Flying to SIG in the Keith Sandberg's Grumman Tiger ...ViDEO

[Shug Emery]

Flew down to SIG MFG Co. to pick up some fuel for a few of our club members with Keith Sandberg in his Grumman Tiger. He is from a family of pilots. Sure is fun to be in the cockpit and being the do-nothing co-pilot.
Whoooooo Buddy)))))
Shug

[gene poremba]

 GREAT video!!!! That brings back a lot of memories. Thanks Shug.....Gene

[Randy Cuberly]

Yeah, the only thing better than owning your own airplane is to have a friend that lets you fly in his! 

Thanks for sharing Shug,
Randy Cuberly

[David Hoover]

Nice video.  Thanks.  I saw a lot of snow covered fields.  Do you have skis on your stunter?

[Dan McEntee]

 Neat video! The SIG contest is where I first met Keith and the Piston Popper crew. Sure do miss the contest there each June. Like the old saying goes, "Ya shuda been there!" I think I went 26 or 27 seven years straight before they quit having it. I consider Mike Gretz one of the best and a good friend. Hazel, Maxey, the girls in the hobby shop trailer, the gang back at the plant, the plant tours, all the fun in the evening night flying after the contest, getting to see Hazel fly the Clipped Wing Cub in formation with Maxey in the Spacewalker, Seeing all the models that I've seen in the adds and the catalogs hanging in the plant on my first tour, Mike Pratt, Scott Christiansen, the fireworks show at the 50th anniversary, Gretz's wife's great St. Louis style BBQ ham sandwiches!, all the great people my son and I have met and flown with all those years. The memories are almost endless!  I never did see the field covered in snow, though!
   Shug, ya shuda been there!
  Thanks a lot,
   Dan McEntee

[Noel Corney]

Thanks for a change of scenery, We don't get that white stuff here unless its coming down as icy balls(hail) Nice change of pace. Thanks again Shug and Keith I really enjoyed the ride. Noel.

[Wade Bognuda]

Akro, no chutes in a standard category a/c at a somewhat low altitude. And an N-number. On the world wide web. Nice.

[john e. holliday]

Shug you looked a little worried in the one shot on the take off from SIG.  Tried pointing out the various buildings as Keith came in for the landing.  You guys are so lucky to have Keith.   What a thrill that must be to fly with him.

[Shug Emery]

GREAT video!!!! That brings back a lot of memories. Thanks Shug.....Gene

Memories of the SIG event?

Yeah, the only thing better than owning your own airplane is to have a friend that lets you fly in his! 

Thanks for sharing Shug,
Randy Cuberly

Very true...like knowing someone with a lake cabin...but you must bring ffod or clean gutters!

Nice video.  Thanks.  I saw a lot of snow covered fields.  Do you have skis on your stunter?

I will put skies on ine. When my lake freezes over I plan to have a snow/ice circle. Keith has a Primary Force with skis.

Neat video! The SIG contest is where I first met Keith and the Piston Popper crew. Sure do miss the contest there each June. Like the old saying goes, "Ya shuda been there!" I think I went 26 or 27 seven years straight before they quit having it. I consider Mike Gretz one of the best and a good friend. Hazel, Maxey, the girls in the hobby shop trailer, the gang back at the plant, the plant tours, all the fun in the evening night flying after the contest, getting to see Hazel fly the Clipped Wing Cub in formation with Maxey in the Spacewalker, Seeing all the models that I've seen in the adds and the catalogs hanging in the plant on my first tour, Mike Pratt, Scott Christiansen, the fireworks show at the 50th anniversary, Gretz's wife's great St. Louis style BBQ ham sandwiches!, all the great people my son and I have met and flown with all those years. The memories are almost endless!  I never did see the field covered in snow, though!
   Shug, ya shuda been there!
  Thanks a lot,
   Dan McEntee

Yessir....I dang shoulda been there. Sounds like it was a big time. Mike Gretz was descriping all the flight circles on the runway. I do wish I had been able to be a part of one. That is why I have a goal to make Brodaks.
Thankee Dan.

Thanks for a change of scenery, We don't get that white stuff here unless its coming down as icy balls(hail) Nice change of pace. Thanks again Shug and Keith I really enjoyed the ride. Noel.

Summer coming for you down that way I reckon! Thanks.

Akro, no chutes in a standard category a/c at a somewhat low altitude. And an N-number. On the world wide web. Nice.

We were 3500.....it was calm. We lived.

[Shug Emery]

Shug you looked a little worried in the one shot on the take off from SIG.  Tried pointing out the various buildings as Keith came in for the landing.  You guys are so lucky to have Keith.   What a thrill that must be to fly with him.

Not worried just hungry! Kinda in a daze after looking at all the SIG airplanes and cl, rc, ff and just wonderful things.
It was a treat from A to Z.

[Wade Bognuda]

We were 3500.....it was calm. We lived.



That time. If you knew as many dead pilots as I do you would get my point. I'm glad you had a good time, that's what it's really all about. Nuff said.

[Shug Emery]

We were 3500.....it was calm. We lived.


That time.

Wade....I am not a pilot but I felt very safe with Keith.We did about a minute of some maneuvers and I was over-joyed to feel what flight feels like again. Flew in a bi-plane with the Red Baron Squad one too and we did some crazier stuff. I did have a parachute with these instructions from the pilot..."if things go bad, unbuckle, jump out and pull the cord" Boy did that ever make me feel better. It was thrilling from take-off to touchdown. Living large can be detrimental but oh to live and feel.

With all respect... I have no idea who you are or what your qualifications are I will not let your comment diminish my experience.
Carry Forth

[Shug Emery]

We were 3500.....it was calm. We lived.



That time. If you knew as many dead pilots as I do you would get my point. I'm glad you had a good time, that's what it's really all about. Nuff said.

Point received.
Peace.

[RC Storick]

My best memory of the Sig contest was a chat I had with Roland McDonald. I too miss that contest. Great videos Thanks

[Brian Massey]

Thanks for sharing the video. My dad was a pilot, and that video brought back a lot of great memories.

Brian

[Wade Bognuda]

Peace.

[john e. holliday]

Shug, you are the man.  Just told the wife I have to meet you some how.

[jim gevay]

Cool video Sean, ask Keith what do you call that dipsy doodle at 2:15 or so, and if his instructor taught him that.
Seriously though, I've flown with Keith a few times and anyone who has seen his C/L flying should know he brings the same excellent skills and good judgment to his full size flying, you're in good hands.

[Will Davis]

[quote author=Shug Emery
Yessir....I dang shoulda been there. Sounds like it was a big time. Mike Gretz was descriping all the flight circles on the runway. I do wish I had been able to be a part of one. That is why I have a goal to make Brodaks.

[/quote]

Shug,

You need yo make the trip to Brodak's bring Keith with  you, waynesburg  airport is close by ,

Shug is  a very busy man ,  ( see pic )

[dave siegler]

Although I was only out to that contest 3 times, it was awesome fun, great people. 

[Steve Thornton]

Good for you and Kieth!  Wish I could have been there too.  One of my first jobs in aviation (over 40 years ago) was for a Grumman dealer in Waco. I was a novice Flight Instructor and my first year acquired 200-300 hours in the Tiger and Cheetah...so many good memories.  BTW 3500' is NOT low for what you guys were doing.  I have hundreds of hours of training spin recovery and aerobatics, and I used 3000' as a base altitude.  We aren't talking about a T-38...it's a Grumman Tiger. 

Great video!
Steve

[Chris McMillin]

Professional uninvited critics worried about that which they know little is what makes people less and less interested in sharing aviation with anyone.
Chris...

Akro, no chutes in a standard category a/c at a somewhat low altitude. And an N-number. On the world wide web. Nice.

[Sean McEntee]

Shug as dad said, you should have been there.  Sig contest was my favorite among the flying season.  So many memories. First one I was 4 flying a Carl Goldberg Lil Wizard.  Hazel and Maxey gave me a 1/2A Skyray and a gallon of fuel for being a cute little blonde guy. Super cool people. The last one I went to was 2006. Came all the way from Iraq for it. Was still in uniform when I flew on Saturday!  Many good memories in between from getting a ride in the 2-seat spacewalker to seeing Sean Elliot fly in with the EAA Ryan NYP.  Was so much fun.

[Wade Bognuda]

Professional uninvited critics worried about that which they know little is what makes people less and less interested in sharing aviation with anyone.
Chris...

I'm sorry you don't comprehend the post. It was just an observation on my part. Facts, not criticsm. I hope this has not made you even less interested in sharing aviation with anyone.

[wwwarbird]

 Looks like a great time Shug, a really fun day trip. Instead of the famous "100 dollar hamburger" lunch you brought yourselves home some fifty dollar gallons of fuel.

 On the other hand though, those kind of days are "priceless".

[Steve Scott]

My first time venturing down to Montezuma was 2006.  Alex was 14 and looking forward to his first 'major' contest outside the PP.  Never been so proud as a parent as when he captured 1st in PAMPA Beginner with a 259 score flying his untrimmed Primary Force w/Brodak .40, thoroughly cleaning his old man's clock and my FP-20 powered Flite Streak ARF, placing 3rd.

I truly believe I was sabotaged by Sig's trained ground squirrels who devoured the wheels on any non-Sig airplane.  Both my TF Flite Streak and Tutor II took a hit from the varmits.

My full scale piloting experience was a short one - starting at age 16 and ending a year later after I had soloed a Piper PA-28 Cherokee 140 at a community airport outside of Tacoma, WA.  The airport was sold and is now a shopping center - with lots of now-vacant stores.

[RC Storick]

I remember that tire. LOL If I remember right that is the year I reached into my tool box and slit my hand wide open on a exacto knife and Frank Kicked off the thin set CA to get it to stop bleeding. The girl in the trailer thought I was nuts. It smoked and hurt but it did stop bleeding and no scar.

[Dan McEntee]

   What I liked about the SIG contest was it wasn't just stunt. Even though I don't actively participate in carrier, racing and combat, we could see those there also and I like to watch it as much as I can. I remember the year some young guy, maybe 12 or 13 years old, borrowed his Dad's best Fox .36 to fly Slow Combat with. He must have been using yarn or something for a handle thong, because he let go of the handle during a match, and the whole shebang flew off almost straight up. I had heard of this before but never witnessed it before or since. The handle and lines nicely offset the plane's weight, and it circled around like a giant powered maple tree seed, rising slowly straight up until we could hardly see it. We could still hear it, and when the engine quit, instead of coming down, it was in a strong thermal and kept climbing until it was completely out of sight! The kid was absolutely beside himself and was immediately trying to figure out a way to tell his Dad he just lost his best Slow Combat engine! He kept looking around for someone to tell him what to do, and I really felt sorry for him. About 15 or 20 minutes later, I was looking to the east, away from the field and hangers, and saw a swirling spec in the sky, after a minute or two I realized it was the kid's model coming back down, and now it REALLY looked like a giant maple leaf seed! It came down somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 mile away, just barely visible but I could see the bright red of the Hot Rock handle he had on it. I yelled to him when I saw it and he got to see it disappear behind a small rise and some trees, but I don't remember if he actually found it. I kinda would like to know!
   I got the hankerin' to get the box of photos out now after all of this! And I just remembered the night a SEVERE storm blew in and the local sheriff evacuated all the campers to a shelter somewhere until it blew over! Lot's of weather related stories and memories!
   Type at you later,
    Dan McEntee

[Dan McEntee]

  The more I look at it, I may have a picture of that tire also! The ground squirrels or chipmunks or whatever they were were fin to watch. I wonder what all that foam did to the critter's lower gastrointestinal tract!
   Type at you later,
    Dan McEntee

[Steve Scott]

Tail wheel of my Tutor II after the squirrels had lunch.

Got one of Dan as well (photos taken by the kid).

[Chris McMillin]

I'm sorry you don't comprehend the post. It was just an observation on my part. Facts, not criticsm. I hope this has not made you even less interested in sharing aviation with anyone.

Lazy Eights and wingovers aren't acro, Tigers are Utility Catergory up to a certain weight, chutes aren't required for Commercial maneuvers including spins, witness says they were higher than required. Those are the facts.

One thing you're right about, I am not clear on why you chose to post a critique about the flight. You were critical through your language regardless of your reply to my post.

I do not operate my private airplanes with anyone except family members on board, unless it is a close personal aviation professional friend like Bob Whitely, etc. I never film them, I do not fly public performances, or compete anymore either. There are too many "experts" in the aviation world and government employees standing at the ready to excercise their "authority". I still need my certificates professionally for 10 more years, so I do what I can to emilinate the risks. Exposure is risk, and your response to the film in this post is the reason it is risky to expose oneself in the public domain regarding anything to do with aviation.

  

[Shug Emery]

From now on I'll only post videos of model flights.
Maybe. We'll see.
Or not.
Shug

[Dan McEntee]

   I'm in absolute awe of some guys from Minneapolis that flew (in the snow) to a place to pick up fuel at this time of year with a long winter ahead! Unless SIG was havinmg a sale or something! I manage to get my monthly flights in each year to the imaginary "all season flyer" patch, but it's a lot better chance of getting a small window to get two flights in here in the St. Louis area than it is up there in the Great White North, eh?
  Type at you later,
   Dan McEntee

[Will Davis]

From now on I'll only post videos of model flights.
Maybe. We'll see.
Or not.
Shug

If it is about model airplanes planes or  General Aviation,   I think most modelers enjoy your post,

Keep on keeping on

[Shug Emery]

Tail wheel of my Tutor II after the squirrels had lunch.

Got one of Dan as well (photos taken by the kid).

Keith told me that is his Chief in the picture with Dan...to funny!

[Shug Emery]

My best memory of the Sig contest was a chat I had with Roland McDonald. I too miss that contest. Great videos Thanks

I still have my old SIG hard foam drink cozies.

Thanks for sharing the video. My dad was a pilot, and that video brought back a lot of great memories.

Brian

That is cool.

Shug, you are the man.  Just told the wife I have to meet you some how.

We shall share a circle.

Cool video Sean, ask Keith what do you call that dipsy doodle at 2:15 or so, and if his instructor taught him that.
Seriously though, I've flown with Keith a few times and anyone who has seen his C/L flying should know he brings the same excellent skills and good judgment to his full size flying, you're in good hands.

I think it is called the contra-doodle))))
Keith is all on when flying.

[quote author=Shug Emery
Yessir....I dang shoulda been there. Sounds like it was a big time. Mike Gretz was descriping all the flight circles on the runway. I do wish I had been able to be a part of one. That is why I have a goal to make Brodaks.



Shug,

You need yo make the trip to Brodak's bring Keith with  you, waynesburg  airport is close by ,

Shug is  a very busy man ,  ( see pic )

Sure want to. Polk City the week before and I want to go to that one. Then off to Brodak if all works out. Unicycle and Bi-Slob in tow))))

Although I was only out to that contest 3 times, it was awesome fun, great people. 

I got SIG envy!

[Shug Emery]

Good for you and Kieth!  Wish I could have been there too.  One of my first jobs in aviation (over 40 years ago) was for a Grumman dealer in Waco. I was a novice Flight Instructor and my first year acquired 200-300 hours in the Tiger and Cheetah...so many good memories.  BTW 3500' is NOT low for what you guys were doing.  I have hundreds of hours of training spin recovery and aerobatics, and I used 3000' as a base altitude.  We aren't talking about a T-38...it's a Grumman Tiger. 

Great video!
Steve

All I know is that if sure flew smooth. I even flew it a bit.

Shug as dad said, you should have been there.  Sig contest was my favorite among the flying season.  So many memories. First one I was 4 flying a Carl Goldberg Lil Wizard.  Hazel and Maxey gave me a 1/2A Skyray and a gallon of fuel for being a cute little blonde guy. Super cool people. The last one I went to was 2006. Came all the way from Iraq for it. Was still in uniform when I flew on Saturday!  Many good memories in between from getting a ride in the 2-seat spacewalker to seeing Sean Elliot fly in with the EAA Ryan NYP.  Was so much fun.

Cherish those times with your Dad.....sounds awesome.

Looks like a great time Shug, a really fun day trip. Instead of the famous "100 dollar hamburger" lunch you brought yourselves home some fifty dollar gallons of fuel.

 On the other hand though, those kind of days are "priceless".

Yes they are and I saw of your car parts too. El Camino? Love those.

My first time venturing down to Montezuma was 2006.  Alex was 14 and looking forward to his first 'major' contest outside the PP.  Never been so proud as a parent as when he captured 1st in PAMPA Beginner with a 259 score flying his untrimmed Primary Force w/Brodak .40, thoroughly cleaning his old man's clock and my FP-20 powered Flite Streak ARF, placing 3rd.

I truly believe I was sabotaged by Sig's trained ground squirrels who devoured the wheels on any non-Sig airplane.  Both my TF Flite Streak and Tutor II took a hit from the varmits.

My full scale piloting experience was a short one - starting at age 16 and ending a year later after I had soloed a Piper PA-28 Cherokee 140 at a community airport outside of Tacoma, WA.  The airport was sold and is now a shopping center - with lots of now-vacant stores.

That is a wonderful memorie...especially them rubber chewing varmints!

   What I liked about the SIG contest was it wasn't just stunt. Even though I don't actively participate in carrier, racing and combat, we could see those there also and I like to watch it as much as I can. I remember the year some young guy, maybe 12 or 13 years old, borrowed his Dad's best Fox .36 to fly Slow Combat with. He must have been using yarn or something for a handle thong, because he let go of the handle during a match, and the whole shebang flew off almost straight up. I had heard of this before but never witnessed it before or since. The handle and lines nicely offset the plane's weight, and it circled around like a giant powered maple tree seed, rising slowly straight up until we could hardly see it. We could still hear it, and when the engine quit, instead of coming down, it was in a strong thermal and kept climbing until it was completely out of sight! The kid was absolutely beside himself and was immediately trying to figure out a way to tell his Dad he just lost his best Slow Combat engine! He kept looking around for someone to tell him what to do, and I really felt sorry for him. About 15 or 20 minutes later, I was looking to the east, away from the field and hangers, and saw a swirling spec in the sky, after a minute or two I realized it was the kid's model coming back down, and now it REALLY looked like a giant maple leaf seed! It came down somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 mile away, just barely visible but I could see the bright red of the Hot Rock handle he had on it. I yelled to him when I saw it and he got to see it disappear behind a small rise and some trees, but I don't remember if he actually found it. I kinda would like to know!
   I got the hankerin' to get the box of photos out now after all of this! And I just remembered the night a SEVERE storm blew in and the local sheriff evacuated all the campers to a shelter somewhere until it blew over! Lot's of weather related stories and memories!
   Type at you later,
    Dan McEntee

Love to have that on video)))))

I remember that tire. LOL If I remember right that is the year I reached into my tool box and slit my hand wide open on a exacto knife and Frank Kicked off the thin set CA to get it to stop bleeding. The girl in the trailer thought I was nuts. It smoked and hurt but it did stop bleeding and no scar.

Ouch...cauterized.

[Shug Emery]

   I'm in absolute awe of some guys from Minneapolis that flew (in the snow) to a place to pick up fuel at this time of year with a long winter ahead! Unless SIG was havinmg a sale or something! I manage to get my monthly flights in each year to the imaginary "all season flyer" patch, but it's a lot better chance of getting a small window to get two flights in here in the St. Louis area than it is up there in the Great White North, eh?
  Type at you later,
   Dan McEntee

Yessir...we can sit and stare at those gallon jugs all Winter and dream of circles in the sky))))

If it is about model airplanes planes or  General Aviation,   I think most modelers enjoy your post,

Keep on keeping on

Oh....you know I will Will.....
Waiting for my lake to freeze more so I can get a circle going!

[john e. holliday]

Shug, keep the videos coming.  I love watching other people doing things with any thing aerodynamic.   Now you give me an incentive to get back to Polk City Contest.  I have missed too many years.  

[Shug Emery]

Shug, keep the videos coming.  I love watching other people doing things with any thing aerodynamic.   Now you give me an incentive to get back to Polk City Contest.  I have missed too many years.  

Maybe see you there)))))
Oh, the videos will continue to come. I can't help myself....
Shug

[Bob Reeves]

I do not know Keith personal but all you had to say was he was a NAVY pilot. You were in good hands...

[Tom Niebuhr]

Steve Thornton said: "BTW 3500' is NOT low for what you guys were doing.  I have hundreds of hours of training spin recovery and aerobatics, and I used 3000' as a base altitude.  We aren't talking about a T-38...it's a Grumman Tiger." 

I agree a million times over. I went to an AOAP flight instructors seminar that showed countless stall/spin accidents because the pilots had no idea how to recover from spins. The pictures all showed controls at full up and throttles at full power!

After that I always demonstrated spin recovery to students before I would sign them off for a check ride.

Go to aerobatic competitions and the required aerobatic box is always at safe altitudes.

Basic aerobatic instructions will save lives.

Most accidents are caused by pilots who "crossed the line" and did something that they should not have done, or got into a situation that they did
not know how to recover from.

[jim gevay]

I may be wrong here but I don't think Keith was a pilot in the Navy, although he was in the Navy on something like S3 Vikings.
I remember when he got his Private Pilot certificate about 10 years ago.
That does not take anything away from his skills as a pilot. I've flown with many pilots in my career and Keith has great hand-eye coordination and very good judgment. He takes his flying very seriously and I have complete faith in his abilities.