Here’s an update on the “Postcard Contest” for Mr. O.K. (Ken) Woodfin, a WWII veteran who resides in an assisted living facility in Tennessee. Thanks Rhonda – we were all rooting for him. Give him our best!!
“The official end is Monday but it’s obvious that he is the winner in many categories. He has more than any, the most unusual (one from the North Pole signed by Santa), and the most from out of the US. I am attaching a picture of Ken with some of his cards. I’ll let you know the official word when we get it. The picture just shows some of the ones that he has gotten. Thank you again for all your help. He is overwhelmed.” Rhonda Miles
O.K. Woodfin (Ken) with some of his postcards!
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Posted July 20, 2010
This was sent in by Rhonda Miles, lady taildragger from Tennessee. Hope you all take a minute to send O.K. Woodfin a postcard. Forward to all your friends, too. What a great way to honor a veteran aviator. I’ll be looking for a B-29 postcard at Oshkosh to mail him!!
“I was wondering if I could get the Ladies Love Taildraggers to help with something.
My father (46 yrs as a cropduster) has a 91 year old friend in an Assisted Living Facility. This man was flying a B-29 on a recon mission and had just crossed land heading out over the water, when the left gunner hollered about an explosion. Ken turned the B-29 and witnessed the Atomic Bomb Blast of Hiroshima. Then their plane was hit with a shockwave from 50 miles out. What this man has seen in his life is amazing !!
The Assisted Living Facility is having a contest to see how many postcards their occupants can receive. There is also a prize for how far away. I would love to see my fellow members take a minute to send a postcard from where ever they are. The end date is August 31st.
His address is:
O.K. (Ken) Woodfin
c/o Valley View Assisted Living
101 N. Maple St.
Whitwell, TN 37397
Ladies, this is a MUST SEE video you’re going to love!
Taildragger pilot Sandra Krier filled out the “Registration” form on Ladies Love Taildraggers and we’re just waiting for her taildragger pictures to get her posted. In the meantime, take a look at this little video she “stars in” with friend Catherine Cavagnaro…..
Photographer Charles Johnson (Ohio Air News) visited the Lady Taildraggers Fly-in and took a lot of great pictures he’s kindly shared with me. Some have been posted but here are a few more you’ll like!
Natalie McHaffie
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Hella Comat heading home
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Hella Comat’s wave goodbye!
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Another beautiful Charles Johnson Photo
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Fly-by of 1947 Big Engine Conversion Globe Swift
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Susan’s husband, Andy Hines, having a laugh with Chuck Avon
This was sent in by Shannon Gallagher from Tennessee. If you were at the Lady Taildraggers Fly-in you’ll remember Shannon who flew in with her boyfriend, Chuck Avon, in “Songbird”, the yellow 1940 Taylorcraft. Shannon is a student pilot and very close to getting her ticket.
“Hey Judy, I have thought about this quite a bit and I think this might be a way to get work. I have several talents where art is concerned. I would like to work from my home painting pictures of planes for people at $35.00 for a small 9″ x 12″ and more for the larger ones. I can also do a composite of an airplane against any backdrop they would like, whether it is flying or sitting on the ground. I am including a few examples of my work for anyone interested.”
Example of a Taylorcraft photo against a “selected” background
“Jobs here are scarce and I’m hoping for work!”
Taylorcraft Shannon is learning to fly in
“Enclosed are examples of each idea and one of a logo style for shirts.”
Waco line up
“I can create artwork three ways; computer art, sketches, and acrylic painting.
The computer art requires your providing a picture of your plane on the ground or in the air. I will use a background removal tool to remove the existing background then replace with a backdrop of a beautiful sky.
All sketches are black and white.
All acrylic painting are bright and colorful. I can also paint any background desired for the airplanes.”
Logo copy
Shannon can be reached at n26658@yahoo.com or by phone at 931-306-9902. Please contact Shannon directly to place an order or to make inquiries.
The following, including this great video, just sent in by Gail Schipper from Colorado. If you’re planning on attending, please reply by leaving a “Comment”.
“We’re getting ready to dash to the National Antique Airplane Fly-In in Blakesburg, IA next week (Labor Day weekend). I’m wondering if any other members will be going? Here’s some video from last year – some good eye candy.”
Tammie Carswell flies a Pawnee and her PW5 glider out of Crazy Creek (Middletown) and Byron, California.
Tammie and “friend”!
The most frequent flying I do is in my PW5 Glider (N717PW). I also fly the Pawnee towplane at Texas Soaring.
Glider instruction
I’m a CFI Glider, Private and MEL and have been flying since I soloed when I was 14. I obtained most of my tailwheel time in an Aeronca Champ.
Glider flying
I’m currently living in California and flying out of Crazy Creek (Middletown) and Byron, California.
PW5 Glider
I just watched the WSPA video that Gail made and LOVED it and found this web site. I didn’t know there were so many fun taildragger pilots around! Please let me join your group!
Vanessa Jump Nelson flies a J-3 Cub and is based at Stark’s Twin Oaks in Hillsboro, Oregon.
Taxiing it to my hangar – first time alone in the restored plane, as I picked it up from the restoration facility
I had my first flight at 6 weeks old with my dad, who was licensed in 1947, and I grew up taking it for granted that we flew to Grandma’s in Central Washington on weekends, and up to the Puget Sound to get oysters in the seaplane. I got my Private in 1979 and then didn’t fly for decades. My kids are grown now, and when my dad died in 2004, I took a few A & P classes to better understand the process, and hired Evergreen Aviation & Restoration in Vancouver to help me restore my Dad’s J-3 that he and I had flown around Oregon, as it was filled with my memories of landing in farmer’s fields and on little sandbars.
Tumbleweed in pieces, stored at my parents home at the Evergreen Airpark, Vancouver WA
They’d sold the wood wings & engine. We had some metal spars and a few ribs, so the new wings were built up from there. I bought an 0-200 Continental and did the STC for that, which required a new engine mount, special prop, and an additional 18 gallon wing tank. While we were at it, we added float fittings….just in case we ever wanted to put her on floats.
I did some of the fabric work, and this is Tumbleweed upside down in the shop during restoration
“Tumbleweed” was based at Evergreen Field in Vancouver from when Dad bought it in 1969 till he took it apart and shelved it there in the hangar in the early 90′s. It was a five year process, and I just got it flying in May and am almost ready to “second solo”.
At Scappoose where we had her hangared until summer when we moved her to Twin Oaks for my flight instruction
At the 2010 Northwest Antique Airplane Club Fly-In it received awards for “Best Piper Long Wing” and “The Rod Stillinger Award for Best J-3 Cub”. Thanks to instructor Eldon Fitzgerald for helping me get her over there.
Aug. 22, 2010 – Receiving awards at the NWAAC Fly-In at Pearson Airport, Vancouver, Washington, with my husband, Shannon Nelson.
It’s hangared at Stark’s Twin Oaks, in Hillsboro Oregon. At Twin Oaks I’ve taken a portion of my instruction from Emily Stark, a female taildragger specialist, who also grew up with a J-3 and happens to be the daughter of one of my late father’s flying buddies!
Beautiful day in July, flying lesson in Tumbleweed with Emily Stark at Twin Oaks
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Camping under the wing at Pearson during the 2010 Fly-In
Cool to see Julie Richardson (with Friskie the biplane) on here! She lives across the street from where my parents lived at Evergreen, and gave me some advice in the beginning. She saw T.W. in storage and she came to Pearson and talked to me there last weekend.
If you love Cabin Wacos…. Beech 18s…. Cessna 195s….. T6…… and flying for the fun of flying, sit back and enjoy the next few minutes! Tina Thomas, thank you!
Cathy Pierce is based at Graham Municipal Airport (KRPH), Graham, Texas.
Getting my private pilot with instructor Stevie Peace
I originally just wanted to learn to land since my husband and I were flying around with our kids in the back seat. Instead of just teaching me to land the airplane, my husband convinced me to go through with getting my license and I tell everyone interested in learning to fly that it’s the most fun I have ever had.
In Bill Tracy’s Super Cub while he was visiting us
When I started taking flight lessons in 2008, we owned a PA22/20 but could not find a flight instructor close that was tailwheel endorsed. I borrowed a Tri-Pacer from a friend and found an instructor. Started my lessons at the end of August 2008, soloed on October 31, 2008 and did my check ride on December 4, 2008. I was lucky to find an instructor who was a stay-at-home mom like me, so we flew 2 or 3 times a week.
My husband and I in John Meade’s Super Cub that I delivered to the Super Cub fly-in at New Holstein, WI last year during Oshkosh
I received my tailwheel endorsement in February 2009 when a CFI friend came to our airport for my husband’s annual restoration seminar. In July 2009 I delivered a SuperCub to a friend of ours in Wisconsin during Oshkosh. What a trip!
Me getting my tailwheel endorsement signed off by Steve Johnson
I usually help my husband with his business which is maintaining and restoring mostly Piper aircraft, so if you are ever in Graham, TX, stop in to see us! We maintain and restore fabric airplanes and every February we have a hands on seminar at our hangar in Graham, TX.
Judy, your friends Will and Gail Mathews were here visiting (old family friends of my husband) and suggested that I look into your website. It’s great! Will thought maybe that would be something that the ladies on this website may want to try. We need to increase our female participation!!
Kate DeBaun is out of Air Lake Airport in Lakeville, MN.
I fly an Aeronca Champ D. I have 33 hours in a J3 as a student and many hours in the Champ as pilot NOT in command. I don’t have my license and I’m not a student… as of right now… but once I get a second job that could change.
Kate DeBaun
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Kate having a great time!
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Kate and mom and dad!
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With Dad
From Judy
Kate, these are some fun pictures – with an attitude – I love them! I can tell you NEED to be in the air and in a taildragger! Sure hope you figure out a way to get it done, second job or whatever it takes. Some things are just worth the sacrifice!! Good luckand keep in touch.
Hope you enjoy this short video I put together of our fun weekend with the girls (plus plenty of guys as you’ll see!!) Turn the volume up and dance along to “This One’s For the Girls” by Martina McBride…..
Ladies t's are here!! All sizes available, $18 ea, plus $3 each postage. S, M, L & XL. Please email judy.birchler@gmail.com with size(s) and your mailing address and I'll get back to you.
I still have a few of the generic fit at $16 each.
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If you're a girl and if you're a tailwheel pilot, we want you on our website! Only requirement, must be at least a student pilot learning in a taildragger and must LOVE it! See "Registration". Minimum one picture required!
