Tuesday, May 17th - Lloyd's 15 minutes of fame...

Needless to say, after the stress and excitement of last week, it was nice to have things a little quieter, or so we thought.

A friend of ours, Richard, who is also from Ontario, seriously thought that Lloyd's accomplishment of actually building the plane and then flying it down here all by himself, was worthy of the local newspaper. So the Monday after Lloyd arrived, Richard called the Guardian and suggested they really needed to see this!

A very nice young lady called Lloyd early in the week and set up a time to meet with him and his airplane, here at the airport in Charlottetown. She asked a lot of questions, took photos and even some video and then everyone went their merry way. She called him a few times for clarification and suggested that the article would  be in Saturday's paper.

Now on Saturday morning, on my way into work, I will sometimes stop in at my friend Brenda's for either a coffee or tea. To earn that, I pick up their paper at the end of the lane and bring it into the house. On my way to her house bright and early, I was thinking how I was going to give Lloyd the gears for not being on the front page. When I got to the Van Gaals, I pulled the paper out of the box and unfolded it and much to my surprise and amazement, not only was he on the front page, he WAS THE FRONT PAGE,

as well as half the second page. 

He figures it must have been a very slow news day on the island. 

Not long after, calls started coming in, including a couple from people we didn't even know but felt they had some connection to the article or something mentioned in it. Of course, he was quite the celebrity at the flying club breakfast on Saturday morning and again at the Rec Centre volunteer appreciation dinner on Saturday evening.But fortunately he hasn't let it go to his head.  But it is really nice for him to get some well deserved recognition for all his hard work over so many years.(for a bit of a condensed version of the article, see the end of this post)

Weather wise, Sunday was a little bit nicer, but not by a whole lot as the weather hasn't been great for a while. Still a bit of unseasonablly cool temperatures but we did get some badly needed rain. After brunch with the Van Gaals of lobster bisque, salads and lobster eggs benedict, with white and/or chocolate cake to finish off with our tea, Lloyd and I headed out on the road to look at some goats. I'll have more news on that one in a couple of week! Stay tuned...

Meanwhile in the midst of all this celebrity, Lloyd is busy getting the basics ready to build his pole barn. The poles are cut and treated and the holes are in the ground. I'm thinking we should start seeing more progress over the next couple of weeks. Hope so as the chickens will be arriving soon as will likely be the baby pigs so things will really start happening around here - of course, just before Lloyd goes on holiday. But I should have some great help while he's away. Hopefully Patti and the kids will be able to make it down for at least a few days.  

It was also a busy weekend for Patti and a couple of very young and very excited Justin Beiber fans. Patti and the girls (Meg and her friend Victoria) flew to Montreal, and then drove to Quebec City to spend the weekend and attend the concert. By all accounts they had a wonderful time but the fabulous food and intriguing history and sights of the city couldn't come close to comparing with the concert itself. Guess that's to be expected but one day I'm sure they will return to see just what they missed in this lovely city.

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For those still reading, here is some of the article that was in the paper:

Lloyd Denny realizes dream to rebuild 1947 American warplane

Lloyd Denny’s dream was to rebuild a 1947 American warplane and fly it to lofty new heights.

He also imagined sharing his once-in-a-lifetime adventure with other people.

Now, after a three-day flight from Guelph, Ont., last week, his restored aircraft is parked outside a hangar at the Charlottetown Airport.

The pilot is sitting inside the General Aviation Building telling his story.

“I thought I could build it and I proved to myself that I could do it. The same could also be said for flying it here. It was wonderful and Sandra, my wife, was so happy and relieved (when I arrived),” says the Mount Stewart, P.E.I. resident, after the Aeronca L-16A airplane made a smooth landing in Charlottetown Sunday where it was greeted by family and friends.

One colleague was especially enthusiastic after inspecting the tiny craft.

“It’s absolutely stunning. It has huge windows, great visibility. It’s a tail-dragger so she’s really fun to fly. I love it,” says Paul R. Tymstra owner/operator of Huron Flight Centre Atlantic at the Charlottetown Airport.

Hearing the positive comments, Denny’s face lights up. Achieving his lofty goal is something he’s passionate about.

“As a teenager, I was fascinated with planes. But, at the time, there was a lack of money. Then I got involved in life,” says the St. John’s native, with a laugh.

However, a visit to the airport in Guelph, Ont. in 2002, where he was living at the time, quickly changed things. Denny noticed some flight training brochures on a display. He picked them up. Then, when he got home, he read them and put them on the coffee table.

“I never thought about flying again. But, that year for Christmas my wife gave me ground school (tuition) and the books. And so I got my license 13 years ago. Little did Sandy know how much I would end up spending on my hobby,” laughs Denny, adding it cost $35,000 to complete the plane restoration.

His quest for the perfect aircraft began nine years ago when he and his partner were looking for a cheap airplane to fly. After many inquiries they heard of a project for sale in Scotland, Ont.

“We picked up the bits and bones in November in 2007. Everything was in boxes and hanging on rafters. There was even a twisted old fuselage, with the (upholstery) fabric all cut up. There was no engine and just one wing, but it was mangled.”

After buying it, they loaded it onto a trailer and drove it to a hangar in Guelph where he would spend six years rebuilding it. Denny also searched for and purchased all the missing pieces.

“The key to the project was working on one piece at a time. If we didn’t know what to do, we asked people to help us. So it was a long, learning curve,” says Denny, who eventually bought his partner out and is now the sole owner of the craft.

Now, with his plane complete, he’s looking forward to sharing it with others during Canadian Owners and Pilots Association events in P.E.I., Nova Scotia and New Brunswick this summer.

“It’s a great hobby… a great experience.”

Don’t expect him to build another plane any time soon. That’s because he’s discovered farming.

“I’m working on a pole barn for my goats right now. I am also making goat cheese. So I am a busy boy with lots of dreams.”

Article written by Sally Cole of the Guardian