(www.jackfleetwood.com).
By Michelle Adserias
Unlike many pilots, Mike Brown’s interest in flying didn’t begin at a young age with a fascination in flight. He was busy pursuing his career as the platform director for a large auto group, and managing the three dealerships he owns, when his oldest daughter was recruited to play basketball for a distant college. He was facing the prospect of no longer attending all her games, something he had done since she began playing. Traveling by car wasn’t going to be an option, so Mike decided to pursue his private pilot certificate. He would have the option of flying to her games and cheering her on. That was about six years ago. His oldest daughter has since graduated from college and he is now flying to his son’s track meets.
Mike began by studying for his written test online. It’s not the path potential pilots typically take, but he wanted to be certain he was serious enough to complete “the hard and boring part” before he went on his discovery flight. After passing his written exam, Mike took his initial flight from KCPT in Cleburne, Texas.
His first 20 hours of flight training were in a Piper Warrior. He liked the look of this low-wing plane and found it easy to fly. Mike also discovered it was affordable to purchase and fly, right in his price range. It’s no surprise he sought out a Warrior when he began shopping for his first plane. His first cross-country flight was to pick up the newly-purchased N38970 from Orlando, Florida.
Cleaning Up the “Dirty Old Bird”
When he purchased his 1977 Warrior II, it had low flight time on it, just 2200 hours. Mechanically, it was sound. Aesthetically, it needed some work. A few avionics upgrades were in order as well. N38970 had been stored outside for years and was badly sunburned, though there was no corrosion. Mike called it “the old dirty bird.” The chalky finish was like sandpaper to the touch so the old paint was removed. The new paint scheme was true to the original, but Mike switched up the colors. Rather than going with the original Kansas City red and gold, he chose a lighter and darker shade of gray.
Despite the state of the exterior, the interior was in good condition. The leather seats showed little wear and the original door panels were still nice, but many of the plastic pieces were cracked or broken. Mike replaced the plastic components then updated the avionics. His Warrior II now has an Avidyne 440 (GPS Navigator), new Garmin ADS-B In and Out, and new audio panel. The plane sports two G275’s. The top unit is an attitude indicator, while the one below is a heading indicator. Mike relies heavily on these two instruments in flight, and said they make flying his airplane quite easy. He also has a backup CDI and AV20 in his aircraft. The only other upgrade he hopes to make in the future is adding an autopilot.
There was one oversight when the avionics were being upgraded. Mike didn’t realize there was no intercom for the rear passengers, something he would have installed. Rather than making the change now, he uses a jumper jack so passengers can patch into the intercom system.
Overall, Mike is very happy with his Piper Warrior. He loves the plane’s look and the simplicity of flying with the new panel. He has a great relationship with the mechanics at the local flight school, where many of the instructors use Warriors for training. Because of their ties, he has had no problems getting parts, emphasizing the importance of having a sound relationship with those who keep their planes running smoothly.
Just the Beginning
Since purchasing his first Piper Warrior, Mike has added two more aircraft to his fleet. He found his second plane, a 1974 Warrior, in San Marcos, Texas. It had been stored in a barn for about 30 years and had only 1150 hours on it. It’s currently in the shop for a complete overhaul, inside and out.
His third plane is a 1966 Beechcraft V35 with an IO550; already restored with an all-new interior, dual Dynon 10” screens, a complete glass cockpit, and autopilot. “Yea, I’ve got a problem. I like to buy airplanes.”
It’s All About Family
All those planes may come in handy in the near future. Mike isn’t the only person in his family interested in flying. His wife and 14-year-old daughter have both taken discovery flights and both are interested in pursuing their private pilot certificate. His daughter’s hope is to have her certificate by the time she’s 17.
Mike’s initial motivation for becoming a pilot was to support his family. Family is still one of the major reasons Mike loves to fly. They plan to take trips to visit family in Oklahoma and southern Missouri.
Since purchasing his plane, Mike and his wife have added a new item to their bucket list. His wife is a huge college football fan. Their goal is to attend one night, SCC rival game in every stadium in the southeast conference. Flying to each game will make it an even more enjoyable venture.
Perhaps flight is in the blood. Mike has two cousins in Arkansas who work as crop-dusters. They’re obviously good at what they do. One has logged about 9,000 hours, the other about 18,000 hours in a high-risk profession.
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