Bill Rewey

[Pat Weeden]

For those who knew him, Bill Rewey of Verona, Wisconsin passed away yesterday, February 11, 2019. He was known by many as Mr. Pietenpol.

More information as it becomes available. For now, here is an article from Midwest Flyer, dated 2011.

https://midwestflyer.com/?p=3065

[danoliver]

I did not know Bill but have certainly benefited from his writings and his his service to our nation. Thank you Bill.

[taildrags]

I'm sure this is very premature, but has anyone talked with the family about the possibility of continuing to make Bill's packet of "idea drawings" that he used to sell? They are great. I've misplaced the set that I've had for a number of years and wish I could get another.

Oscar Zuniga
Medford, OR
Air Camper NX41CC

[Pat Weeden]

About a year ago, Bill gave all of his "packet" stuff to the BPA. He said we could continue to sell it or use the individual articles in the newsletter. I'm inclined to do the latter and have included a few of them in recent newsletters.

I'm sure this is very premature, but has anyone talked with the family about the possibility of continuing to make Bill's packet of "idea drawings" that he used to sell? They are great. I've misplaced the set that I've had for a number of years and wish I could get another.

Oscar Zuniga
Medford, OR
Air Camper NX41CC

[RonTurner]

When I contacted Bill about restoring his first Piet ( N2094 ) his advise, help, support and stories were priceless to me. I tried my best to attend Broadhead last July so Bill could see her again but the weather just wouldn't allow it. He would call out of the blue and advise me of things to check or do and why. I'll miss those calls. His willingness to help made me feel very confident about the entire project. He will always be one of my best memories. What Bill has past on to us all will not be forgotten as long as Piets fly. Blue skies my friend. Forever grateful, Ron Turner

[at7000ft]

I used several of Bill's Pietenpol mods on my Piet including the three foot center section and side-mounted brake petals. All are excellent upgrades. I talked with Bill several times at Brodhead when he would 'commute' down in his Piet from Verona during the annual get together. Bill didn't do email so I hand wrote him questions a couple times and he always replied (that is probably the last time I hand wrote a letter to anyone). I feel very lucky to have known Bill, he will be missed.

Rick H

[Pat Weeden]

Does anyone have a photo of Bill Rewey's Pietenpol, NX17WR, in flight?

[taildrags]

Surely there must be-??!! Bill gave so many rides to so many people! Bill must have been in the big formation flight of Piets from what, the 75th anniversary? The 80th-?

[Pat Weeden]

Hi All,

I just received word from the Rewey family that due to unforeseen circumstances, the memorial that was to be held for Bill this Saturday at Sugar Ridge Airport is being rescheduled. The new date has yet to be determined but will be communicated when it's known.

Please pass this information along to anyone who may have been planning to attend.

[taildrags]

Pat: earlier, you made mention about Bill's packet of details and construction hints being handed over to the BPA to administer. I'm at the point where I'm considering a more permanent setup for my handheld COM radio and one of the details that was in Bill's packet is an aluminum holder for such a radio. I'd like to get that detail and would be happy to make a donation to BPA in support of that. Alternatively, if you intend to publish some of those details in the Newsletter, would you consider running the one for the handheld radio bracket in an upcoming issue?

Thank you.

Oscar Zuniga
Medford, OR
Air Camper NX41CC, A75 power

[Pat Weeden]

Oscar,

All of Bill stuff is on paper so I'll need to dig a bit for the radio sheet. I'll post it here once I find it.

Pat

[taildrags]

Pat; many thanks for that! And I think it's a fitting tribute to Bill to keep those drawings in his original hand-written and -drawn format, but it would be short work to redraw any of them in CAD to produce crisp graphics and text if there is any interest in 'modernizing' them. I'm hesitant to do that though. Working with a modernized version instead of one of Bill's hand drawings would be somewhat like the difference between shaking his real hand and shaking the hand of a molded fiberglass replica of him.

-Oscar

[tom kreiner]

Oscar,

Like you, I purchased Bill Rewey's tips & hints package... unlike you, however, I didn't hide mine...

I pulled the package out, and found what I think you're looking for, although it's not for a handheld, but for a GPS. In my package there was no COM radio or handheld radio mount; just this GPS mount.

Easy to change, however, as you only need to substitute the dim's from your unit to the dims on the print.

Hope this helps...

[taildrags]

Tom: yes... that's it! But the detail isn't just for a GPS! If you'll look closely, Bill shows a similar holder for a handheld radio, mounted to the longeron ;o) Thanks, you're a lifesaver! I've got to get a decent handheld because my very small and old Icom requires too many button presses to change frequencies, and the readout is just too small for me to see easily. That, plus the external DC power plug doesn't make good contact with the jack in the radio and if the wires wiggle, the radio goes dead without power (I don't run it with the AA battery pack... I have a small UPS battery with power wiring and a plug). All I need is COM. It's all just too much @#$% spaghetti tangled up in my cockpit every time I have to get in or out of my tower-controlled airport, but it's the price I have to pay.

-Oscar

[Pat Weeden]

Glad you found yours Tom, because I didn't see a GPS or radio mount in the packet I got from Bill here at BPA HQ.