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core_pfieldgroups_2

  • First Name
    david
  • Last Name
    bucher
  • core_pfield_13
    Restoring aircraft, cars, tractors, flying,

core_pfieldgroups_3

  • core_pfield_11
    Moved to Smyrna TN/Sewart AFB in 1955 at age of 5 when my dad was called back to active duty. My dad was an electrician working on the C119, C123 and C130. Lived in Smyrna until left for college returning for a short while after graduation then moved to Mississippi where worked as a pilot in the aerial application business. Learned to fly and did first solo out of Stones River Aviation at former Sewart AFB now called Smyrna Airport. After 3 years in Mississippi returned to Smyrna and worked as a pilot and aircraft mechanic in the cargo airline business. Transferred to Dayton Ohio in 1981 and have been here ever since working in the cargo airline business for Federal Express, Emery Worldwide, and Airborne Express. Am now President of Cumberland River Aviation, Inc. CRA is a project management company for the airline industry. Over the years, I have worked projects in 45 of 50 US states, Canada, Israel, Sweden, France, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Dubai, Iceland & Taiwan.

    I hold Commercial Pilot with Single, Multi, Instrument ratings, Flight Engineer Turbojet, Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic with Inspection Authorization. Graduated from Belmont University, Nashville TN with a Bach of Business Admin and from Indiana Wesleyan University, Marion IN with a Master of Bus Admin.

    Have always been interested in the C130 but of all the aircraft have flown on I have never flown in a C130. Closest been to a 130 is the L188 Electra. However have been involved with the 130 at depot level maintenance and modification. In the late 80's as a customer of Lockheed Aeromod in Greenville SC, was given a very interesting tour of the C130 and C5B production lines at the Lockheed factory in Marietta GA and as a memento of the occasion was given a L100 desk model and a desk model of the 2 engine L100 prototype.

    Was last at the Smyrna Airport in October 2009 and spent a good part of one morning watching a C130 out of the Nashville Air Guard unit do touch and go's. Nashville is now a C130 school and uses the facility for take off and landing work on pretty much a daily basis.
  • core_pfield_12
    troy ohio which is about 20 min drive to USAF Museum at WPAFB
  • Occupation
    President of Cumberland River Aviation, a project mgmt company in transport commercial aviation

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  1. offset
    Came across this website. Grew up in Smyrna. My dad was in aircraft maintenance in the 314th from 1955 to 1963. From 1978 to 1981 I worked for commercial airlines on what is now called Smyrna Airport. The area where the base hospital was located is today taken up by a large vehicle maintenance facility for the TN Army National Guard. The hospital buildings were some of the first to go after the base closed. Most buildings were moved from the base rather than being torn down. Example is the Catholic Church. it was moved to Smyrna by First Baptist Church and is in use today by the church that purchased the facility when FBC moved to a new building. The lake you asked about is Percy Priest and the river that feeds it is Stones River. The creek that runs through the base area is Stewart's Creek and it dumps into Percy Priest behind the big hangar. Soon after the lake came about a base beach was built just behind the big hangar and was named for a former base commander. On another post some one said that several hangars have been torn down. The hangar behind hangar 693 burnt down when it was used to build houseboats not long after the base closed. One of the wooden hangars from WWII on the flight line may have been torn down and one of the metal hangars on the flight line that is occupied by the TN Army Air Guard had an extensive fire. I don't know if the hangar was torn down or repaired. The big hangar has been used since the base closed by numerous commercial airline maintenance companies. The first to occupy the big hangar after the closure was Capitol Airlines operating DC8 aircraft worldwide.
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