Builders:
In 2010 we held Corvair College #17 at a small private airstrip just north of Orlando. It was a large four day college that saw about 20 new engine runs. After looking at a number of public airports, which were not geared for having 90 people on hand for 24 hours a day, we found an airstrip owned by a gentleman who took only 5 minutes to sell on the idea of hosting a College. He really had no economic incentive to have us, it was all about welcoming other aviators. He really liked the idea of having almost everyone camping on the grounds, and said camaraderie was what was missing from aviation today. He quickly offered the use of his on site skeet range and said that he was going to buy the builders a keg of beer every night for the campground/bonfire. I told him I wasn’t sure that was needed, but I was sure that we had found the right local host.
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The College was a lot of fun, productive and memorable. You can see a lot of photos of it at this link: http://www.flycorvair.com/cc17.html , including a campground bonfire so big we used it to smelt scrap Corvair cases and heads. Truth be told, we spent so many hours working that we hardly used the skeet range, and we never emptied the keg any of the nights. The work was exhausting, but the hours spent together formed many friendships that have lasted the test of years since. While all Colleges are memorable, #17 is the one that often comes up in conversation as a landmark reference, same as the Woodstock festival was to music.
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When it was done, I sent out a short story on it to a number of aviation magazines, and referenced the webpage photos. Between 2000 and 2005 I wrote 50 magazine articles which were printed, mostly in EAA publications, and I was even a Contributing Editor. I had good relations with most people in the press then. It was a time when editors were clamoring for any story that could have the words “Grass Roots” attached to it. I thought the builders at CC #17 just experienced the most grass roots -old school event in experimental aviation in 2010, so I was sure it would get picked up……but no one called. A few weeks later I spoke with my mentor in publishing, a wonderfully kind person who took the time to remind me that the type of event we had might not translate well to the general readership. She closed the discussion by pointing out that I was “The only guy promoting alcohol, firearms and aviation.”
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Photo courtesy of Mark Langford
my 1st. of 14 colleges so far, to date, no one arrested for drinking, no one shot and not one person has walked into a turning prop. I could not suggest one change to the way the colleges are run. knowledge is powerful and I have come home from every college with a little more knowledge and a lot of new friends. dan-o
Dan-o,
Your picture with your engine is about half way down on the link.
-ww.
It was CC17 where I drop shipped most of the parts and assembled and ran my engine in that weekend. The bottom end is still running and approaching 500 hours after the next breakfast run. The new Uincorn Phase4 heads are working well still after 150 hours with the flat top 2850 Pistons. Steady diet of 100LL, Decalin and MMO. 100 diff comp check just like 20 hour base line.
That was a good CC, good old number 17
Ron,
There is a good picture of you in the photo link, cheering the moment your engine started. Looking at the pictures, It is nice to think that almost everyone took their engine fling in recent years, including Steve Sims, who is doing the ‘superman’ pose. Bob Lester’s engine found it’s way into his Pietenpol, and on to many stories on this site. and Dan’s Cleanex which flew in now has over, 1.000 hours on it. I look forward to the rest of the engines run at #17 getting to log the time as yours has. -ww.
I’ve been in aviation since the Johnson administration, made a significant investment in the American and German (during a military overseas assignment) brewing industry, and I own approximately 20 firearms including a double barrel percussion cap shotgun, a genuine ’03 Springfield as well as a beautiful little prewar L. C. Smith 20 ga side by side. Sign me up for all of the above “alcohol, firearms and aviation”. Let’s just not get to the John Boy and Billy Show (syndicated radio from North Carolina) whose motto is “I love the sound of drunken laughter and gunfire in the morning.”
Guns are scary.
Kevin, that same thought came to me when I was reading my Rod Marchado books and studying brochures of the latest $200K LSA planes from Europe.-ww.
I bet Mac McClellan finds guns scary, too.