After three years of flying and giving the ?polish thing? a serious try, I decided to give Sweetheart #3 (after, of course, #1 Long-Suffering Spouse (#1) and #2 Lovely Daughter) a brand new dress for Christmas. The timing with Woodlake Aircraft Refinishing (in Sandwich, IL) worked out perfectly, coinciding with my annual one-month holiday in Florida. Before I say any more, let me thank some very significant people:
1) Friend and fellow VAFer Dave Burden, who gave me permission to copy his gorgeous paint scheme. I knew since he painted his 9A in 2006 that was my all-time favorite paint.
2) Flying buds Tanya and Jack in EAA Chapter 129, who enabled getting the plane to and from Woodlake painters.
3) Last and FAR from the least, huge thanks to Woodlake Aircraft Refinishing ( http://www.planepainter.com/ ). From head honchos Mike Stadfeld and Don Boldan, to specialists Bob and Jason, they did a fantastic job of prepping, caring for, and painting my precious 9A. They exceeded my every expectation throughout the process, and especially with the final product. My biggest concern was actually the re-assembly process, since nobody in the world has turned a wrench on that airplane but me. My concerns were for naught, as Jason, their reassembly specialist, did a flawless job of putting 385TE back together. Every nut, bolt, washer, cotter pin, and rivet was perfectly reinstalled. My detailed inspection at the time of pickup (with a 3 1/2 page checklist ) turned out to be totally unnecessary. Woodlake Aircraft Refinishing is a wonderful resource for RVers in the Midwest ?. Their central location couldn?t be handier.
Seeing her painted is almost as exciting as first engine start and first flight. ....Almost. )
1) Friend and fellow VAFer Dave Burden, who gave me permission to copy his gorgeous paint scheme. I knew since he painted his 9A in 2006 that was my all-time favorite paint.
2) Flying buds Tanya and Jack in EAA Chapter 129, who enabled getting the plane to and from Woodlake painters.
3) Last and FAR from the least, huge thanks to Woodlake Aircraft Refinishing ( http://www.planepainter.com/ ). From head honchos Mike Stadfeld and Don Boldan, to specialists Bob and Jason, they did a fantastic job of prepping, caring for, and painting my precious 9A. They exceeded my every expectation throughout the process, and especially with the final product. My biggest concern was actually the re-assembly process, since nobody in the world has turned a wrench on that airplane but me. My concerns were for naught, as Jason, their reassembly specialist, did a flawless job of putting 385TE back together. Every nut, bolt, washer, cotter pin, and rivet was perfectly reinstalled. My detailed inspection at the time of pickup (with a 3 1/2 page checklist ) turned out to be totally unnecessary. Woodlake Aircraft Refinishing is a wonderful resource for RVers in the Midwest ?. Their central location couldn?t be handier.
Seeing her painted is almost as exciting as first engine start and first flight. ....Almost. )