People: He has big plans

The silver, red, and black taildragger sports a rebuilt 180-horsepower Lycoming IO-360 to replace the factory’s six-cylinder, 145-horsepower Continental. A pair of Cessna 175 wings hold additional fuel to keep the slightly thirstier engine happy.

Fosso said he became “addicted to flying at age 14” and began the ambitious Cessna project when he was 15. He learned the intricacies of aviation maintenance from mentor and airframe and powerplant (A&P) mechanic with inspection authorization Mac McGugan, who, Fosso said, “taught me everything I know.”

The aircraft itself came with a bit of a story, too. It was totaled in a 1972 crash in Alaska shortly after takeoff. Five of the aircraft’s original skins survived, along with most of its original structure. Fosso said N2771C was stored for 40 years until he picked it up for $12,000—the teenager’s life savings at the time, and money that he earned from three seasons of commercial fishing in Bristol Bay, Alaska.

The battered Cessna was “hanging in a chicken coop and full of Christmas boxes and stuff down in Lynnwood [Washington]. It had the floats and everything, and I thought, That’s cool, I’ll have this flying in six or eight months.”

The project forced Fosso to be creative when funds ran low. He made friends with other aviators and used those relationships to strategize for spare parts, and he credits Stoots Aviation for the upgraded engine. A lot of digging turned up a pair of wings with larger fuel tanks and a need for serious TLC.

Nearly every piece of the aircraft Fosso calls 7-1-Charlie has been meticulously cleaned, replaced, or reconstructed. Along the way, Fosso learned so much about aviation maintenance that he earned his A&P certificate and “finished college seven quarters early.”

Once the restoration is complete and he has the funds for fuel and expenses in the bank, Fosso plans to fly 7-1-Charlie to all 50 states to encourage young people to understand what aviation is all about.

Flying to the 48 continental states is a logistical challenge in itself, but adding Alaska and Hawaii elevated Fosso’s proposed 50-state trip to another level. He said crossing through Canada for Alaska wouldn’t be too difficult and already has plans in place to accomplish the hop north. However, he said he was still working the kinks out of shipping the Cessna across the Pacific Ocean so he could fly 7-1-Charlie around the Hawaiian islands. Stay tuned.