Powertow at 2013 TBMOPA! Lektro loses the race! Angel Flight West are Angels!

We were very happy to learn that the 2013 TBM Owners and Pilots Association convention was right in our backyard Hayden, ID (KCOE). If you have never been here, Coeur d'Alene is ridiculously beautiful.

 

Anyway, about 100 TBM 700/850s flew into town. There is something beautiful about being around so many of one single model of airplane (park that G5 in the back, please!). Every plane was primped and buffed and looked beautiful! Also, the pilots and their companions were some of the nicest folks ever.

 

Since we are next to the airport and especially since we happen to make aircraft moving equipment, we were asked to help jockey the TBMs into all manner of exciting formations for photos!  We had a full-time crew on hand to move planes for 3 days.

 

And mind you, we weren't just putting them any old place.  Larry, the owner of Southfield Aviation (KCOE, 208-772-6404), was in charge of everybody moving aircraft and he has an eye for minute detail.  I think we had all the birds placed within an inch!

 

Helping us out, we had a Lektro and an Vietnam War-Era bomb loader.  Funny thing is our Striker and Supertows can easily beat a Lektro in moving aircraft.  Our total loading sequence is about 2 seconds and the Lektro is about 20-40 seconds.  Now, if the distance is long, Lectro has the advantage of being a ride-on that can move at higher speeds.

 

Well, the conference was great and we sold some product.  I will write up more about the conference next week.

 

WAIT!  I also want to mention that Angel Flight West was there!    Please look at their site and check them out.  Pilots are naturally very generous people and so I figure they will all want to be aware of how they might be able to contribute time and/or resources to this great group.  More on them later as well...