Hemisphere Dancer, fictional facts or factual fictions?

[hang ten]

OK, here are the facts.

I have been employed as an aircraft engineer for approaching 25 years. I currently work in an international position with people from all over the world. Two unrelated individuals who I work with both worked either at Chalks airlines or spent years flying Grumman seaplanes, the kind of crusty old salts that Jimmy would write about. They both have flown with and met Jimmy, and one of them is a seaplane pilot in his 60's.

Here is what I cannot confirm.

They claim that the actual Hemisphere Dancer was in fact badly wrecked (written off?) in a hangar collapse during a hurricane, and the reason that Jimmy stopped flying her and put her up on display (actually made up out of a bunch of derelict, unserviceable parts) is because she was beyond economical repair.

In my years as a parrot head I have never sat and had beers and exchanged stories with two people who actually had met and spent time with Jimmy.

Fact or fiction, can anyone support what I have heard, or is it just another part of the story?

Fins up

[dnw]

Interesting.

[Bicycle Bill]

Let's see — a quick check of the FAA N-number listings shows the aircraft is still registered with the number N928J (although said registration expires today) and carrying a certification of airworthiness; and the Wikipedia page for "Hemisphere Dancer" makes no mention of any sort of calamity — in-flight or otherwise — involving the Albatross other than the famed "Jamaica Mistaica".

Secondly, wasn't the "Dancer" flown under her own power into Orlando, where it is now on static display at the Margaritaville there?  That doesn't sound like something one could have done with a 'badly wrecked (written off?) airplane' made up of 'derelict, unserviceable parts'.

Now, Jimmy *DID* crash his Grumman 'Widgeon' while trying to take off from the waters around Nantucket back in 1994; perhaps your friends may have confused this aircraft with the "Hemisphere Dancer".

-"BB"-

[msu#1]

yes, I think these guys are full of it. He crashed his old seaplane while sea bass fishing when he hit a rogue wave on takeoff.

Im pretty sure as already pointed out that H.D was flown to orlando.

[springparrot]

yes, I think these guys are full of it. He crashed his old seaplane while sea bass fishing when he hit a rogue wave on takeoff.

Im pretty sure as already pointed out that H.D was flown to orlando.

Was it flown to Orlando?
I thought it was trucked to City Walk?

[SchoolGirlHeart]

yes, I think these guys are full of it. He crashed his old seaplane while sea bass fishing when he hit a rogue wave on takeoff.

Im pretty sure as already pointed out that H.D was flown to orlando.

Was it flown to Orlando?
I thought it was trucked to City Walk?

It was trucked to City Walk but I can't remember whether or not it was flown to Orlando.

If you look carefully you can still see the patches over the bullet holes from Jamaica. He wrecked the Widgeon but I never heard anything about the HJ being damaged....

[urlcenter]

Here is the history of the Hemisphere Dancer from the Wikipedia page:

"This aircraft began life on August 22, 1955, as a long range search and rescue platform for the U.S. Navy.[1] The largest member of the storied Grumman 'waterfowl' series of amphibious airplanes, the Albatross remained in service with US forces until the mid-1970s. After it remained inactive for a number of years, Buffett purchased the aircraft in the 1990's and restored it."

"It is considered to be one of the finest examples of an Albatross, due to the restoration and continual maintenance completed by Buffett."

"In 2003, Jimmy retired the aircraft from active flying service. Currently, it resides at Buffett's Margaritaville in Orlando, Florida."

You can see a picture of the plane at the following link:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/e ... rlando.jpg

[ragtopW]

yes, I think these guys are full of it. He crashed his old seaplane while sea bass fishing when he hit a rogue wave on takeoff.

Im pretty sure as already pointed out that H.D was flown to orlando.

Stripped bass
and the info I had was Jimmy Was wantedvery badly to restore the Dancer.
he was under orders not to from a member of the family, due to the cost (I will let the married guys guess which member of the family)

[AlbatrossFlyer]

The HD was not the Albatross damaged when the Mirabella Yacht's hanger collapsed in the hurricane. If I rummage around I can probably find the photos of the smushed Albatross and hanger.

[springparrot]

The HD was not the Albatross damaged when the Mirabella Yacht's hanger collapsed in the hurricane. If I rummage around I can probably find the photos of the smushed Albatross and hanger.

Thank you!
Now, was the plane flown to Orlando or trucked?

[Rabbitz]

This hangar?

http://www.seaplaneops.com/photogallery ... abella.htm

[SchoolGirlHeart]

This hangar?

http://www.seaplaneops.com/photogallery ... abella.htm

That's the one, yep.

[AlbatrossFlyer]

This hangar?

http://www.seaplaneops.com/photogallery ... abella.htm

That's the one, yep.

Yup, it was the Katanga that had it's back broken by one the steel beams from the hanger. What was really amazing was how "little" damage was done to it considering the size of the roof truss that fell on it. Grumman didn't get the nickname the ironworks for no reason.....

[AlbatrossFlyer]

The HD was not the Albatross damaged when the Mirabella Yacht's hanger collapsed in the hurricane. If I rummage around I can probably find the photos of the smushed Albatross and hanger.

Thank you!
Now, was the plane flown to Orlando or trucked?

it was definitely trucked in to Mville. I'll need to check with Len to see where from, since I don't remember off the top of my head.

[springparrot]

This hangar?

http://www.seaplaneops.com/photogallery ... abella.htm

That's the one, yep.

Yup, it was the Katanga that had it's back broken by one the steel beams from the hanger. What was really amazing was how "little" damage was done to it considering the size of the roof truss that fell on it. Grumman didn't get the nickname the ironworks for no reason.....

Thank you for the info AF
I knew you would know the answers

[springparrot]

The HD was not the Albatross damaged when the Mirabella Yacht's hanger collapsed in the hurricane. If I rummage around I can probably find the photos of the smushed Albatross and hanger.

Thank you!
Now, was the plane flown to Orlando or trucked?

it was definitely trucked in to Mville. I'll need to check with Len to see where from, since I don't remember off the top of my head.

I kinda remember that story....didn't it have to be semi-disassembled?

[AlbatrossFlyer]

Hang Ten... Do you work for Kelowna Flightcraft?

[AlbatrossFlyer]

The HD was not the Albatross damaged when the Mirabella Yacht's hanger collapsed in the hurricane. If I rummage around I can probably find the photos of the smushed Albatross and hanger.

Thank you!
Now, was the plane flown to Orlando or trucked?

it was definitely trucked in to Mville. I'll need to check with Len to see where from, since I don't remember off the top of my head.

I kinda remember that story....didn't it have to be semi-disassembled?

a lot disassembled...

[springparrot]

The HD was not the Albatross damaged when the Mirabella Yacht's hanger collapsed in the hurricane. If I rummage around I can probably find the photos of the smushed Albatross and hanger.

Thank you!
Now, was the plane flown to Orlando or trucked?

it was definitely trucked in to Mville. I'll need to check with Len to see where from, since I don't remember off the top of my head.

I kinda remember that story....didn't it have to be semi-disassembled?

a lot disassembled...

I wonder if there are any pictures of the Dancer being installed at City Walk. I remember trying to take pictures, but there was a board fence.

[AlbatrossFlyer]

The HD was not the Albatross damaged when the Mirabella Yacht's hanger collapsed in the hurricane. If I rummage around I can probably find the photos of the smushed Albatross and hanger.

Thank you!
Now, was the plane flown to Orlando or trucked?

it was definitely trucked in to Mville. I'll need to check with Len to see where from, since I don't remember off the top of my head.

I kinda remember that story....didn't it have to be semi-disassembled?

a lot disassembled...

I wonder if there are any pictures of the Dancer being installed at City Walk. I remember trying to take pictures, but there was a board fence.

Len has some....