LadiesLoveTaildraggers

Volunteer opportunity available on LadiesLoveTaildraggers

Have I got the perfect little project for someone who would like to volunteer 1 hour a week to help keep our favorite taildraggin’ site up-to-date. Just one hour a week!

Under our “Pilot Maps” tab, I’d love to find someone to do a weekly update of our Lady Taildraggers Google Maps. That means adding a little pink marker for each of our new lady taildragger pilots along with their name, airport identifier, airport name, city and state. We can even talk about expanding the info ever so slightly to include aircraft type(s) flown. Rest assured, no phone numbers or emails are ever published on Google Maps or this website. Anyone wanting to contact one of our pilots should send me an email and I’ll be happy to make the connection.

Just send me a note if you’re interested. Finally, a job you can do in your pj’s with a cup of hot coffee in-hand! Thanks everybody.

Judy

Judy.Birchler@gmail.com

A big “thank you” to Marie Beaver of Houston, Texas for sharing her latest flying adventure. Another destination to add to the growing “bucket list”!

Big Bend Ranch State Park

Friday, February 10- Sunday, February 12,

extended to Monday, February 13, 2012

Rain and low ceilings delayed our departure from Hooks Airport (KDWH), Houston, Texas until 10:00 a.m. We departed in our Maule, with friends along side in their Cessna 172 and flew to Fredericksburg, Texas (T82). We met friends that would be flying their C180 Skywagon with us. We all had lunch at the Airport Diner on the field before departing on the next leg.

C172, Maule and C180 Skywagon

We left T82 as a flight of 3 and flew to Big Bend Ranch State Park via a fuel stop at Terrell County Airport (6R6). After fueling, we flew along the perimeter of Big Bend National Park, en-route to Big Bend Ranch State Park. We had a fabulous flight up Fresno Canyon arriving at Big Bend Ranch State Park Airstrip (3TE3). The air was calm, the canyon beautiful and the sky was crystal clear blue.

(3TE3) Elevation 4250 Length 5500 Runway 8-26 Friday, February 10, 2012

We stayed at the Sauceda Big House with 3 bedrooms. Link, Big Bend Ranch

We paid for breakfast, lunch and dinner to be provided by the park. We were impressed with the amount received and the quality (dinner-cheese enchiladas, brisket, sandwich (lunch sack), eggs. Mind you, no 5 star dining, but very filling. The house was nice, but could use some tlc.

Saturday, February 11

The next day was the highlight of the trip. We toured a small section of the park with Blaine Hall, Ranger in the parks new suburban. When I say small section, Big Bend Ranch State park is the largest state park in Texas at 300,000 acres in the Chihuahuan Desert. Mr. Hall is not your average park ranger, he has been a geologist and professor most of his life and is well qualified, dare I say, overqualified to conduct this tour. His passion and love for geology shines as he explains about how the Solitario was formed and about all the formations in the park, and how it is such a special geological place.

Marie & Karen

(I’m attaching the link for his article-Page 10) Geology at the Crossroads  We spent the day with Blaine and had a picnic lunch in Fresno Canyon. The most pleasant surprise of the day was fabulous blooming bluebonnets along the creek beds, especially near the Crawford Ranch Ruins. I had no idea this part of Texas had bluebonnets.

Solitario in the background with the flat iron portions seen behind us (Bob, David, Danny, Karen and Marie)

Sunday, February 12

Departure day was met with a massive cold front that had freezing temperatures to the ground and low ceilings across a huge portion of Texas. We tried to depart (the Beaver’s and Snowden’s), however after 5 miles had to turn back due to the ceilings pretty much going to the ground and the plane building ice. The ceilings and temperature never rose for us to get out that day.

Since our reservation had only been through Sunday morning, we relocated to the bunkhouse as they had guests for the Big House. Since they had no other guests, they put us all together in the men’s side of the dorm.

Normally, the bunkhouse is divided with sleeping quarters for women on one side, and men on the other. We were the only ones in the bunkhouse so it was nice and cozy with the main living room, dining area, fireplace and TV (only VCR tapes).

 Things only got more interesting as the night progressed. By 10 p.m. we had an incredible thunderstorm pouring overhead, with lightening, thunder rattling the windows, and then pea size HAIL! Luckily, the hail was momentary and no damage was done to the 3 planes. For a place that rarely receives any rainfall, this trip saw all extremes in the weather.

 We awoke Monday morning to fog so thick you could not see the ranch houses very nearby. It finally lifted around 10 a.m. there and we departed together. The Nicholson’s and we headed back to Terrell (6R6) for a fill-up! The Snowden’s had enough gas so they flew direct to Mason, Texas so we split up. A good portion of Texas had low IFR that day that was lingering so I filed. We made it to Houston with great tail winds at 7000 feet to fly the RNAV (GPS) 35L approach at Hooks (KDWH) to minimums!

LIFR

We had to leave the Nicholson’s behind for them to pick their way here slowly with the low ceilings. He and the plane are VFR only. They finally got to hooks at about 6pm. It was a very long, stressful day for them.

I cannot wait to return for part two of Mr. Hall’s tour of the inside of the Solitario.

Marie Beaver

Sandy Newfang, formerly our very own Sandy Krier, nonchalantly sent me a link to an article today about her recent wedding in Florida. (Did I mention I love weddings?!!) Especially when its a pilot’s wedding. Really especially when it’s a TWO pilot wedding. I love-love-loved this story, not only because the beaming bride is one of our passionate lady taildraggers but  because the groom seems to be just as obsessed with flying! Check out the story by Tampa, Florida based “Neighborhood News” and read about “Wedding Flight” 1, 2 and 3. Congratulations Daniel & Sandy!!

‘LOVE IS IN THE AIR’ AS COUPLE WEDS A MILE OVER WESLEY CHAPEL

Newlyweds Daniel and Sandy Newfang have a smooch after getting married one mile over Pasco County.

A voice crackled across an air-to-air radio frequency, one mile high in Pasco County, “And do you, Daniel Newfang, take Sandy to be your wife? To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish ‘til death do you part?”

“That’s an ‘affirmative.’ I do,” said Newfang.

And with that, pilot Daniel Newfang pulled his Cessna 150 into a barrel roll, spinning the single prop airplane into a celebratory corkscrew because he and his new wife Sandy had just tied the knot, while doing the very thing that brought them together.

“It is just amazing to be able to share your passion with your partner,” says Sandy. “Flying is something that we both love.”

Daniel and Sandy met about four years ago at the annual Cessna 150/152 Foundation’s “Fly In,” a four-day event at the airport (KCWI) in Clinton, Iowa, where pilots from all over the world come together for the largest concentration of Cessna 150s and 152s you’ll find anywhere. Daniel had traveled from his home in New York and Sandy from Tampa. They met and became friends who shared their love for all things aviation. For the next three years, they would catch up at the Fly In, until Daniel was offered a job at the University of South Florida and they started dating.

The newlyweds both come from a background of pilots and are self-confessed plane junkies. Daniel is a thirdgeneration flyer who also has a son who is a pilot. Sandy’s father flew, as well. She says that once they decided to get married, they knew that they wanted a wedding with an aeronautical theme.

“We thought about having the wedding inside one of the (airplane) hangars,” says Sandy. “But then, the idea of getting married while flying came up and we just decided to do it. We still wanted to keep it short and sweet, though.”

‘Wedding Flight 1’ touches down at the Tampa North Aero Park after a memorable flight on New Year’s Eve - Photo courtesy of OurTownFLA.com

Happy Valentine’s Day everybody. There’s one lucky girl out there that’s got a lot to smile about today; heck she’ll be smiling for years to come. Check it out – it’s even Valentine’s red. I am sooooo jealous! But the truth is, she really is a sweetheart herself and deserves to get what any good taildraggin’ girl would want – a Super Cub! From all the ladies of LadiesLoveTaildraggers, congratulations Donna!

“My sweet husband of 26years finally figured out what it takes to make a girl happy. Check out my valentines day gift, a 150hp Supercub. This may even have to count towards my birthday in July. No wait, I need some new bush wheels so now he can buy me goodies for the Cub on every special occasion.”

“I am one blessed girl. See y’all at the flyins.”

Donna

WOW …. I received the following email from our very own lady taildragger pilot, Sneha Harish, formerly based in South Africa.  If you’ve frequented LadiesLoveTaildraggers for a while, you’ll surely remember Sneha because she LOVES to fly, loves to instruct in Bushbabys, bubbles over with excitement in her flying adventure updates, and happens to be one beautiful little lady.

Sneha

Here’s Sneha’s email – along with some great pictures – and it’s one AMAZING story. Keep reading, but I should tell you that I only know “Howard” through this blog and haven’t had the pleasure of meeting him or Sneha – yet! Judy

Me in the Great Lakes!

“I am writing to tell you once more what an absolutely wonderful job you have done with the website! I have my own little selfish reason in saying so this time around though! I am now a charter pilot and CFI in Uganda, East Africa. And you will never guess how I found this job! Or how the job found me! One of your acquaintances/friends, Howard Davenport (and his girlfriend and now my colleague, Sanae Ishitani) found me through Ladies Love Taildraggers!

Bulago Island, Lake Victoria. Also our training area.

This is a job I hadn’t applied for even! He just found me on the site, wrote to me saying he’d like me to fly for them, I packed my bags, left South Africa and here I am!

A highway running bang through the middle of a runway we fly often to. This is Africa!

How amazing is that?! It’s been 2 months now and I am thoroughly enjoying it! We fly out of Kajjansi Airfield which is on the shores of gorgeous Lake Victoria. LOTS of flying and it’s a beautiful country!

I was flying clients here for an aerial photoshoot over the River Nile.

Howard flies a Great Lakes and a Bucker (upside down mostly!) and those are the only taildraggers here. We are looking forward to the arrival of a Chipmunk in the near future.

Refueling in the middle of a tea estate! Life's tough in the bush!

Howard has a little message for you. He said he wants me to quote him in this exact fashion. ‘Judy, thanks to your website I found a darn good pilot to fly for us here!’

Howard and I flying the Caravan on the first day of the year!

A BIG thank you from me too, Judy! I got to make it to the USA soon to fly with you and the rest of the fabulous women out there!

All set to fly the Caravan!

Until then,

Here’s to lots of time in the big blue yonder!”

Active Volcanic Mountains, Kisoro, Uganda. As seen on the first day of 2012.

Cheers!

Sneha

Remind me girls, please, what century is this?! It’s not 1912 but sure could be, at least in Dallas, TX, by the likes of this newspaper revelation. Of course, this really is 2012 and as an adult, in this blog, I have the freedom to pick my topics, write what I please, forward to whomever I like and feel content that I live in a society full of choices for women.  The same choices available to men. Turns out that’s not entirely the case, at least for 5th grade girls that live in Dallas.

When a friend forwarded this to me I thought it surely couldn’t be real. (Ya know you can’t trust as fact what you read in the paper.) It had to be a hoax because no school district in this day and age would hold gender-specific events and exclude 50% of the student population based solely on gender. Wow, was I ever wrong.

I’m angry and have no doubt I’m not alone in my reaction. I am particularly offended because the offense involves young girls and the stereotypical assumption that girls wouldn’t be interested in aviation. WHAT?! You send 5,700 5th grade boys to see the new movie “Red Tails” and you leave the same number of girls back at school to watch a “more appropriate” gender-specific movie? What is particularly amazing is that it happened with the movie “Red Tails”, a movie about equality! Ladies, I hope the Dallas Independent School District hears a very loud roar from around the country and evaluates this practice from the Dark Ages.

Associated Press Article

FYI: Dallas Independent School District, board of director’s email  webservices@dallasisd.org.  Phone # 972-925-3700. Address 3700 Ross Ave., Dallas, TX 75204

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Note: I posted the above story on Facebook this morning and there are many heated comments coming in.  I’d like to suggest you send a personal email to the Dallas School Board as a show of support for their young female students. I’d also like to thank Susan Theodorelos for her passionate letter to the Board.  See the following. Judy B

Susan Theodorelos

From Lisa Martin, “Found this while searching for more info on another WASP, Bee Haydu, who was featured in Dec’s AOPA Flight Training Magazine. Thank God for these courageously oppositional defiant women who led the way in our freedom to fly!”

Wow, ramp full at MQJ Indy Regional for Super Bowl and parking ‘em on runway 16/34. NO piston aircraft anywhere. 14 still inbound at 2:25, Gulfstreams, Citations, Challenger, Lears….! The high rollers coming in fast. I shot this pic from BAK Columbus, Indiana, 50 miles south, at noon. Stacking up there fast.

MQJ on 16/34

Have I got an interesting story for you! Actually, it’s Ken & Lorraine Morris’ story but I’m passing it along with pleasure!  This is one they’re going to be telling for years to come and I’d like to be there for the telling! So Ken… Lorraine…. the lady taildraggers fly-in’s coming up?!

At the end of February we purchased a Cessna 140A in California, sight unseen, with the intent to restore it. Ken bought it, took off, and within 15 minutes the engine quit. He had a choice of landing in the San Francisco Bay (cold, wet water) or landing in the Dumbarton Mud Flats (cold, wet tidal mud). He chose the flats and made a great landing. The ground was soft and as soon as the main wheels hit the mud they stopped. Unfortunately the rest of the plane kept moving and it went over and ended up on its back.

He jammed his finger and thankfully that was the extent of personal injuries but the poor little 140 got a bit of gear damage. We found out that the mud flats were in a protected area for some endangered stupid mud mouse, and the California Fish and Wildlife department head had a major fit when he found out Ken had the audacity to lose his engine power and do an emergency landing in HIS mud!

The insurance company hired a helicopter to remove the plane because God Forbid any other vehicles dared transgress through the Protected Mud Mouse’s territory (Ken never saw ONE)! The helicopter picked the plane up by its gear, upside down, and brought it back to an airport where is was dismantled and loaded on a trailer to be trucked to Illinois.

Here’s a forward that’s pretty incredible — The demise of an FA18 and the ejection seat that saved a life ….

Interesting photos of the of the ejection from the F18 that crashed last year in Alberta, Canada .  You may have seen the full sequence as the aircraft hits the ground several seconds later.  This is the first time that I’ve seen the canopy being blasted off the aircraft by the twin rockets.  In the second photo, note that the pilot is ejecting horizontal to the ground while the wings of the aircraft are perpendicular to the ground, which is about one tenth of a second below.

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Then comes the amazing change in direction for the ejection seat and pilot!  Note how the directional control on the ejection seat rockets has automatically changed the pilot’s trajectory and attitude so that he is climbing away from the fireball that is about to happen.  His drogue chute is also visibly deployed

Close! I bet he swung once and then landed!