The Honeymoon Airplane

Back in 1936, newlyweds Jim and Nadine Ricklefs received a very special present from the bride’s father: A brand new 1935 Fairchild 24-C8C.

The Ricklefs flew this plane to Carmel, California, for their honeymoon, and many other subsequent trips, selling it years later as their family grew.

Named “Pegasus,” the Fairchild also took on the nickname of “The Honeymoon Airplane.”

Fast forward to 1982 when Jim’s friend John Eney found a decrepit Fairchild stashed in a San Jose barn. There were no logs or paperwork, so John obtained microfiche records from the FAA that showed Jim and Nadine Ricklefs to be the original owners. John contacted Jim and said “I’ll buy this if you don’t want it, but I think you should have it.”

Jim decided to restore the airplane in his late wife’s memory.

The majority of the restoration was done by Air Fab of Hollister, California, with some of the work done by Jim’s son-in-law, Ray Johnson. The first test flight of the restored Fairchild took place in April 1991, flown by retired United Airlines pilot Frank Egbert.

At the 27th annual Watsonville West Coast Antique Fly-In held in May 1991, the restored Fairchild 24 C8C won the California Antique Aircraft Association’s Grand Champion award, making Ricklefs the first three-time Grand Champion winner in the history of the event.

Ricklefs, then 77, declared that “The Honeymoon Airplane” would be his last aircraft restoration.

In 1997, he donated the Fairchild to the Hiller Aviation Museum in San Carlos, California. Occasionally he would visit his plane with various family members, where they could get behind the ropes and sit inside.

“The Honeymoon Airplane” was on display since the museum’s opening in 1998 — until recently.

Enter Jake Atteberry and Brian Pyle of Charlotte, North Carolina. College friends, Jake is a pilot and retired airline mechanic, while Brian is a pilot and IT consultant. They are now the latest proud owners of “The Honeymoon Airplane.”

The original plan was to disassemble and crate the Fairchild for shipment to the East Coast, but after seeing the pristine condition of the aircraft, Jake and Brian decided to fly it home instead.

Jake borrowed a hangar at San Carlos Airport where he took the wings off, washed it, and performed an annual. There were no surprises during the inspection, with the only work needed being a new fuel line and new tires. The clean condition of the plane was not a real surprise considering it sat in a museum environment shortly after a complete restoration.

Brian flew “The Honeymoon Airplane” on a scenic route back home, making a stop to show the Fairchild at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2024.

Once back at his airpark home, the co-owners plan to fly their new plane as a weekend flyer and attending local fly-ins.

“I’m looking forward to answering the inevitable question ‘how long did it take you to do the restoration?’” said Jake, who adds he considers this to be the best kind of “barn find.”

This Fairchild 24 C8C was a show airplane the day it rolled out of the factory paint shop, resplendent in metallic white and red. It was a special livery for the 1936 National Pacific Aircraft and Boat Show, where it drew lots of admiring looks. The 1936 factory invoice for NC15921 documented a price of $3,910 ($86,689 in today’s dollars).

Fairchild 24s were designed for recreation, boasting practical utility and good performance. The well-appointed C8 models featured side-by-side seating for two and excellent visibility.

The planes were built by Krieder-Reisner Aircraft in Hagerstown, Maryland, a division of Fairchild Aviation at the time. In 1935 Krieder-Reisner was renamed Fairchild Aircraft Corporation.

First flown in 1931, the Model 24 was in continuous production from 1932 to 1948.