Gulfstream pilot and Bucker restorer Mike Meloche was scheduled to make a trip from California to the UK, and in Santa Paula Pat Quinn was able to pick up the cowling from Joe and get it to the Mike. Now that is service! (and probably the fastest a Bücker cowling has ever flown) :)
The Gulfstream G-650 flew from Van Nuys California to the East Midlands airport in England at 45,000' and Mach 0.9 (540 knots avg GS) for a time of 8 hours and 42 min. Cutting over 1hour and twenty min off the equivalent commercial flight time.
Patt Quinn and Mike Meloche
Loading in California
And a few hours later in Scotland, albeit a less exotic form of transportation
Duncan Robertson with the new parts
Today I picked up my new cowl from the FBO at EMA. As you will see from the attached photograph it just went into the VW with about ½” to spare. i would like to publicly thank Mike Meloche and Pat Quinn for their help in keeping their promise and their efforts to make this happen. It saved me a considerable sum not only in the cost of transportation but that I would have had to have a decent crate made to transport the items and would have paid a tidy sum to import the parts, which I might add were received in the same condition as they left Joe Krybus in Santa Paula. So, my sincere thanks go to my two fellow conspirators, Messrs Meloche & Quinn for their help with this extraordinary delivery! - Duncan