paraplane
Well-Known Member
I found an ad on Barnstormers of a plane kit/project know as a SNAP Dragonfly by Viking Aircraft. I thought for sure that there was no chance the kit was available still at the price being offered and I called anyway and the owner said it was. I asked him if I could make payments on the plane and he said that'd be fine. Said just send me what you can when you can. I did and over the period of about a year I paid for the kit mostly with tip money from my dishwashing job at a Restaurant. I had communicated with the guy about my intent to pick up the project asap but that I was relocating to Oregon from California my Father also passed away during this time and I was looking at picking it up later.
The kit being in New York State and me in Oregon it was a considerable logistical undertaking. Fast forward another year and I try to contact the Bill (the guy that sold me the kit) and I get a this number is disconnected or no longer in service message. I try to send a message through PayPal to his PayPal account email and see a message that this person's account is not accepting payments at this time. At that point I'm thinking oh **** maybe he died. He was an older guy in his late 60's- early 70's.
I looked up his name in the area where I understand he lived and saw in that area two people with the same name both obituaries and one of them was a military pilot and G.A. pilot later. I couldn't be sure if either of these person's were him by the timeline of when I had spoke with Bill last and the dates listed in the obituaries. I did attempt to contact next of kin via the funeral homes but have not received anything back. I'm not sure if Bill did in fact die and/if his children have assumed his estate or sold or attempted to sell my Dragonfly project but while I didn't pay a huge amount of money for it it was something and more importantly represents a considerable effort and perseverance on my part to invest in a goal, a dream and something to look forward to during a time where I was and had been experiencing much hardship.
If anyone knows of Pilot Bill Martin of New York State last know to fly a Grumman Yankee, knows his next of kin, knows of the sale of my Dragonfly project or has other useful support/suggestions on how I may be able to get in contact with Bill, his next of kin if Bill is in fact deceased, or to otherwise locate my plane please let me know.
The kit being in New York State and me in Oregon it was a considerable logistical undertaking. Fast forward another year and I try to contact the Bill (the guy that sold me the kit) and I get a this number is disconnected or no longer in service message. I try to send a message through PayPal to his PayPal account email and see a message that this person's account is not accepting payments at this time. At that point I'm thinking oh **** maybe he died. He was an older guy in his late 60's- early 70's.
I looked up his name in the area where I understand he lived and saw in that area two people with the same name both obituaries and one of them was a military pilot and G.A. pilot later. I couldn't be sure if either of these person's were him by the timeline of when I had spoke with Bill last and the dates listed in the obituaries. I did attempt to contact next of kin via the funeral homes but have not received anything back. I'm not sure if Bill did in fact die and/if his children have assumed his estate or sold or attempted to sell my Dragonfly project but while I didn't pay a huge amount of money for it it was something and more importantly represents a considerable effort and perseverance on my part to invest in a goal, a dream and something to look forward to during a time where I was and had been experiencing much hardship.
If anyone knows of Pilot Bill Martin of New York State last know to fly a Grumman Yankee, knows his next of kin, knows of the sale of my Dragonfly project or has other useful support/suggestions on how I may be able to get in contact with Bill, his next of kin if Bill is in fact deceased, or to otherwise locate my plane please let me know.
