A longstanding client of Cranfield Aerospace Maintenance gives the inside story of their beloved Piper Cherokee PA-28-140, which is currently in the hangar for a 100-hour check and annual inspection by the team.
The Red and White, 4-seat aircraft, which has a 150hp engine and a fixed pitch propeller, was imported brand new from America in 1967. After purchasing the aircraft in 1973 after obtaining their PPL a few years prior, the owner has been with Whisky India (WI) for the last 51 years, and still flies her regularly.
“I bought WI in partnership, initially, with one of the instructors I knew, and it cost nearly the price of a new house back then! It came with a brand new (reconditioned) engine, her fourth engine since manufacture, full service, and full tanks!
My co-owner and I had several years of happy partnership; one memorial flight called the ”kidney flight”, which was an arrangement where suitably equipped aircraft, with suitably qualified pilot/owners volunteered to be on call to fly, deliver, and transplant organs and kidneys – especially, at any time. Most aircraft accepted to be listed were twin-engine, except our single-engine WI, (now fully IFR equipped) – what an honour.
One night, my co-owner got called late one night to deliver a kidney from Newcastle to Gatwick airport! In WI…wow! He got there, dark wet and windy, but in plenty of time. He did say he was continually asked to keep his speed up on his landing approach, with all the big ones behind, that he nearly took the whole length of the runway to stop. (The kidney transplant was successful).
The flying club encouraged group trip flying to meetings, International Rallies, UK and abroad. Their aeroplanes worked hard, but it was a great experience and fun as well. Any silverware won was smartly snaffled, practically on landing home, for the Club House bar. Whisky India generally did quite well and was becoming quite well-known.
Some rallies we did in WI – The Swiss Watch 3 yearly Rally at Biene where 75 aircraft from all over Europe attended, three of which were from Newcastle. We timed-arrival, after a 2 hour intensive cross country, to do a spot landing, and were last to land – 10 seconds late! We were flying flat out nearly the whole journey, as one of the smallest aircraft we were slower in cruise, but we won best lady pilot!
While at Newcastle, Whisky India was hangared in Newcastle’s Bellman hangar, but in 1982 various changes came about. I now owned Whisky India outright as my co-owner partner had given up flying, and I had bought his share. My husband and I had decided to move South near Luton, Bedfordshire.
19/12/1982 – much snow up in Newcastle, and things took a wee while for the airport management to clear a way to the runway from her hangar. I flew WI down from Newcastle into Elstree, stayed o/night, then flew into Cranfield on this day, to the hangar she now is!
Back then, Cranfield had three runways: two long and one short, plus a beautiful, grassed runway. Radar Service was from RAF Bedford, so RAF times of availability, and out of hours authorised flying, a yearly fantastic Air Display, hosted the yearly P F A (Popular Flying Association) Weekend with hundreds of aircraft taking part. Hot stuff. Brilliant ATC. Quite an experience.
Also, lots of “Warbirds” were based at Cranfield. Gliding taking place over the weekends and the airfield was mostly shut at weekends.
For some time, WI maintenance continued at Newcastle as little aeroplanes were not then maintained at Cranfield – not for several years. WI and I trundled quite happily to and from Newcastle for those many years until Cranfied changed its policy regarding maintenance. Some time after, the Newcastle maintenance facility ceased, (Acorn Aviation,) due to engineer retirement, relocation etc, and Cranfield accepted contracting to do Whisky India’s maintenance, now in the other side of the hangar. Timely, indeed.
(In August 1988, Whisky India had a total respray, at Newcastle…but retaining her original livery, which she still has inside and out, except for her now-white nose cone!)
1996/97, Whisky had a new (an as-new, Lycoming reconditioned ,re-lifed )engine fitted by Cranfield which was our second engine. The one being replaced was in her third extension by now, so perhaps timely…although we still got full rebate on it. My first flight with the new engine. 25/1/97.
Whisky India, over the years, has flown all over Europe, Channel Islands, as well as Britain. My husband and I often flew to various places, staying over, with a hired car, to explore going where neither of us had been, or where we just fancied. Great fun. Some phenomenal flights and drives never to be forgotten.
Most flights abroad were preceded by a flight up to Inverness to drop off our whichever dog to board at the family home, then on return, nip back up to Inverness to collect same hound.
Whisky India has landed at over 400 different airports and airfields including Rotterdam which its very long runway and Shorham, UK with its very short runway.
G-AVWI total Airframe hours: 7835 hrs
Present engine hours: 1311.30 hrs
Over the years Whisky India has been very happy at Cranfield; she is very content in her immaculate heated hangar!”
The Cranfield Aerospace Maintenance team is based in our CAA approved Aircraft Maintenance & Engineering hangar facility at Cranfield Airport (EGCT), with access to ample maintenance capacity, capable of housing wide-bodied and light aircraft makes us a prime location.
We have specialist staff, facilities and equipment supporting line, base maintenance, and modification installation for:
- Diamond DA 40/42 Series
- Piper Single and Twin Piston Engine Series
- Cessna Single and Twin Piston Engine Series
- Britten-Norman BN2A/BN2B Series