Dave Hadfield: You Know You Want It

[Nicholas Carey]

Somebody on the Facebook wooden boat group is looking for a shipwright to come to Priest Lake, Idaho and fix up their Chris-Craft commuter, which has been on a trailer for several years. They're offering time and materials, plus airfare and an apartment in their seaplane hangar in which the boat is stored.

The Chris-Craft's nice (and doesn't look to be in terrible shape)



But what's more interesting is the seaplane. It looks be be a Grumman Goose. I did a little googling, figuring they're can't be more than 1 Goose based out of Priest Lake.

Seems he has not only a Grumman Goose, but a Grumman Mallard:



https://warbirdsnews.com/warbird-art...ort-intro.html



And the Mallard is for sale:

https://www.mallardj57.com/

From its website, the owner is lightening his load:

All Maintenance & Logs

Includes all logs since its first test flight in 1951 document J57’s 11,638 hours of service as an executive/personal transport with not even one landing in salt water.

Grumman G73 Mallard s/n J57 is one of two pristine Mallards in the Tanglefoot collection of flying boats hangered and maintained as personal aircraft. It has been lovingly and continuously hangered at Tanglefoot Seaplane base in Coolin, Idaho since purchased in 1991.

When J2, a second salt-water-free Mallard in excellent condition was bought and put into service, J57 was preserved in the Tanglefoot Hangar as a static display. J57 was returned to service in 2018 after comprehensive inspection and refurbishment.

[George Jung]

You'd look mighty fine piloting that, Dave.

Post pikturs!

[hawkeye54]

Oh, man - buy EVERYTHING, and you'd have your very own vacation destination fish camp, and an awesome way to get there ! ! !

[Lugs]

Nah, buy this. I believe Pakatoa Island in New Zealand is for sale. I flew out to Pakatoa in late '83 - for work, of course, in a Grumman Goose

[McMike]

I know I want it.

[Dave Hadfield]

I lust…

[Dave Hadfield]

Yes, I've always admired the Mallard. Much more of an airplane than a Goose, and much less cost to run than an Albatross.

A large Chris-Craft finished bright though...

[Breakaway]

Yes, I've always admired the Mallard. Much more of an airplane than a Goose, and much less cost to run than an Albatross.

A large Chris-Craft finished bright though...

I have flown as a passenger aboard a Mallard 12- or 15 times, via the infamous Chalks Ocean Airways. A quick commute from Miami to Bahamas.
The plane is loud and creaky and taking off entails lots of splash ( as seen through a passenger window). A comforting drone on the way across and then a swoop and dive type landing, before rolling up the ramp at Walkers Cay or idling into the dock at Bimini or Abaco Harbor.

Tropic Ocean Airways now has those routes. They use modern Cessna Caravans ( I believe)


Kevin

[LeeG]

Selling the Mallard for a few years upkeep on the ChrisCraft and Goose?

[Nicholas Carey]

Selling the Mallard for a few years upkeep on the ChrisCraft and Goose?

Seems he has flying boat disease bad: 2 Mallards and a Goose. As one might.

https://www.mallardj57.com/

From its website, the owner is lightening his load:

All Maintenance & Logs

Includes all logs since its first test flight in 1951 document J57’s 11,638 hours of service as an executive/personal transport with not even one landing in salt water.

Grumman G73 Mallard s/n J57 is one of two pristine Mallards in the Tanglefoot collection of flying boats hangered and maintained as personal aircraft. It has been lovingly and continuously hangered at Tanglefoot Seaplane base in Coolin, Idaho since purchased in 1991.

When J2, a second salt-water-free Mallard in excellent condition was bought and put into service, J57 was preserved in the Tanglefoot Hangar as a static display. J57 was returned to service in 2018 after comprehensive inspection and refurbishment.

[Jim Bow]

The Goose and Mallard have company!
0F7A8E52-AF20-48EF-944B-C47DB64C1D19.jpg

[George Jung]

That one, left/front, is more my speed.

[Nicholas Carey]

The Goose and Mallard have company!
0F7A8E52-AF20-48EF-944B-C47DB64C1D19.jpg

Everybody needs a hobby!

Nice to see he lets other people use his fly boat base.

Must be a hoot to watch operations on Priest Lake a nice Saturday in the summer.

[Breakaway]

Everybody needs a hobby!

Nice to see he lets other people use his fly boat base.

Must be a hoot to watch operations on Priest Lake a nice Saturday in the summer.

I wonder if his fellow lakefront homeowners appreciate his fleet?

Kevin

[ron ll]

Don’t see any Seabees in that collection. A few years back, a guy at the Snohomish WA airport was buying up and refurbishing old Seabees. He put new wingtips and bigger engines, on them.

7FFB4A3E-E662-439E-B1D3-5DD1DDC3CB51.jpg

[LOKI]

When I was a kid (so long ago!) there used to be a bunch of Seabees at an airport on the way up to grandma and grandpas place. I think it was Huntsville or Gravenhurst, Ontario. Always looked forward to seeing them!

[AnalogKid]

In a circular reference, Sea Bee Air was an Auckland-based airline that operated 4 Grumman Widgeons and a Grumman Goose from 1976, flying scheduled services around the Hauraki Gulf (the location of Pakatoa Island, #4). They ceased scheduled services in 1989.

[ron ll]

A Grumman Duck shows up in an episode or two of Black Sheep Squadron. Also I think in a Peter O’Toole movie? Can’t recall the title.

A09C1A57-B768-4669-B5E6-CB7B6B4F20C3.jpg

[Breakaway]

A Grumman Duck shows up in an episode or two of Black Sheep Squadron. Also I think in a Peter O’Toole movie? Can’t recall the title.

A09C1A57-B768-4669-B5E6-CB7B6B4F20C3.jpg

Murphy's War

[L.W. Baxter]

i was ten, and could only sneak glimpses at a tv, when jake cutter and goose had one season of glory

C3406C0A-3514-421D-9DF5-1BF880886DAC.jpg

[Dave Hadfield]

Don’t see any Seabees in that collection. A few years back, a guy at the Snohomish WA airport was buying up and refurbishing old Seabees. He put new wingtips and bigger engines, on them.

7FFB4A3E-E662-439E-B1D3-5DD1DDC3CB51.jpg

I think there are 2 Seabees in the back of that OP photo.

There's an outfit not too far from where I live (Lindsay ON) that converts them to a big Corvette V8 engine.

Dave