LadiesLoveTaildraggers

Rans vs Champ

By Judy Birchler, host of LadiesLoveTaildraggers.com

already knew the answer before heading out on this very loose formation flying weekend but who knew they would fly circles around us?!! Sure enough, the Rans S7-S LSA did just that – there they were, down low, up high, up front, way behind and all the while powering way back to stay with our Champ 7EC/FC. Now don’t get me wrong – I have no interest in giving up my beautiful blue and white, way fun, happy little Champ but I CAN see the attraction with all that airspeed!

Our trip:  MQJ, GEZ, MQJ, KY8, 1M9, FRH & MQJ

Boyd and I just spent a great flying weekend with Wayne & Kathy Norris of Norris Field, Liberty, Indiana.  We met up at the Ramp Rats Chili Fest in Shelbyville, IN and were ready to depart with full bellies until we realized “oh no, forgot the swim suits!”  A quick 18 mile flight back north, a 15 knot direct crosswind landing, a “please don’t let a cop catch me” fast drive home, a train (of course) over the track heading back, another crosswind departure and then finally – yes, we’re really on the way now!  We formed up with Rans N13NF near Columbus, IN and were happy to find we had a really nice tailwind pushing us along.

Check out the pictures below but in a nutshell – coming from the north we flew south down Lake Barkley to the inlet where Barkley Lodge resides then to the Lake Barkley State Park Airport (1M9).  Beautiful lodge overlooking the lake, free transportation by the Park Service to the lodge, lots of good hiking trails, pool & hot tub, nice restaurant – it’s just got it all.  Day 2 was a flight back north up the lake, some fun flying over the Ohio River between Evansville & Owensboro and a stop at French Lick, Indiana.  Now this is an beautiful destination for anyone loving amazing architecture, history, historic hotels and shiny new casinos.  The resorts picks you up a the airport (free) delivers you to where ever you want to go.   They also run shuttles between the West Baden Inn, the Casino and the French Lick Resort but if its a nice day and you have time there’s a 1.25 mile paved trail that connects everything.  It’s a must see stop if you’re ever in southern Indiana.  I lost track of the time but roundtrip I’m thinking 6.5 hours logable time!

Deb McFarland flies a 1948 Luscombe 8E named “Lester” and is based at Pickens County Airport, JZP, in Jasper, Georgia.

I started flying in 1997 as an empty nester because I was tired of being an airport widow. My husband, Henry, has been a pilot for 35 years and has owned his Luscombe 8A, Lucy, for nearly that long. I have about 1600 hours flight time now with most of them in Lester, my 1948 Luscombe 8E. We have a great airport gang (The Front Porch Gang) at our base airport, Pickens County Airport, JZP, in Jasper, Georgia. For years, Henry and I flew to fly-ins and events together, but that has changed somewhat since we inherited our niece, Keely. Flying is second nature to her since she has never known anything else, but we have to adjust our travels around school now.

"Lester" is a 1948 Luscombe 8E

Henry is a P.E. with the USDA and will retire at the end of the year. He is also an A&P, IA. In one way it’s nice to have my own personal IA. On the other, he uses his position to get lots of home-cooked meals and foot rubs. I guess it’s a fair trade. I have been an aviation columnist since 1995, first for The Southern Aviator and now for the General Aviation News.

That’s the McFarland clan in a nut shell!

N45863 1946 Luscombe 8A, his
N1347B 1948 Luscombe 8E, hers
N71532 1946 Luscombe 8A, Keely’s
N2137C 1954 Cessna 195B, Restoring

From Travis Gregory on the Fearless Aeronca Aviators list, “This is quite artistic and turn up your sound for a Great Moody Blues classic. You”ll like this, trust me.”

Tina operates Poplar Grove Airmotive with her husband, Steve, at Poplar Grove Airport (C77) in northern Illinois and she can be reached at Tina@poplargroveairmotive.com.

Tina says “Love to fly taildraggers that we’ve worked on as projects! Currently flying a 1930 Brunner Winkle Bird, a 1931 SRE Waco and a Twin Beech.  Here’s a picture of Andrew King and I at Brodhead,WI “Grassroots “ Fly-In in September. His Pitcarin and my 1930 Bird. Both have a Kinner on the front and apparently there is some old advertising with the two competing for short takeoff and landing capabilities. I got the shortest take-off  so I’m told and he got the shortest landing in.”

One of my youngest passengers this summer, Makayla, my son’s girlfriend’s daughter. She thought she’d be scared in the open cockpit biplane but ended up loving it with her arms out in the slipstream the whole time. Her mom had to hold her down – I thought she was going to try wingwalking. Now the ”Bird” is her favorite ride.