VIKING of the MONTH
April 2004
"Miss April"
N4744V is a 1967 17-30 owned by Gregg and Bonnie Watts
This Viking is based in Hillsboro, OH (HOC)
Touchdown in the Bahamas
Gregg writes: “I've been meaning to do this ever since we bought this airplane in 2001. N4744V is a 1967 17-30 and was in need of attention when we bought her, mostly avionics. We upgraded the loran flybuddy to a Garmin 430 GPS, replaced the audio panel with a Garmin and added a WX500 stormscope, right now it's in line for an autopilot replacement and the addition of an HSI. Last year we finally had the time to take a vacation, the first in many years. I am a commercial pilot and have spent a lot of time overflying the Caribbean and thought it about time I stopped there, so we looked for a very remote and private resort. Enter Norman's Cay, Bahamas. The resort had exactly what my wife and I were looking for, a runway, and only three bungalows in the whole place. We could even see our airplane from our bungalow. Flying from central Ohio called for one stop for fuel in Georgia and then a stop for fuel and to rent the overwater equipment in Fort Pierce, FL before going "feet wet". The picture I have on final is the arrival to Norman's over the crystal clear waters of the Bahamas. We spent a week island hopping around the different islands looking at other resorts and found none were as perfect as what we had found at Normans. Note the one picture I added is of the resort flight expert/pidgin observing my preflight, Riley is his name.”
“The Bellanca Viking has a way of getting your attention, 20 years ago when I was just starting in the flying business as a crop duster pilot in central Minnesota I had an opportunity to fly one of the local guy’s Vikings. The flight control response was so impressive that 18 years later when my wife convinced me that we needed an A/C, the Viking came to mind and a few months later we acquired 44V. The first two are from our base airport, Highland County Apt in Hillsboro, OH and over Rocky Fork Lake near Hillsboro and the last two pictures are from our flight to the Bahamas. As work moved us to Ohio we use the A/C for regular trips to our home state of Louisiana to visit family. The 19 hour drive is reduced to a 5 hour flight with one fuel stop in MS, 6 hours door to door, that makes the trips home much more enjoyable. I've really enjoyed the website, thanks for making it available for us all.”
Gregg can be reached at:
gwatts@cinci.rr.com
Picture YOUR Airplane Here!
Send me photos and some history about your Viking, and I'll place it on this page for all Bellanca Fans to see! Snail mail photos to: 3741 N. Forgeus Ave, Tucson, AZ 85716 (all photos will be returned promptly)...or e-mail .jpg files to:
Vikingdrvr@att.net
Previous "Vikings of the Month"
N 1285R...Don Ames' 1972 Turbo Viking
N 93570...Larry Smalley's 1973 17-31A
N 39819...Jim Howell's 1973 17-30A
N 4081B...Tom Binder's 1975 17-31ATC
N 4052B...The DeFoe's 1976 17-30A
N 28067...Craig Gifford's 1979 17-30A
N 6578V...James Gryder's 1970 17-31ATC
N 93554...Troy Foster's 1974 17-31ATC
N 110CB...RJ Lint's 1974 17-30A
N 6639V...Michael Waiwood's 1970 17-30A
N 147PH...Ron Bianchi's 1974 17-30A
N 7379V...Bob & Bette Nixon's 1969 17-30
N 7358V...Troy Foster's 1969 17-31TC
N 8811V...Jeremy Reiley's 1971 17-30A
N 9996V...Lee Moore's 1971 17-30A
N 14732...Lynn Walker's 1975 17-30A
CFMJT...Eric Hansen's 1974 17-31ATC
N 4101B...Peter Knize & John Sullivan's 1974 17-31ATC
N 8229R...Bill Dudley's 1972 17-30A
N 4851V...Carl Fleece's 1968 17-30
N 7300V...Lee McGee's 1969 17-30
N 8281R...Victor Catalanotto's 1972 17-30A
N 228CM...Curtis Hannay's 1973 17-31ATC
N 8842V...Richard Dews' 1971 17-30A
N 28058...Rex Warren's 1978 17-30A
N 77TV...Tim Averett's 1977 17-31ATC
N 9782E...Walt Peasley & Greg Treager's 1977 17-30A
N 4062B...Russell and Rusty Viers' 1975 17-31ATC
N 4935V...Hal Schroeder's 1969 17-30
N 8229R...Bill Dudley's 1972 17-30A
N 14798...Earl Gault's 1974 17-30A
N 39862...Craig Schwab's 1973 17-30A
N 8231R...Mike Carr's 1972 17-30A
N 281SV...Fred Olson's 2000 17-30A
N 28055...John Hartnell's 1979 17-30A
N 327CP...Jeff Baker's 1973 17-30A
N 6712V...Tom & Laurie Cox's 1970 17-30A
N 8813V...Bob & Bette Nixon's 1971 17-30A
N 5683U...Dean & Demita Crofford's 1973 17-30A
N 4137B...William Bruu's 1975 17-30A
N 73KP...Ross Seabrooke's 1973 17-31A
N 200EB...Frank Waltman's 1978 17-31ATC
N 89EL...Don and Shirlee Shapansky's 1989 17-30A
N 8862V...Mark Rooney's 1972 17-31ATC
N 28022...Frank Ayers' 1978 17-30A
N 93710...Tom & Dee Null's 1973 17-31A
N 14696... Dewey & Darla Elsik's 1974 17-31ATC
N 93634...Jim Sinke & Barbara Rose's 1973 17-30A
N 7383V...Dave Hetrick's 1969 17-31
N 76604V...Clifford Kidd's 1970 17-30A
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