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On approach in the islands
1946, and 59 were produced through 1951. The 13,000-pound beast featured a 66-foot wingspan powered by two 600-hp Pratt and Whitney R-1340 Wasp radial engines. It was the first Grumman amphibian to have a tricycle landing gear, and with a fuel capacity of 380 gallons, it had a range of 1,200 miles while cruising at 160 mph. The Mallard was designed for two types of customers: commercial air taxi and private-use operators. The stand-up cabin could ac- commodate a high-density airline layout or a luxurious, yacht-inspired interior with a galley and private lavatory. Grumman advertisements at that time depicted passen- gers in wood-paneled interiors, sitting on large seats and couches, traveling in style.
This particular Mallard had an unusual past before it was privately owned. It served as a utility aircraft for Freeport McMoRan, Incorporated. Freeport was founded in 1912 and is one of the world’s largest mining companies. The company used this amphibian to survey difficult-to-reach areas in Indonesia and New Guinea for mining opportuni- ties. In 1959, Freeport discovered a massive copper and gold deposit in New Guinea, which they developed into the Grasberg mine. To this day, Grasberg is the largest gold mine in the world.
After a hard life of transporting geologists, engineers and survey crews, she came back to the US and was acquired by my employer. The working interior was removed and replaced with something befitting the old Grumman ads. It had a double club configuration with six large seats, a four-place divan, a mid-cabin galley, and an enclosed aft lavatory. Frakes Aviation in Cleburne, Texas, developed a
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modification to replace the Wasp radials with the venerable Pratt and Whitney PT6A-34 turboprop rated at the same 600 hp. She got the engine conversion to become a G-73T and, with this upgrade, lived on as a well-cared-for lady. It was a fitting way to begin her second life.
Most of my trips were between KHPN and KMTP, a 30-minute flight over the Long Island Sound to the end of Long Island. The owner was known as a gracious en- tertainer, and we would shuttle his family and numerous friends back and forth to visit his home and fish on his boat.
Out of the hangar and chocked on the ramp, I would care- fully climb on top of the wing and have line service pass me the Jet-A hose. The FBO would not let their fuelers on the wing of the Mallard, as it was a dangerously long fall to the ramp. With the galley stocked and preflight complete, our passengers would arrive, and we would get on our way.
The cockpit could get hot. Its automotive-like, roll-down windows gave us some relief as we brought those PT6s to life. In classic seaplane configuration, the power levers were on the overhead panel, above the glare shield. With a monkey-bar-style nudge, we’d get the old girl moving. The short wheelbase and stiff gear made taxiing a bit bumpy, so we kept it slow so our passengers didn’t give us dirty looks. Since the flights were short, we didn’t carry full fuel, which made takeoff and climb performance surprisingly brisk. Once level, we would settle into cruise as we winged across the Long Island Sound.
Montauk Airport has a short, uncontrolled 3,250-foot runway wedged between the marina and the dunes. Being