AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2024 - 57

W
Two ground-adjustable air boat propellers are driven by a
single Lycoming YIO-390. Paint on the Brown Bird added
significant weight, so the White Bird uses heavy-duty Oratex
fabric, which doesn't require paint. At 2,240 pounds empty,
it's still almost three times the weight of the original. At left,
the author prepares for a flight in the White Bird.
normal climb is 150 to 200 fpm, but with the cool air and light load
we're seeing about 300 fpm. He turns base to a panoramic view of
the trees and houses below. " To actually think about the Wrights
when they flew, this was their view, " he says.
We turn downwind to parallel the highway, outpaced by the
semi-trucks on I-75.
Helmets, flight suits, digital displays-historical purists would
be horrified. But you can't get this view from a replica (see " Yellow
Bird, " p. 55). Authenticity is in the rush of air, the unobstructed
scenery. I imagine the Wrights' early passengers making the same
trek from incredulity to amazement.
Griffiths gives me the controls and invites me to try some
gentle turns. The airplane steadily complies. The pilots have
warned me the White Bird rides thermals like a glider, but on this
still morning it feels stable, solid. Griffiths reminds me to maintain
Authenticity is in
the rush of air,
the unobstructed
scenery. I imagine
the Wrights' early
passengers making
the same trek from
incredulity to
amazement.
55 knots-climb at 55, cruise at 55, approach at 55-and I hold
constant forward pressure on the stick.
I straighten out, and the tail wags gently as I chase each
oscillation. It continues as I make another lap around the pattern
before Griffiths takes the controls again. He pulls power back to
2,100 rpm and maintains forward stick pressure to descend at 500
fpm, then makes a power-on landing to keep airflow over the tail.
When the Brown Bird was operating, members who donated
to Wright " B " Flyer Inc. could experience hops down the length of
the runway in the lookalike.
" Frequently, on Saturdays in particular, the airplane would be
started in the morning, and we'd go all day, shutting down only for
fuel, " Stepler says. " And we've had some days where we put it away
at dusk, we just had so many people in line....The whole purpose
is to give people the experience associated with early flight-to
keep alive the Wright brothers' dreams. So, we were very happy
to be busy. "
The passenger hops were conducted under an exemption
allowing the organization to accept donations for flights in the
experimental amateur-built aircraft. Wright " B " Flyer Inc. is
working to obtain an exemption for the White Bird, but new
requests face increased scrutiny since the fatal crash of a Collings
Foundation B-17 in 2019. Don Adams, president of Wright " B "
Flyer Inc., says the organization continues to receive private
donations and support from the National Aviation Heritage Area,
but the flights were a critical source of revenue. " We need to get
back to revenue flights....That helps sustain us, " he says.
AOPA PILOT / September 2024
57
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2024

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