North American Navion

Aircraft Information
> Aircraft Make: North American (Ryan) Model: L-17 (mil) Nickname: Navion
> Aircraft Mil Civ Description: Airplane SE Piston
> FAA Category and Class: Airplane SE Land
> Engine Description: Single engine

Aircraft Experience
> As of: 11/6/2024
> Number of Hours Flown: 7
> Number of Times Flown: 7
> Other Aircraft Models Associated: Ryan Navion, L-17 (Mil)

First Flown Information
> Sequence First Flown: 184
> Date First Flown: 5/31/2021
> Location First Flown: Port Townsend, WA (0S9)
> Who and/or What Organization First Flown With: Dave Desmon

Recollections: The Navion–which I first flew with great friend Dave Desmon when he rescued me from a breakdown of my Birddog at Port Townsend, WA–lineage to earlier North American Aviation (NAA) designs, like the P-51.  For a small 4 seater, it’s fairly complex (hydraulics, vacuum and electrical systems, etc) and also shares excellent flying qualities with other NAA designs.

Most of my flying in the Navion has been as an instructor teaching formation flying with a group called the Joint Liaison Formation Committee (JLFC).  This group provides training and qualification to fly as a wingman or lead in formation.  This qualification (“card”) is only required if you want to fly formation in “waivered airspace” (i.e. at an airshow, such as the Oshkosh AirVenture) and when I started flying my Birddog I decided I’d like to do such flying.  So, I met Dave at a clinic near my home in Seattle.  Dave was in the Navy, like me, but he was on the other end of a periscope…he was a Submariner, while I started in the Navy hunting submarines in the P-3.  Having flown quite a bit of formation during my Navy career, my initial thought when I was assigned to Dave to be my “on wing” JLFC formation instructor was, if I’m being honest, a bit of  “what can he teach me?”.   I didn’t voice this opinion and it was good I didn’t, because Dave TAUGHT ME A TON.  His demeanor, completeness and adherence to the JLFC standard made for great training and I came to have a tremendous amount of respect for Dave as a pilot and formation instructor.