Phil High
Skind you’d post in your garden to scare away rabbits. But this one was bedecked with
a billowing white silk scarf. The classic 1962 V-tail looked as though it belonged on
itting atop the propeller blade of Bonanza N1733G was a life-size plastic owl, the
the new-aircraft delivery ramp at the factory in Wichita. Instead, it was sitting on the
grass in the North 40 parking area at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2008. Adrian Eichhorn, EAA 379110,
was happy to talk to curious passersby about his airplane, its history – and the owl. “By itself, it
doesn’t seem to intimidate the birds,” he said of the latter. “But the scarf flapping in the wind
shoos them away.”
Then, with practiced coordination, he’d pull back the canopy cover and open the engine cover,
revealing the stunning airframe, its interior and its immaculate IO-470 Continental. Fit and finish
reflect the tender loving care lavished on the airplane since Adrian bought it in 1991. But as is
often true, the real story runs much deeper than paint, steel and Plexiglas. And in this case, an old
airplane and the AirVenture Fly Market combined as the breeding ground for not only a stunning
aircraft restoration completed over many years but also an enduring bond between father and son.
