Brad Selman, Tom Tyler and the Save at Hamilton, Texas

[Bob Axsom]

When I flew in the race at Llano I made all the race preps including installing metal covers in the NACA inlets to the cabin air system. In all of the work to remove the damaged outlet flow mod after the race I forgot to remove them. The weather was clear all the way back to Fayetteville, Arkansas where I live so I decided to go the shortest way directly over Dallas Class B Air Space to FYV (Drake Field) at 11,500 feet. As I climbed I opened the vents and got no fresh air then I realized why.

I looked at the chart and decided to lose my high altitude in the direction that would be toward my destination - I picked Hamilton. When I landed the right main went flat and I went off the runway edge leaving the plane half on and half off the runway.

Two Army helicopters that were going to land, asked if there was anything they could do to help and after learning there was not, left the area. I got out my Flight Guide book and my wife Jeanine's cell phone and called the number for the airport. There was no answer so after thinking about it for a few seconds I called 911. The lady took me cell phone number and said she would see what they could do and call back.

In the mean time I got my little stubby fat handle #2 Phillips screwdriver and succeeded in removing the fairing. It looks pretty good except for a break in a forward corner of the subfairing. I got the phone out of the plane and found that the 911 operator had called back and left a message saying that they were unable to reach anyone with the airport but they had contacted a man that they thought could help me and he was on his way.

That man was Brad Selman and he brought along his wife Misty. Brad looked over the situation as men are prone to do searching for a solution to the problem. Then he had an Idea, he had a friend with an RV-8 that might even have an old tire and tube laying around. He called him and both of us talked on the phone with Tom Tyler alternately until he had all the information he needed.

Tom Tyler lives 20 miles or so from the airport so it would take a little while for him to gather his supplies and get there. He brought tools, a bottle jack, some heavy duty plastic buckets, a short piece of 2x4 and two small sheets of particle board.

The buckets were too high to provide the base that Tom had in mind so Brad suggested cinder blocks and drove away to get some. He came back with two full size and two half size blocks. They were perfect for the a good stable base and the could fit under the wing tiedown ring with the the particle board and a small piece of 2x4 that Brad notched with a hand saw to mate with the tiedown ring. The bottle jack range was not adequate to lift the tire clear of the ground so we dug the ground out from under the tire with our hands, a lug wrench/tire iron, the jack handle and a metal part out of something that wasn't identified. When we got the tire clear to rotate, Tom moved the valve stem clear of the cotter pin, took it out, removed the hub nut, the two brake bolts, removed the wheel, removed the three bolts holding the wheel halves together, removed the tire & tube then reversed the process and as soon as we could get the always troublesome big cotter pin back in we would be good to go. Brad did that and he lifted with his back under the wing whille Tom and I pulled to get the plane out of the hole. Tom said he was going to refill the hole after I left because he didn't want someone else coming off the runway and hitting it.

They drove their trucks back to the ramp and waited to be sure I got off safely. I back taxied on 36 and departed giving them a wing wag on the way.

While there I learned a bit about these good men. Brad is a contractor specializing in ranch construction - including runways. He was going to pick up a 1954 E model V tail Bonanza this weekend but the owner said the flap motor needed rebuilding so (lucky for me) the pick up was delayed a week. He uses the plane in his business. He previously owned a Cesnna 182.

Tom built his RV-8 and he used to be a Navy aviator. He flew mainly F-8s (F8U Crusaider) but also A-4, F-4 and F11F. He hated the F3H Demon which was built by my company McDonnell. He was an LSO on the Carrier Hancock and he said for some unknown reason the Demon exhaust put out a terrible sticking smell - you could just tell he REALLY HATED THE DEMON. The Demon was a nice looking airplane but the GFE engines were way too powerless for the task.

Bob Axsom

[humptybump]

Sorry to hear of the "challenges" getting home but the tale of Brad and Tom reminds me of just how much good there is in people. Thanks for the telling and glad your back home safe.