Twice the Luscombe Fun!

FAA Designated Pilot Examiner.  Assistant Editor Warbird Digest magazine.  Former Trans World Airline pilot.

From Planes of Fame Air Museum. Andrea getting ready to take off in her beautifully restored 1947 Luscombe.

My husband built this 1947 Luscombe for me and now we are restoring a Luscombe Phantom from the Golden Age of Aviation!

-

Andrea Eldridge

FAA Designated Pilot Examiner

I’ve been a pilot since 1987. Got hooked on aviation by my husband. He and his brother started flying ultralights in 1984. Then moved on to real airplanes. Our first plane was a Cessna Skyhawk that we shared with my father in law and brother in law. We did a few family vacations in that bird, when our kids were in middle school – Montana and Vermont. Moved on to a Kitfox in the early nineties. In 1996, we bought our current tail dragger, a 1947 Bellanca Cruisair (nick named the “Cardboard Connie” due to triple tail and wood & fabric construction).

I “flew” right seat only for the first year. Then when I got comfortable, I flew several hours with a tailtragger instructor. After that, I was on my own! I’ll never forget the first flight, flying solo at last. It was a gorgeous, sunny December day. I flew my favorite local route – followed the Wisconsin River. Felt like I was dancing in the sky as I did some shallow “S” turns along the twists and turns of the river. I’ve been in love with that airplane ever since.

Our Bellanca has the original panel, haven’t upgraded to any high tech stuff. Feels like stepping back in time half a century when we climb aboard for a flight. I love the way it flies and I love landing on grass. Feels great to touch down nice and soft on the green green grass -just like the good old days of early aviation!

We’ll soon be transitioning to sea plane pilots. I got my rating last Sept. in Michigan. The folks at Northwoods Aviation in Cadillac, MI offer a great program. My husband and I have been building a sea plane since 2003. We hope to have it flying by late summer (although that might be a bit optimistic!) I’ll miss the Bellanca. Its extra fun to be a female taildragger pilot because it usually turns some heads everywhere we go. I’m sure all you ladies can relate to that.

Looking forward to meeting fellow female taildragger pilots (and airplanes) at the Fly In this summer in Savannah.

Patty Plantz

Flying the Moth, Centennial Park

Pictures included are the C185 and the Tiger, as that’s what I’ve done the bulk of my flying in over the years. We have a lot of female pilots here in NZ, but unfortunately taildragger pilots in general (male or female) are becoming exceedingly difficult to find.

If you want to get a rating on a new type it’s very difficult to find an instructor capable of training you. Women do seem to be more determined to give it a go here; it’s in the’ too hard’ basket for a lot of men who have their minds set on becoming airline pilots.

Haven’t flown much in the last few years, had a change of career so have been doing a lot of study. (:

Amanda & Bill & Moth

Got my private licence at 17, commercial at 19. Learned to fly a Piper Cub first, then worked in Wanaka flying a Tiger Moth and a Pitts Special, then flying a Cessna 185 dropping skydivers.

Have also flown an Auster and a Harvard, albeit briefly. Have around 1400 hours, 800 taildragger.

Take care.

Amanda Rutland

New Zealand

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.

I’ve been flying since 1992. Started out in gliders and got licensed in 1995 after a slight delay due to giving birth to my beautiful daughter. Started flying in airplanes around that same time after my husband bought a Cessna 140. That plane taught me a lot but we sold it before I could get licensed in it. We purchased a partnership in a Maule Mx-7 (180hp) Taildragger of course. I got my license in that bird. I have around 200 hours combined glider and SEL and to this day only have 1 hour of tri gear in my logbook!

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.

-

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!

With HY at Headcorn for a 'bent-wing' fly-in, there weren't many other taildraggers!

I have done most of my flying from Goodwood, a beautiful airfield on the south coast of England, and am now based there as an instructor.

Aeronca Chief G-IVOR, the first Chief in the UK, imported by my Dad, Ivor

My Dad owned a 1946 Aeronca Chief when I was a child, so I have wanted to fly taildraggers for as long as I can remember! I learned to fly in a PA38 in 2005, and my first experience of tailwheel flying was in a Super Decathlon, shortly after obtaining my PPL.

Me with Falconar F11-3 G-AWHY

I later purchased a share in a Falconar F11-3, and completed my tailwheel conversion in this aircraft. I had great fun flying this for several years, and did all my CPL hour-building in it, but sold the share in 2011 after qualifying as an instructor.

In HY at White Waltham. I once flew here for an interview, and got a few surprised looks when I climbed out in a skirt and heels!

Flying tailwheel aircraft is what I enjoy most, and I would like to do more tailwheel teaching in the future. We see a lot of tailwheel aircraft at Goodwood, and I always point out the ‘proper’ aeroplanes to my students!

Sitting in the Old Flying Machine Company's Spitfire IX MH434, maybe one day...

It’s great to be part of this group and see the beautiful taildraggers everyone is flying all over the world.

Jodel G-OABB

I fly as often as the weather is kind in a 2 seater Jodel, G-OABB Mascaret D150. I have held my PPL for 20 years, my first taildragger was a Jodel D112 , which we owned for 16 years, G-BPFD.

Tiger Moth G-BFHH

Most of my flying has taken place in these two aircraft, although I have had some lucky rides around Sussex and over to France as P1 in a Tiger Moth.

De Havilland DH-82A Tiger Moth II

I have done a little gliding too, but this was many years ago. I share the flying with my husband Ken. We tend to take turns flying to and from airfields and strips mostly in the south of the UK, changing seats so we both get to be P1.

Jodel D.150 Mascaret

We enjoy holidays in our Jodel, mostly to France as it is so close, just a 20 min hop across the channel.

Many thanks,

Jacqui

Pamela Flesher

I solo’d in an Aeronca Champion the early 80′s but didn’t finish my license until many years later. I currently fly a Grumman Traveler out of TX36, a private fly-in community in central TX. Once a summer my husband gives me a treat, some time in a T6 in Florida. I doubt they will let me solo but at least I get to fly “big iron”.

Me and Lil Red at the Women's Air Race Classic start in Ft. Myers, FL.

*

Another pilot on our strip just completed building an RV8, and said I could fly with him, while my husband insists we need a Cessna 195. So, more taildraggers are in my future.

I love taildraggers (and am still in the group who hasn’t yet) because I feel they have made me a better pilot. The check pilot said he could tell I had flown taildraggers when he flew with me for my PPL.

Pamela

N5893L/Lil Red

KORS, Orcas Island Airport, Eastsound, Washington

Here’s your chance to meet other lady taildragger pilots for a fun 3 day weekend to the beautiful San Juan Islands. The fly-out group is in the process of planning the adventure and are looking for other ladies to join them.

Please check out the link at http://www.ladieslovetaildraggers.com/an-invitation-to-orcas-island-washington/ for details.

Also visit the FORUM for flyout discussions.

This is a perfect time of year to fly the San Juan Islands so let’s hear from you if you want to join the gaggle! 

“

A personal invitation from airport manager, Bea vonTobel, to the lady taildraggers. Come and visit!

Meet Victoria Bond who's plans on making the Orcas Island trip in her beautiful Super Cub.

Previous Dec, 29, 2011 info. posted about Orcas Island….

“Judy—

I think I should perhaps hire you to do some additional publicity for our airport; your gathering of photos and other items was quite well done.  And I hope it will bring us some of your taildraggers up this way later in the spring or summer—or fall, after most of the tourists have returned to their homes and the island still basks in Indian Summer—September is generally a wonderful month to visit here.

We’d love to have you come and visit—and perhaps stay!  That’s how a lot of current residents came to live here: they got off the ferry and suddenly decided they just had to live here . . .

I should mention that during our annual fly-in, which is the first full weekend of August every year, the pilots of the Blackjack Squadron from neighboring Island/Whatcom counties do some formation flying in their Vans RVs—usually 9-12 of they, and we all have stiff necks the next day.  Great group!

Anyhow, keep us posted.  Our only two major scheduled events are the Cascade Flyers on the last weekend of July and the OAA/EAA/PoO fly-in the first weekend of August.  If you’re really interested in books, the library fair is the following weekend, and you’d have to refigure weight and balance if you went home with a bunch of ‘lightly-used books’.  And, one of the resident orcas just had another calf, so we’re all out showing baby whale pictures . . .

Take care, and have a great new year!”

Bea vonTobel

——————–

Posted 12/28/11

Here’s a special invitation to all our lady taildragger pilots from Bea vonTobel, Airport Manager at Orcas Island Airport. I pulled a few pictures together to include with Bea’s note and by the time I finished, I was so excited about Orcas Island I wanted to load up my Rans S7 and head northwest. It looks like a beautiful destination and Bea would be just as excited to see us as we would be to get there! It’s 1,910 statute miles for me so I’m not sure it’s going to fit on my dance card this year. But if any of you would like to do a trip together to Orcas Island, leave your comments.

"Goodbye" photo from the Orcas Island Airport Fly-in

From Bea: One of our 99s chapter members sent me a couple of your videos, and it was wonderful to see all those draggers piloted by women.  I’m afraid the only draggers I’ve flown have been sailplanes—but they were towed aloft by taildraggers, albeit with male pilots at the stick.  But, once in the air, it makes no difference!

Orcas Island, Washington, part of the San Juan Islands chain

At any rate, now that I’m where I am and doing what I’m doing, I feel a great urge to invite you all to come to the Orcas Island Airport off the northwest coast of Washington state, hard by Canada (I see it from my office window, which makes getting indoor work hard to get done).

Orcas Island Airport

We’ve got a great smaller airport here, paved with 2900’ of macadam, commercial service; if you see our upcoming ads in the GANews starting in January, you’ll see that both approaches to our runway put you over water on the narrowest part of the island.

We’d love to have a bunch of ladies in taildraggers come and camp out under their wings (we have a hot shower), with an ocean view guaranteed from your tent.  For $6.00/night, it’s a great place to stay, and there are lots of nearby things to do.

Check out our website,www.portoforcas.com and you’ll see what we can offer—aside from great weather most of summer through October, our dry season.

If we can help you plan an event around some of the island happenings, we’d love to do that.  Let us know how we can be your hosts on a very friendly island!

Bea vonTobel

Airport Manager

360.376.5285

Nancy Warren, DC-3

Many years ago I was checked out in a Citabria, 7-ECA (part-owner), also flew right seat in DC-3s and Beech 18s, currently fly a Cessna Cardinal 177.

-

Nancy Warren & friend, Rusty Richards with Rusty's Cessna 195

I was a member of the 99s for 25 years, currently member of the United Flying Octogenarians (UFO), serve on its Board of Directors and as Area Director for the State of Indiana. I also write a monthly column (WOMEN IN THE SKIES) for www.aircraftowneronline.com.

Nancy Warren

Good news! This beautiful C195 will be at our Lady Taildraggers flyin and Nancy & Rusty will be in it!  Be sure and check out the upcoming February issue of www.aircraftowneronline.com. Nancy was so excited about our organization she suggested writing an article about LLT to her editor. It’ll be on-line soon!  Judy

Commuting to work in the Puget Sound in my “modern” airplane. A 1946 Cessna 120. All the amenities, an electric starter, lights, radios, a heater and a roof!

Summer Martell

-

Summer's '46 C120 .... and take a look at the backdrop(s). Mt Rainier and DC 3!

Here’s Summer’s other love, her 1931 Student Prince.

And the "not so modern" airplane, the Student Prince.

-

Over the Cascades with blue skies and a tailwind!

-

The Mighty Rockies. Rocky Mountain High...in Montana!

Happy New Year my dear sky sisters and blue skies to you and yours in 2012. Summer Martell

Headed to the runway for first solo

Steve (my husband) and I bought our Piper Clipper 2 years ago and I started to learn to fly in it.

Taken from a friends J3 during some games in the valley

This raised more than a few eyebrows as it apparently was not the simplest route to my license. Thankfully Len von Clemm,  Dave Gray, and Jim Grant, all of Aerodynamic Aviation, took the challenge and the rest is history. Before this I had never been in an aircraft that didn’t have at least one flight attendant.

Minutes after passing checkride!

It has been an uphill climb but last week I passed my checkride with every logged minute in our Clipper apart from 3 hours night flying in a Citabria.

Trophies in hand at a Sierra Skypark flyin

We keep N6913 at San Carlos KSQL but live half of the time in NYC so we are now working towards our next adventure which is to hop, low and slow, across the country taking photographs and meeting people along the way.

Ping, under the watchful eye of Sarah Wilson playing with a Stearman at the Fantasy of Flight

-

Here is a view into our world http://www.littleboss.net/

Still waiting for enough snow for skis in the Big Horn Basin (Wyoming), but I might actually have John talked into just hauling them up to a friend’s ranch strip so we can put them on there and try them out. He’s about got me convinced that we need a set with retractable wheels. Know any for sale?

Lisa & Bailey

And would you look? I found (well with the help of Judy and LLT) some ladies here who like to fly enough to be pilots themselves. I’m so enjoying the companionship of women pilots right in my home town, Worland, WY. This picture is me and Bailey. She has some great scholarships for flight training in college and dreams of being an aerial applicator. There’s some gumption for us!

I threw in one scenery picture. Sunrise in the Wind River Basin on my way home from dropping John off in Lander, WY to get his helicopter home before a winter storm settled in.

Finally, me and Mary Ann who I met through Judy and the LLT site. She just moved to town and was looking to connect with other, the other, woman pilot in town. She’s a very experienced and accomplished pilot and we are having so much fun together.

Me and Mary Ann - lunch in Thermopolis

She talked me into joining the 99s, which she has been a part of for a long time and so now there are, I think, 9 of us in Wyoming. First time we went up and looked at the elk, a herd of about 1500 in the Big Horn Mtns. Today we flew west to the main Rocky chain, over the 15 mile herd of wild horses and elk, by Amelia Earhart’s old stomping grounds (Kirwin, an abandoned mining ghosttown) and then on to Thermopolis (the world’s largest mineral hot springs) for lunch at Las Fuentes. Dog-gone-it, we didn’t take a picture of the courtesy van that got us to town. We could have hauled a baseball team!

Lisa

Heather Gamble & Citabria 41800 in Flight

-

-

-

-

Video #1

Video #2

————–Following posted March 1, 2011—————-

Heather Gamble sent in a few pictures and the big news – she now has her Seaplane Rating and get this, in a Stinson 108… on floats!!!! Very cool! Heather is based at Ramona Airport (KRNM), Ramona, California.

Stinson 108; I got my seaplane rating in Northern California in the Sierra Foothills...Norcal Aviation in Angel's Camp

Heather also is a long time lover of Citabrias and updated us with a couple of her Citabria pictures.

-

*

From Heather “Will there be another LLTD get together at Oshkosh this year?  It was so fun meeting you gals there last year!”

****

Heather, congratulations on your new rating and thank you for sending in the pictures so we can all share in your fun! I wanted to let everyone know there’s a new thread in the FORUM that Susan T started already talking about getting together at Oshkosh. Take a look and leave a comment about where and when you’d like to meet. We’ll definitely meet while we’re all up there, just need to work out the details between now and then.  Judy

Nothing like being in a Funk!

Debra Plymate & Funk

You wouldn’t know by its looks, but the Funk is a very aerodynamic ship. Twin brothers Joe and Howard Funk designed it in the 1930s. They designed the fuselage along the lines of the Fairchild, used a NACA 4412 airfoil, and the same type of oleo strut landing gear as the Waco. What they came up with was a very stable, highly efficient, stall and spin resistant airplane that has been described as the safest and easiest to fly of any light aircraft ever built.

The only disappointment was the unreliability of engines available in 1934. They ended up designing a tunneled aircraft cooling system for a liquid cooled engine. Shortly after a highly modified Model B Ford engine was installed in 1936, Amelia Earhart visited the Akron Aircraft Company and requested a demonstration flight. After the flight, Amelia asked if she could fly the Funk from the left seat. Before test pilot Ralph Goodman had a chance to brief her on how to enter the aircraft, Joe Funk himself stepped up and offered to check her out. Amelia surprised them by gracefully slipping between the wing struts and into the one door on the right side without a word from the instructor.

The Funk’s manufactured 365 aircraft between 1934 and 1948, and Independence Airport has become the home of Oregon’s largest collection of Funks.

Looking down on the ferry crossing the Willamette River

The first one arrived in 2005. It was serial number 206, actually number 106 in production. (The plant skipped 100 serial numbers to appear more prosperous.) Come to find out, N24180’s first home was Portland’s Swan Island Airport in 1940, and it was in the hangar at Hillsboro in 1962 when my future husband Wayne Nutsch worked at Wicks Air Service. It later went to Wasilla, AK, and was at Reno Stead when we found it.

A nursery in the Willamette Valley

Our next Funk was s/n 350, built in 1946. The restoration of N77720 won trophies at the Funk Fly-In, Oshkosh, Watsonville, and Merced in 1982-83, but it was languishing in an open shed in the Sacramento Valley since its owner passed away in 2006. We brushed off the spider webs and flew it home.

Funk Trip!

His and hers Funks . . . what more could we want? But along came another orphan. Poor little s/n 29 hadn’t flown in years. It was sitting outside near the shore of Lake Michigan. We had to get it inside. Wayne towed his trailer all the way across the country, so here it is.

The name “Ladies Love Taildraggers” touches a special place in my heart.

Debra Plymate

The first is a shot my husband took of me in front of the Maule. Note the bristling antennas we use to locate radio collared animals.

Grand Teton

——————————–

Previous post of 2/12/11

Janna Greenhalgh

I feel very fortunate to be able to fly every time I climb into a plane.  Of the variety I have been given to regularly fly for fun or work, it is my lemon yellow PA-12 that I am most fond of.

My plane in the shop with Tiger.  The hanger cats do a good job keeping the mice out of the hanger, but don’t forget to preflight for sleeping cats before leaving.

I was given the chance to try out a Pawnee.  Murray generously offered to let me take the overpowered work plane up.  Arlene smiled and reminded me that she needed it the next day for banner towing so I “better not break it.”  The photo was taken as I did a pass over the runway getting a feel for its characteristics prior to landing. Wonderful people on a fine day!