Doug Goss recently sent in some details about
his Grumman C-1A Trader, Bu.146044. It is rare to see the type in the air
these days, with just two actively flying.
Nicknamed “Miss Belle” while
she was aboard the USS Independence, Bu.146044 was the 74th of 87 Traders
which rolled off Grumman’s Bethpage, New York production line for the US
Navy. She operated in the COD (Carrier Onboard Delivery) role, and saw
service during the Vietnam war while flying from the USS Independence.
After
performing her duty for just under thirty years, the Navy retired the “Miss
Belle” at Pensacola in 1988. Goss and his friend Richard Cronn acquired
the Trader in 1999 and formed the company Trader Air to operate her, based in Topeka, Kansas.
Unfortunately, the aircraft force-landed in an Illinois corn field
in 2002, which caused significant damage to the airframe. Undeterred, the pair
spent the next eleven years restoring their pride and joy. She flew again for
the first time in 2013, with 2014 being the aircraft’s first full year on the
air show circuit.
http://www.warbirdsnews.com/warbirds-news/c-1a.html
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