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freakflyer9999

Gypsy Moths - Howard. Is it still flying?

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Since its raining outside, I'm sitting here watching Gypsy Moths again.

Does anyone know if the Howard DGA-15P from the movie is still flying? If so, is it still flying jumpers.

FAA database shows it registered to a Howard Bohl in Temecula, Ca.

I also found a NTSB report from the 80's. A parachute entangled with the elevator and caused substantial damage.

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Do you know what the DGA stands for in the Howard name?

Sparky



Damn Good Airplane



No more calls, we have a winner. From what I have heard it is the only Airplane that has never had an AD issued on it.

Sparky
My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

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Do you know what the DGA stands for in the Howard name?

Sparky



Damn Good Airplane



No more calls, we have a winner. From what I have heard it is the only Airplane that has never had an AD issued on it.

Sparky



Don't know about the AD thing but our pilot used to bitch about the engine torque on the Howard requiring a bunch of rudder input on TO roll to keep it going straight.

The pilot did like to fly the airplane :)
R.I.P.

R.I.P.

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Do you know what the DGA stands for in the Howard name?

Sparky



Damn Good Airplane



No more calls, we have a winner. From what I have heard it is the only Airplane that has never had an AD issued on it.

Sparky



Don't know about the AD thing but our pilot used to bitch about the engine torque on the Howard requiring a bunch of rudder input on TO roll to keep it going straight.

The pilot did like to fly the airplane :)
R.I.P.

R.I.P.



It was a 450 P&W, the same engine that was on the D-18 Beech.

Sparky
My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

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Don't know about the AD thing but our pilot used to bitch about the engine torque on the Howard requiring a bunch of rudder input on TO roll to keep it going straight.



Turners Falls, MA DZ had two DGA 15ps (at different times). Both were destroyed on landing because they nosed over. So in addition to the p-factor thing, there was the nose-heavy thing.

I jumped out (and put students out of) a Howard at Elsinore for a few days in 1976. Interesting student airplane -- the student had to hold onto the strut and climb down a couple of steps on the "ladder."

HW

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the howard dga 15 is good airplane.back in 1966 the one they had at united parachute club in Pa. went in .aircraft stalled at about 500 feet(pilot error)and barrel rolled left onto its back and went in with a full fuel load .only one jumper survived after exiting the aircraft while the door was straight up.second jumper got out too low. steve snyder had a howard at the time (he named his first son Howard) but after the crash at united no one wanted to jump it.so he sold it to poppenhager.

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Hi Flyer,
Howie probably bought the Howard from Perkins back when. I doubt that it's flyin' unless Howie restored it.

FYI there was also a Howard in SE Louisiana back in the 60's. Bob "the Stud" Munn bought one down from "way up Nawth" in Minn. or Mischigan or one of those "Cold" states to fly for Louisiana Skydivers in Baton Rouge. Eventually Ben Seal bought it from him and flew it at Southern Parachute Center at Hammond La. Later he passed it on to Leon Riche and I don't remember what Leon did with it. Made lots of hops from it, 5 man dangles were a gas!
SCR-2034, SCS-680

III%,
Deli-out

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I remember the Howard out at Elsinore. It was slower than shit, but quite the workhorse. Had wooden wings, didn't it?



There was a whole fleet of them. Perris, the little DZ at the time, even had one for a time.

And yes, they did have wood & fabric wings and tails.

Sparky
My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

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The Howard nose heavy landing problem was that solo flight was only permitted with 80lbs. of ballast located in the baggage section,and no one wanted 80 extra pounds on board when hauling jumpers.The breaks were multible disk type and were (REAL TOUCHEY).The one that I bought from Steve Snyder was flipped on it's back while landing because of hard breaking.They were a REAL airplane for it's day!!!
POP D47

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Hi, Pop
Made a bunch of jumps at Indiantown long time ago. Landed on the other side of the canal once. Long time getting back.

And partied hard at the Seminole Inn.

Anyway, the Norseman used by PI also needed rear ballast; they put a cinder block or two in the back compartment. But I never knew of any nosing over.

HW

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Here's a look at it :-)
Early 80's after a flood at Elsinore we moved to Bear Valley. Using some of the first student piggyback gear a T10 was drapped over the tail at 3500'.
Plane crashed in 32 seconds with the pilot having some control .
Student cutaway to resrve 5 others walked away. Pilot cut face?
Tom Sanders took the picture.

Red, White and Blue Skies,

John T. Brasher D-5166

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the howard dga 15 is good airplane.back in 1966 the one they had at united parachute club in Pa. went in .aircraft stalled at about 500 feet(pilot error)and barrel rolled left onto its back and went in with a full fuel load .only one jumper survived after exiting the aircraft while the door was straight up.second jumper got out too low. steve snyder had a howard at the time (he named his first son Howard) but after the crash at united no one wanted to jump it.so he sold it to poppenhager.



Same one (I think) as was operated at the Air City Airport, Sturtevant, WI in the early to mid-'60s. It was one of two I'm aware of with a tri-gear mod. See the photo at my 03/06/04 post regarding Air City.

Blue w/cu,

Bravoniner

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Here's a look at it :-)
Early 80's after a flood at Elsinore we moved to Bear Valley. Using some of the first student piggyback gear a T10 was drapped over the tail at 3500'.
Plane crashed in 32 seconds with the pilot having some control .
Student cutaway to resrve 5 others walked away. Pilot cut face?
Tom Sanders took the picture.

B| Made my first jump out of that Howard @ Skylark Aviation In 1970. It was a water jump, cuz I had some pins in my leg from a car wreck the yr before. Was so jazzed that I wanted to jump again. Douris wouldn't let me cuz he said I was tooooo excited. >:( He said I'd forget to pull if I had a malfunction. Dumb ass. Felt like slapping every freckle off his face. :o But, that would have taken forever. :S He emailed me a few yrs ago and said he doesn't have red hair anymore, but at least he has hair. :D :D :D
Sandy

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The picture I posted is the last I've heard.

Larry Perkins has the pieces, along with pieces from several of the other Howards.

We're all hoping he'll put one back together and let us jump it again. :)

Red, White and Blue Skies,

John T. Brasher D-5166

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We used to jump a Howard at Kiski PA in the early 70s.It took off down hill and landed up hill no matter what as the state park took over the other runway. The owner would see the 180 we flew in knowing we brought wine from Put in Bay ,and would come to us with warm IronCity beers . It tasted like it was strained through a bucket of rusty nails..Anyway about Elsinore,Didnt they have a convoy of Norseman Noordunes fly in from Orange MA back then. You got out the rear left side on to a large step to drop off . the Howard had struts and steps all over, and were reasonable climbers. the Norseman rarely went above 3500 and took forever to do it.I recall it being refered to The Flying Garbage Truck

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Not sure where the old howard is at but I grew up down the road from benton airport where gypsy moths was filmed and live even closer now .
Made about ten jumps into benton over the years and Fly in and out of there often and every time ,
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I think of that movie etc.

Blue skies ! !
Chuck

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Not the "Gypsy Moths" Howard, but for all you Howard fans, here's a nice shot of "Howard Row" at Oshkosh this year.

Kevin



Howard Row...just behind Stagger Wing Row...!

Ahhhh... the things DREAMS are are of!;)B|










~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

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