Did I Miss Tuesday’s Blog Post? Yes… But It’s All Good

Some of you might be asking yourself, “Did I miss this past Tuesday’s blog post?” The short answer? Nope, you didn’t miss anything. My brother Doug even called me Wednesday afternoon, concerned that he didn’t get his usual email notification. He asked, “Is everything alright?”

First of all—yes, everything’s fine! Nothing’s wrong. I’ve just been more than busy creating aviation content for my YouTube channel, @buffaloairpark4500. If you haven’t checked it out yet, I’d love for you to swing by. I’ve put a tremendous amount of work into it, and I feel like I’m only just getting started.

Now, if you’ve been following this blog for a while, you know I’ve been posting twice a week—usually Tuesdays and Thursdays—covering aviation history, RC plane projects, and the occasional story pulled from an old magazine. But this week, I hit a wall. Between filming, editing, and publishing two new YouTube videos, I simply ran out of time to write two blog posts. I really thought I could keep up with both. But it’s finally become a bit too much.

So here’s the new plan: I’ll still be writing blog posts here on the BAP website, but going forward, I’ll post when I have the time—at least once a month. My main focus now is on growing the Buffalo Air-Park YouTube channel, where I can dive deeper into aviation stories, share footage from airshows and museums, and bring you right into the hangar with me.

And yes, I’ve got big plans: more RC events, a few fly-in breakfasts (I’ll be driving—I still don’t have my pilot’s license, believe it or not), and plenty of trips to local aviation museums. I grew up surrounded by aviation, but I’ll admit—I took it all for granted back then. Now, I see it with fresh eyes.

So to sum it up: I’m still here. Everything’s great. I’ll continue to post updates and stories when I can. And if you ever catch a mistake in one of my posts, please let me know. I want this blog to feel like a place where aviation fans can hang out, learn something new, and maybe share a little hangar talk.

Speaking of hangar talk, I still remember “the guys” rolling into the office at BAP every Saturday morning—coffee in hand, pastries on the counter—reminiscing about the good old days. Back when I worked the line in the early ’80s, my job was to make sure the coffee was brewing and the snacks were fresh, especially on weekends. I didn’t understand it then. But I get it now.

Now, let’s wrap this up with a little history on the Curtiss America—the flying boat that never got to make its historic flight.

Last week, I visited the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport, NY, to film their full-scale replica of the America. I’d been to the museum years ago, but this time, it felt completely different. If you’re ever in the area, I highly recommend making the trip. It’s only about two hours from my house, and conveniently, I drive right past the National Warplane Museum too—so I stopped in there as well.

Here’s some history from the museum’s plaque next to the aircraft:

America: The Curtiss-Wanamaker Flying Boat (1914)

The largest flying boat of its day—and the first twin-engine flying boat—the Curtiss Model H was built for an ambitious goal: the first aerial crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. In 1913, the London Daily Mail offered a $50,000 prize for the first successful transatlantic flight by a heavier-than-air aircraft. Rodman Wanamaker, a wealthy department store owner, stepped in with $25,000 to fund the build at the Curtiss Aeroplane Company.

British pilot Lt. John C. Porte and Curtiss mechanic George E. A. Hallet were selected to fly it. The plane, painted bright red for visibility, was christened the America and assembled in Hammondsport during the summer of 1914.

It was shipped to St. John’s, Newfoundland, for its August 5th departure. But as fate would have it, World War I broke out, and the flight was canceled. Lt. Porte was recalled to active duty in England, and the America was sold to the British military to serve as a prototype for anti-submarine patrol aircraft.

The full-scale replica now on display at the Curtiss Museum was built by museum volunteers and first flew in 2008.

Thanks for sticking with me—and thanks for your continued support. Until next time, here’s to blue skies and tailwinds!

– Bill