By Alex Hamilton
I recently sold my Funk B-85-C. The trip from Hagerstown, Maryland, to Delaware Airpark (33N), just north of Dover Air Force Base, may be my last flight in the airplane. This will close a love affair started more than 30 years ago when I took my first flight in the same airplane, N77724, to a grass strip fly-in for burgers and brats in the summer.
In 1988, I was a senior in high school and working at a garage specializing in British cars. There were three brothers: Glenn worked on cars, John worked on motorcycles, and Dan worked on airplanes. The buildings were located close together and occasionally Glenn and I would end up “borrowing” a tool from Dan’s shop and I’d get to see some of his projects in various forms of restoration. Dan has been working on Bonanzas since he was 7 years old. He still runs his shop and has many dedicated clients, like myself, with Bonanzas and Debonairs.
At some point early in the summer Dan invited me to fly with him. It was a big honor at the time as Dan was held in high regard and his airplanes always won awards at the local shows and fly-ins. I had seen the bright yellow, maroon-trimmed airplane being slowly restored in his hangar over the previous few years. I vividly remember launching from the runway, the flight to the grass strip, and Dan’s actions as a pilot maneuvering the plane. I cannot honestly remember if he asked me to take the controls. I was too busy looking around.
College came next for me, but I was able to stay connected with the brothers. Glenn and John kept my MGB chugging along through my college years with minimal maintenance and lots of advice. I kept an eye on what was in Dan’s hangar and the Funk we flew to that fly-in during the summer of 1988.
A teaching career and then a business career in construction followed in the next decade after college. I didn’t get to see the brothers as much. Motorcycles, faster cars, and other hobbies scratched a lot of itches as my business did well and life moved forward. I became fast friends with a retired Air Force major, and he encouraged me to pursue my interest in aviation. It was always fun visiting museums, fly-ins, and talking about airplanes. Why not get my pilot certificate?
After two lessons in a leased 172 in Warrenton, Virginia, I was hooked! Dan and I reconnected and he was able to give me some great advice on flying, airplanes, and aviation as I worked my way through my private pilot certificate. Dan helped me buy my first airplane, a Cherokee 180. My continued need for speed led me to a 1952 V-tail Bonanza with Dan’s conditional blessing, and many, many repairs to this former ramp queen. Eventually it got tuned up and dialed in and became a very nice ride. After about seven years, my brother helped me find a rare C-33-A Debonair. Dan and I flew to Seattle for the prebuy and that’s the current time machine in the hangar.
All through the years I’d see the Funk in Dan’s hangar. Sometimes ready to fly, sometimes lacking an engine as it was being used on another project. Dan and I would reminisce about the plane, he’d let me know when it would be back together or flying again soon. At some point, other projects took precedence and 77724 found a place in a storage hangar surrounded by project cars, motorcycles, or airplane parts.
Business continued to do well for me and I decided another airplane would feed the need. Maybe something faster like a Baron. Eventually I started looking at tail draggers thinking my second plane would be a fun low-and-slow mission airplane. For many years, whenever I had an annual or overhaul Dan and I would talk about the Funk. I would say, “If you ever decide to part with her …” and we’d leave it at that. Dan called one afternoon, he had several projects he was working on and he wasn’t flying the Funk.
“If you’re still interested,” he said. I sure was. We reached an agreement, Dan got it airworthy again, and he gave me a few lessons.
Instruction took about 10 hours and I don’t know how many landings — some of them were even good. With an endorsement and verbal warning about crosswinds, I was off and flying my 1946 Funk. Trips to grass strips on summer evenings, following railroad tracks back to HGR, and chasing the sun through Harper’s Ferry became my new favorite things to do. My wife, Shirley, was my first official passenger and we flew in the area together often.
Flying the Funk did me some favors. I slowed down — 90 to 100 miles per hour became all right. Low and slow taught and reminded me of the joy and privilege of flying. I still liked to catch a tailwind in my Debonair and hit 180 knots, but I sure liked pulling the power back to 2200 rpm and making 90 mph flying over my house in 77724.
Flying the Funk made me a better pilot. It’s been said and written many times; stick and rudder skills make for a better pilot. It wasn’t the more technical skills of pilotage, flying more avionics, or higher horsepower; it was the basics of flying: coordination and airspeed.
Over the years I owned the plane I’ve had wonderful experiences. Flying over iced treetops in the winter, following the Chesapeake and Shenandoah Rivers for miles, touch and goes on grass strips that aren’t around anymore. Quite often I’d chase the setting sun west and then follow the highway home before I lost the last light of the evening. The Funk treated me well with an off airport landing, too. Through my own miscalculation I ran out of gas and landed on a drag strip. Yeah, I became that guy. Luckily, we had a safe landing and after gassing up with the help of the owner of the drag strip, departed and made it home.
My wife and I are downsizing a bit and although work still continues to do well for me, I’m finding I don’t have as much time as I would like. Between the downsizing and an upcoming move I decided to sell 77724. A few interested parties replied to the ad. And when asked how long I have owned the airplane I would say, “Well I’ve owned her for three years but I have known her for 30 years.” That always got the conversation going.
Many people have asked if I am sad to sell the plane. Well, sure, a little, but I have lived a dream of mine. I owned and flew the very first airplane I ever got a ride in. I had some wonderful flights with my wife and family, and I learned to be a better pilot. The Funk is going to a great new home. Bob and his son Bob, the new owners, have a grass strip and it will be well cared for. Bob the elder is an experienced taildragger pilot and his son is getting a great plane to learn to fly. I can’t think of a better home for 77724. If I think on it, even though 77724 isn’t a hot rod, I will miss the thrill of controlling the airplane, keeping the ball centered, and the soft squeak of a greased landing. I’ve got a bunch of photos from a thousand feet on my phone, and I’ve got a thousand memories to go with them. Thanks 77724 and farewell.