The Brainerd Cougar F9-F6 Gets a New Life 2011/2012
It was the late 70’s and the Brainerd - Crow Wing County Airport (as it was named then) apparently needed some beautification. The current airport manager, John Riedl Sr. and the airport commission set about a plan to procure a surplus jet airplane to adorn the entrance of the airport. In November of 1980 the Navy made conditional gift of a Grumman F9-F6 Cougar jet to the airport. The conditions were that it was to be picked up as is, where is, and that the aircraft be properly maintained for display. This is where the story begins. As printed in the Summer and Fall issues 2011 of the airport newsletter “Short Final” the story of the journey of this aircraft to Brainerd unfolds.
The Cougar Comes to Brainerd (part one)
(Editors note: For nearly 30 years the F9F6 Cougar display aircraft has stood vigil at the entrance to the Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport. Now that the aircraft will be undergoing restoration it seems fitting to revisit the story of the airplane’s original journey to Brainerd and the man responsible for it.) One day in the fall of 1980 the phone rang at Dick Dean’s towing and salvage company. On the other end was John Riedl Sr. the airport manager at that time. He had procured an F9F6 Cougar jet from the Navy for a display aircraft at the airport and knowing that Dick had earned a reputation for unusual engineering and recovery feats, he wanted to know if Dick would go out to the East Coast and pick it up. Unsure of being able to take the time away from his business he decided to pray about it and ultimately was moved to take on the challenge. He was motivated with the desire to be a part of creating a memorial to those who served to defend our freedom, a freedom he held most dear. He contacted a Navy mechanic named Jim in Virginia Beach, Virginia to get the dimensions and specifications of the airplane. Jim gave him the dimensions of the craft (which turned out to be wrong) and agreed to remove the wings so the airplane would be ready to go when Dick arrived. Some weeks later Jim called back to say that due to the age of the airplane and some corrosion, that it simply was not possible to remove the wings, and as a result there was no sense in coming to Virginia Beach. Undeterred, Dick persevered and asked Jim “If I come will you help me?” Jim agreed saying that somehow he believed that Dick really would get the wings off. On January 18, 1981, with his wife Carla at his side, they left for NAS Oceana, driving the truck and flatbed trailer with a massive truck mounted tool box, and just enough money for gas, food and hotel during their stay. The airport did not provide them with any up front financing for the journey. Upon arrival at Virginia Beach and meeting Jim, they made two startling discoveries. First, the two pins holding the wings on were every bit as stubborn as Jim said they were. Given free reign of the shop at the base Dick welded up a pin driver from some scrap material. Hitting the pin driver over 1,000 times with a sledgehammer, and employing a hydraulic press, finally yielded the desired result of being able to remove the pin and subsequently the wings. The second discovery had to do with the width of the aircraft. The figures Jim gave him early on did not include the wing roots which were attached to the airplane. This gave it a width of 11’ 6” wide, requiring wide load permits and escort cars. Knowing that he had neither the time or the finances for permits and escorts, he decided to load the aircraft and press on. The wings were loaded first and the fuselage then set gently on top of the wings. Dick’s experience in towing and rigging came in handy in securing the aircraft to the trailer and soon he and Jim were nearly finished and ready to go. Dick was stowing his tools in his truck mounted tool box with Jim above him on the airplane. For reasons neither man can figure out, Jim kicked the top of the 8 foot toolbox closed. Unfortunately, Dick’s right hand was still in it. As the massive lid slammed closed on his right hand he broke two fingers and severely bruised the rest of his hand. In excruciating pain he unhooked the trailer and he and Carla went back to the hotel for a relatively sleepless night until their planned departure the next day. Returning the next morning to pick up the trailer, Jim helped him fashion a splint for the broken fingers to help relieve some of the pain. Hooking up the trailer the couple set off to Minnesota. Dick was still in severe pain and was forced to steer the truck (without power steering) with his left hand, while Carla did much of the shifting to help him with the injured right hand. Now one might think that the story has to go better from this point forward, but it just was not to be. Here they go down the highway, “team” driving due to the injury, and without any of the permits required for the oversize load they were hauling. Almost right away, they found themselves in the middle lane of a rushing 6 lane freeway approaching the Hampton Tunnel. As the sign saying “Last exit before tunnel” went by, the next sign prohibiting oversize loads came into view. With nowhere else to get off or turn around before the tunnel, Dick said a prayer and proceeded as slowly as possible. He says he still remembers how every time they hit a bump, he could hear the top of the tail tapping the roof of the tunnel! And now the journey has just begun.
Negotiating the Hampton tunnel with the tail tapping the top of the tunnel proved to be just the first of many adventures en route to Minnesota. Heading west out of Virginia, Dick and Carla faced a formidable obstacle in their path, that of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Not having taken the time to procure the oversize load permits the duo breathed a collective sigh of relief as they passed weigh station after weigh station and saw CLOSED signs on them. They were nearly out of money due to the delays they had already encountered, and Dick’s right hand was still swollen and very painful. Adding even more urgency to the trip was the forecast for a major winter storm in the mountains that they must traverse. If they continued quickly the storm might hold off long enough for them to get through, if there is any further delay they will likely be in the mountains at the height of the storm. A wire transfer of money from home gave them enough to complete the trip barring any unforeseen expenses. The money transfer however did not provide enough for permits and the escort car required for the load to move through the mountains. So with no further time ahead of the storm, or money available to procure permits and hire an escort the pair pressed on into the Blue Ridge with the F9F6 Cougar in tow. Now the Blue Ridge Mountains may not be the stature of the Rockies or the Alps but negotiating them with an over width and over length load is no small feat! Steep upgrades and downgrades put the test to the old truck’s engine and brakes. Tight hairpin turns put the driver’s skills to the test, often stopping traffic to allow the rig to negotiate a turn. It most certainly must have been a sight, but fortunately failed to attract any attention from law enforcement. Persevering slowly and steadily, the Blue Ridge Mountains faded in the rear view mirror. The joy and relief of getting through the mountains and beating the storm was soon replaced with concern. Looming ahead on the highway was the first weigh station coming out of the mountains. As the big rig approached both Dick and Carla looked for the sign that said CLOSED in the hope that their string would continue. This time it was not to be, as all commercial trucks would need to stop at the open weigh station. Knowing that this could be a major delay they pulled in with the rest of the trucks. The patrol officer that came out to inspect the truck incredulously queried Dick, “Did you just bring this rig through the mountains?” and he dutifully answered “Yes we did.” The next question that was the really tough one, “Can I see your permits please?” Dick explained to him what had happened and why they were working without the proper permits or escort car. Expecting the worst he simply stood by to await the officers “verdict.” He was pleasantly surprised when the officer said “Sir, if I start writing violations now we will be here for days. I want you to get back in your truck and go on down the road, you were NEVER here!” Not always one to follow directions, Dick knew he had better follow this one and quickly too! Thanking the officer he got back in the truck and followed the trooper’s instructions to the letter. As it turned out, that weigh station was the only open station they encountered in the entire trip. So far, the pair had been blessed by a truck that had not given them any problems. That too would soon come to an end. Twice between the Blue Ridge and Chicago the truck came to a grinding halt. Stalled along the side of the highway in frigid weather, Dick’s mechanical abilities were called into play. Replacing a couple of parts, including the fuel pump they were able to get back underway, but repairs quickly depleted their remaining financial resources. Without additional hotel money, and seeing the prize in sight they decided to drive the rest of the trip straight through. Once again, the resolve of the couple would be tested. Nearing Chicago the old truck decided to start acting up and quit again. Stopped along the roadside it was discovered that the air cleaner was building up ice and was killing the engine. The third time was the charm and this time a makeshift fix got the truck running and on the road again. Tired but happy that things were going better they pressed on for home.
THE STORY CONTINUED
The last major roadblock to their success still lies ahead, the Chicago tollbooths. Missing the last exit before the tollway, he was first told that he could not proceed through the tollbooth. With limited options he was able to convince the authorities to let him try to get through, as according to his calculations he should have an inch or two on both sides of the airplane. After squeaking by very slowly he proceeded on, with the confidence he could get through all the others. When challenged at other tollbooths he simply asked them “How do you think I got here?” and there could be no argument to his logic. Their goal was in sight and soon they would arrive home. Nineteen days after they started Dick and Carla rolled into Brainerd. The airplane was first delivered to City Hall where photos were taken with Dick and several city dignitaries. Take a look at that historic day on the airport website: www.brainerdairport.com/about-us/airport-history.html. The airplane was then delivered to the airport where over the next eight months it was re-assembled and painted to prepare it for permanent display. After all the challenges that had been met one hurdle still remained at the airport for Mr. Dean. Since he first committed to the project Dick had in mind that the airplane was a memorial to those who have served and are serving their country. As such he was determined to mount it on a rotating pedestal allowing the aircraft to turn into the wind. Perhaps his determination can best be summed up in this verse he wrote about the airplane in 1981:
Freedom: The Right To Choose
As this aircraft ever freely turns, To face the unseen forces of the winds;
It stands here in Memorial of all The Armed Forces of the United States of America;
Who have in great boldness, Altered the course of their lives,
To turn in opposition to the enemies, Who would rob us of our freedom.
We citizens have the right to do as we please,
As long as we please to do right. God Bless America.
Twice the airport commission denied him approval to construct and mount the airplane on a rotating pedestal. His perseverance finally led to commission approval as long as he designed and built the pedestal at his own expense. Undaunted, Dick engineered and built this unique mount to complete the journey of the Cougar to Brainerd. In November of 1981, the Cougar returned to the air, up on it’s mount and proudly looking over the Brainerd Airport.
Originally placed on the pedestal out on highway 210 (the base of which still exists) the aircraft was moved to the inside of the airport complex in 1990. The Minnesota Department of Transportation felt that with the widening of highway 210 that the airplane was too close to the road. It was at that time that the aircraft was painted by a group of dedicated veterans. Unfortunately they also suffered from funding shortages and that paint job failed to stand the test of time and the vagaries of the weather. In 2008 the airport manager and the commission were unhappy with the condition of the airplane and rightfully so. In fact, there was some concern that the Navy would require us to refurbish it or dispose of it. Either option was a great expense but truly the aircraft had become an eyesore instead of the memorial it was intended to be. Even a couple of years prior to that the commission had all but decided to try to find a different home for the airplane. It was decided in 2008 that if a plan to refurbish it was not in the works within two years that the aircraft would be removed and disposed of. For two years a small but interested group of individuals attempted to find ways to get the project done. Extensive research was done hoping that knowing the history of the airplane might lead to greater interest. Because the serial numbers and bureau numbers on the paperwork do not match the actual serial numbers on the aircraft data plates, even the Navy is mystified and that research seems to have led to a dead end. Due to a change years ago in centralizing the administration of salvage equipment it appears that the previous history of the aircraft is lost. In the hopes of at least getting materials donated, grant requests were written to Valspar paint, and were turned down in spring of 2009, 2010 and 2011. Also a plea was made to veterans groups etc. but it seemed that there was not sufficient support to make the effort a reality. Over the winter of 2010/2011 the airport and commission came under fire from the Brainerd City Council for a number of items. That is a story for another day however from this dark cloud came a silver lining.
At an airport commission meeting in the spring of 2011 the Brainerd Dispatch was covering the various controversies going on at the time. It just so happened that a topic of discussion was the decision to dispose of the F9-F6. It seemed to all that the hope of saving the airplane at Brainerd was lost. This story made the newspaper, along with all the other news of the day, and then a wonderful thing happened - suddenly the public was upset about the possibility of losing this history and people began to call to see if they could help! Just when it was the darkest, some hope was beaming in.
While this public support was attempting to re-organize, two companies stepped forward with a stunning offer - they would finance a complete refurbishing of the airplane at a professional aircraft paint shop in Park Rapids. Dondelinger Automotive and Deerwood Bank pooled their resources for this project and that set the wheels in motion. A crane was needed and Rardin Construction stepped forward to provide their crane and operator. Spalj Construction provided the transportation to and from the paint shop in Park Rapids. Park Rapids Aviation/Northwoods Aircraft Painting helped out with providing services and materials over and above the scope of the project. Korby Construction provided all the rigging equipment for the lift.
OUR SINCERE THANKS TO ALL THE SPONSORS AND VOLUNTEERS THAT MADE THIS POSSIBLE
And so they say, “The rest is history-”
Below Left: Summer of 1981. Photo of Dick Dean and his “Airplane on a Stick” in its original placement out near highway 210.
Below Right: 30 years later, September 23, 2011. After hours of rigging and re rigging, the crane donated by Rardin Construction pulled hard and still the aircraft would not budge from the pole.
Below Left: The decision was made to cut the pole. That is Rick Adair on a ladder with the torch. The scary part was that he was unsure what would happen when it was cut.
Below Right: With the pole cut off all the way around within 1” of the fuselage, the Rardin Construction crane finally broke the aircraft free from its mount. It balanced relatively well as rigged.
Below Left: Once lowered to the ground, the aircraft had to be re-rigged to pick up flat for loading on the Spalj Construction trailer.
Below Right: It was first transported to a nearby hanger to have the wings removed. In general, it was in a pretty sorry condition. Nevertheless, its next stop was to Park Rapids Aviation/Northwoods Aircraft Painting at the Park Rapids airport where renovation would take place.
