I posted these pictures of my dad, Delton Schwanz on my page but thought I would share here too. This is a Christmas gift I had made for my son Mychael. He loves to hunt as did his grandpa Delton. Mycahel was only 9 months old when my Dad passed. Dad held records for fox and coyotes shot from his plane. Can you find the plane in these photos? He wrote an article for the Super Cub Newsletter a couple years before he passed away. It reads: Dear Jim: In reference to your request in the last Super Cub Newsletter if anyone cared to challenge Cyril Pfeifers fox record of 6900 fox taken by airplane: First, about the J3 being better than the Super Cub for hunting, I have to disagree, the J3 did not hold enough gas. I was always looking for a filling station. I started flying in 1938 and have flown in all of Pipers Cubs starting with the J2-37 hp. I started shooting coyotes in a 50 hp J3 in 1938 with home made skis. I have shot well over 10,000 coyotes and fox in my years of hunting in North and South Dakota, Montana and Canada. I got tired of the gunners shooting my skis and prop, so started flying and shooting alone, it gets pretty cold up here so I made a gun mount and mounted the gun outside on the strut, fired it with a solenoid from a starter button on the stick. I started aerial spraying in 1947 with a 65 hp J3 with a wooden prop NC24721. I have owned and sprayed with every model Cub/PA11, all PA18s from the 150 Super Cub, a Pawnee and a Twin Commanche, the best little twin ever made. I am 69 years old and realize time is running out, but I do not intend to sell my Super Cub - I am taking it with me because there may not be any wings where the final Judge sends me! Happy landings to you all, Delton Schwanz, Crosby, ND. I loved being with my Dad anywhere but when he flew, that was the best - he was always at his best up in the blue sky - at peace. He was and still is my hero! And I dont think he had to worry about the wings where he went!
Posted on: Sat, 10 Jan 2015 01:46:44 +0000