First flight Video N666AT

[atreff]

Gang,

I already did a write up for the General News seciton, but here's my first attempt at video editing my First Flight last Saturday. Enjoy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39ZV8GTuphw

Art Treff
Asheville, NC
N666AT "Lil Snorkey"
RV-8 Fastback

[wv4i]

Just reserved N66MF for myself.......

[aviationgeek84]

Great video.. thanks for sharing!

[robertcs]

Art,

Not a dry eye in the house. Can't wait, congradulations!

[craigvince]

Art,
I want to thank you for that video. Every so often in the build process, we tend to lose sight of the dream. Your video made me cry, and renewed my dream.
Thanks!

[dicel87]

Beautiful plane set to wonderful music! If I recall, that music was used as the theme for the West Wing.

[atreff]

I should have credited the composer: W.G. Snuffy Walden. Yes, it is the theme from the West Wing. Snuffy is a Jazz guitarist who started to do movie and TV music. He has two CD's that are both great. Yes, it is TV background music, but very complex arrangements and emotional.

Thanks to all for the kind words. It was a sentimental day for me, and I'm glad my emotions came thru the video clip. Keep solving those building problems a minute at a time, and you'll get there, I promise. If I can do it, anyone can!

Oh, and don't think I'm in the clear, just because I've flown. I have a ton of stuff to work out. But I've got 2 hr 15 minutes on the meter now. I was at the hangar all day in a snowsuit (10F windchill here today). Everyone's words about the video help to keep ME going in the cold hangar.

Art

[bergroup]

GREAT video. My wife and I got all choked up watching it. CONGRATS!!

[Mike S]

Any connection to the old model plane design of the same name??

[atreff]

Originally Posted by Mike S

Any connection to the old model plane design of the same name??

Do you mean "Sniffer"? It's the only funny named model I can remember....

So what does "Lil Snorkey" mean?

Lil Snorkey was a P-47M that got its name from her mechanics. She would
belch, misfire, backfire and generally give the crew chief (and the waiting
pilot) fits of nervousness about airworthiness...but at altitude, she was
smoother than any other Jug. So, the wrench-benders at Boxted airbase (56th FG, 61st Sqdrn) scrawled Lil Snorkey on her nose. No leggy pinups, no Lil
Abner cartoons, Just paint. Here's a photo of Bob and Lil Snorkey.



Lil Snorkey was assigned to Lt. Robert Hoefflein. How do I know this? My Dad, Ernie Treff, was a replacement pilot and therefore was not assigned his own ship. He flew Lil Snorkey many times and never had a bad mission in her. Here's a photo of Ernie in his mission regalia:



Dad lost two engines on takeoff, sheared a prop shaft at 30,000', and had a plane shot out from under him over Germany (he evaded by himself over a 2 week period) and made it back to England to fly again. But none of this happened in Lil Snorkey.

Being a mere mortal, I need all the luck I can get. If she was good to Ernie, then hopefully, an RV by the same name will be good to me too. Dad is 84 and doing quite well, still has his medical....but I want to get her fully airworthy and tested to give him a ride while he can still climb into the rear cockpit...

Art Treff
Asheville, NC