Abbey Hutter, marketing coordinator for JSfirm, sent in these photos taken during a flight over southwest Pennsylvania with a PA-12 and a PA-18. “Beautiful time of year,” she notes.

Most people spend their teenage years planning their future. But Dillon Barron, who just turned 20 in June, spent a good portion of his teen years with an eye to the past as he restored a 1950’s-era Cessna 170B to fresh-from-the-factory condition.

Dillon and his father Mike made the trip to this year’s SUN ‘n FUN in the restored Cessna from their home in Perry, Missouri. The pair spent a good part of their time sitting under the wing telling the story of the polished metal and blue airplane.

Dad Mike, an A&P/IA, proudly notes that Dillon did the lion’s share of the work.

The teen’s efforts did not go unnoticed. The C-170B brought home the award for the Best Restored Classic, as well as the Youth Achievement Award from SUN ‘n FUN.

Dillon is modest about the accomplishment.

“I was born and raised in aviation,” he said. “My father and grandfather both flew for TWA and my father started Barron Aviation, a business that rebuilds Cessna 195s, so I guess you could say I was born and raised around the old classics. I love the old radial engines. I grew up in the shop working with my dad.”

As a pre-teen, Dillon flew model aircraft, and by the time he was 14, had learned to fly gliders.

“I soloed a glider on my 14th birthday,” he said. “On my 16th birthday I set a record for soloing the most conventional aircraft in one day. My dad was my instructor.”

You can find the 16th birthday video on YouTube and join Dillon in the cockpit as he solos no fewer than seven aircraft, ranging from classic Cessna singles to a twin Beech.

Dillon began the restoration on the C-170B when he was just 14 years old.

“The airplane had been sitting derelict on the ramp at the airport in Hannibal, Missouri, across the river from Perry, for about 20 years,” he recalled. “It had been blown around in storms and was pretty beat up and in rough shape. The rudder was all beat apart. It was home to all sorts of critters and insects.”

“My father offered me a proposal,” he continued. “He said he would buy the project and supply the parts if I did all the work, then we’d have an airplane to fly around.”

Dillon agreed, and soon found himself inside the cabin of the airplane that had been sitting on the ramp and neglected since before he was born.

One of the first tasks was to eradicate the wildlife.

“It had bird nests, mud daubers — virtually every kind of bug you can think of was in there,” he said. “There were mouse nests up in the headliner, which has a zipper. It was a hot and sticky day the day I went to unzip it, and when I did, the insulation comes raining down, sticking to my face, and baby mice were hitting the floor.”

The next step was to dismantle the airplane. Parts were removed, inspected and either cleaned or replaced. Although the airplane had passed through at least three different owners, there was sufficient paperwork to recreate the airplane’s history and, therefore, original appearance.

“We found a lot of documentation on it,” he said. “And there were some unusual things, as well. For example, although the airplane rolled out of the Cessna factory in late November of 1953, the serial number assigned to it put it on the Cessna rolls as a 1954 aircraft.”

The engine is a 145-horsepower, 6-cylinder Continental. All three generations of Barron men did the overhaul.

“My dad and I worked on it and my grandfather John, who is an A&P, found details in the aircraft manual on how to tie-wrap the ignition leads, so he did the ones on the airplane the old fashioned way,” said Dillon.

There are some cosmetic flaws in the details of the airplane that were recreated on purpose.

Square C

“Because that’s how it came out of the factory,” Dillon explained. “For example, the letter ‘C’ in the word Cessna on one side of the tail is squared, but on the other side, the letter C has a more rounded appearance. In addition, the letter ‘A’ has a thick side and a thin side. It’s sort of flipped on the other side of the tail. Also, the paint in the dorsal side of the airplane is not symmetrical. The paint line starts on one side a rivet sooner than it is on the other side, so the paint line is off-center. We put the flaws back in because they are unique to this airplane.”

Round C

To get the colors right he carefully matched chips of paint that were found when components were removed.

“We found examples of the original blue under the venturi,” he said. “There was no ultraviolet light damage, no fading, so it was perfect. Back in those days, gloss paint wasn’t around, so when we repainted the airplane we took care to give the clear coat sort of a matted appearance like it would have had in the 1950s.”

The polishing of the metal took hours and hours, he reported.

The cosmetic detail continued inside the airplane where placards were painstaking restored to the original font, size and color using a brush and stencil. The diamond-print panel was recreated using paint and a plastic overlay, and carefully crafted decals.

They had the benefit of a few color photographs, but, said Dillon, “You could tell that the pictures had been doctored,” therefore the integrity of the color was suspect.

“Most of the pictures in the Pilot’s Operating Handbook are line drawings, with the men in slacks and white shirts and black ties and hats,” he noted.

Despite this, he is reasonably certain that the airplane looks just as it did when it came from the factory.

“I even had the cockpit metal re-plated and re-chromed,” he said, pointing to the ashtrays. Although smoking is not permitted in the airplane, smoking was fashionable during the airplane’s heyday.

For the interior upholstery, Dillon had the help of Darlene Heightmeyer, a local woman who often works on boat interiors. The airplane interior is still pristine and smells of leather.

“We also took out a radio that had been added after 1954 and put the correct vintage one, a Lear Radio, back in for display,” said Dillon.

He has also added a vintage headset, E6-B, a 1950s sectional. Some 1950s-era suitcases and a fedora in the backseat add the finishing touch for the static display.

“This airplane is a time capsule,” Dillon laughed.

Dillon finished the airplane in time to take his private pilot checkride in it on his 17th birthday — and has been flying it since then.

The airplane will not become a hangar queen, he stressed. It is a flying, go someplace, do something airplane, but he’s not sure how much time he will get in it in the next few months because he is enrolled in the Flight Operations Management program at the University of Central Missouri and will be focusing on school.

“That’s where my father, grandfather and grandmother went,” he said with a smile.

Something interesting is happening in General Aviation. It’s largely being driven at the grass root level, and frankly these developments fascinate and encourage me.

The industry has noted a loss of participation in past decades, with fewer active pilots taking to the skies. We’ve bemoaned this reality for years. While some point a finger at regulatory issues, others single out high cost as a detrimental factor, while a handful of us blame an aging fleet as the reason fewer of us are climbing into a cockpit, firing up the engine, and rotating skyward.

All these factors play a role, certainly. But none of them is truly insurmountable. None are so universally daunting they can’t be overcome. They are valid reasons for concern, but they are not even close to representing the end of GA as we know it.

There is a bright shining light on the horizon, with blue skies above. Truly there is.

Atlantic Aviation in Orlando, Florida, hosted an Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Rusty Pilot presentation this past Saturday. Given in three parts, by three men who each possess a wealth of experience in different aspects of aviation, the intent of the program is to cover the information required for the ground instruction portion of a flight review. These events are often conducted in conjunction with a flight training provider to make it easier for attendees to book and complete the flight portion, as well.

It was a fascinating event to witness. But then they almost always are. Perhaps that is why I’ve become so enamored of these gatherings over the past year or so.

Those in the room cover a wide range of ages, although the median age skews in the direction of seniors. There are men and women in the room. Some are low time pilots who haven’t thought about flying for years. Some are displaced professional pilots who left the cockpit unwillingly, yet have dreamed of getting back into the front seat every day since. Some have military experience, some flew for an airline. Some never flew anything more complicated than a basic trainer – but they all have the same longing to get back into the air. The AOPA Rusty Pilot program helps them get there.

This is a great example of an important business goal – recapturing lost customers. Whether the loss is to the FBO, the local flight school, the maintenance provider, or GA as a whole, it’s critical that we address the issue and offer solutions that bring our former customers and compatriots back to the airport, put them in an aircraft, and support their desire to get airborne again.

The attendance numbers at these events suggest the pool of individuals who are ready and willing to come back is quite high. Yet, until relatively recently the method of offering support and essential services was not well known.

That’s changing at long last. Thank goodness. There will be another AOPA Rusty Pilot seminar in Lakeland, Florida, at SUN ‘n FUN this Saturday. I’ll be there, too, standing in front of the room, addressing anyone who wishes to be there to take one more step toward being an active participant on the flight-line.

That’s all good. But the news gets even better. I sat with a 16-year-old girl and her parents last week. We met at the FBO near her home. She’d never been there before. Neither had her parents. Our discussion focused on the girl’s desire to fly professionally.

Not long before our meeting her parents arranged for a friend from their church to take their daughter for a ride. She loved it. They did steep turns, and she still had a smile on her face. They did a couple stalls and she giggled. She’s hooked.

Because an older gentleman was current and had access to an airplane, this young lady was presented with an opportunity to experience something she’d been dreaming of but had no experience with.

Now, with the full support of her parents, we found ourselves in a discussion about what her path to a career in aviation might look like, and what it might cost. The young hopeful pilot asked good questions and took note of the answers. Her parents remained steadfast in their support.

There is a link between these two events. One provides an opportunity to bring lapsed pilots back to active status. The other illustrates the strong desire felt by some who have no previous connection to aviation, but feel it calling out to them just the same.

Was that young girl influenced by an older pilot? Certainly, she was. It is left to us to recognize the potential created by someone she doesn’t even know particularly well, but whose passion for flight lit a fire in her imagination that led her to a path she might never have pursued without that connection.

That’s a powerful return on investment for our industry and our way of life. Personally, I’m delighted to play even a small peripheral role in either scenario. Whether I’m signing a flight review endorsement for an individual who hasn’t seen the inside of a cockpit in decades, or introducing a teenager to their first flirtation with aeronautics – I get the same sense of accomplishment.

But the accomplishment is theirs. I’m merely the facilitator. Still, it feels pretty darned good.

Osceola County’s Gaylord Palms is the convention hotel and Signature Flight Support, at the Kissimmee Gateway Airport, is the host FBO. At least 50 aircraft have contacted Signature for services and it is estimated that approximately 75 aircraft may arrive from locations all over North America, according to officials.

Experience Kissimmee, Osceola County’s public-private tourism authority, along with the airport and Signature Flight Support, are providing arriving Bonanza Society members with welcome gift bags containing area information and promotional items.

Although the Kissimmee Airport has supported numerous aviation related events in the greater Orlando area, this is the first time that such an event has been hosted, in its entirety, in Osceola County, tourism officials note.

Among the featured speakers at the convention will be the Kissimmee Air Traffic Control Tower Manager Glen “Huck” Huckeba, of Robinson Aviation. Huckeba, who has more than 30 years of air traffic experience with the U.S Air Force and the FAA’s contract tower program, will be speaking about safety trends in air traffic control and the regulations relevant to Temporary Flight Restrictions imposed on periodic events and critical facilities.

Sporty’s Crystal Christmas Ornament is an annual tradition for pilots, flight schools, FBOs, and aviation enthusiasts. This year’s ornament, the 31st in the series, features the iconic V-Tail Bonanza.

“When we met to choose this year’s airplane for our Christmas ornament, we were surprised to realize we’d never featured a Bonanza,” says Sporty’s Vice President John Zimmerman. “Then we realized that 2015 marks the 70th anniversary of the Bonanza’s first flight and we knew we had our selection.”

More than 17,000 Bonanzas have been produced through the years, many of which are still flying.

The ornament is available for $24.95.

There are no foreseeable alternative dates to reschedule the event this year, but is planned to return in 2016.

“Between the heavy rain affecting runway conditions and possible crosswinds coming off those strong winds from the north, we decided it was best to give our guests as much of an advanced notice as possible. We wanted folks to have the chance to plan ahead and avoid any unnecessary travel with such blustery weather conditions,” said Mike Potter, director of the Military Aviation Museum.

For attendees who have already purchased their tickets, they can either be turned in for a full refund or they can be exchanged for tickets to the 2016 Warbirds Over the Beach Air Show, coming up May 21-22. By trading in their tickets, attendees will save $10 per ticket on the normal Warbirds ticket prices. The refund policy only applies to purchased tickets.

Please stop by the museum, or call 757-721-7767 to obtain refunds, exchange tickets or for answers on any additional questions.

Cessna has named Wipaire’s Leesburg, Florida, facility an authorized service facility for Cessna propeller aircraft, including the Caravan series.

Wipaire’s South St. Paul, Minnesota headquarters has been an authorized service facility for Cessna propeller aircraft since 1981.

“Being appointed a Cessna authorized service facility is a key development for our Leesburg facility,” commented Chuck Wiplinger, President and COO of Wipaire, Inc.

Wipaire’s Leesburg service center was established in 2013 to offer a new location for customers based in the southeastern United States and the Caribbean. In addition to being a Cessna authorized service facility for propeller aircraft, the facility is also a Viking factory-endorsed service center with capacity for aircraft ranging in size from the Aviat Husky to the Viking Twin Otter.

Daher has appointed Orlando, Florida-based Exec Aero as the TBM Service Center serving customers based in Central Florida, and for all visiting TBM aircraft to the area.

Exec Aero was created by former employees of Flight Express, a cargo and courier company that was one of the largest FAA Part 135 carriers in the United States.

“We selected Exec Aero because its team showed all of the positive attributes for great customer service, which was confirmed by the many years of experience in this sector,” said Charles A. Holomek, Vice-President Customer Support for the Americas of Daher’s Airplane Business Unit. “In addition, the company’s base at Orlando Executive Airport (KORL) is close to the SimCom training center, which is our partner for TBM training. This creates the possibility for pilot-owners and operators to service their aircraft while they attend training courses.”

Applications are available online beginning today at AEA.net/scholarship. Deadline to submit applications for the 2016-17 academic year is April 1, 2016.

Fuel was found onboard, and it was not contaminated. Testing of the engine’s fuel pump revealed that the fuel pressure oscillated due to a malfunctioning relief valve in the fuel pump.

It is likely that the engine lost fuel pressure and subsequent power during the accident flight as a result of the malfunctioning fuel pump.

The NTSB determined the probable cause as the loss of engine power due to a malfunctioning fuel pump.

NTSB Identification: CEN14LA033

This October 2013 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.