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Bruce Bennett - Dec 08,2011
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Hi Everyone,<br /><br /> Today our SeaRey left the hanger at Merritt Island Airport and is going to it's new home in Fruitvale, Texas, close to Dallas. It's new owners are James & Gloria West, very nice people from Texas. We are sure it will be in good hands with James & Gloria.<br /><br /> Bruce & I have loved the SeaRey and enjoyed many splash in's and land landings for 9 years. We flew it to the Dry Tortugas, which was the highlight of all the of flying we did with the SeaRey. We sailed in two different sailboats, one a 27 ft Hunter, and the other a 31 ft Hunter, to the Dry Tortugas, ( Fort Jefferson ) 90 miles West of Key West, Florida, and to fly there was truly a treat!! <br /><br /> I'm sending along a few pictures of James leaving with the SeaRey early this AM. It was 81 degrees yesterday, today it was a very cold 48 degrees. What a difference a day makes!! In one of the pictures we saw that James had 'company' in his first leg of his trip...........a large bird was flying along side James!! James & Gloria are already on the Splash & Dash site, so please welcome them as new SeaRey owners!!<br /><br /> Judy & Bruce Bennett
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Kenneth Leonard - Dec 08,2011
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Welcome James and Gloria! Hope you warm up soon.
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Don Maxwell - Dec 08,2011
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As Ken said, James and Gloria, welcome! And remember 'POP WUFF 70' to stay safe.
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Joe Varner - Dec 08,2011
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The Searey still looks great. It is actually the first Searey that I ever seen in person. I was at the Aventura <br />factory many years back going for a demo flight in a Aventura when Bruce landed and was talking to Bill <br />the factory pilot. I was so interested in the Searey that Bill kidding said to Bruce that you need to get that <br />thing out of here. The Searey was sure making the Aventuras look bad. I did buy a used Aventura and it <br />was not a bad plane but I'm much happier after selling the Aventura and buying my Searey..
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Mike Purinton - Dec 08,2011
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James & Gloria Welcome to the Searey community. I have a <br />Searey that could almost be a twin of yours. I'm up at the <br />Grayson county airport ( KGYI )by Lake Texoma. Let's get <br />together some time. Mike Purinton 903 786-3840
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Bruce Bennett - Dec 09,2011
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If you are wondering what happened to the left Elevator, James was doing his 41st water landing ( he was getting his Seaplane rating ) he was alone and he knew instantly what he had done..........he flared too much. He was lucky to be able to taxi to a house on the Lake ( he was also very lucky to have found a house on the lake ) and was able to bring it up onto the grass. James was very lucky, in many ways that day. James called the Instructor and the instructor was able to locate a part for him, someone had it in their hanger; and James fixed it, himself, the next day. Judy
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Daniel Paul Myers - Dec 09,2011
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Hangar? No. I had been looking at it in my Bedroom closet for the last <br />6 months. Good speed, Jack. Enjoy your new bird.
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Bruce Bennett - Dec 09,2011
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Hi Daniel, Oh so it was yours?? Thanks Daniel, I'm sure James was very much thankfull ( Bruce & I are very thankfull too.) Judy
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Daniel Paul Myers - Dec 09,2011
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The Wests were great. Good people (well, they ARE from<br />Texas!) Judy and Bruce, if you're ever this way and want to go fly, let me know!
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Bruce Bennett - Dec 09,2011
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The Wests have lived in Texas for 38 years, they both are originally from Canada, and go back there to visit every year for 3 months. Daniel, Bruce has been flying since we first got married in 1973. He got all kinds of ratings throughout the years, instrument, twin, flew scuba Charters out of Fort Lauderdale, he came real close to flying for Chalks Airlines, Seaplane Rating from Brown's and so on. I flew with USAIR, as a flight attendant, for 25 years, then they offered for the first and last time an early Retirement Package, which I gladly took. So, we both enjoyed 'flying' for many years. We seem to do things in 12 year intervals; and now it's time to get away from the flying, (although flying lasted much longer then the 12 year interval, 38 years to be exact) <br /><br />Bruce's first love, since he was 12 years old, has always been guns,hunting, making bullets (he has a bullet business on the side, for quite a few years) and shooting in competitions. This is the one thing that he has never gotten tired of doing. Judy
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Daniel Paul Myers - Dec 09,2011
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Bruce and my dad would get along just fine. He works at Lockheed (wow, almost 30 <br />years now) but his true passion is working as a lead engineer at Spikes Tactical on the <br />side. Never understood it, but he sure does enjoy it
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John Robert Dunlop - Dec 09,2011
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Judy, you and Bruce have been absolute stalwarts! I am really going to miss you!
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Bruce Bennett - Dec 09,2011
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Thanks John. We have met great people in the SeaRey Community, really fantastic people; and you, most definitely are one of them!! What is it that 'they' say, it's a great day when you buy a ( boat, or plane ), but it's an even greater day, the day that you sell it. A person knows they will be boating a lot, or flying a plane a lot, when they buy these things; but when a person realizes that they do not want to either be on a boat anymore, or fly a plane anymore; then it's time to move on to other things. We've enjoyed the SeaRey, and flew it every chance that we got; so there are no feelings of 'I wish I did more with either the boats or the plane.' We were on our boats either just enjoying them, racing them or taking them down to Key West; but when we found we were not using it as much, then it was time to rethink what should be done. Dan Nickens and Don Maxwell asked me to stay on as an 'Administrator' for the Splash & Dash, and I told them I would. Judy
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John Robert Dunlop - Dec 09,2011
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Right on, Judy!!
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James West - Dec 11,2011
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Thanks to everyone for the welcome. I made it back to Tailwind Airpark (Thompson) in Texas, safe and sound, although frozen stiff! When I arrived back at Colombia MS airport to start the second day of travel, the temperature was 27 deg., and the plane was totally frosted over. It took an hour and a half in the partial sun to thaw it out. Most of the trip was overcast, so not much greenhouse help. I can see a cockpit heater in the very near future! A special thanks to Don Laughlin, (my primary instructor), and to Daniel Meyers for the help during the “tailplane” episode. Don did a lot of calling around and found out about Daniel’s bedroom decoration, and Daniel came to our rescue with the left stabilizer and elevator that we needed. I was able to install the parts while standing in the weedy lake’s edge looking over my shoulder for ‘gators and water moccasins. Thanks also to Greg Burtner for taking time on his Sunday to fly over to Merritt Island and complete the check ride and paperwork for my endorsements. For those of you interested in the stats., the two day trip covered 1040 miles in 5 hops with 12.8 hours air time and burned 4.5 GPH. Altitude was between 1500 and 2500 feet. To Mike Purinton, we are pretty close and will give you a call sometime after I thaw out.<br />James & Gloria West <br />
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Don Maxwell - Dec 11,2011
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Good trip, James! <br /><br />It's easy to install a heater in a SeaRey--but check in at STS for info on that.
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Lee Pfingston - Dec 12,2011
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Changing tailfeathers while knee-deep in alligators, followed by a 1000 mile marathon. You are not a new searey owner, You are a veteran seareyer!<br /><br />Heater install is piece of cake, Get the lightweight one from John, watch the tube and hose routing Laying a bare leg against one hurts Pics if you desire
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Bruce Bennett - Dec 12,2011
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You are right Lee!! The SeaRey had a list of things to be done, (including taking out the old fuel) when James & Gloria first saw the plane. Bruce & I HAD to go to the Airport, and clean, with buckets of water, no battery to get to the one water hose at Merritt Island Airport, & wax the plane; at least. They liked it, and decided to buy it, within 30 minutes..........then James said to Bruce, 'let's get this plane ready to fly, tomorrow.' He wasn't kidding. James is the type of person that 'gets things done, promptly.' I had trouble getting Bruce to even look at the plane the past year or so, now Bruce was doing a lot of work to it, in just one day, with of course, James assisting. The next day wasn't a beautiful day, there was heavy rain squalls, winds 20 to 30 mph; not the best day to 'fix' a plane and go get all the things that they needed. Gloria & I were doing all the 'driving around' to get things they needed, like a Battery ( an hour's drive away), High Octane fuel, small parts and so on. Finally, the big moment came, starting the SeaRey. It took a little time, Bruce had to do some 'things' to engine..........then it started, Bruce put the new Carbs on himself, with James helping; but a few days later they were done the proper way, with a special tool or machine, I'm not sure. Judy
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Mike Freeman - Dec 18,2011
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James is based where I live and I am building a lsx,thompson airport is a great place for a searey since we <br />have quit alot of lakes (no as much as fla.) Iehavent got to get up close to see it but it is beautiful when I saw <br />it yesterday when I was taking a young eaglr up . hope to get a ride soon with james.
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