Ferrying an Aeronca Champ to Texas Part 1

This is part one of a series of 3 or 4 video's about flying a 1946 Champ from Utah to Texas. The aircraft was purchased by a new owner and I flew the aircraft down to Mount Pleasant Texas for delivery. The flight was fun and the landing made it more fun. most of the winds were well over 20 knots. Enjoy the video.

[@dave991122]

Dewey... I'm pretty sure when my dad gave me my first plane ride, it was in a 'red breasted Champ'.... the planes were 'almost new' back then, more than 60 years ago. I've had a soft spot for them ever since. You videos make them come to life again. Thanks for creating.

[@autonomousindividual7780]

We're so lucky to have the ability to enjoy GA. As hard as it's getting I dont think we realize how much harder it is elsewhere in the world. I hope it hangs on long enough for me to enjoy it a bit. I'm in my 40's and have had some stops and starts, but Im going to try once more.

[@kevincollins8014]

Absolutely amazing scenery and what a beautiful Champ! At least at 35kts you're not going to miss the countryside going by. Thanks for taking the time to share this with us. I look forward to the next one.😁

[@DeweyDavenport]

😄 your right about that. The rabbits were out running me. Thanks for watching. Check out part two

[@kevincollins8014]

@@DeweyDavenport Careflight just flew over my house at over 170 knots because of the west wind😆

[@outlawflyer7868]

Man,when you first took off and started headed towards those mountains with those clouds, I was like, no way, he gonna turn around. Amazing that the weather was good enough for you to make it to your first leg.

[@FlyingJournalism]

I thought the same thing lol

[@williamk5998]

As a instrument rated commercial pilot I’d not have done that or recommended it.

[@scotabot7826]

Man, That beautifully clean Air Knocker looks better than new. Darn, I want it. Thanks for the video Dewey. Can't wait for the rest!!

[@tallenc22]

Great video, the landscape was awesome! !

[@Towert7]

Wow, that's some breathtaking landscape you flew over in this video. Up at those altitudes it's good the weather cooperated, because sometimes those mountain clouds can form quick!

[@chuckbeyer6679]

Great footage Dewey! Arm chair flying with you helps to keep the dream alive. Thanks!

[@christopherpena9990]

I suspected it might have more hp given where it was domiciled and the extra tank. I did find Monticello Airport (U64?). Just had to look harder. Anyway, great footage and always appreciate the effort you put into your content. Thx again! Cp x for the reply D.

[@peacocksquirrel9665]

Another great video series! Love watching these ferry trips! Flying through the mountain pass reminded me of that scene from Flight of Passage.

[@kevinmalloy2180]

Very interesting! I fly a 65-hp Champ, one 13-gal tank, burn 4.5 per hour. Not sure I would try that mountain terrain with mine, certainly only in cold temp. Clearly that Champ has an 85. Looking forward to the next video!

[@DeweyDavenport]

Kevin, A normal 7-AC with a A-65 would be much more challenging for sure. Especially if it had a wood prop. This Champ that I ferried had a O-200 conversion which is a 100 horse. The thing with the larger hp Champ is that you need to have auxiliary tanks like this one. Without the auxiliary tanks it would be hard to travel at all.

[@kevinmalloy2180]

@@DeweyDavenport thanks for the info. I also have a wooden prop, though a so-called climb prop. My plan for an eventual NJ to CA trip will be to transit the mountains down past El Paso and Tucson/Phoenix and do it in cool weather. And I still need to talk with some Champ guys out there since the field elevations are 3 and 4 thoisand and some of the mountains 4 and 5. On a 2018 summer trip to Kansas City with field elevations of a thousand I was using corporate jet fields due to my poor climbing-or I had to leave very early before the heat on shorter fields. I also plan to make my TX/NM/AZ/CA transit follow roads in case the 65 should quit... Looking forward to viewing your part two.

[@DeweyDavenport]

@@kevinmalloy2180 where are you in NJ? I'm in the Dayton, Ohio area. You should bring your Champ out to Ohio and go grass field hopping with me. My champ has the A-65 with a wood prop so we would be pretty compatible. You probably could make the trip using I 40 as the highway to travel. I put part two out yesterday. I'll get part 3 out in a few days

[@kevinmalloy2180]

@@DeweyDavenport I’m at VAY. But I learned to fly Champs on the grass at 40I with the Stewarts in 2014-2015, great bunch! Martha Lunken did my checkride (Sport license) in 2015. I got re-soloed at VAY in my own 2478E on concrete for wheelies. I’ve had my 78E out there twice but never at the NAA weekend. I take an airliner for the NAA weekends. I’ll head back out again sometime. Was even thinking this June for the fly-in, not sure.

[@billkahl1147]

The scenery is beautiful, but I would hate to go down there.

[@JuanSanchez-ht2el]

Jajajaja Nice comment

[@rodandanner2132]

Another great flying adventure to watch, while I close out my 3rd shift. Keep em coming my pilot friend.

[@quieteagle1656]

Looking forward to Part 2. Awesome scenery.

[@aloisiocarvalho2455]

Congratulations from Brasil, good job. Greetings. I'm an old Private Pilot.

[@williamk5998]

Great vid. No way though I’d have scud run those mountains VFR in that weather though.

[@kylekendall1587]

Love the low and slow! thanks for sharing this video!

[@kam1583]

Thanks for another awesome aviation adventure! Clear skies and tailwinds to you!

[@lindsaylittle6535]

Hey Dewey, I always say.. "it not about the destination, it's about the journey". What a beaut of a champ. Your editing skills are sharp and the scenery in our beautiful country is so diverse. When you fly you get to see it in 3 dimensions. Keep up the good work! Greeting from the Arrowhead of MN.

[@DeweyDavenport]

Thanks so much Lindsay. Yes the journey is the best part of most things. Our country is the most beautiful place in the world. We have so much to see between the coastline.

[@kpizzlemynizzle922]

BEAUTIFUL !!!

[@felixlopez458]

Thanks for taking us along 😊

[@arthurpearson3407]

Looks like you were getting bounced around a bit in parts of that leg. Should get a good handle on fuel burn when you fill the tanks😉. It’s gotta be tough when the quads are leaving you in the dust at 35kts😂. Hope you get a tailwind on the the next leg.

[@65LB]

Imagine how much better it would be for the viewer with voice over or sub titles!

[@elosogonzalez8739]

Enjoy our Southwest scenery. The Four Corners is really nice to fly over. Sometimes you even get a tailwind!

[@philipstafford5317]

Dewey, Been watching your videos for a few weeks now. I am going for my Private and recently had to reevaluate due to a number of circumstances. I have always intended to spend some time in taildraggers eventually, but didn't understand the appeal, having never been in one. Watching your videos has inspired me to head out to Red Stewart, get back in the plane (a Champ) and keep flying. This is the first video series of yours that i watched and i've been slowly watching all your older videos. Thanks and i hope to catch a biplane ride sometime.

[@cora.hollon2054]

That was certainly some rugged country you were flying over. Glad you didn't have any mechanical issues.

[@DeweyDavenport]

Im glad I didn't either

[@robinj.9329]

Was this at about 85 or 90 mph ? I know the Champ is pretty slow 🐌 Must have taken quite a while to go all that way!

[@JuanSanchez-ht2el]

Nice music you choose

[@fractuss]

You do good work but would consider chucking the music once in awhile and letting us here the airplane? I can hear music in walmart any day.

[@johnnythomas3609]

Awesome!!!!!!!!......

[@christopherpena9990]

Hey Dewey, could you give a little more detail re present position as you progress? IE: could find Monticello Airport along your route. Great footage! Terrific!! Thx. Chris. PS: you either had one hell of a head wind or that champ is fuel hungry. Very nice flying machine. Beautiful condition!!

[@DeweyDavenport]

This champ has a O-200 , 100hp engine. Fuel burn is higher than a A-65 but not to bad. I figured I was burning approx 6 gallons a hour but not knowing the airplane I had to lean on the safer side of things until I got out of the mountains. Also my ground speed was down to 35- 45 knots for over a hour. That left me with little options to get to other airports. Also this champ has an extra 10 gallons of gas than the normal 65 champ.

[@benderaviation]

That's brave! One of these days I'll take the champ on a short cross country. I only have about 12 hours of TW so I've just been practicing my landings at this point.

[@DeweyDavenport]

Keep practicing Bender. You will always learn something new. Tailwheel flying is fun and challenging pretty much all the time.

[@benderaviation]

@@DeweyDavenport Yes the fun is the challenge! Nice leg on part 2.

[@ModelAV8RChannel]

Awesome! Great video Dewey...thanks for bringing us along! I have to ask...did you meet the Patey brothers in Spanish Fork?

[@ColeAviation]

WOW!!!! That is one BEAUTIFUL Champ man. You are the right guy for the Journey taking her to her new home because I know that’s one of your most favorite planes. 😁👍🏼 And WOW...what some BEAUTIFUL Gods country that you flew over. Did you get a chance to talk to Mike Patey while you were at his Airport? And hats off to you on the editing. Man it takes a LOT of time to do all that. 👍🏼

[@DeweyDavenport]

Thanks Chad..I didn't get to see Mike Patey. We drove by his hangar but he was not there at the time plus I had to get going. Yes the edits take forever, you know.

[@ColeAviation]

@@DeweyDavenport I figured you were on a time crunch.

[@dronemonkey2038]

Brilliant...inspiring!

[@camseverance7768]

Great video!

[@BlazinMonk]

I want this job!

[@veroflyboys]

Outstanding! Did you talk to anyone during the flight? Freezing level? What an adventure! Enjoyed the post production work.

[@danielbasovitch5087]

Dewey, does this Champ have ADS-B? VFR DAY only? At least it has a starter.

[@DeweyDavenport]

Nope. No ADSB.

[@mikercflyer7383]

Another great ferry flight. I would have liked to know how you prepared to flying over the mountains did you have extra gear in case you had to put the plane down?

[@mikeyt1023]

Fantastic! Thanks for all your work making it? How high were you flying over the mountains?

[@rongerhardt9700]

I got to proofread sorry awesome video

[@tombloom99]

I'd take that job just to break even, but would I really have to wear that hat? As always, the best to you!

[@FlyingJournalism]

I have ferried a piper to south america.... so salt lake city to texas i would do any day lol

[@mattwoody1089]

Was there a lot of turbulence

[@DeweyDavenport]

No, not much at all. Very smooth.

[@TrueMathSquare]

@@DeweyDavenport How much does a small light plane like this cost to operate?

[@christiantucker3160]

I see that Milwaukee heated jacket! Good call love it all, you sure do keep it simple. All the best!

[@michaeltodd8070]

Great job! You bring back memories of flying my own Champ around the country. It's a great way to see the country, but it does require patience. Thanks for taking us along.

[@angelreading5098]

Dewey thank you for showing us this beautiful rugged scenery,you certainly live in a lovely and vast country and ferrying this immaculate Champ is a real challenge for you,the video quality is superb,look forward to joining you in the cockpit on the next stage.

[@FRIENDHORATIO1]

Nice

[@rongerhardt9700]

Play video buddy awesome scenery I'm on my way to hpn right now would you like to trade scenery I'm on the gwb OMG sometimes less is more this is a absolute perfect time to say that

[@tombloom99]

BTW, a geologist's dream.

[@turnbank3492]

Great looking view and airplane.

[@agav8]

Outstanding video. Waiting on part two😁

[@christopherpena9990]

...”couldn’t find....

[@JamesGood]

Very nice journey, well told, looking forwards to the rest of this series. Nothing beats this kind of trip in a small aircraft! Ercoupe 805.

[@dennissumnerdsumner4804]

Dewey, I’m enjoying your ferry trip with the Champ to Texas. Love the scenery and the massive ground speed! Video looks great on our 43” Smart TV!

[@billcallahan9303]

You took me back in time! Summer 1972. My first plane was an Aeronca Champ bought from legendary female pilot Edna Gardner White of Denton, TX. Had 11 hours total time, no tail dragger time, stopped 4 times for fuel back to north Mississippi, ground looped it each stop but survived. Great video! You got balls my man!

[@cluelessbeekeeping1322]

I'm curious...I bought an N3 Pup near Atlanta and tried to get someone to ferry it to 40TE (Georgetown TX--sorta) It has 5 gallons in the tank & I wouldn't have cared it you stuck in more tanks... Would you have flown it to 40TE? No one wanted to fly it here, I ended up driving there and back...it wasn't a bad drive.

[@x0nlyfears]

An N3 Pup is an experimental. Aeronca Champ is certified. Not that they're not out there, but not many ferry pilots want to fly an experimental aircraft built by someone they don't know on such an excursion. Its not the best idea to carry fuel cans inside the cabin, & especially with only 5 gallons capacity in the tank, I can understand why nobody wanted to ferry your plane. Nonetheless, I'm glad you got the aircraft home safely! Cheers.

[@cluelessbeekeeping1322]

@@x0nlyfears There was one guy, a cool dude that was going to do it....but for the tanks....if it had a ten gallon tank...he would have ferried it. Actually, he lived near Atlanta and was going to buy it if I didn't snag it. Still need to put the wings on. I believe it was built buy a WW2 pilot. It's not a ~typical 'ultralight' it's truly closer to a J3. It flies like a J3 (but better). A bit on the slow side...still, heaps of fun.

[@jimmorris5090]

@@cluelessbeekeeping1322 Cool airplane. What engine do you have?

[@cluelessbeekeeping1322]

@@jimmorris5090 A VW sawed in half! I *_LOVE_* the way it sounds! I just like an opposed 2-cylinder...can't explain it, but I just like it all around. Novel & fun!

[@cluelessbeekeeping1322]

@@jimmorris5090 I'm a sailor and know my knots.... and, the 1st time I started the plane I tied it to my truck hitch...I had a bit more throttle than I should have and I honestly thought I was going to die. It was nowhere near killing me, but to hand prop a motor and it instantly go to almost full throttle....oh god. The rope did its job. The next time I hand propped it, I set the throttle correctly. I still need to put the wings on and fly the thing. + install fuel line and a few other goodies.

[@stevemowat4294]

Truly gorgeous scenery. Why would you want to fly any faster over that?