By Paul Ennis
My father, Fred E. Ennis, was a charter member of the "Black Cat Flying Club" which originally purchased the 1929 Great Lakes 2T-1A powered by an American Cirrus of 90 hp.
In late 1931, my father bought the other members out and became the sole owner of NC-818K.
NC-818K had been tied down outside on Roosevelt Field for three years and the nitrate dope and Irish linen was not holding up too well, so he stripped the fabric off the ship for recovering in early 1932.
Photo #1 was taken during the recovering process in our back yard in Suffern, New York in early 1932, and shows my dad holding me at age of 1 1/2 years in the rear cockpit. Note my right hand on the stick This was my first "checkout" in the Great Lakes.
During this first rebuild several modifications were made to NC-818K. The prop was changed from the original Paragon woodprop (which still hangs over our fireplace) to a Hamilton Standard ground adjustable steel propeller. Also the wheels were changed form the original 24X4 low pressure tires to 22X10-4 air wheels and then to 6.50X10 wheels with mechanical brakes.
Later, a pair of Hills Brothers aluminum wheel pants were purchased and installed over the 6.50X10 wheels.
In 1932, my dad built an airport in Tallman, New York called "Spook Rock Airport". He used this name because after spending much time clearing all the rocks and boulders from the runway, there always seemed to be another one popping up on the runway just as he was about to land.
Photo #2 shows the Great Lakes in the hangar at "Spook Rock", with his 1930 Kinner Bird standing outside in the snow. Note the "winter cover" on the Cirrus cylinders on the right side.
Photo #3 is our Great Lakes at Cincinnati Ohio during the 1933 "Liberty Aerial Treasure Hunt". This was an air cruise sponsored by Bernard MacFadden of Liberty Magazine which started in St. Louis, Missouri and ended in New York City. The task was to find the letters L-I-B-E-R-T-Y which had been placed on the ground in various cities between St. Louis and New York using clues printed on cards,given to each contestant just before they took off on the next leg of the trip.
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