1946 Airplane Among the Tools, Kitchenware, And Knick-Knacks

It's not a common item to find at a garage sale, but in East Grand Forks, ND, Robbie Love added a 1946 Cessna 140 to the list of items up for grabs at a sale held by his dad, Rob Love.

Like many, the younger Love has stopped flying largely because of the costs. He told the Grand Forks Herald that he and several friends used to use their airplanes for activities ranging from breakfast at Bemidji to wintertime ice fishing trips. The 140 for sale included attachable skis for just such an adventure.

But he said most of his flying buddies who lived nearby stopped flying as well, and the airplane has seen little use in the past few years. So he decided it was "time to move on," adding "it's kind of ridiculous how much it costs to fly now."

The plane drew a lot of interest to the sale. Robbie said he got several phone calls after placing an ad featuring the airplane in the local paper, and WDAZ-TV even ran a story about the plane on one of its local newscasts.

The plane is airworthy. WDAZ-TV reported that Love said the Cessna, which he bought in 1979, sold for about $20,000 at the weekend sale. It was modified so that Love could fly the plane without the use of his legs. An automobile accident in 1976 left him unable to walk, but he could still fly the plane using hand controls.

(Cessna C140 pictured in file photo)

FMI: www.wdaz.com/event/article/id/19065/group/News/