1.  The Twin Beast. 
This 1962 Twin Beech G-18 began life as Royal Crown Cola’s corporate airplane for executives.  It then passed on to Piedmont Air Cargo.  It almost ended life as a worn out “freight dog” having been all used up hauling freight for UPS.  Sporting two torn seats, no windows, diamond plate flooring and a hasp with a paddle lock to keep the door shut, we resurrected it for an airplane float manufacturer in Canada.  The company in Canada went bankrupt and we ended up with it as our company workhorse.  It’s permitted for aerial photography and skydiving but we mostly use it like a good 4x4 pickup truck hauling loads from airport to airport.

2.  Dropping Jumpers / Hauling Skydivers.  
We got involved with the end of an era dropping jumpers from DC-3’s and Twin Beeches at Elsinore and Perris.

3.  Gliders. 
Thanks to government / politics the glider port at our home field at Hemet-Ryan shut down after five decades.  We never expected them to be so much fun so we were sad to see it go.  Unfortunately, we were too busy with other projects to accept a job offer towing gliders out at Elsinore when Hemet glider port closed.

4.  1956 Piper Pacer.
We obtained the remains of three crashed tricycle-geared Piper PA-22 Tri-pacers and decided to build one conventional geared Piper PA-20. Starting with a pile of parts we hauled in by trailer and flew to our shop in the Twin Beast, we made one real good flyer from the three wrecks. Tailwheel guys will understand our motivation – we made one “real airplane” out of three “pretend-a-planes.”

5.  Wells Fargo TV Commercials.  
Wells Fargo chose our WW II Navy N2S-5 Stearman, one of our hangars, and our chief pilot for a series of three commercials they aired over a three year period. How fortunate to be a member of the Screen Actors Guild as a stunt pilot and actor. Click the following link to see what version is playing now. https://www.wellsfargoadvisors.com/flash/video/advertising/father/fatherEntrepreneur30.htm

↑Flying scene.

6.  Grumman HU-16B Albatross.  
We were blessed to be part of a three-man team to go to Fort Pierce on Florida‘s SE coast to resurrect this former military open-ocean AIR-SEA Rescue plane and fly it coast to coast to a museum in Chino, CA. Lynn Hunt and Mike Castillo are known as THE go-to guys anywhere in the world for this incredible type aircraft… That’s why Sylvester Stallone hired them for The Expendables.  What an opportunity to learn about this behemoth airplane from the best.

7.  Boeing Stearman PT-17.
Left sitting in a hangar for many years, we brought it back to life for the owner. Before delivering it out of state, we brokered it to the largest aircraft parts distributer in the world.  It was then sold to an active Navy pilot who flew it to its new home in Florida. He remains a very happy owner, flying it regularly.

9. 1942 Beech SNB-1 (AT-11).
Built for the Navy in WWII, this warbird was on a ferry flight from a museum in Florida to a museum in Southern California. It made it to DeRidder, Louisiana before losing an engine. It was left behind for six-and-a-half years at a former WWII Air force base until we drove out with the owner and a trailer load of parts and supplies. We spent 270 man hours in triple digit heat (and humidity) hanging a new engine, two new props, etc.  We departed DeRidder just before a storm which gave us tailwinds all the way home. The owner began his drive home the next day saying, “This way I’ll know where to pick you up when you don’t make it!” But, she flew to her new museum home in So. Cal. without incident.

13. Twin Beech on Floats.
If you like planes and boats, you have to fly floats. Been doing that for three decades behind one engine. But if you like Twin Beeches and flying floats, you have to get your Multi-Engine Seaplane rating at the Colorado River in Joe Sheble’s D-18.

14. 1946 Cessna 140
This excellent airplane sat for some 20+ years. After getting the AD’s current, we got it to the shop and back in service again to teach today’s pilots how to fly conventional geared aircraft.

15. Aero Vodochody L-29. 
The Russian Block AVL-29 was used by Russia up until the mid 1970’s for Fighter Jet training. Other communist countries still use it as a fighter trainer and an air to ground attack plane.  Ours was apart for an entire overhaul by a mechanic who worked his entire career for Aero Vodochody – the best of mechanics. We have an IFR Type Rating in it but get continuing advanced instruction from a Navy Top Gun instructor – the best of instruction. It burns 180 gallons per hour of fuel, so we fly it mostly for missing-man formations, museum flights, the movie industry, and instruction. You vintage MX guys, especially CZ guys, will get a kick out the tires!

17. Beechcraft G-33.
This very nice Bonanza sat for about fifteen years. We had three trips making repairs before we could ferry it to the shop and give it the attention it deserved. It’s been factory converted to an IO-520 engine so it really goes. And yes, it's a Bonanza; it's a 1973.

18. 1947 Fairchild 24.
This 1930’s designed airplane belonged to a local war hero. Keith Yoakum started out sweeping hangar floors here at Hemet-Ryan Field and went all the way up to Army Attack Helicopters. He re-upped twice to fight for us and our country. Sadly, he paid for our freedom with his life. The 24 deteriorated to the point that its best value was to part it out. That just isn’t right for such a good plane and such an honorable owner. We bought it from his wife, got it flying again, and can’t wait to take his daughters for a ride in Daddy’s airplane whenever they get out from the East coast.

19. Who Is John Galt?
He’s the reason for three movies, Atlas Shrugged 1, 2 & 3.  http://www.atlasshruggedmovie.com . We got to do the airplane flying scenes for Part 3 (release date 9/12/14), so to that extent: We are John Galt!  Previews have some of the flying: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSILZjEmIzs&index=1&list=UU0dTiLC39Ya3x_wqW0-Fc9w
Great “fun” flying off a remote dirt road only ten feet wider than the landing gear. The cliff at the beginning of the runway and movie trucks at the end offered only sudden stops. Not Twin Beech territory, but producer Ron Smith can be very persistent. He gave us an extra day to make some adjustments to the plane so we could do it safely. That made the daily Call Sheet, “Day 19 of 18.” Kinda cool! 
The DVD was released in early January, 2015, and we made the cover.

20. Cessna 195.
This was a beautiful 195 right until it went off the runway into a ditch! Most pilots today just don’t know how to fly conventional geared aircraft.  We ended up with it in trade for ferrying some airplanes up north. One main gear was ripped off and the other folded up into the fuselage. Half the prop was gone and the seats were pushed up into the cockpit quite a ways.  Many man hours later, we have her on her feet, putting in a new windscreen and ready for a new firewall forward. Can’t wait to fly this iconic aircraft.