General Aviation News

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…]

Starships, Bonanzas, Staggerwings and more flock to Beech Party

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Every October, it’s time to head to the Beech Party in Tullahoma, Tennessee, where Beechcraft owners and aficionados enjoy a gathering of the family clan.

This year was the 44th annual Beech Party held at the Beechcraft Aviation Museum. However, the Staggerwing Club has been hosting the fly-ins since the mid-1960s, according to Jody Curtis, who has been associated with the museum since 1997.

“The most rewarding thing about Beech Party is the camaraderie and celebration of general aviation,” said Curtis, who wears many hats at the museum, filling the roles of director of marketing and membership and Beech Party and event planner. [Read more…]

Homage to the Golden Age

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Dave and Jeanne Allen flew their 1930 Waco ASO from Elbert, Colorado, to Antique Airfield in Iowa this year, not only for the Antique Airplane Association‘s annual fly-in, but also for the 15th reunion of the 2003 National Air Tour.

Dave and Jeanne are well known in the antique community as a husband-and-wife restoration team. Together they have tackled several Waco projects, each of which represents their superlative attention to detail. [Read more…]

Alby’s remarkable journey across America

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Alby was, at first, a mythical albatross that fledged in soaring pilot Sergio Colacevich’s mind.

Sergio, a record-setting soaring pilot and a retired California Department of Transportation  engineer, formally introduced the concept of Alby’s journey in the September 2008 issue of Soaring magazine.

Described as a curious and adventurous young albatross, Alby, who was confined by nature to a life above the oceans, wanted to experience soaring across North America. He wanted to behold terrestrial wonders, from towering mountains and arid deserts to lush emerald farmlands and whitewater rivers.

Alby was drawn to the humans who were able to soar in silent, sleek-winged craft along California’s coast. These soaring people ineffably understood Alby’s desire, and invited him on an unprecedented, historical soaring relay flight.

The mission: Fly Alby, a beautiful bronze sculpture, from coast to coast. [Read more…]

Flying through time

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Ryan Lihs of Sioux City, Iowa, is an enthusiastic-yet-humble sort of aviator. When he flew his handsome black-and-gold biplane to Antique Airfield for the 2017 Antique Airplane Association Fly-In in Blakesburg, Iowa, this past Labor Day, numerous admirers were irresistibly drawn to it.

He happily shared the history of his 1929 Pitcairn PA-6. In fact, he enjoys doing that almost as much as he does flying it — and he did plenty of both during the fly-in. [Read more…]

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