(Home base: xy (????), . Chief pilot: Sir Raven )

Story of theTHC 023


OK there is a neet story behind the Robin Hood. It start about a year ago when I was Fling the fleet of ES-3A's to the yunk yard in Yuma AZ. You see the ES-3A's where being decomed so we had the fly the plane to the final resting place, anyways. The flight from Jax to AZ was a good one on weather and the it was day light the whole way. When we did our last carrier bracks in the ES-3A I noticed there where a bunch of T-34C's on the west end of the junk yard.

We came down and landed then taxied the planes the where they would stay forever, never going to see flight again, it almost made me cry but I held back the teirs and went over to take a look at the T-34c's that where park about two rows down from where we put the ES-3A's.

I was suprised to see the some of them where in pretty good shape and I did not know why they where there. So I asked one the techs there and he said that they where High time ACF and that they just needed to be taken apart and rebuilt with new parts and inspected, but the Navy did not what to spend the money to do it so they put them here. And thats when a light went off in my head,"dESPair doesn't have a ture training AC and this one would be a great one.

So I took a look around and got a feel for witch one was in the best shapeand then we had to go so that we could get on a plane back to JAX.

I did not think about the plane for a long time and then one time when I was put for orders I had a chance to go to the juck yark in Yuma,AZ to be a Tech the ES-3A's to make sure if they needed to they could pull them back on to active duty with as littel maintence as posible.

So I took the orders and when I got there the same planes where still there so I started looking for good parts, it took about 5 months for me to find all the part that I needed to get a complete plane and once I did I started going in a night thoguh the back gate that was never guarded and takeing the parts one by one. About two years later I had all the part that I needed and began to build. About anothere year later I had the plane built and was keeping it out a old airfeild that was no being used.

That when I started doing the test flights on it I was lucky becuase I was surounded buy mountains and I would not be picked up by RADAR.

Finally the plane was ready for some reel action. The only thing was I had to got it out of the country becuase it is not illel so i talked to a friend of mine that is in the emport, export game and he drew up some vary good paper work on the plane and said that he would ship it on he's next run to Nice. I said that would be great because I can fly it form there to to Torino Caselle and then on into Bouchs, the flight is only about 212.5nm and the plane as around a 700nm range. So that what we did the plane went put on the next boat to Nice.

In the mean time I have to get a plane ticket to Nice and make sure that my passport was inorder and it was and I got the ticket the next week. So then I was off like a Prom Dress to Nice. I got there about a week before the boat was do in so I made the plains to get the plane form the boat to LFMN. When that was done it was time to see the sites and have some beer.

Finally the boat arrived and was off loaded and taken to the airport after customs looked at the paper work witch they said looked to be in order.

"All that is left is the file VFR and get the hell out of there before somebody gets wise" is what I was thinking so thats what I did.

The next day I got up and preflighted the plane and checked the weather and they both looked good so it was time to get the show on the road and head to Bouchs. I filed a VFR plain toTorino Caselle and was on my way.

About 30nm from Torino I about shit my pants when two Italian Air Force planes came up on my wings and where looking me over like I had a stollen plane or somthing? But shortly after they joined me they left and I never saw then again. I guess they where just taking a look. Anyways I got on deck in Torino Ok and got some fuel eventhough I did not need it better safe then sorry! I check the weather again and was on my way to Bouchs. The next hour or so went Ok I just was enjoying the MT and the snow cruising oin and out of the valleys having a good time and then Boucchs was in sight and thats when I got a big grin on my face because the plane was home and I had no problems just a few scares.

So basical I robbed from the rich (US Navy) and gave to the poor (myself and dESPair.) and that how this T-34 got its name Robin Hood.

Captain Raven