Airplane of the Month • December 2003

Comments from owner  James Behnke:
N1989Z was used mostly as a Trainer in Southern California and Phoenix, Arizona. It had 9 owners in 10 years from 1963 to 1973. After 10 years of use, it was sold, disassembled and stored in Hesperia, California.

In 1994, twenty one years later, my good friend (Bing) and I, loaded the fuselage, wings, engine, 35 lbs. of sand and a very upset cotton tail rabbit onto an old flatbed car trailer (I wanted to ride in the plane but the California Highway Patrol prevailed). The 150 was destined for my two-car garage in Escondido where it resided for the next two years (under loving protest from my wife, something about cars and garages). A job transfer necessitated a move to Colorado. This meant another road trip for the 3/4's complete 150 via I-70. I tried to get a logbook entry from a very confused Highway Patrolman for taking the 150 through the Eisenhower tunnel without much luck. We also traveled over Loveland pass at 11,992 ft. on our way to our new home in Windsor, Colorado. (This was the highest the 150 had been in 25 years. We just had to stop, get out, and read the Altimeter in the plane. At least it still worked!).

 After three years, and the move to Colorado, the plane was completed, inspected and ready for a test flight. On May 23rd, 1996, N1989Z once again took to the (thin, Colorado) air from FNL (Fort Collins/Loveland airport) where it now resides. We've been to Oshkosh twice and once to Florida to watch the shuttle "Endeavor" take off. Now, if I can ever get the wind to slow down in Wyoming, I might get to see the Northwest!

[Posted December  1, 2003]