After Assisting with Evacuations as Volunteer Pilot, Dr. Matthew Bogard shares his family’s story of their Airplane

Dr. Matthew Bogard, one of the volunteer pilots assisting with recent evacuations in the Fremont, Nebraska area after flooding, tells the story of his airplane

Matthew Bogard, MD (N/A:N/A)

CHARITON, IOWA, UNITED STATES, March 29, 2019 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The following is an article written by Dr. Matthew Bogard, physician in Nebraska and Iowa. The story details Doctor Bogard and his family’s journey with their Comanche 250. The complete article will be published on the Blog of Dr. Bogard at https://matthewbogardmd.blogspot.com/

The article, “Our Getaway Machine Becomes a Family Hauler” by Matthew Bogard, MD, was originally published in the September 2017 issue of the Comanche Flyer.

Recently, Dr. Bogard served as a volunteer pilot of humanitarian flights when severe flooding required the evacuation of people from the Fremont, Nebraska area, as reported by KETV News, Report of March 19, 2019, “Teens reunited with parents after spending the weekend stranded in Fremont,” https://www.ketv.com/article/teens-reunited-with-parents-after-spending-the-weekend-stranded-in-fremont/26859999

Dr. Bogard assisted with the evacuation, and was quoted in the article "It's about a 12-minute flight for me to get back and forth, one way. So we're able to move folks quickly," said Matt Bogard, a volunteer pilot.

Here is the story of Dr. Bogard’s airplane: “Occasionally when I’m adding to my logbook, I take a few minutes to review previous entries. Most of the columns contain data important for currency and accumulating experience towards additional ratings, as well as calculating hours for the insurance company. However, it’s the “Comments” column I spend the most time reviewing. Visiting family in St. Louis, spending the weekend with friends in Minneapolis, trying a new BBQ restaurant, picking up our new puppy Piper in Kansas, IFR Checkride, first approach in IMC, our daughter’s first flight—these entries jog memories of many exciting adventures, most of which were only possible because of our Comanche.

I had long been interested in aviation as my grandfather was an avid pilot and I grew up just a couple miles from a small airport. I earned my license 14 years ago while in college and, thanks to a few generous friends who were willing to rent and share their planes, I continued to build hours on the very stringent budget of a college student.

Whenever the discussion of aircraft ownership arose my grandfather would boast the Comanche was the best aircraft ever built—he’s owned a 1959 Comanche 180, N6278P, for over 35 years. The more research I did and the more airplanes I flew in, the more I agreed with him. Our Comanches are a great balance of speed, payload, reliability, handling, comfort, and downright sexiness. As I finished medical school and finances improved, I began eyeing a Comanche 250 in the hangar next to the Warrior I was flying. I had several good conversations with the owner, and he told me he would call if he ever thought about selling it. The best copilot I could ever have.

Buying a Comanche

In April 2011, I received the call. John was ready to sell his Comanche 250, N5825P, if I was still interested. It was a clean airframe with a recent paint job (R&B in Topeka, KS), new leather interior (Mike’s Upholstery at North Omaha Airport), Osborne Tip Tanks, an STEC 60-2 autopilot, a relatively low-time engine overhauled by a respected shop (Firewall Forward in Colorado Springs), and a 3-blade McCauley prop. It went through an annual inspection with no big issues, and the purchase was finalized.

At the time, I was a 350-hour VFR pilot with no retractable or high performance experience. I turned to my friend George Richmond, a Comanche Pilot Training Program CFI/CFII and A&P/IA, who put together a thorough transition syllabus that left me very competent in the left seat by the time I was signed off.

Six years and 525 hours later, our Comanche has provided us with more memories than we can count. The ability to quickly and efficiently travel around the Midwest has led to many trips we would never have undertaken if we had to drive or fly the airlines. Minneapolis, Chicago, Louisville, St. Louis, Tulsa, Oshkosh, and Kansas City are all easy hops. On top of that, short flights around the area to bore holes in the sky and enjoy $100 hamburgers helped preserve my sanity during the tumultuous years of residency.

West Coast Getaway

One of the most memorable trips we enjoyed in 25P was in the fall of 2013. I had just finished my medical residency, and my wife Amanda graduated from Nurse Practitioner school. We were both preparing to begin full-time jobs. My loving, patient, and five-month pregnant wife and I planned a two week-long trip around the West Coast.

It started with my dad and I flying from Omaha out to Reno via Rapid City and Boise to attend the Reno Air Races. Amanda met us in Reno, and after a few days in Lake Tahoe, she and I continued to San Francisco (PAO and AUN), Portland (TTD), Los Angeles (SMO and CNO), Lake Havasu, Albuquerque (AEQ), and Sedona before returning home via Dalhart, TX. We visited friends and family, attended a wedding, flew up the Columbia River Gorge, walked the Santa Monica Pier, went to a few airplane museums, laid on the beach, hiked across the London Bridge, and had an amazing two weeks in the Comanche exploring the beauty of the Rocky Mountains and Pacific Coast.

The Next Generation

Less than six months after the unforgettable experience of our west coast trip we had another once-in-a lifetime opportunity—our daughter Sadie was eight weeks old and ready for her first Comanche flight! She’s been a wonderful passenger over the last three-and-a-half years and has become a real aviation aficionado. She eagerly helps preflight the airplane, knows the name of nearly every part, and according to my wife is just as bad as I am about looking skyward when she hears an aircraft overhead.

Our family recently expanded by one more and this Father’s Day we flew Sadie and our two-month-old daughter Lucy to their first airshow in Clarinda, IA. As much as Sadie loves telling people about our Comanche, she now has her heart set on a Hiperbipe after witnessing some skilled aerobatics.

Upgrades

I’ve tried to continually upgrade our plane, typically doing “something” at every annual. Some of the items I think every Comanche owner should consider are Bogert copper battery cables, Matt Kurke’s landing gear motor/transmission overhaul and squat switch kits, and Webco landing gear pushpull conduits. Other big upgrades we’ve installed include a Garmin GTN 650 with the STEC GPS-Steering module, a SkyTec starter, PlanePower alternator, Reiff engine heater, and Whelen LED strobes, nav, and landing lights. In the next two years, I plan to overhaul the panel and install an engine monitor and ADS-B solution.

Contagious Disease?

Comanche Fever seems to be a communicable illness as it’s spread to several of my friends. After ten years of talking about Bonanzas, my best friend and primary flight instructor Brad recently purchased a 1960 Comanche 250. Ken sold his 172 and is actively looking for a Comanche after several years of considering a Mooney, and Doug would love to find a Comanche owner interested in a trade for his RV-6!

What a Great Group

The International Comanche Society has been an outstanding resource. The maintenance forums have steered me in the right direction countless times, and the Flyer magazine always contains great articles. We’ve made many new friends at the Mid States fly-ins and volunteering at the ICS tent in Oshkosh. The CPTP/CPPP Flight Training programs are also an excellent way to improve your Comanche systems knowledge, flying skills, and meet fellow Comanche owners.

We are fortunate to have enjoyed six incredible years of airplane ownership and continue to introduce new people to aviation any time the opportunity arises. If our daughters continue to show as much interest in flying as Sadie does, I know Commercial and CFI ratings are in my future. I can only imagine how many more memories the “Comments” column in my logbook will contain in another ten years.

References for this story:

The Story of Dr. Bogard’s airplane:
https://www.comancheflyers.com/publication/view/comanche-flyer-magazine-september-2017/

Dr. Matthew Bogard serves as volunteer Pilot: https://www.ketv.com/article/teens-reunited-with-parents-after-spending-the-weekend-stranded-in-fremont/26859999

Related Stories about the Fremont, NE floodings and the volunteer pilots who assisted:

https://www.ketv.com/article/pilots-fly-people-and-supplies-to-and-from-fremont-amid-flooding/26850008
https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2019/march/19/ga-pilots-fly-for-midwest-flood-relief
https://fremonttribune.com/news/local/residents-get-back-home-after-days-away-via-millard-airport/article_5975e55c-c9ad-5672-afe0-3c50f5419918.html
https://fremonttribune.com/news/state-and-regional/angels-of-the-sky-offer-flights-into-flooded-nebraska-city/article_bc950799-3600-5b85-8323-1de1aadcf702.html
https://fremonttribune.com/news/local/airport-busy-as-supplies-fly-in-people-fly-out/article_d219ad78-e700-565b-9d07-72724b5aacc7.html
https://www.omaha.com/news/nebraska/fremont-airport-offers-connection-to-outside-world-for-those-stranded/article_cc1bccb6-a6de-5ec3-b89e-4efe34f2d610.html

*** Physician Matthew Bogard practices Emergency Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska. During his training at the University of Nebraska College of Medicine, he was selected to join the Advanced Rural Training Program, a four-year residency that trains physicians to provide comprehensive full-spectrum medical care. During his residency, Dr. Bogard served on the Board of Directors of the Nebraska Academy of Family Physicians, was active with the Nebraska Medical Association, mentored multiple medical students and was honored by the Nebraska Legislature as “Family Physician of the Day.” Dr Matt Bogard primarily practices Emergency Medicine. Dr. Matt Bogard is Board Certified by the American Academy of Family Physicians and Board Eligible in Emergency Medicine.

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Joel Reeves: These videos show the devastating flooding in Fremont, Nebraska, which is about 25 miles northwest of Omaha.