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Just found out from Janette, the parts lady at Aviat, that Herb Andersen passed away about two weeks ago.
Don't know the details but he and his wife were in an assisted living facility in Afton when I talked to him last September.
Herb Andersen was primarily responsible for getting the Pitts Special built in Afton, Wyoming. Herb was working for Rockwell International in the middle 1960's. He had joined Rockwell when they bought out the Callair ag plane operation and moved all of their acquisitions, Thrush ag plane, Lark 100, Meyers 200D, Callair A-9 and B-1, to Albany, Ga. Herb had been scouting airports in Florida for plant expansion and was in Homestead, Fla. looking at property for future ag plane production. He had met Curtis years before and remembered his airport was not far from the main airport so he thought he would pay a quick visit. Curtis and the ''gang'' were at lunch when Herb showed up so he thought he would wait until they returned. He walked around the building and saw the prototype S2 sitting outside. Herb told me he stopped in his tracks, took a couple of deep breaths, and just stared.
Herb had been a long time resident of Afton Wyoming having worked for the Call Aircraft Factory from an early age. Later after WW2 Herb moved back and was again associated with the factory in numerous rolls. Herb could see that the Rockwell situation wasn't going as planned so he was planning a move somewhere when he laid eyes on the airplane that would define the last part of a very productive life in aviation.
I'll wrap this up but Herb, Curtis Pitts, and Doyle Child (the silent ''money man'') reached an agreement where a company owned by Herb and Doyle, Aerotek, would license build the now certified S2A from Pitts Aviation Enterprises. Curtis decided he wanted out around 1976 but Herb continued to run the plant, expand the Pitts line to include the S1S, T model, S2B/S, Eagle, Husky, product improvements, design and fabrication of jigs and tooling, FAA certification responsibilities, overall plant management, along with aircraft, kit, and parts sales until his departure in the early 1990's.
The S2S and S2B was totally Herb's idea but he always consulted with Curtis on anything he would do to any of the airplanes. During Frank Christensen's ownership Herb also designed the A1 Husky which is still in production today. Herb was not associated with Aviat when the S2C was put into production. Although the S2B was discontinued the S2C marked the end of aerobatic biplane production in Afton, Wyoming.
Herb had a list of aviation related accomplishments way too long to include here. He was one of the last of the pre WW2 era aviation pioneers having a long association with production experience with Mooney and Piper. His long experience in production management, the art of taking in raw materials at one end of the plant and rolling out a completed airplane at the other end, was exactly what Curtis was badly needing after his long drawn out FAA certification process was completed.
I guess we are all here on this forum in one way or another because of those three guys getting together and running the risk of building those airplanes in Wyoming. I couldn't begin to guess what would have happened if Herb had decided to not pay Curtis a visit back then. Curtis started all this but Herb was the guy with the production expertise to make it happen. It's absolutely amazing it happened at all.
Don't know the details but he and his wife were in an assisted living facility in Afton when I talked to him last September.
Herb Andersen was primarily responsible for getting the Pitts Special built in Afton, Wyoming. Herb was working for Rockwell International in the middle 1960's. He had joined Rockwell when they bought out the Callair ag plane operation and moved all of their acquisitions, Thrush ag plane, Lark 100, Meyers 200D, Callair A-9 and B-1, to Albany, Ga. Herb had been scouting airports in Florida for plant expansion and was in Homestead, Fla. looking at property for future ag plane production. He had met Curtis years before and remembered his airport was not far from the main airport so he thought he would pay a quick visit. Curtis and the ''gang'' were at lunch when Herb showed up so he thought he would wait until they returned. He walked around the building and saw the prototype S2 sitting outside. Herb told me he stopped in his tracks, took a couple of deep breaths, and just stared.
Herb had been a long time resident of Afton Wyoming having worked for the Call Aircraft Factory from an early age. Later after WW2 Herb moved back and was again associated with the factory in numerous rolls. Herb could see that the Rockwell situation wasn't going as planned so he was planning a move somewhere when he laid eyes on the airplane that would define the last part of a very productive life in aviation.
I'll wrap this up but Herb, Curtis Pitts, and Doyle Child (the silent ''money man'') reached an agreement where a company owned by Herb and Doyle, Aerotek, would license build the now certified S2A from Pitts Aviation Enterprises. Curtis decided he wanted out around 1976 but Herb continued to run the plant, expand the Pitts line to include the S1S, T model, S2B/S, Eagle, Husky, product improvements, design and fabrication of jigs and tooling, FAA certification responsibilities, overall plant management, along with aircraft, kit, and parts sales until his departure in the early 1990's.
The S2S and S2B was totally Herb's idea but he always consulted with Curtis on anything he would do to any of the airplanes. During Frank Christensen's ownership Herb also designed the A1 Husky which is still in production today. Herb was not associated with Aviat when the S2C was put into production. Although the S2B was discontinued the S2C marked the end of aerobatic biplane production in Afton, Wyoming.
Herb had a list of aviation related accomplishments way too long to include here. He was one of the last of the pre WW2 era aviation pioneers having a long association with production experience with Mooney and Piper. His long experience in production management, the art of taking in raw materials at one end of the plant and rolling out a completed airplane at the other end, was exactly what Curtis was badly needing after his long drawn out FAA certification process was completed.
I guess we are all here on this forum in one way or another because of those three guys getting together and running the risk of building those airplanes in Wyoming. I couldn't begin to guess what would have happened if Herb had decided to not pay Curtis a visit back then. Curtis started all this but Herb was the guy with the production expertise to make it happen. It's absolutely amazing it happened at all.
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