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Today I got some good news, I found a job that I'll be starting in May, possibly my dream job and hopefully a good career. The nice thing is that it's Packard related, as I'll be helping rebuild these:





And restoring these:





Could a guy ask for a better job or what????

Congrats!! You need a journeyman?

Thanks Gerd! Now if I can just adapt those OHC 4 valve heads to a Packard straight eight for my Speedster!!

Does this mean you may now change to Packard Merlin hot rod engines just a idea. Glad to hear that the lay off will have a sunny side

Appin, I highly doubt it, it took a lot of persuasion to snag this job. Luckily, I work with the owner's son, and we get along great together, so it worked out rather well.

Nahh, I'll stick with the good old Packard straight eights!

Good Luck to you Turbopackman. What a wonderful job to find.
Will they actually pay you as well?
Keep the oldies flying
Terry

Don't know exactly what the pay will be, but I'd be happy just getting the experience!

Congratulations on the job!

Those are amazing machines. They rebuilt a Tuskegee Airmen P51 8 years ago in St Paul, I got to see it up close before the 2004 accident. Don Hinz saved the machine and kept the aircraft out of a residential area but died a day after the crash. His boy, Captain Kelly Hinz, was a Marine Pilot who died a year later in Iraq in an F18.

P-51 Mustang Survivors

Red Tail Project

1945: 3rd October - last flight. Surplus by USAAF
This P-51 would not fly again until complete restoration in 2001.

Donated (sold) by the USAAF to a trade school (for $1 fee) in Billings Montana where the condition diminished.

?1965: Conferderate Air Force - project shipped to Harlington TX.
1973: N9288 (Confederate Air Force)
1985: N215CA (CAF) restoration project
Project moved around between CAF units with little or no work done.
Then moved to the Southern Minnesota Wing in St. Paul, MN.
1999: restoration work became more aggresive.
2001: restoration completed
10th May 2001: 1st flight by Bob Odegaard was just about perfect.
2004: 30th May - tragic accident took the life of Don Hinz.
2004: Restoration work already in progress
2006: Restoration continues
2007: January - work cont. on the fuselage. Most skins are done, wiring is in progress, need work on the wings.
2008: work continues Red Tail

Eric, I am drooling in envy. Something about those old WWII planes... they're like nothing else.

Sad to hear the redtail's recent tragic history though.