Hunting for classic cars in a classic airplane

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When Jess James agreed to fly a restored 1948 Stinson 108 airplane over remote rural properties to hunt for vintage vehicles, she admits she wouldn’t have considered herself a collector automobile enthusiast. But after spending a season as a crewmember on Lost Car Rescue, she’s quite literally been bitten by the bug – a 1959 Volkswagen Beetle, to be exact.

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“I wouldn’t have gravitated towards a Beetle,” James admits, “but I fell in love with (the people who owned it), and it’s one of my favourites because of its story. Sometimes, the story is more important than the metal behind it.”

The History Channel’s Lost Car Rescue is a six-episode series following the exploits of team leader Matt Sager, his brother and mechanic Steve Sager, crane operator Lee Brandt, auto body technician Dave Mischuk and pilot James. For several years, Sager, of Mill Bay, B.C., has been going on trips to retrieve vintage vehicles from northern regions of Western Canada. These are cars and trucks left behind in fields, ravines, forests and derelict barns. Not all are valuable relics, but each one has value in the story it could tell. The vehicles are all in various states of disrepair, some better preserved than others. However, most are succumbing to the ravages of time, rusting away and slowly being reclaimed by nature.

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Previously, Sager flew his own plane, spotting a vehicle’s resting place from the air. He’d hunt from March to May, when foliage allowed for better visibility. If he saw something interesting, he’d land in a nearby field to meet with a landowner or note the location and return later to investigate and hopefully strike a deal.

It’s a unique hobby Sager enjoys pursuing, and eventually he had the idea to pitch the trials and tribulations of the search and rescue missions to a television producer. That led him to partner with Proper Television, and then to History. Early on in the show’s development, he approached James.

“Matt and I met during flight school,” James says. “And we’ve been close friends for almost ten years. I knew they did these trips to find cars but had never been involved. But at the pace they were moving on the show, he wanted to bring someone else on because it’s nice to have two people in the plane.”

She laughs, and adds, “Plus, when Matt asks you to take on an adventure, you don’t say no.”

James has been around aircraft since she was an infant. Her father was a pilot, and family trips were often in an airplane. She got her private pilot’s licence in 2013 and went on to fly commercial aircraft. Her flight expertise had surpassed Sager’s experience, and when she was laid off from the aviation industry as a result of the pandemic, the timing proved to be remarkable.

“I often say I believe everything happens for a reason, and it all worked out,” James explains.

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In Lost Car Rescue, James pilots Sager’s 1948 Stinson 108 equipped with 31-inch ‘tundra tires.’ When they’re flying, Sager has his eyes on the ground, but James often spots vehicles from the air, too. If there’s a convenient place to land, and as long as James doesn’t damage any crops, she’ll put the plane down. Those tundra tires help smooth out the landing, and a bit of small town charm can help smooth out the introduction to the property owner, she says. And she has plenty of that. Raised in the small community of Nimpo Lake, B.C., about 300 kilometres west of Williams Lake, she engages everyone with a genuine sense of warmth.

“You come out of nowhere and start chatting about buying a car on their land,” she says, “and a little bit of charm goes a long way.”

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When asked about her favourite vehicle find of the season, James did mention the ’59 Beetle. But others captivated her interest, too, including a very rare 1942 Hudson pickup truck and a 1916 Ford Model T race car.

Sager’s team uses restored vehicles to complete the rescues, including a 1988 Freightliner hauler and trailer equipped with Brandt’s crane to pluck up cars. Steve Sager drives a nicely-restored, but well-used vintage Dodge Power Wagon with winching and towing capabilities.

Would James ever tackle a vintage vehicle project of her own?

“As a pilot, you have to have a practical side and I do pick up a screwdriver or a wrench, but I’ve never restored a car. I’m always eager to learn, though,” James says. “I’ve asked Steve and Matt if I can help get the Beetle going, and they’d be OK with that.”

She laughs, “I’d be like the annoying little sister, trying to help out and always asking questions.”

Greg Williams is a member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Have a column tip? Contact him at 403-287-1067 or [email protected]