Plane Owned By Noted Mechanic, Restorer To Be Displayed

Ed Beegles was always infatuated with airplanes. He soloed at age 16, in 1938, and went on to spend much of his life repairing, maintaining and restoring airplanes. He passed away last month, and now some of his friends are trying to raise $20,000 to buy his Luscombe T8F (similar aircraft pictured) and display it in his memory in the terminal of the Greeley/Weld County Airport (KGXY) in Colorado.

Analisa Roman reports in the Greeley Tribune that friends Mel Bickling and Ken Harris hatched the idea for the display while Beegles was still alive, but it never got very far. Harris explains, "one thing led to another, and it seems like it’s going to happen now."

The rare Luscome T8F Observer was reportedly a wreck, acquired by Beegles in two pieces after having been impaled on a fencepost, and had been essentially written off. Beegles restoration became an award-winner. The same skills and dedication which showed in the T8F earned Beegles a spot in the National Aviation Hall of Fame, and the FAA's Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award.

Beegles Aircraft Service was founded by Ed in 1946, after he returned from service in the US Navy during WWII. Originally started to convert surplus military aircraft into crop dusters, the shop went on to build a national reputation as a major structural airframe repair facility. In 1979, Ed sold the shop to Ray Burnham, who had worked as Ed's employee since 1969. The company is still thriving, with 25 current employees. A road near the Greeley/Weld County Airport was named "Ed Beegles Lane" in Ed's honor.

FMI: www.beeglesaircraft.com