Dr. Tuky’s Move To
Gen. William J. Fox Airfield
In Lancaster,
California
July 17, 2010
Photos by Alan Bujanda
This was a big event for our family and
we missed Frank,
who lives in
Washington and could not make it.
Several friends, neighbors and relatives
showed up to make it special.
Thanks to all those that came to share their time with us and gave us
a hand with
the move. Special thanks to Scott
Liefeld, who volunteered the perfect trailer; and to the exclusive and official
photographer of Dr. Tuky’s milestones, my son Alan,
for the excellent pictures. It was a
tough selection having so many good ones to choose from.
I was done taking almost all my tools and equipment to the airport. By 8:00 AM, I had the fuselage ready to
go. The wings and canard have been at
the airport for a while now.
As planned, Scott Liefeld, showed up at 8:45 AM
with the trailer. I had been to his
place on Thursday and had coordinated the details with him. I needed to buy some wood for the ramps and
set up the towing lights Ygebor had picked for me.
We waited for people to arrive and started turning the fuselage inside
the garage at 9:20 AM. John Schoorl,
friend and fellow Velocity builder/pilot took charge of the nose.
Michael Bailey, Eric Franks, Javier Bujanda and Barry Gibbons (hidden
behind the cowling) helped to ensure that the fuselage did not make its first
taxi run down my driveway.
Others were doing the same around the fuselage as we slowly brought it
down the driveway; easy to do with so many hands.
It made it to the street without problems but it was too close to the
ramps because I live on a corner and did not want to disturb traffic on the
cross street.
We made a 270º uphill turn to align the fuselage with the ramps.
I asked the group to keep the right main wheel over the edge of the
asphalt for easy alignment with the ramps.
It went up the ramps in perfect alignment and little effort on
everyone’s part, because the ramps were essentially horizontal due to the
street’s gradient.
Now in place,
it was time to secure it.
Barry Gibbons, another friend and Velocity builder/pilot got busy
fast.
I took advantage of the trailer and had mounted the
compressor and the engine hoist on it.
John Schoorl took charge of securing the nose. The rest of us helped securing different
points of the fuselage, the compressor and the engine hoist; and placing the
towing lights.
With everything secured, it was time
to go.
Route to the airport.
Some twenty two minutes and 9.5 miles later, it got parked in
front of the hangar in one piece. We
were left behind, at the airport gate, to figure out taking all the crew to the
hangar, in as fewer cars as necessary.
Unsecured, clear, and with the crew at hand, we started moving
it.
With
everyone’s help, it came down as planned.
After clearing the wings’ rack to the side, it was now in hangar
606 at Gen. William J. Fox Airfield in Lancaster, California.
.
Crowd:
|
Alan Bujanda Amanda Cárdenas Andrew Burns Angie Zamudio Barry Gibbons Christina Reyes Daniel Bujanda Ed
Bujanda Edwin Bujanda Eric Franks |
Gladys Bujanda Javier Bujanda John Schoorl Melissa Bujanda Michael Bailey Ryan Aziminariki Scott Liefeld William Bujanda Ygebor Bujanda Yvette Bujanda |
© Jorge A. Bujanda / 2004-20110