Jerry Yochelson’s dream of flying his antique plane cross-country has been grounded, if only for the moment.
By:Brian Shappell
Jerry Yochelson’s dream of flying his antique plane cross-country has been grounded, if only for the moment.
The local pilot recently had embarked on a personal mission to fly an open-cockpit, antique plane from California to New Jersey starting May 1.
But Mr. Yochelson is back at home earlier than expected without his plane. After an unforseen complication during a landing, the plane is awaiting repairs that could take up to four weeks.
Though temporarily derailed, the spirits of the township native and his co-pilot, flight instructor John Eckel, are not been broken. The two plan to resume their flight in early-June.
“I didn’t plan to be here this day, but, here I am,” said Mr. Yochelson on Monday. “We’re real disappointed, but you have to look at the bright side. I’m OK; he’s OK and the plane is fixable. It could have been worse.
On day fourth day of flying, the plane suffered damage, most notably to the wing, when landing at an airport in Tucson, Ariz., where the plane remains today. Neither Mr. Yochelson nor Mr. Eckel were injured.
“We encountered a ‘dust-devil,’ a miniature desert tornado; it turned on us and that was enough,” said Mr. Yochelson. “It’s just a weird, crazy thing that we ran into one. So, we’re temporarily on hold.”
Luckily for the owner, there is a mechanic in Tucson who has experience in repairing antique crafts, a rare talent at many of the nation’s airports according to Mr. Yochelson.
Although the pilots have learned how to fix the “little things” associated with antique crafts — such as the oil leaks that delayed their original flight date by three days — a more specialized mechanic is necessary for wing and additional repairs. The plane is scheduled to be ready for flight again by June 10.
“I’m just looking forward to getting the plane home and having it here,” said Mr. Yochelson. “I’m anxious. It was a gorgeous flight thus far throughout the San Bernadino Mountains, the Mojave desert — it’s beautiful country. I enjoyed every minute of it.”
Aside from the wing and minor problems, the engine has been “ticking like a watch,” Mr. Yochelson said.
Once the pair resume next month, they will have approximately eight days of flying time that will take them through Texas, Arkansas, the Shenendoah Mountains of Tennessee, Virginia, Pennsylvania and the final destination of Twin Pines in Pennington.
The idea for the cross-country flight came after Mr. Yochelson purchased his antique aircraft, a 1930 KR-21. Following an Internet search last October, he found the plan in Romona, Calif., and bought it, in person, one month later.
Mr. Yochelson soon realized that the best and most exciting way to get the plane home would be to use it as originally intended, for flight.
“I wanted one because it is more fun to fly open cockpit planes than the modern ones,” Mr. Yochelson said. “I decided it would sure be a lot more of an adventure to fly it home than to take it apart and drive it home in a truck.”
Aside from getting it home, the flight became a charitable undertaking, as well. The trip will aid in raising funds for a new building at the Monroe Township Jewish Center as people sponsor the pair for each mile of the trip. The total amount of money raised will be determined when the trip has been completed.
“We were looking for creative ways for fund raising (at the center),” said Mr. Yochelson. “It made me more determined to fly it back. I believe in the notion of using what you have in ability to benefit the congregation. You can be more creative sometimes than just opening your checkbook, which I also do believe in.”
Mr. Yochelson will be in a holding pattern until repairs are finished. Once they are, the Cranbury flier will have his eyes on the sky again.