LadiesLoveTaildraggers

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!

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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.”

“Jobs here are scarce and I’m hoping for work!”

“Enclosed are examples of each idea  and one of a logo style for shirts.”

“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.”

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.”

Link to their website, Antique Airfield

Vanessa Jump Nelson flies a J-3 Cub and is based at Stark’s Twin Oaks (7S3) in Hillsboro, Oregon.

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.

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.

“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 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.

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!

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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.

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.

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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 luck and 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…..

Thanks to Gail Schipper of Longmont, Colorado (KLMO) for sending this in …

This is always a great thing for BFRs or just a fun vacation. I did a week at the Women Soaring Pilot Association’s Soaring Seminar, which they do every year. It was a BLAST! Such fun people, lots of flying, it was great. I can’t think of a better way to spend a week off than hanging out with 50 women who all want to talk about flying.

WSPA is a good group and the soaring seminar is an amazing deal. Don’t know if they get grants every year but this year they had grants to cover instructors and planes. I flew there for a week on less than $400. A long afternoon at my local commercial glider operation is an easy $300. I’m recommending it to everyone as a great BFR route. Fly a little in gliders before the seminar, just enough to be able to fly on tow, then take a vacation at the seminar and you’ll be ready to do your check ride. And have a ton of fun doing it!

The group that put on the soaring seminar is the Women Soaring Pilots Association (WSPA). Their web site is http://www.womensoaring.org.

It sounds like the flyin went well. Would have liked one of those Waco rides myself and could have done a few in the Bücker. Dayton is just a little too far.

Hope you like the video!

Gail Schipper

Sharon Tinkler is based at Tullahoma Regional Airport (KTHA), Tullahoma, Tennessee.

Sharon with her former Luscombe “Gracie”, N1955K

I am just a private pilot who loves Luscombes. I currently own and fly a Luscombe 8F and a Luscombe 11A Sedan.

Flying the Mississippi with husband Bill Tinkler, also a pilot.

I will shamelessly kidnap and feed any lady tailwheel pilot that I hear in the pattern at Tullahoma, and return her to her plane unharmed but nourished.  My favorite flying is really long X-C’s, but now that my husband requires care for his advancing MS, I don’t get to do that much.

Got the IFR rating when I lived in Annapolis because you have to have it there. Got the ticket wet a few times flying for Angel Flight in my Cherokee then – that was 700 hours ago, though.

I keep the rating “legally current” which is a far cry from actually going into IMC. The Luscombe is tricked out for it though in case.  My ticket, rating, and airplane ownership predated my husband. He got all of his own, too.

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