Meet the Cub! 1946 J-3C

[@ronaldhines8085]

This brings back memories. In the late 80’s five of us put in $3,500 each and purchased a Cub in PA. You are right about the brakes being weak. We would pump them up, clamp the brake hose with vice grips and try to put more fluid in the reservoir to help. Don’t remember that helping much. My first flight in Our Cub involved a lot of airsickness from PA to NC with one of my partners. I was a young instructor. My checkout was from one of my partners. The first time I could make three landings in a row without help he got out. I made three more landings and one of the partners with no Cub time got in and I became a Cub instructor. It’s a miracle we didn’t destroy the airplane over the several years we owned it. You can park a Cub beside a King Air or Citation and those pilots will come out and admire it more than I admire their airplanes. It taught me a lot about flying. I had a rocker arm break in it and had to land on I-40. The engine continued to run but wouldn’t develop enough power to maintain my altitude. I had the door and window open so it sounded like multiple shotguns going off right beside me. Fortunately, there wasn’t much traffic on the interstate. One of my partners came and fixed it. The Highway Patrol blocked traffic and I took off the next day. That was the highlight of my flying career. I miss flying but I miss more the people and the relationships you develop being part of a small airport community. Thanks for the video.

[@georgegilbert7347]

Juan, as I see it the standout theme in all of your videos is that you are a person who is totally in love with flying. With everything about flying.

[@arthurcatalanotto1151]

My 91 year old father in law trained/soloed in this plane while in the USAF, 1953-57. He will be visiting for Thanksgiving, and I am certain that he will have a great big smile on his face while watching a replay of this video. Thanks and Happy Birthday.

[@regpettinger2978]

Ya know, for a 1962 model, you kinda grow on a person. So, I'm gonna do you a favor and show you an emergency airstip that I just found in my part of the country to keep you around longer. It's about 42 miles East of Cape Blanco and about 6.75 miles North of Horseshoe Bend on the Rogue River.(Very unforgiving country)The strip is 1700' long and 3800' of elevation......It has a BIG "X" on each end of the runway!(;>) It's called Calvert BLM Airstrip according to Bing maps. It's probably on sectional charts, but I don't have one to verify that. Happy Birthday, Juan. May you have many more.(:>)

[@cfi1598]

Did he train at Winter Haven, Florida?

[@arthurcatalanotto1151]

Somewhere in Texas and I believe North Carolina. From the Piper to a T6, B25 and on to a C47. He spent most of his career in England.@@cfi1598

[@randyluginbuhl9085]

Happy Birthday! I’m 69 on Wednesday…licensed since 1976. I first flew a similar Champ later that year. Love all your video’s.

[@comlbbeau]

What a beautiful machine! Be still my heart.... I've got about 300 hours in a 7AC Champ and probably 50 or so in a J-3, and for basic stick-and-rudder flight training you can't beat it. As I've always said, the most fun you can have with your clothes on!

[@WWPlaysHoldem]

I learned to fly in a Cub 1966. Solo in 8 hours, private pilot license in 40! Love that plane but it did not have all the instruments shown here! My instructor, a 220 pound retired Air Force pilot forgot to mention to me how the Cub would perform when he got out! I had an interesting flight around the pattern!

[@deanjennings5684]

I soloed in a J3 at Chino, CA airport in May 1970 after 3.7 hrs dual. I was in the pattern with a plethora of other aircraft including P51s. It was tense! It didn't fly as good as the Aeronca Champ but, after 53 years and 23,300+ hrs of flight time, the memory is still crystal clear. Kodos to the Cub!

[@MarkHeckler]

Happy birthday, Juan!! Great gift for 61! 🎉

[@alantoon5708]

The wonderful good old days of flying. Happy Birthday, Juan.

[@jb-qi8fz]

Really nostalgic for me. I learned to fly on a 1946 J-3 back in 1962 in Long Island, N.Y. No electric, no radio, no transponder (what was a transponder? !!) . If you did have a radio , how did it work anyway? !! In those days the only requirement for flying overhead JFK (then it was Idlewild International), was to stay at 2500 feet or above. Hard to imagine now! It was great circling overhead watching the DC3s, DC6s, Constellations and the new fangled contraptions like the B-707 and DC8s landing and taking off under me. Thanks for the reminder of the 1946 J-3 and Happy Birthday and a million more to you.

[@tedecker3792]

In South Dakota there were the “flying farmers” many of who had Cubs. Before there were paved roads everywhere the farmers had to fly during mud seasons. They called it the Model A of the sky’s.

[@Kevin_747]

Nice looking restoration. I sold my J-3 in 1994 and bought it back in 2001. The most fun you can have in aviation.

[@eldonfreeze787]

When I had to quit flying years ago, I had around 1500 hours in mine. Just after I helped my dad rebuild it I soloed in it in 1976. From the corn fields of Iowa to the deserts in Arizona, while other kids were putting money in cars, I was putting money in the gas tank of the Cub. So many good memories....

[@cfi1598]

I flew a 1946 J-3 from Arlington, WA to Winter Haven, Florida in Summer 1996. It was a great trip!

[@cfi1598]

@_blan-colirio what do I do to get in contact with you?

[@txkflier]

Wash-in is bad; wash-out is good. It looks brand new. Congratulations!

[@wintercame]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JUAN! Here's to your health, happiness and many more birthdays to follow. 🍨🎂🍺

[@Duckfarmer27]

Happy birthday Juan - nice plane. I'm 13 years older than you. My Dad and his high school buddy bought a J-3 in 1941 from a woman 20 miles away a year after they graduated - he didn't own a car but was half owner of an airplane. We live 80 miles from where they were all built. Those two had their tickets before 7 December, the Cub went to the Army and they followed. My Dad was a B-25 driver, owned a couple planes after the war but gave it up when he got married in 47. My first flight was with him and my kid brother in the back seat of a J-3 when we were about 4 and 2 or so - 1953 or 54. His buddy who ran the local grass strip airport (same one he had soloed and flown from) took us up (he'd flown the Hump in C-47s). I can remember him asking if I wanted the door left open as it was summer - and he laughed at my expression - and I was 'outboard'. The three of us together couldn't have weighed 180. As always we had to get the 'roller coaster ride' - stall it since no aerobatics. As a kid I thought that was part of every flight. Thanks for triggering all those great memories with this video. Enjoy that aircraft - one of my very few regrets in life is never getting legal time in the front seat and flying instead of being a grunt. Fly safe and keep enjoying.

[@joshuapatrick682]

Grady at Practical Engineering did a 2 part shot on the Oroville Dam and gave this channel a shoutout if I remember right that is where I found out about the good work you do Juan. clear skies sir!

[@MrWolfriver]

Happy birthday, JB!!

[@rondetert8868]

Hi Juan..Got my student license in 1958 in this beautiful airplane. 1946 Cub..❤

[@MacGWA]

I nominate Pete as board president and Chairman of the Juan Browne Aviation and Motorcycle Museum! It’s very cool that you have a connection to all of the airplanes you currently own. The Chuck Yeager connection is something special!

[@Selkirkwater]

Happy birthday, Juan! Enjoy your cub.

[@susannah101]

Happy birthday, Juan! Thank you for your work. Fellow Scorpio.

[@2-Hands]

Happy Birthday... When I was getting my A& P license, we had to learn to Start, and Taxi by using a J-3 Cub that is now hanging in the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola Florida onbard NAS Pensacola. A friend of mine owns a L-4 painted up in WWII markings.

[@scottwhitmire6613]

🎂HAPPY 61st TRIP AROUND THE SUN🎂 I thank you for the Cub Pov. Relived my first flight in Cub from a grass strip in Pa. Thank you Bob Frascadore where ever you are.

[@briansilcox5720]

I think I soloed at Gnoss Field in 1977. Then I crossed paths with Carl Harter in 1983, when I needed an ATP check ride to upgrade to captain (Cessna 402C) at WestAir Commuter, based in Chico. Everybody loves flying a J-3. 😊

[@RedRoosterParty]

I love this, Juan. My first flight in a general aviation fixed-wing airplane at age 16 was in a 65 hp J3 Cub. Fifty years later I tracked it down and bought it. It is now my pride and joy to fly in my retirement. More fun per buck than anything else.

[@chrisburress9747]

This video was a trip back in time, my first solo was a 1946 model in 1983. I had fairly large instructor and when he got out and said go. I remembered real quickly after takeoff that i need to get to work on trim tab. Did not want to quit doing touch and goes after that. Thanks for the vide and reminding me of a special time. Happy Birthday

[@KO-pk7df]

Some up all my thoughts and memories of Cubs and Super-Cubs, So jealous! My older brother wanted to start flying so my dad took him up in Baron and talked him through some instrument approaches. He came back to my house and I asked him how it went. He said "I guess flying is not for me". I told him I thought dad was trying to scare you away. So I rented a Cub with the 65HP and took him up and in less than an hour had him excited and doing everything but the actual touchdowns. He went back to Arizona got all his ratings and ended up flying Caravans all over the west and Mexico along with tours over the Grand Canyon. All thanks to a few hours in a Cub!

[@skipwood2059]

Great story, KO. Everyone has to find their niche.

[@cecilboatwright3555]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY and CONGRATULATIONS!!!! What a GREAT birthday present to yourself!!! I was a USN Attack pilot (A-4s, A-7s), commercial pilot and CFI, and I got my tail-wheel sign-off in a J-3!! I went on to fly T-6s/SNJs, Stearmans, and D-25s, but Cubs ARE truly just about the most fun you can have with your clothes on in front of other people!! ...and DEFINITELY an AFFORDABLE option, when compared to a BIG ROUND ENGINE!! THANKS FOR SHARING JUAN!!!

[@kentkelly5301]

Happy Birthday! I just hit 75 on Nov. 16. J3 Cub was my dad's dream aircraft. Never could find an affordable one. He had a Taylor Craft that he picked cheap because the fabric was a mess. Had it in our garage while he redid the fabric. The wings were not installed so we bundled them onto the fuselage and stuck the tail wheel in the bed of a pickup and drove it 60 or 70 miles across some Nebraska highways! Sweet little bird. Later he was able to buy a Mighty Luscombe!

[@noyfub]

When i leaned to fly in 1970, the operation I was flying with had a J3 that they rented for $6/hr wet. I think I got about 60 hours in that thing. Great flying.

[@catherinenelson4162]

Just yesterday I read that the propeller on these airplanes is great to keep a plane cool. And if the propeller stops running, then the pilot will start to sweat!

[@randymiller6217]

This was a great video! Strange how our young lives paralleled each other. I got my private certificate at the age of 18 in November of 1966. In 1967 I purchased a Taylorcraft DCO-65 from a friend (N75891). It had a continental 85 and flew very well. It just didn't want to land. A lot of wing on those airplanes. Life and kids happened and I had to sell it a few years later. Followed ownership of it through the years until it was decommissioned in the US and exported to Australia. At 75 I am still flying rental aircraft and thoroughly enjoy your videos. Keep up the great work!

[@dfiegel421]

Happy Birthday, beautiful airplane. Flew a cub conducing a creel survey twice a week for a year, on Arkansas largest state owned lakes, 6700 acres back in the 80’s. Perfect plane for the job!

[@noel56z]

Happy Birthday Juan! Nice looking Cub. My first solo in 1960 was in a Cub at Waukeegan, Il. Now own/fly a Piper Vagabond PA-15 also with an A-65 and Grove brakes (much improved braking). Watch your tire pressure as the tires will slip on the hub and pull the valve stem out destroying the tube.) Prces for tubes are now well north of $150.each. Enjoy.

[@OlesonMD]

I have a few hours in a Cub. The most difficult part of flying it is getting into the cockpit! And a belated Happy Birthday!

[@johnlynch6589]

Happy birthday young man. You are awesome.

[@blackjack6259]

Happy Birthday Juan! Congratulations on catching up to me. lol Zach did a great job on those landings! Congratulations Zach!

[@markschlegel1036]

Happy Birthday young feller!!

[@SPECTRE367]

Wow Juan, this video just opened up a whole bunch of wonderful memories! Back in my younger days as a child, ( some say I'm still there!) My mom's sister in law would come by and almost every weekend we would wind up at the little airport where mom's brother kept his airplanes. My first plane ride was sitting in the back floor of my uncles C152 at 6 yrs old in 1965. But his favorite plane he owned was a Yellow 1946 J-3 Piper Cub N7366H. Growing up I watched him fly over our home many a time and truly envied him. As I got older and learned to drive, I would still go hang out at the little airport hoping "Unk" was there. If he was there I would get the honor of spinning the prop on his Cub! WooHoo! Sometimes the airport owner would even let me catch a hop in one of his planes with him. I managed to fly a few times with my instructor pilot cousin in C172's and Piper Tomahawk"s and will never forget those good times. I truly enjoy watching all your videos, even though most are pretty sad. God Bless and fly safe.

[@KevinW8BRY]

Happy Birthday Juan! Congratulations on the new to you Piper Cub.

[@Ryanboy2020]

Happy Birthday Juan! Beautiful Cub!! Do I detect some time being devoted to introducing aviation to kids? You already have taught a bunch of people the beauty of flying.

[@snotnosewilly99]

Happy 61st birthday?????...This means only 4 more years until he is kicked out of the airline business at 65.

[@carlmontney7916]

Yuma AZ I lived there for many years. That Cub is a beautiful bird.

[@foreststewart1968]

Perfect music selection for the closing footage: Relaxed, spare, unpretentious... & not overly fast (just like the Cub). : )

[@c7042]

In Louisiana, you could buy a J-3 65hp Cub in 1966 for $600. In 1974, I bought my Luscombe 8a 65hp for $2500.

[@id10t98]

Happy 61st Birthday! I got you beat by a couple lol This is the essence of flying. The simplest physics to make it happen.

[@jarelwallace1281]

Happy Birthday, Juan! My dad loved flying the cub.

[@ptsflyingfun7303]

And yet SLOWER than a Taylorcraft 😂. Happy Birthday Juan!!! Thanks for the videos and walkaround of the new bird. Fly safe… see ya here!!!

[@gtr1952]

That little Cub is just beautiful! Thanks for the tour Juan!! 8) --gary

[@phucm1282]

Happy belated birthday Juan 🎉🎁🎊! Wish you all the best and many many more to come!

[@swatt862]

Tomorrow is my 60th birthday, so I've seen some things. Your channel is the best content on the internet. Thank you.

[@lisaa8795]

08:30 2 strips of industrial strength Velcro will fix that Mascot in place nicely. Enjoy your new toy, she's really a beauty. Happy 61st, many happy returns like this one!

[@gordonormiston3233]

Happy birthday Juan. Hope you all have many wonderful memories in this beauty. 🐻

[@phapnui]

Had my first plane ride in a Cub when 6 years old, I was about same age as plane. Wing's Field, Blueebell, PA.

[@deans178]

Happy Birthday! Stick & Rudder is all you need. Got my Seaplane Rating at the Jack Brown's in a '46 Cub.

[@skyepilotte11]

Happy Birthday, Juan. Nice acquisition...beutiful.

[@drenk7]

I have some hours in a Cub. Always enjoyed landing on grass and watching the wheels touch down so slowly. Just a glance.

[@FlyGuyToo]

Happy Birthday Juan and congrats on the Cub!!

[@geofiggy]

Happy Birthday JB. 🍻🍰 When I saw meet the "cub" I thought that was you compared to me at 73 Take care and fly safe. 🤟🏼🖖🏼

[@ProctorsGamble]

What a beautiful yellow bird! Congratulations on acquiring it.

[@56Spookdog]

👍👍🇺🇸 Happy birthday. The first time I went up in a glider it was towed by a Cub by a young fighter pilot flying the cub for his first tow. I’ve always have had an infinity for the Cub since I was a young kid building models.

[@j.gregory5669]

Happy Birthday! This is one of your bet videos yet. Thanks for taking us along!!

[@larryd.214]

Happy Birthday Juan! Love the new Cub!

[@bruce2357]

Back in the early 80's I watched a Cub doing pattern work at a local municipal airport. It seemed to me it took off at about 30 knots, cruised around the pattern at 30 knots and landed at 30 knots. It also seemed like it never strayed beyond 200 feet above or 200 feet horizontal from the runway during all the touch and go landings. I was in awe.

[@robertleslie2467]

This is by far my favorite Juan Brown video flick. Tcraft, cubs, lovem’ all. On another note, Juan put that Husky on floats and fly her to Alaska for the summer. Mahalo senor!

[@BigDaddy_MRI]

Happy Birthday 🎉🎂🎁 Juan!! I flew one of these when I had about 130 hours. What a fun plane. I got most of my tail dragging done in a Bellanca Citabria, and I really enjoyed the Cub. Loved watching Zack’s landings. Wow!! The next generation taking to the air! Sweet! Take care and fly safe, Juan! Have a great birthday!!

[@rexmyers991]

Congratulations! - on turning 61 (four years to go) - on owning a Perfect Cub - having a son who loves to fly as much as you. Buttons popping!

[@iansampson2492]

Such a great airplane! My Dad had one a 46'...One summer morning we took her up to 10000' out of KASH (1985) ...It took awhile.....we were monitoring Boston approach on a handheld and saw an L1011 letting down into Logan then heard the the pilot say "Is that a Piper Cub I see out there..."

[@sachiperez]

i crashed one just like that during it's maiden flight. i had to dig the engine out of the ground. i was 15 and built it from a kit. it was rc.

[@lessharratt8719]

That third landing was a beautiful thing to watch.

[@rlroosa]

My Dad had one of these...I flew in it with him and had fun...

[@mikercflyer7383]

Happy birthday Juan and many more happy Cub flying. She is a beauty.

[@Aphxphotog]

Pete’s gonna have quite the stable someday! Good on you!

[@oneninerniner3427]

Nice ol Cubby, happy birthday Juan. My Dad was Army Air Corp wwII. But anyway he got his ratings after the war and im not sure exactly what he started with, but i know he had a Stinson then a Seabee for a bit. Then he had several Super Cubs after that he used as ag sprayers before getting into better ag spray airplanes. First i remember flying was with him in a Super Cub on snow skis. Good times!

[@alejandromascitti541]

Happy Birthday Juan and congratulations for your Cub!

[@elosogonzalez8739]

Everyone loves à Cub! Happy Birthday young man!

[@mita6010]

Best birthday present ever 🎉. You’re still a youngster in my eyes. Safe flying!

[@lonthrall5613]

"Now you can stop flying it!" Good stuff Sir! Happy 61!

[@SkipGetelman]

Wow that’s a really nice Cub

[@kbjerke]

Absolutely picturesque sunset landing!!!

[@thereissomecoolstuff]

Nice to see a stock Cub. It’s amazing what they do to them. The original are so perfect. Congrats Juan on the plane and the birthday. Birthdays have to be mixed for you. It’s great to be here but with a mandatory retirement age it’s a reminder time is short.

[@chuckinwyoming8526]

Great fun - sunset landings. Come down on final in the sun cross the sunset shadow feel the air density go up with sudden temperature drop adjust your glide and float the plane down to a greaser landing....but it takes timing to the second.

[@davidralph8250]

Happy B-Day, Juan! I’m older than your Cub, and so I am no cub. But my first thought was that your first thought on seeing this crème puff of a used plane must have been of your son Petey.

[@edh3635]

Happy Birthday, Juan.

[@jhealan3751]

My grandfather soloed a J-2 cub. My dad soloed a J-3 cub. He then taught me to fly a J-3 cub. This summer my son soloed in the same J-3 I did, taught by my dad. It’s the best airplane to learn to fly in, as well as to just go fly around. Good chance you will keep it forever.

[@Thaddy62]

I remember One of them when i was 8 to 10 and i flew It Just Like that Little boy did there, Had a Ag Pilot teach me and show me how to Spray Field with it.

[@bobsantolla7899]

Very happy for purchase of your Cub. I’m a retired USAir/American captain (41years) and I own a 1946 Piper J-3Cub for 33 years. I restored my Cub on 2017 and won best Cub award at Lock Haven Sentimental Journey. Enjoy your Cub and hope to see you in Lock Haven someday. 13:

[@ourlifeinwyoming4654]

Same birthday as our son, the Corpsman. Very cool!

[@TreeTop1947]

I keep rewinding to watch Zach nailing those landings. Just beautiful, both the Piper and the skill in landing her! TreeTop

[@WildeGreg]

Happy Birthday. My birthday was the 14th. Love the Cubs. Flew a lot of hours in them including J3s on floats at Jack Browns Sea Plane facility. So much fun. Congratulations and enjoy.

[@ufm10xxl27]

Happy Birthday Juan from west of Ireland

[@thetowndrunk988]

Happy birthday, Juan. Awesome new addition to your collection.

[@Tommmmas]

Happy birthday, Juan!

[@n6mz]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Capt Browne!

[@kevinphillips9408]

Happy Birthday. I hope you had a wonderful day flying your beautiful cub.

[@peterhodgkins6985]

What a gorgeous cub! My late brother Tim bought a basket case '46 in 1969. My dad and Tim refurbished the thing and Tim flew the hell out of it on floats out of Old Town Airport in Maine. I loved that thing! I helped Tim replace one cylinder on the thing in 1975... Tim got sick a few years ago and kept flying 'till he couldn't pass the medical anymore. No idea what became of the cub. Just the most fun you can have. That little cork gas gage CAN fail... Tim had to land in a field one day when he ran out of fuel with about 2 inches of wire showin'. Fun times.

[@aironefreedom9643]

Hope Pete enjoys!! Great Dad…

[@bioriderfc]

Happy birthday! Love the J-3, you've got a hotrod minty fresh version.

[@leeoldershaw956]

I flew a 75 hp J3 with a metal climb pitch prop. As you advanced the throttle you pushed the stick to raise the tail and by the time you reached the full throttle stop you pulled the stick back and it flew. 70 mph it's cruise. It's hard to see how anyone ever got killed in one but it was subject to stall/spin like most and had almost zero occupant protection. Flying alongside cumulus clouds at 7500 ft. with the door open was the only time I ever experienced a twinge of acrophobia in an aircraft. Never at 390 in a L1011.

[@adrianwilliams763]

Interesting. We had a young B-Cat instructor flying a Cub in New Zealand from the back seat. Someone saw him and filed an incident report with the NZ Civil Aviation Authority. They started a full investigation and commenced proceedings to prosecute. Even when shown the Flight Manual about soloing from back seat, they weren’t going to back down. Took months of ‘negotiations’ to eventually get the situation sorted for the young instructor.