General Aviation News

75 years since his first solo and still flying

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The phone rang within 10 minutes of placing a classified ad for my Continental A65-8 engine. A kind and calm voice informed me that he was making a standing offer and I could take my time to consider it. I returned Dave Stevenson’s call the same day and accepted his offer.

He and his wife, Helen, showed up a few days later, cash in hand, and we had a pleasant exchange as he loaded the engine in the back of their minivan. That was 18 years ago, and we’ve stayed in touch ever since. 

The proverbial hands of time have flown by, allowing Dave to achieve a special milestone on June 15, 2019 — one that perhaps few pilots ever have the thrill of celebrating. He flew his Aeronca Champ that day to celebrate the 75th anniversary of his very first solo. Four days later, he celebrated his 92nd birthday.

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Pumpkins away!

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Once aloft, the Cub door is opened and a chilly breeze blasts into the cabin as the pilot noses closer to the target.

The back-seat bombardier grabs a pumpkin, peering intently at the carefully-placed circle of cones around the target below. Trying to time it just right to score a bullseye, the bombardier liberates the pumpkin for its impressive one-time flight — but alas!

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Puckett Field’s soaring legacy

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“Anyone who can look at a sailplane and not see a thing of beauty hasn’t got a soul.”

That’s what a well-seasoned crop duster pilot told me years ago when I mentioned my love of flying sailplanes to him.

He understood the essence of natural, soaring flight and the requisite skills and techniques that make soaring such a rewarding and fulfilling form of flight. There are coveys of sailplane pilots throughout the country who enjoy this serene and exhilarating type of flying.

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Earthrounder receives Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award

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Earthrounder and author Ann Holtgren Pellegreno — who recreated Amelia Earhart’s last flight in 1967 — recently received the FAA Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award.

To be eligible for the award, nominees must be a U.S. citizen, hold a U.S. Civil Aviation Authority or FAA pilot certificate, document at least 50 years of flying experience, and have three letters of recommendation from other pilots certificated by the FAA. 

Ann’s award presentation is a story in itself: It was originally scheduled for Dec. 5, 2018. But after President George H.W. Bush died, President Donald J. Trump declared Dec. 5 as a National Day of Mourning. The presentation was rescheduled for Jan. 18, 2018. But then the partial shutdown of the federal government was in effect.

As Ann says with tongue-in-cheek humor, “The award presentation was trumped twice!”

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The savior of the Staggerwing fleet

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One historically remarkable 1939 Beechcraft F17D was nestled among its brethren Staggerwings, quietly soaking up the sunshine on a lovely autumn day during Beech Party 2018.

The arrival of NC2663 (Serial Number 330) at Tullahoma, Tennessee, heralded this singular survivor’s debut back into the fold of flying Staggerwings.

Owner and pilot Jon Berndsen of Stoney Point Airfield (6GA0) north of Atlanta, who good-naturedly admits that he has more airplanes than sense, thinks NC2663 is a terrific addition to his fleet, which includes an RV-7, turbo Cirrus, Great Lakes biplane, and his current project, a Lancair Legacy.

Jon bought the Staggerwing as a mostly-finished project from his A&P/IA friend Steve McDonald, who had agonizingly-yet-lovingly resurrected it from myriad boxes of parts over the course of 15 years. [Read more…]

Paying homage to the sleek Swift

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Ahhh, the sleek and racey Swift! Popular today in all of its various airframe and powerplant configurations and modifications, it has acquired a reputation for demanding full respect from its pilot.

If you’ve ever seen a Swift – or better yet, been aloft in one – you’ve more than likely been enamored with it.

If you’re intrigued by the Swift’s persona, be sure to stop by the Swift Museum Foundation’s top-notch and recently-completed museum. Conveniently located at the McMinn County Airport (KMMI) in Athens, Tennessee, the museum is equidistant between Knoxville and Chattanooga in the lush, rolling foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. [Read more…]

An epic cross country for the Littlefield trio

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There was a rather unusual and delightful trio of pilots at Antique Airfield this past Labor Day weekend for the Antique Airplane Association/Airpower Museum’s Invitational Fly-In at Blakesburg, Iowa.

They are the flying Littlefields — a mother, father, and son — from Crest Airpark near Seattle.

They’ve been back to Blakesburg many times, but this was the first year each flew an airplane there.

The Littlefields were camping with their airplanes tied down wingtip to wingtip in the “North 40,” and were as radiant as the morning sun when sharing their multi-faceted aviation stories. [Read more…]

Fun flyer: A 1964 Stits Playboy

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You never know what airplanes will show up at the Antique Airplane Association/Airpower Museum’s (AAA/APM) Invitational Fly-In at Blakesburg, Iowa — and that’s just part of the fun of being there.

When you think Antique Airfield, you expect to see antiques — but you’ll also see experimental aircraft and legacy homebuilts. A couple of years ago, one of Ray Stit’s homebuilt designs, a Flut-R-Bug, was at the field. This year, another Stits design came flying in — a Stits Playboy — thanks to pilot Pat Schmitz from Albion, Nebraska. [Read more…]

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