make a sidecar for a bike or motorcycle. They all laughed at the idea. But he did get the section that he wanted. Harry interviewed many builders to find the right person to do what he wanted. About the year 2020, Harry was introduced the Steve Weddles. Steve was the man that could do what he wanted. Harry basically gave him free rein to be creative and build an awesome sidecar and attach it to a 1950s Synder Rollfast bicycle that he had. The build took just over a year. This is the result. It is not finished yet. We still have some little things to do. Steve and his sister Jean delivered the bike to him on August 14 2022 in Jean’s 1960 VW Single Cab. The had the sidecar mounted on the opposite side of the bike so it would be a righthand drive bike. Steve also incorporated several items we had from a 1941 Boeing Stearman that include the seat belts and a map box that is mounted behind the seat in the sidecar. Pictured here is the plane, the plane on it’s back, the section of the fuselage that we started with, the delivery vehicle, and the almost finished product.
This month we also saw a major hurricane hit the US. Hurricane Ian made landfall on September 28 2022.
Hurricane Ian September 26
Hurricane Ian September 27
Hurricane Ian September 28
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. Coming in 2023, we will be redoing the TWA Association website. We will also be open to membership with membership benefits. Stay tuned!
Kraemer Aviation/Flymall.org is now the new owner of the popular 3 wheeler site 3-Wheelers.com. Look for some updates coming soon. We will be adding a lot of new features to 3-wheelers.com. We’ll be adding a clubs section where clubs can advertise. We also plan to have a section where you can post 3-wheelers for sale as well as parts for sale. We’ll also have some 3-wheelers.com clothing and other products for sale.
The Chair-E-Yacht. This unique 3 wheel vehicle was designed to give more mobility to someone in a wheel chair. The idea is that you could roll a wheelchair up the ramp, lock yourself in, and then use the ‘yacht’ to navigate smaller streets. It was capable of hitting 15-20mph. It seems that only about 1,200 were ever built. Every now and then, one will come up for sale. Here is our price data on this unique 3 wheeler from our Market Watch section of the Flymall.
Want a reproduction vintage 3 wheeler. Walker Aviation can scratch built from pictures or drawings. Visit his page on the Flymall.
Prototypes: Here’s a home that was designed to look like a spaceship. It was called the Futuro. A Futuro house, or Futuro Pod, is a round, prefabricated house designed by Finnish architect Matti Suuronen, of which fewer than 100 were built during the late 1960s and early 1970s. The shape, reminiscent of a flying saucer. During the 1960s, there were two of these in the Dundalk/Baltimore Maryland area. There is currently one at the Eagle Crest-Hudson Airport in Delaware.
Nautical Notes: Did you know that after the Vietnam war, Vietnamese farmers recycled thousands of external fuel tanks from U.S. aircraft to create makeshift river boats and canoes. There was most likely a lot of these available. They were light weight and water tight. They probably made an excellent canoe.
Cosmic Muffin
Have you heard of the Cosmic Muffin? It’s a boat made from the fuselage of a Boeing 307 Stratoliner that was once owned by Howard Hughes. Hughes turned his 307 into the “Flying Penthouse”, with much more powerful engines, and full of luxuries. The plane was eventually sold to an oil tycoon in 1949, but was damaged by a hurricane in 1964 while parked and rendered unfit to fly. The aircraft was then moved to a scrapyard, where it was then purchased for just $62 by a local pilot and realtor, Kenneth W. London. Ken decided to convert the unflyable aircraft into a plane boat. Ken removed the wings and transported it to a local marina, where he spent the next 4 years making it sea worthy. Ken completed the project into 1974, and was the proud owner of a fully operational 307 Yacht named the “The Londaire”. The boat was once again sold in 1981 to Dave Drimmer, who named in “Cosmic Muffin”. Dave discovered the boat was barely holding together, so performed major restorations on the structure, and refitted the interior to its former ‘VIP lounge’. The boat is controlled by the original flight controls, and uses two inboard V8 engines for power.
Here’s a cool little boat made from an outrigger or pylon from a Short Sunderland flying boat The Short S.25 Sunderland was a British flying boatpatrol bomber, developed and constructed by Short Brothers for the Royal Air Force (RAF). The first flight was October 16 1937. The Sunderland was one of the most powerful and widely used flying boats throughout WWII.
Here’s a house that was a boat. It was taken from the top of a V4-M-A1 oceangoing tug, used in World War II by the U.S. Maritime Commission.
Modern Day Pirate Ship
How would you like to live on a pirate ship? Someone did just that. Here’s an old boat that was converted into a live aboard pirate ship. The earliest documented instances of piracy are the exploits of the Sea Peoples who threatened the ships sailing in the Aegean and Mediterranean waters in the 14th century BC. The most widely recognized and far-reaching pirates in medieval Europe were the Vikings. Queen Ann’s Revenge (Blackbeard) is one of the most famous pirate ships. Blackbeard’s piracy ranged across the Caribbean and North America from the late 17th to early 18th centuries. In November 1717, he stole a French slaving vessel, La Concorde, and set about converting it into a fearsome pirate ship. When he was done with his renovations, the vessel had 40 cannons onboard and bore the name Queen Anne’s Revenge.
Riding The Rails: Train cars are very common to be used as bridges.
Home sweet train!. A railroad box car converted into a home.
A caboose resturaunt.
Animals in the headlines: What could be better than going surfing in the summer time? How about being able to carry your surfboard on your motorcycle! And better yet, being able to take your dog with you. This is a Russian made Ural motorcycle with a sidecar rig that has also been setup to carry a surfboard. How cool is this? The Ural is such a rugged bike, that you can modify it to do most anything. Checkout our Ural in our collection and read about the history of the Ural Motorcycle by clicking here.
Here is another Ural that was modified to carry a dog as well as a surfboard. Very cool rig!
We close this newsletter with these words: Never underestimate the power of a kind word or deed.
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Welcome to the Kraemer Aviation/Flymall.org Wheels & Wings Newsletter. The theme this month is “Accessorise”. We’re using the British spelling of the word. Accessorize is the North American spelling. Accessorise is the preferred British spelling. It is interesting to look at some of these accessories that were offered not too long ago and realize how unacceptable they would be today, such as this!
We have a lot of news this month. The Flymall team was very busy with numerous aviation events as well as some very cool car shows. Hope you enjoy the newsletter this month.
Interested in living at an airport? Visit our Aviation Real Estate page here. You can view price data for airport property in our Market Watch section of the Flymall. Here is the data for all airport property. You can refine the search by “state” simply by searching for the desired state under “Model”. We do have a 1900 foot grass strip (Keymar Airport) for sale in Carroll County Maryland. Click here for details. Harry and Sarah hosted an open house and fly-in/car show at Keymar Airport earlier this month. The weather keep airplanes from flying in. We did have a few motorcycles show up. Free food and drinks were available. Click here for more pictures from the event.
History Trivia: The first navigation systems used in automobiles.
The “camper” or “travel trailer”. In the 1950s up into the 1970s, car manufacturers offered camper options for their cars like the one shown below on a Chevy Vega. Did you know that the covered wagons of the 1800s gave birth to what we know as a travel trailer. The first travel trailers were just tents placed on a platform on wheels so they could be easily moved. By 1915 we had hard-sided travel trailers. By the 1920s, travel trailers looked more like what we have today. Then in 1929, a guy named Arthur Sherman built the first “modern” travel trailer.
The motorhome. Here’s one that has a fold up upper deck area as an option. If you’re interested in the value of these old campers, visit our Market Watch section of the Flymall and search for Kamp King Koaches under Make.
Here’s another camper accessory, this is a 1965 Studebaker Daytona Wagonaire with Kamp King camper.
Did you know that on June 17 1946, the first mobile telephone call is placed from a car in St. Louis, Missouri. Car phones were the thing to have in the 1980s and early 1990s. Now we all carry cell phones. Some of us even wear them!
Did you know??? Robert William Kearns was an American engineer, educator and inventor who invented the most common intermittent windshield wiper systems used on most automobiles from 1969 to the present. Kearns tried to offer his idea to the “Big Three” auto makers, however not one seemed interested. Eventually Kearns would have patent infringement cases against Ford Motor Company and a case against Chrysler Corporation for his intermittent windshield wiper system.
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: Glenn Curtiss had a lot of achievements in aviation and the motorcycle industry. This month Glenn Curtiss gets some special recognition here in our newsletter. The Flymall team attended the “DAWN OF A LEGACY” exhibit at the Glenn Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport New York.
On August 18 1984, Harry took his first official flight lesson in N2346V, a Piper Tomahawk. He had been flying in general aviation aircraft since the late 1960s. On this day in 1984, he actually took the flight controls for the first time.
And on August 18 2022, 38 years after Harry’s first flight lesson, he gave a flight instructor checkride to Or Hadar. She did an excellent job. Textbook perfect. She will make an outstanding flight instructor. How appropriate to give a checkride to an instructor just like the one that gave Harry his first lesson 38 years ago. Click on the image below for a larger view.
The ambulance accessory for the Piper Cub. These were converted by the military to be used as an aerial ambulance. Every now and then, one will be at the EAA’s annual AirVenture show in Oshkosh.
Here is a Gulfstream that has been modified (accessorized) with a large dome like feature on top of the fuselage. It is actually a large sensor. This aircraft is used by the Missile Defense Agency as “High Altitude Observatory” platforms.
A very cool accessory for your plane. Take your motorcycle with you when you go flying.
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. We currently have several used aircraft for sale.
Would you fly an aircraft powered with an electric motor? Ampaire has successfully flown a Cessna 337 with the front engine replaced with an electric motor. Is it an engine or a motor? Click here for a post we did regarding the question, engine or motor. Ampaire’s experimental Cessna 337 pictured here. It has a piston Continental engine in the back and an electric motor in the front. Ampaire has been flying Cessna 337s with an electric motor since 2019.
Earlier this month, Pat and Harry attended the Dawn of a Legacy exhibit at the Glenn Curtiss Museum. The museum had a lot of Glenn Curtiss’ early motorcycles on display as well as numerous engines that he designed. A great museum in a fabulous area of New York. The weather was perfect for the flight up and the return flight in N36777.
They landed at Penn Yan Airport, home of the world famous Penn Yan Aero. Of course they had to get a tour of the factory. Penn Yan Aero was established in 1945 by Harold Middlebrook. Since then, the company has been continuously owned and managed by the Middlebrook Family. The Middlebrooks are active aircraft owners, pilots, and mechanics. They have focused their attention and resources on Lycoming and Continental aircraft engines; no removals or installations, just engines. Click here for more pictures of the Penn Yan Aero tour. Click here for our Glenn Curtiss Museum in the Day Tripper section of the Flymall.
Here’s Harry next to a Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major radial engine at the museum. The Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major is an American 28-cylinder four-row radial piston aircraft engine designed and built during World War II. At 4,362.5 cu in, it is the largest-displacement aviation piston engine to be mass-produced in the United States, and at 4,300 hp, it is also the most powerful.
The Finger Lakes region has a long history in wine making. Of course, Pat & Harry had to visit a winery (Weis Winery) and pick up some wine to bring home. Here’s Harry picking out a barrel of wine for the return trip. Click here for more pictures of the winery.
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.
Pat, Jett, & Harry attended the annual Simple Transport Show in Hagerstown Maryland. The show is open to all air-cooled VWs as well as bicycles. Jett has a lot of friends there, she has been going there since she was 2 months old. Click here for pictures from the show. Our new custom made sidecar bicycle won a top 5 bicycle award and our 1898 Rex Tandem won a top 5 bicycle award as well as the People’s Choice Award.
Harry is now an insurance producer. He will be writing Hagerty Collector Car Insurance. So look for him at car shows for a quote. We are becoming your one stop shop for all things wheels and wings; insurance, appraisals, sales/broker services, service, flight training, aircraft title work, and more.
One of the regular attendees at the Laytonsville Cruise In has a 1922 Cadillac that has some really cool options or accessories.
Under the hood, there is a work lamp or an emergency lamp that is on a retractable cord. It even works still.
On the instrument panel / dash panel, there is a cigarette lighter that extends to the rear seats.
The 1922 Cadillac has it’s own air compressor to inflate the tires. It works off of the transmission.
Drive through coffee in the 1950s and 1960s? Not really! So Volkswagen offered an alternative, a coffee maker for the VW Beetle.
It is not known for sure how many were made. This would be a cool item to find in a flea market or yard sale.
Somewhere out there, someone has a VW coffee maker. Let us know if you have ever seen one.
Here’s a very cool accessory. The 1956 Powell Sport Wagon offers two pull out fishing rod holders and a pull out bait box.
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.
A cool accessory.
Here is a liquid tire chain option offered by General Motors, shown here on a 1969 Camaro.
It has been said that necessity is the mother of invention. Well in the case of this newsletter, necessity is the mother of accessory. From Popular Science, November, 1937. Motorized Trailer Pushes Bicycle. An itinerant knife grinder has devised a “cart-before-the-horse” rig to ease his labors on long-distance bicycle journeys. When he tires of pulling his trailer, with its motor-driven grinding machinery, he hitches the motor to the wheels and the trailer pushes him.
Now-a-days we have self parking cars. Back in the 1930s, the technology was not available for this. So here is a cool invention or accessory to assist in parallel parking. Click here for a YouTube video showing “Fifth Wheel Driving”.
Here’s an accessory that could certainly be confusing. Image think you are applying the brake on the left side, and hit the gas pedal.
Checkout this classic VW Beetle all decked out with accessories. Roof top camper, swamp cooler, rear window shades, luggage rack, and more.
Own a bike, and have no place to store it? Here’s the solution. The Cycle-Shed. The perfect accessory for your bicycle.
1959 Ford Fairlane 500 Country Squire 4-Door Push Button Station Wagon Camper! Accessories galore with this one!
This was a one-off concept that was displayed for the media and dealers in order to gauge potential interest in a new type of (more versatile) station wagon.
In the 1950s, Ford has established itself as the “Wagon Master”. Of the millions of station wagon units produced, there was the Country Squire.
From 1950 through the 1991 model years, eight generations of the Country Squire were produced.
Although all Ford Country Squires feature wood-grain body trim, only the first-generation 1950-1951 versions are true “Woodies”. The genuine wood body panels were manufactured at the Ford Iron Mountain Plant in the Michigan Upper Peninsula from lumber owned by Ford Motor Company. For 1952, all-steel bodies replaced wooden body structures to reduce production costs. Subsequently, exterior body trim consisted of simulated woodgrain
In late 1958, Ford started toying with the idea of whether one such Country Squire could be even more than just a daily driver. The result was a most glorious and modern camper for “travelers and sportsmen,” which packed everything – including the kitchen sink. In fact, it packed even more than the basic amenities since it also featured a rowing boat and, even better, deploying it was entirely automated.
How about a hammock in the back seat for your baby?
Barn Finds/Hangar Finds: Need an appraisal on your barn find? Visit our Appraisal Page for information on our appraisals. You can visit our insurance page on the Flymall to get a quote for insurance on your collector vehicle.
We’re sure that there are still a few of these European campers sitting in a barn somewhere. This one offers an upper deck with an awning.
It’d be very cool to find one of these in a barn somewhere in Europe. During the German occupation of The Netherlands people still used a car without gasoline or fuel because of shortages. In this picture, a Ford V8 is drawn by a horse. The spot that would usually house the engine, is now being used as the drivers’ seat. This picture was taken in Holland on May 14th 1941.
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.
Weather in the news: Next month the theme is “Repurpose”. We’ll be featuring our Cutlass Rollfast Bicycle sidecar creation that came about due to some weather. Look for it in our September Wheels & Wings newsletter.
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.
Kraemer Aviation/Flymall.org is now the new owner of the popular 3 wheeler site 3-Wheelers.com. Look for some updates coming soon. We will be adding a lot of new features to 3-wheelers.com. We’ll be adding a clubs section where clubs can advertise. We also plan to have a section where you can post 3-wheelers for sale as well as parts for sale. We’ll also have some 3-wheelers.com clothing and other products for sale.
Do you like to ride motorcycles and go boating as well? You cannot pull your boat trailer with your bike, so here’s a motorcycle with the perfect accessory for you! And it’s a 3 wheeler too! These were made in the UK in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
Want a reproduction vintage 3 wheeler. Walker Aviation can scratch built from pictures or drawings. Visit his page on the Flymall.
Prototypes: Car manufacturers will often use prototypes or concept cars to “test” new accessories or technology before they put them into production. General Motors designer, Harley Earl is generally credited with inventing the concept car.
Prototypes or concept vehicles are not just limited to cars. Us aviators see them as well. Glass cockpits are common now in general aviation aircraft. But there was a time when general aviation glass cockpits were experimental. Click here for an article that Harry wrote in 2003 on the “New” glass panel in the Cirrus SR22. The plane that Harry flew at the time was certified as an “Experimental”. Hard to think of glass panels as experimental now.
Nautical Notes: Here’s a superyacht that is all accessorized out. The SuRi is a 208 foot long superyacht equipped with just about every land, sea, and air toy you can possibly imagine. You can charter her for only $350,000 a week.
While attending the Glenn Curtiss Museum event, Pat & Harry visited the Finger Lakes Boating Museum. Housed in old historic Taylor Wine Company buildings, there are over 150 boats on display. The building was built in the 1800s and has some awesome stone work and some very cool arched wooden doors. The museum collection has more than 200 boats built by many of the 40 plus builders identified to date as having built boats throughout the Finger Lakes Region during the last century.
Here’s the wine tasting room in the basement of the Finger Lakes Boating Museum.
Pat & Harry spent some time at Keuka Lake. This lake is one of the major Finger Lakes in the state of New York. It is unusual because it is Y-shaped, in contrast to the long and narrow shape of the other Finger Lakes. Because of its shape, it was referred to in the past as Crooked Lake. Keuka means “canoe landing” in the Iroquois language and “lake with an elbow” in the Seneca language. The Finger Lakes are a group of eleven long, narrow, roughly north–south lakes in an area called the Finger Lakes region in New York, in the United States. These glacial finger lakes originated as a series of northward-flowing streams. Around two million years ago, the first of many continental glaciers of the Laurentide Ice Sheet moved southward from the Hudson Bay area, initiating the Pleistocene glaciation. Here are a few pictures taken during their visit earlier this month.
Riding The Rails: A necessary accessory on trains, called a sandbox. A sandbox is a container on most locomotives that holds sand, which is dropped on the rail in front of the driving wheels in wet and slippery conditions and on steep grades to improve traction. Sometimes not all accessories are for the cool factor.
Animals in the headlines: Here’s a cool electric bicycle accessorised with a sidecar designed for dogs. The electric motor was designed to look like a V-twin. How cool is this?
You can even accessorise your two wheel bike or motorcycle to carry your dog. Check it out here!
We close this newsletter with these words: Be someone’s hero!
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This month its all about the drive or the journey – getting there (the people, the machine, the journey)! Including scenic routes, awesome boating trips, flying to Oshkosh, rowing around the world, and more.
This month, many pilots around the world are converging on Oshkosh.
Here’s a shot of some warbirds flying into Oshkosh.
The arrival path into Oshkosh. Every pilot needs to experience this at least once in their life. It is an awesome experience. There is so much to see and do.
This month is about the journey and July happens to be the month that in 1969, a spaceship took off from earth heading to the moon to have the first humans walk on the moon. The ultimate journey. Apollo 11 (July 16–24, 1969) was the American spaceflight that first landed humans on the Moon. Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin landed the Apollo Lunar ModuleEagle on July 20, 1969, at 20:17 UTC, and Armstrong became the first person to step onto the Moon’s surface six hours and 39 minutes later, on July 21 at 02:56 UTC. Aldrin joined him 19 minutes later, and they spent about two and a quarter hours together exploring the site they had named Tranquility Base upon landing. Armstrong and Aldrin collected 47.5 pounds (21.5 kg) of lunar material to bring back to Earth as pilot Michael Collins flew the Command Module Columbia in lunar orbit, and were on the Moon’s surface for 21 hours, 36 minutes before lifting off to rejoin Columbia.
History Trivia: Did you know that Alice Huyler Ramsey, the first woman to drive across the US. She did this trip in 1909. On June 9, 1909, this 22-year-old housewife and mother began a 3,800-mile journey from Hell Gate in Manhattan, New York, to San Francisco, California, in a green, four-cylinder, 30-horsepower Maxwell DA. The trip took 59 days. They arrived amid great fanfare on August 7, 1909.
Alice Ramsey with her Maxwell
Ramsey had always loved the open road. Her husband, John Ramsey, had gifted her a Maxwell Touring Car in 1908, and she became a common sight driving all over New Jersey. Very few women drove cars at this time, and Ramsey’s enthusiasm and composure behind the wheel caught the eye of some local Maxwell dealers. It was then that the Maxwell Company approached the Ramsey’s with the idea to let Alice drive one of their cars across the country. The company wanted to prove that not only was their vehicle durable, but was also easy to operate and repair. Maxwell provided her a car, covered all the expenses and alerted dealers and media about the trip.
Six years before Alice Ramsey made her trip, in 1903, George Wyman became the first person to make a transcontinental voyage across the United States by motor-vehicle. And he did it on a 1905 Yale California motorcycle. Wyman made the trip from San Francisco to New York City in 51 days. His motorcycle only had 1 and 1/4 horsepower. He is pictured here with the bike that made this incredible journey.
If riding a motorcycle across the country isn’t a long enough ride for you, check-out this journey. The longest road in the world to walk, is from Cape Town (South Africa) to Magadan (Russia). No need for planes or boats, there are bridges. It’s a 22,387 kilometers (13911 miles) and it takes 4,492 hours to travel. It would be 187 days walking nonstop, or 561 days walking 8 hours a day. Along the route, you pass through 17 countries, six time zones and all seasons of the year. Amazing!!!
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, Akhil passed his private pilot checkride today with Harry. He did an outstanding job. Near perfect on all maneuvers. He did this just a few weeks after his 17th birthday. Now he can fly a plane by himself anywhere in the world, however he still cannot drive a car by himself. His instructor was Tal Sabag. Harry did her CFI checkride just over a year ago. Her two most recent applicants both did outstanding. Way to go Akhil and Tal. Akhil plans to study aeronautical engineering in college and design planes one day.
Aviation/Aviators in the news: In the early 1990s, Harry had a student that was involved in a historic and record setting trip. A 16 year old Jimmy Mathis flew from coast to coast as a student pilot. He was the first student pilot ever to make such a trip and the youngest certificated pilot to do such a trip. Click here for an article written about this amazing trip.
Harry’s friend, Kathrin Kaiser from Germany made an incredible journey from Germany to Oshkosh earlier this month. She did this by herself in her single engine Grumman. What an amazing trip.
Here is the start
As of July 11 2022
Here she is as of July 15 2022
Day 22. She had flown 6700nm or 12400km from her home in Germany.
Crossing the English Channel can be a challenging journey. How about trying it in a human powered aircraft. The Gossamer Albatross is a human-powered aircraft built by American aeronautical engineer Dr. Paul B. MacCready‘s company AeroVironment. On June 12, 1979, it completed a successful crossing of the English Channel to win the second Kremer prize worth £100,000 (equivalent to £538,000 in 2021). Just before 6 am on June 12, 1979, amateur cyclist and pilot Bryan Allen powered the Albatross to the rehearsed speed of 75 revolutions per minute and took off from a point near Folkestone, England.
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: Have you ever driven the Tail of the Dragon? The Dragon has 318 curves in just 11 miles. What an awesome ride! It is a ride like no other place in the world. Some of the curves have been given nicknames like: Beginner’s End, Bust Bend, Shade Tree Corner, Hog Pen Bend, Sunset Corner and Mud Corner. There is a resort that has a tree decorated with various motorcycle parts lost in crashes on The Dragon. If you drive it, be careful.
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.
The Laytonsville Cruise In July 15 2022 Award Night was amazing. Great weather, great awards, and lots of new folks with their cars showed up. Click here for more pictures of the July 15 award night. Here’s what we’re doing for 2022:
For 2022, we will have guest judges each month. We will have a first & second place award each month and a Best Of Show award. The judges will pick their choice for a first and second place award and based on the schedule below, the themed car for that month will have a Best Of Show selected. We will also have a special award for the “Best Original Vehicle”, sponsored by Mel Short. The first and second place awards will be selected from ALL cars that night. The judges may give out other special awards as well. We will also have some awards for the kids that bring something cool to show off. And starting in July 2022, we will have a special award sponsored by Bingo – The Saints of Kulture’s Choice Award. We will also have a TFR Choice Award each month. This award will be selected by The Family Room.
Here’s what is coming up for award night:
August 19 2022 – Corvette night – Best Of Show Award for a Corvette September 16 2022 – Imports – Best Of Show Award for Imports October 21 2022 – British Cars – Best Of Show Award for a British Car
Harry’s friend, Lauren was also an award winner in July. Way to go Lauren.
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.
Since this month is all about the journey, did you know that the first transcontinental trucking delivery started on July 12 1916. William Warwick left Seattle on July 12 1916 driving a GMC 1 1/2 ton truck carrying evaporated milk heading to New York.
The Flymall team attended the Harley Davidson of Frederick Motorcycle Show. This show was to benefit the Hogs and Heroes Foundation. It was a great show with vendors, food, live band, and more. Click here for more pictures.
The AC took first place at the Harley Davidson of Frederick show.
As you may know, the Kraemer Aviation/Flymall team enjoys our motorcycles and we have a large collection of rare and unusual motorcycles and bicycles. Our bikes are ridden locally and/or trailered to shows. Grace McDonald is riding her KTM motorcycle around the world. Grace has a very cool story to tell about her journey.
Here is Grace’s story called Destination Everywhere:
It’s 2016, late on a Thursday night, Town Hall Station, Sydney: I’ve just left work and I’m watching rats scurry along the tracks as I wait for my train. I’m exhausted. I’ve been exhausted for a long time. Long days and nights as a corporate lawyer have not brought a fulfilling life, only grey fatigue. I just want to get on my motorcycle and ride away, and not come back.
Six months later, that’s exactly what I do. I pack my worldly possessions into the panniers of my KTM 690 Enduro and I ride out of town and I don’t look back.
I’ve been warned: everyone tells me that as a solo female, I won’t make it. That I am too weak, too vulnerable, too lacking in mechanical qualifications.
First, I ride into the deserts of central Australia, remote regions where I camp beside dry river beds and watch the unbelievably bright stars splash across the sky like milk. Day after day, the corrugated gravel roads bring me peace. People, when I find them, are friendly. They give me oranges from their gardens, fruit cake baked in camp ovens.
I have this idea that I’ll ride to Paris: it’s a long way away, and the route will take me through Asia and up through Iran. I think it will take me 18 months. I am wrong.
I ship my motorcycle into Asia via Timor Leste, the youngest country in the world. I’ve never been to an undeveloped country before; I reclaim my motorcycle from customs and ride through the chaotic streets, out in the villages, wide eyed as dirt tracks take me deep into the interior. This is a country of mountains, and kindness; deeply Catholic but animist in times of trouble; a place of generosity in the face of the fact that 40% of the population are stunted from malnutrition. I stay at convents, with the nuns and schoolgirls; at first they won’t let me in because, when I arrive on my big motorcycle in all my gear, they think I am a man.
Later, in the steam of hotsprings at night, I have a machete stand off with a survivor of the war of independence. He is clearly not well; a living ghost. He stakes out my door, chainsmoking cigarette after cigarette, before he takes his machete and vanishes with his mob of wild dogs, the same way that he came.
The first time I cross a land border – Timor Leste to Indonesia – I am tingling with excitement. Imagine riding around the whole world on your motorcycle. I am addicted.
I fall in love with Indonesia, island hopping for nearly a year, losing myself in a simple version of life which rotates around rice, fish, and family. This is a country where people truly love motorcycles: more than once, I ride into a small town to be greeted by strangers who are waiting for me. How did they know I was coming? The moto family is sprawling and vibrant; the grapevine works formidably.
In Borneo, I cry over a damaged camshaft and replace my rocker arms. In Cambodia I do it again, this time without the tears. On a road in Java I hit the back of a car that stops suddenly, denting the bumper; the driver gets out and apologises and asks that God bless me. In Sulawesi, a car hits me from behind and I go down; but I get up again, and straighten my barkbusters, and don’t complain. Everything works out in the end.
My original timeframe has long passed by the time I talk my way into Vietnam, against all laws and all odds. I ride all the way to the Chinese border, shivering through mountains shrouded with cloud, places where the only warming soup available is made out of pony.
When Covid closes the borders and the music stops, I am in Thailand. Everyone asks me if I will ‘go home’ now, but where is home? The money runs out. My motorcycle is stuck on the wrong side of the Cambodian border. I am penniless, alone, bereft in the midst of a pandemic.
So I learn to ride enduro, and I learn to speak Thai. Suddenly, my whole world opens up: it turns out that meaning of life is not only motorcycles, but specifically dirt biking. I ride a 2 stroke enduro machine for the first time and I am hooked, and the answers to everything emerge. I start a business with my Thai friends. Now, I run enduro and road tours through the mountains of Northern Thailand between November and February; the rest of the year, I ride the whole world.
The Flymall team attended District Harley Davidson’s Bikes, Brews, and BBQ event on July 23. The Lomax made the trip uneventfully. Click here for more pictures from the July 23 BBQ. District Harley Davidson hosts a lot of events throughout the year. Checkout their Facebook page for all of their events. You can checkout our schedule of shows we attend here. If you need an appraisal on your classic car or motorcycle, we offer discounts at shows. Click here for information on our appraisals.
Barn Finds/Hangar Finds: Need an appraisal on your barn find? Visit our Appraisal Page for information on our appraisals.
The topic this month is the “Journey”. And he is an interesting “basement crawl-space find” for this month. This collection has an interesting 2 part journey. If you stayed overnight in a motel before the late 1990s, you most likely received a key connected to a large metal or plastic key fob. The initial purpose for these tags, which were primarily made of a heavy metal, were so guests wouldn’t forget to the return them. Harry’s father (Ed Kraemer) was a truck driver. He loved to travel. As a young boy, Harry’s family would take a lot of weekend trips and his father was staying in motels almost daily. Ed started collecting the motel key fobs (back then, they were just referred to a key chains). Ed kept the key fobs in metal coffee cans until the family was able to purchase their own single family home with a basement so Ed had a place to display the collection. Harry helped with putting the key fobs on these boards. Some of the fobs are likely from the 1950s. Ed continued collecting them up to the early 1980s until his health was failing and he could no longer work. After he passed away in 1983, Harry moved away and the collection was lost. As Harry’s aviation career “took-off”, Harry would often think about the collection whenever he stayed in a motel and was given a key fob like in his dad’s collection. Harry did not know the whereabouts of the collection, however, over the years he hoped that one day he would be reunited with it. In 2021, the collection was found and Harry was contacted and asked if he wanted it. Yes! Was the answer. The collection was found in the basement crawl-space of Harry’s childhood home. So after nearly 40 years, the collection that Ed Kraemer started in the 1960s, was reunited with Harry. This collection was a journey collecting them and then being lost for nearly 40 years and then making the journey back to Harry was amazing.
This month we have a couple of Camaro barn finds. This 1967 Camaro had been sitting outside untouched from 1974 to 2004. Then the car was sold to the second owner and packed into a barn until it was recently discovered by a Camaro enthusiasts. Click here for the full story on this awesome find.
The second one is a red 1967 Camaro SS 396 that spent 43 years in a pole barn. They’re out there, you just need to look for them. The story goes like this: The owner parked the Camaro in his pole barn behind his house in Wisconsin in 1975. He had purchased the vehicle in 1972 for just $800.00. He did have plans to restore it, however, life happens, family, etc. In 2018 he decided to pull the car from the barn and sell it. Turns out, it was/is a matching numbers SS 396. We could not find any information on what the car sold for or if he did sell it. This just reinforces the fact that there are gems out there just waiting to be found. Click here for more reading on this barn find.
1967 SS 396
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.
If you’re restoring a General Motors barn find, as of July 13 2022, you may be able to get help from general Motors. There are reports that GM has filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for the trademark “GM Restoration.” General Motors has not released any details as of the writing of this newsletter. We’ll need to wait and see with this one.
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, Elizabeth passed her initial flight instructor checkride with Harry as the DPE. Elizabeth is a very gifted and natural pilot. This was their 4th checkride together. Harry did her private, instrument, commercial, and now her CFI. She did this in her own Cessna 150. She soloed at the age of 17 and had her commercial pilot certificate by the age of 18. She was a commercial pilot before she had her driver’s license. She was able to get paid to fly, however she could not drive herself to the airport. And now, she can teach you to fly an airplane.
Weather in the news: As thousands of planes head for Oshkosh and millions attend this annual show, weather can always be an issue for the last week of July. In fact, some years, it has been referred to as Sloshkosh! Here are a few pictures taken this year of the storms there.
Planes need to be tied down and very secure before these mid summer storms arrive.
Here’s one that wasn’t so lucky.
The storms usually make for a beautiful sunset.
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.
Want a reproduction vintage 3 wheeler. Walker Aviation can scratch built from pictures or drawings. Visit his page on the Flymall.
Prototypes:
Nautical Notes: Meet Ellen Falterman. Checkout her Facebook Expeditions page here. Ellen is a 26 year old, pilot, flight instructor, and extreme adventurer. She is currently preparing for an adventure that is like no other. Ellen is planning to row around the world. This is a 40,000 plus mile trip. She expects the trip to take about 7 years (maybe longer). She will be using a custom built ocean rowboat built in the United Kingdom. Navigation will be via GPS and a sexton. She’ll be starting the trip sometime in 2022 from her home state of Texas. Her first stop will be Florida and then down go go through the Panama Canal. Ellen is pictured here with her boat the “Evelyn Mae”. The Evelyn Mae was built for Ellen by Rannoch Adventure.
Ellen’s longest distance in the open ocean will be when she crosses the Pacific. This will be about 8,000 miles and her estimate is that it will take her 8 to 12 months. So Ellen will be on her boat, for 8 to 12 months non-stop. She will not get off for breaks or rest periods. Her boat can hold about 12 months of supplies. The Pacific crossing will just be Ellen and her boat.
Ellen is taking the international trip of a lifetime. How would you like to go on an international trip in your backyard? ZAVIKON ISLAND is home to a bridge that, at only 32 feet in length, is considered the shortest international bridge in the world. It connects a Canadian island with an American island in the middle of the Saint Lawrence River. So every time you go to your backyard, you have taken an international journey. This property is a private residence, both islands are part of a family’s home.
Who doesn’t love traveling on a cruise ship? Here’s a canal in Greece that makes the journey just as exciting as the cruise; the Canal of Corinth, Greece. Breathtaking views going through the canal.
Want to experience what it was like to sail on a Baltimore Clipper ship like the ones built over 100 years ago? The tall ship Liberty Clipper offers windjammer sailing vacation cruises on such a sailing ship. The Liberty Clipper is a replica sailing ship whose design was inspired by the Baltimore Clipper style of vessels which were predominant along the East Coast in the early 19th century. So you can go back in time and experience what it was like to sail on a Baltimore Clipper ship from the 19th century.
What’s better than a sailboat or motorboat? An amphibious vehicle. Did you know that the first self propelled amphibious vehicle was tested on July 13 1805? The vehicle was developed/invented by Oliver Evans. Click here for a short story about his invention.
Oliver Evans’ vehicle was steam powered. Steam was the choice of power during the era.
Steam Power beginnings: In 1698 Thomas Savery patented a pump with hand-operated valves to raise water from mines by suction produced by condensing steam. In about 1712 another Englishman, Thomas Newcomen, developed a more efficient steam engine with a piston separating the condensing steam from the water
Riding The Rails: If you enjoy vintage trains, here’s a journey for you. The Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad in West Virginia. The railroad uses vintage locomotives and passenger cars to give you an awesome experience through scenic West Virginia.
The Autumn Colors Express is another vintage passenger train in West Virginia. The 2022Autumn Colors Express takes you on a day-long journey through the New River Gorge National Park, at the peak of the fall foliage season. The round trip from Huntington, WV to Hinton, WV lets you experience this beautiful area of West Virginia in a way few do. This special passenger train pulled by Amtrak is comprised entirely of privately-owned vintage rail cars from all over the nation, assembled exclusively for this event. This will be a great experience later this year.
Animals in the headlines: Our wolfdog, Jett is gearing up for some awesome journeys this winter once we have some snow on the ground.
We close this newsletter with these words: Think big thoughts, but relish small pleasures.
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