Getting Betty ready for a second attempt to cross the Atlantic

A new year, a new start!

It's been a while since I have last posted anything on this blog as Roger, the best Beech 18 engineer, had put Betty into her 'winter hibernation' beauty sleep at Charlton Park/Malmesbury. 

Phil and I in the meantime went out to Burma to earn some urgently money with ballooning to pay for Betty's expensive life-style. We are now back for the summer and keen to start again on our project with a new team of pilots and a beautiful aeroplane that's probably never been in better shape than right now!

But Betty has been under serious threat of being eaten alive by little hungry rodents, if it hadn't been for the bravery of Roger trying to save her life (not without sacrificing parts of his body on her account!).

Read the story here as seen through Roger's eyes: 

Roger Shepherd, Beech 18 engineer

Saturday the 18th of March

"Hi Allie,

Thank you for your concern; UK has been very mild, windy and overcast with sporadic rain showers ..... perfect weather for a very unusual and entertaining day at Charlton Park with Betty.  I had hoped that if all had gone to plan I would have been able to wrap things up today ........ wrong!

The last job on my "to do list" was to clear out the storage hold "loo cubicle in other words" only to find when opening the door I came face to face with two dotty black eyes! Yes you have guessed it, we have uninvited guests ...... four of them in fact. 

A visit to show Betty to Phil's daughter Philippa

(.....) I will return to Charlton Park and proceed to extract the little ba....ds leaving Betty ready to depart CP in a condition that we are all accustomed to."

Sunday March 19th 2017

"Hello Allie,

What a day, 4 mice caught with one (suspected) in the right hand wing!!!

Phil and Philippa enjoying a 'sit in'

If your ears were burning today .... than that was because of me; the mess that these mice made and the task of unscrewing both the loo cubicle and rear cabin floor boards to remove all traces of them left me heated under the collar so to speak and to top it all I broke the glass on my mobile phone!

I can now confirm that the wiring did not appear to be to their taste which is unusual as it normally appears on their menu; I can only assume that they were bloody fussy.

I should think that the language I adopted to sedate my frustration was enough for the mice to pack up and move out!"

Sunday the 22nd of March:Roger returns for a final inspection

"Without fail, I must carry out a detail visual inspection in Betty's rear end (pardon the pun) as it is imperative that any damaged cables etc. will have to be repaired or replaced. In addition, my main concern is that they may have found away under the floor boards allowing them easy access into the cockpit area.

In retrospect I realised that these so-called mice looked rather large to me and with that I hope I am not dealing with rats.

Me and Pip

I wonder what a potential employer would think if he saw "rat catcher" in amongst my summary of experience!

That's it for now; I will keep you and Phil posted."

Betty facing up Lord Suffolk's aeroplane

Betty ready to spread her wings and get out of her cage!

NOTE: We are planning to get Betty flown back to Staverton this coming Saturday the 1st of April. If all goes well, she will hopefully arrive at Gloucester Airport sometime between 1-2pm! Watch out for her!

And the brand new 0-56 in G-DKGM  ready!

A reminder of the planned routing (probably simplified)