Stripes and spiders — not a combination most people would think of when designing a paint scheme for a vintage airplane, but that’s exactly what Merrill and MaDonna McMahan of Wausau, Wis., decided to do when they painted their 1941 Stearman. The red, white and blue airplane sports small black spiders and the name “Miss […]
See history take flight
When’s the last time you saw three beautifully restored warbirds flying in formation outside of a major airshow? If you’re lucky enough to be around Everett, Wash., it could be a frequent occurrence. The Flying Heritage Collection located at Snohomish County Airport/Paine Field (PAE) regularly puts its planes in the sky on Fly Free Days. […]
Pearson pilots upset by airspace changes
“That’s not going to work for us.” That’s the gist of the message pilots at Pearson Field Airport (VUO) in Vancouver, Wash., had for the FAA when they learned of the agency’s plan for procedural changes at the airport. Pearson Field, located just three miles of busy Portland International Airport (PDX), is a non-towered airport […]
The return of White Lightning
Polished metal, blue, green, yellow, red — these are the colors I’m used to seeing on Ercoupes. So it was downright exciting to find a solid black Ercoupe parked in the vintage display area of this year’s AirVenture, with the name “White Lightning” emblazoned on the side of the cowling. “The color wouldn’t have been […]
Estelle Wingster: A vintage airplane with a modern message
In 1953 Ken Miller of Van Nuys, Calif., was a college student. He went to the airport with two friends and met a man who was giving rides in his Cessna 150. “The guy said he would take each of us up for $10 a piece,” Miller recalled. “I had $20 in my pocket. The […]
Proficient Pilots Project debuts
The FARs require a pilot perform three takeoffs and landings within 90 days to maintain currency. Maintaining proficiency takes significantly more time, and often it is a lack of proficiency that leads to accidents and incidents. During AirVenture 2012, flight instructors from the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (SAFE) volunteered their time for the […]
Dress to survive: The Aviator Tactical Vest
If you had an unscheduled off-airport landing in rough back country, would you be able to survive to tell the story? Maybe, maybe not. It all comes down to how well prepared you are. A big part of that is having a survival kit, but if you can’t reach it after the “landing,” it doesn’t […]
The power of purple
“I’ve never seen one that color before!” That’s what people usually say when they first set eyes on the Cessna 152 owned by Mary Rosenblum of Troutdale, Ore. Unlike so many airplanes that are predominantly white with an accent color, in the sunlight Rosenblum’s aircraft appears purple, as in Barney the Dinosaur was the painter. […]
Greg Marlow’s dream machine: A go-places plane
There are many reasons people chose to build an airplane. Sometimes, it’s the challenge of the project, or an attempt to reduce the cost of flying. Other times it’s to build a dream machine to handle what would otherwise be a less-than-enjoyable commute. Greg Marlow from Kingsport, Tenn., falls into the last category. He is […]