Another volunteer at this year's fly-in will be my daughter, Jessica, who'll be spending 3 days as the "go to" gal. She'll be at Savannah ready to answer questions and help solve any problems that pop up during the fly-in.

David Clark

We’ve got lots of great stuff to give away. All attendees will receive a single raffle ticket when registering at the flyin. All items to be given away at Saturday night’s hangar party.

Dianna Stanger from Olivia, Texas plans on arriving Friday in her Waco UPF-7  …… or was it her helicopter?!

Dianna Stanger Waco flying

Sheila Mabbitt’s from Nashville, Tennessee and says she hopes to be off work so she can fly in Friday. Sheila flew DC3′s in the Gulf oil spill clean up efforts. She’s not sure what wings she’ll be flying to Savannah. Sheila and her group will be camping on the field.

Sheila Mabbitt

Sarah Kelly Arnold, who owns & operates Chilhowee Gliderport in Tennessee, will be arriving Thursday for just one night.  Sarah will be flying a PA-17 Vagabond. She writes, “I’d love to come the whole time but I’ll have to get back to the Gliderport for the weekend. I’m so excited the Fly-in will be close enough for me to come part of the time. ”

Sarah Kelly Arnold

Phil & Tess Jones are flying in Saturday from Markleville, Indiana in their RV7.

Phil & Tess Jones

Patty Plantz  will be flying their Bellanca Crusair from Madison, Wisconsin Thursday and camping for 3 nights. They hope to round a few more up from their neck of the woods for the adventure.

Patty Plantz (right)

This is pretty cool. Deborah McFarland from Jasper, Georgia will be flying “Lester”, N1347B, her Luscombe 8E to the fly-in on Friday.  Husband Henry is planning on flying his own Luscombe 8A ,”Lucy”, in too!

Deb McFarland & Lester

Patsy Meridith from Elizabethton, TN will be arriving Friday flying her Highlander. Patsy says “We’re first-timers to this fly-in. Really looking forward to it!!”

Patsy Meridith

Please register if you’re planning on attending;  Registration for Flyin

Cathy Page, RV6

I found out about your site from my friend Summer Martell who flew her Student Prince out to Ohio from West Washington last summer for the LLT fly in.

RV6, the day I bought it. Getting a little checkout then flying it home.

Looking forward to meeting some as time goes on. I may even be able to piece together coming out to the fly-in coming up next month, if the stars align. Maybe even find a willing passenger to share the adventure.

My Pitts

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My first and favorite, C170B

Thank you,

Anne Wright’s flying in Thursday from Ann Arbor, Michigan in her Super Cub and will be camping on the field at Savannah, Tennessee. Anne is also one of our guest speakers at the fly-in.

Anne Wright & her cargo podded Super Cub!

Anne’s known for more than that great looking Super Cub. She’s got a really cool collection of tshirts….

Gotta love this one!

Helen Brennan & Sandy Maurer are flying in together in Helen’s 1946 Taylorcraft BC12-D on Thursday.

Helen Brennan flying her Tcraft

I loved it when Helen offered her passenger seat to any lady that needed a ride to the LLT fly-in! Sandy took her up on her offer. Both Helen & Sandy are from Ohio and both came to our fly-in last year. Sandy even flew her Grumman Cheeta in. Yep, Sandy’s a nosewheel gal but flew her Cheetah over to see what all the “taildragger” fuss was about. We haven’t converted her yet but she’s making a big leap in the right direction flying in with Helen!

Grumman Cheetah owner Sandy and woman pilot friend at last year's Lady Taildragger Flyin

Lisa Martin is coming a long, long way. She’ll be flying in Thursday in her PA18-150 all the way from Worland, Wyoming and their’s will be a mother-daughter adventure.

Back-country Super Cub girl, Lisa Martin

Jill Tallman plans on flying in Friday from Frederick, Maryland in her PA-28-140 (’68 Piper Cherokee 140). If the name sounds familiar it’s probably because Jill’s Associate Editor, AOPA Flight Training and AOPA Pilot magazines and you can’t have lived in the aviation world without having read some of Jill’s articles.

Jill W Tallman

Nancy Warren & Rusty Richards are flying Rusty’s gorgeous Cessna 195 from Columbus, Indiana on Saturday. Rusty flies for the airlines and Nancy is one of our lady taildragger pilots who happens to write a monthly column (WOMEN IN THE SKIES) for www.aircraftowneronline.com.

Nancy Warren & Rusty Richards

Lots more later!!

Elise Roche ♥ at Fliegerhorst Fiala Fernbrugg Aigen

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Simply great;-) At remote airfield in Austria

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Flying our beautiful Piper Super Cub (year of manufacture 1955) in the Austrian Alps

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Another photo of our 1955 Super Cub

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Elise Roche wake-up call for the dad on Sunday;-) - with Ludwig Bretterebner

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According to the weather report today it is rainy and unstable! The weather report was completely wrong.

Valerie Thal-Slocum’s from Moscow, TN and plans on flying in Friday, June 1 and camping for 2 nights.

Valerie Thal-Slocum and her Cessna 195

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Valerie's hoping to get her hangar mate, Kelly, to fly in too.

Lorraine Morris is from Poplar Grove, Illinois and is flying in Thursday, May 31.

Lorraine Morris & C150TD

Lorraine & her husband Ken recently bought their dream plane, a Beech 18, and who knows ….. maybe they’ll arrive in it!

The Morris' "Sweet Pea", Beech 18

Melissa Abner is from Pleasant View, TN and will be flying her BC 12 D–Taylorcraft in on Friday, June 1 and camping.

Melissa Abner with her daughter & '46 Tcraft

Jean O’Cuilinn is from Alpine, Texas and will be flying her 8KCAB Decathlon 850 miles to get to our fly-in. Jean says “Don’t know what a poker run is, but I’m not flying 850 miles to not do it! This will be my first fly in, other than breakfast flyins out here so I’m excited about it.” Jean’s rounded up another of our lady taildragger pilots to join her on the journey, Jennifer Pena.

Jean O'Cuilinn & N102GD

Jennifer Peña is from Terlingua, Texas, 75 miles south of Alpine. The girls are going to make it a 2-day trip with a stop half-way to visit Jennifer’s dad and plan on arriving at Savannah Thursday, May 31.

Jennifer Peña

I’m keeping my fingers crossed the weather gods look favorably on us all and all our trips are blue ski & severe clear. Please send me an email with any questions you have about the fly-in  (Email Judy ).  There’s plenty of room at Savannah for anybody that wants to come – I understand there are still a couple rooms available at the Pickwick Landing Lodge and even more at the Days Inn of Savannah. Not too late to register – please join us!

I’m not the golfer sort but most golf courses are packed this time of year so I know they’re out there. Anyone interested in coming early or staying late for a round is welcome at the Pickwick Landing State Park Golf Course.

http://www.tngolftrail.net/traditionals/pickwicklanding/

Mon. thru Thurs. – Senior rates (includes 18 holes and cart). $25.00

Friday and Sat. – 18 holes and cart. $37.00

Sunday. – 18 holes and cart. $40.00

After 2 PM til Twilight – 18 holes with cart. $27.00

The golf course number is 731-689-3145

Bobbie Breeden & custom Super Cub

Here’s an incredible story from the “Alaska Dispatch News” you may not have heard. This video is of 17 year old student pilot, Bobbie Breeden, preparing for the 2011 Short Takeoff and Landing competition at the Valdez, Alaska Fly-in. He’s flying a modified Super Cub with 210 hp and a light weight composite propeller. Watch it because the story begins here.

So what happens next? Bobby came in 4th place overall in the competition with a total distance of 101 feet – including the competition’s shortest takeoff distance of 36 feet. A pretty amazing feat for a 17 year old student pilot from Virginia. But the story continues. The competition was in April 2011 and along came July 2011 and Bob & son Bobbie are on a several week flying trip around Alaska. They’re off flying the Wrangell Mountains having a great adventure and according to Bob, “discovering and landing new landing zones all day, mostly on glacier tops on exposed ice, below the snow level — which was still around 5,000 feet on the glacier top at this early date in July.”

“At the end of the day, we landed in a wide river valley about two miles above where a glacier collided with a mountain wall, with the river cutting in between. We walked down to this point, safely along the mountain and well away from the glacier, to where a big blue glacier face stood opposite the mountain, and explored this spot for almost an hour, and took a lot of pictures. There seemed to be no threat, and even a comforting thought that any falling ice would easily be swept away by the swift river.”

“There was a small gravel bar on our side of the river, across from the glacier — and we decided that we would bring the plane into the gravel bar for a photo.”

“Once there with the plane, we walked around and took some photos, but within a minute of arriving, we heard some crackling in the ice. Before we could get in the plane to depart, a piece came down and instantly displaced the river beneath it, creating a 3 to 5-second blast of sand and water, comparable to an explosion. It shot across the river at us. I dropped my camera while instinctively putting my hands over my face and turning my back to the spray and blast, which swept me up the sand and gravel of the river bank. The plane slid sideways 30 feet, and was crushed up against a stationary block of ice, knocking the gear off and smashing one wing and the tail. The fuselage was twisted and the fabric open. The water sluiced back into the river and all was quiet, less than 15 seconds after it started. We were soaked to the skin.”

“We located each other and the greatest dread passed as I realized that Bobby was OK. We gathered our clothes bag, food, tent, sleeping bags, SPOT transmitter and satellite phone from the baggage area and got to safer, higher ground. We found a place in the sun but behind a boulder to break the breeze. We got out of our wet clothes into dry. After collecting ourselves, and perhaps 30 minutes after the event, we tried calling Donna Claus at Ultima Thule Lodge. Not reaching the Lodge right away, we also tried Dave Calkins to let someone know in Anchorage that we would need to be picked up. Soon after talking with Dave, we reached Donna, and a couple of hours later Loni Habersetzer, whom we had talked with earlier in the day, came and picked us up.”

“The photos here were taken after the initial event. What you see here is much different from the day of the incident. As new ice continuously fell, the river bed changed as well. The original gravel bar was strewn with large ice blocks. As the glacier continued to calve, large blasts of water continued to alter the riverbed and batter the plane. You can see why the plane could not be retrieved once the glacier became unstable.”

“10 days later, the plane had been moved 100 yards by continuous blasts of water from the calving glacier. The entire glacier had advanced far enough that when large pieces tipped over, they landed directly on the plane.
I got word from my friend who flew over the site on Aug. 7, more than a month after the incident, and he said that the terrain has changed so much that it was entirely unrecognizable from what it looked like the day the incident occurred. The glacier has advanced and covered the original site. There is no trace remaining of the plane.”

Entire article at http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/super-cub-plane-crushed-alaska-glacier?page=0,1

Aune flying Upper Saranac Lake

Greetings fellow lady taildraggers. I am thrilled to have found this site!  I’m the proud owner of a 1948 Stinson 108-3 which my father restored in Hawaii when I was 4 years old.  When I was about 32, my father decided to sell the plane and trade it in for a J-3 Cub.

Stinson N529C

It would have broken my heart to see the plane go – so – I commuted from Seattle, WA to Naples, NY until I soloed in the Stinson, and then purchased it from my father, flew it out to Seattle, got my license, and have flown and loved it ever since.  I relocated to the Chicago area in 2006 and am now married with a 2+ year old son who regularly begs to wake up ‘Charlie’ (N529C) so we can fly.  I would love to connect with folks – please drop me an email.

N529C, "Charlie"

We live about 1 1/2 hours flying time south of OshKosh and regularly have our taildragger friends stop for a meal and shower enroute to the show.  Depending on how many visitors we get this year, you may be sleeping on the floor but you are welcome to join us.  You’ll need Mode-C (or a call ahead to the O’Hare Flight Center) to get in under the 30NM veil but land at Schaumburg Regional (06C; no tower) and we’ll come get you.

Regards,

Aune H. Price
ahalunen@hotmail.com

New paint job on my spinner!

I’ve been dreaming about a new spinner for my Rans S7 for months and I can’t tell you how excited I am about finally getting the job done! Boyd and I have way more hours invested in planning, sanding, taping, more taping, and painting than I ever dreamed possible.

Oh, so cool!

It still needs a little work but it turned out pretty darn cool.

Opened the hangar door tonight for the unveiling. Not a soul around to admire it! (:

My “vanilla” spinner was painted perfectly but seemed like such a waste of space – it need a little pzazz! But it wasn’t just the spinner that needed attention, the top and bottom cowl had seen better days and were in desperate need of a touch up.

Wow, it's amazing what a fresh paint job can do!

Painting the spinner came in 3 steps…

"Periwinkle blue" all over to match the trim on the Rans for the first color coat. No taping yet.

Then we taped it and sprayed the white. Sorry, no picture though.

And the last color sprayed was the yellow.

It had to dry overnight which was a painfully long time to wait to see what it would look like!

But 24 hours later I was as happy as I could be screwing it to the mount and finally getting to stand back and admire it!

I’m in love!

:)

There are a few spots that need some dry sanding but for the most part it’s done. Of course, the hangar’s a wreck since we’ve been almost living in it for a week – probably time to vacuum (i.e. take the leaf blower to it again). Love my hangar gas grill! It’s been grilled brats and turkey burgers all week, lots of peanuts, Frito’s and diet cokes! Rule of thumb…. if you’re in a hangar, all junk food is legal. Diet when you’re home!

Saturday's almost here and I guarantee you, I'm flying and showing this baby off!

To all the girls that have Registered on LadiesLoveTaildraggers but are not yet profiled, don’t get nervous now, we’re almost there! You’ve filled out the Registration and all we’re waiting on is one last little bit of information – your pictures – to get your “Pilot Profile” on LadiesLoveTaildraggers.

Here’s the list of 15 women.  If your name’s on the list, come on and send those pictures! You may even want to send me some updated details about what you’re flying and where you’re flying so everything’s up to date. And anybody out there who happens to know any of these ladies, please give them a nudge and tell them we’re anxious to get them on-line. Thanks everyone for all your help! Send to:  Email Judy

1.  Kimmy Winsor, based at CNV8, Ontario, Canada. Fleet Canuck, Citabria, & sailplanes

2.  Diane Bassham, based at KAMW, Ames, Iowa.

3.  Arlene Farrell, based at N07, Blackwood, NJ. Aeronca, Champ

4. Anne Edmonson, based at 32OR, Oregon. Super Cub!

5. Jessica R. Stearns, based at KAPF, Florida. PA-18 , CES-120, PA-J3; retired USAF Pilot and Continental Airlines Capt. Ret. & RV-7 & 8

6. Patrice Gapen, based at a private strip at Cheyenne, Wyoming.  PA-14

7. Tricia McKenna, based at KBZN, Montana. PA-18-150

8. Emily Charnes, based at KPAO, California. Citabria

9. Martha Horvitz, based at MYF, California. Super Cub AKA PA 18

10. Erica Krueger based at O69, California. Cessna 120

11. Lisa Cashwell based at KPTB, Virginia. Just soloed an Aeronca Champ

12. Cindy Hile based at 40I, Ohio. Student in a Cub

13. Amy Laboda based at 94FL, Florida. Kitfox 4

14. Jill Albright based at 8CL1, California. Maule M5

15. Deb Dreyfuss based at Potomac, Maryland.  Cessna 150 “Texas Taildragger” &  new 182

Oh no, no need to be!

Masie Veal

“I am 16 years old and love our J-3 Cub. I soloed on my birthday and want to go on to get my commercial pilots license. I lost my brother last year in a plane crash and he had soloed in the same J-3 nine years earlier.”

My 1st Solo

“I love flying taildraggers and would love to have a Stearman some day. We have lots of pilots in our family WingsAndRods.com . Masie Veal”

It’s amazing how much fun you can have in 22 seconds! Check out Masie learning to fly a Cub.

I’m not sure who looks happier, grandpa, Masie or dad!

1st solo; grandfather Bob Veal, Masie Veal & instructor and dad Jeff Veal

From the Red Bluff Daily News; “My brother was 16 when he soloed in the same plane,” Masie Veal said. “When I saw that, I just really wanted to do that, too.”

Scott Veal had planned on watching his sister perform her solo, but he died Sept. 2, 2011 in a mid-air plane crash in Alaska.

“In the last conversation I had with her brother, he was excited about her flying,” their father Jeff Veal said. “He had wanted to be here to see her fly.”

Just 19 days after Scott’s passing, their mother, Lorry Veal, died of an undetermined natural cause.

After her mother passed away, there was a moment when they had to re-evaluate the possibility of performing the flight, Jeff Veal said.

It was not that Masie wanted to give up, but it was more about the time frame of getting it done on her birthday.

“We wondered if it was going to be hard to get back on the plane, but it really became a healing process for us,” he said.

Jeff Veal, a pilot for the state Department of Fish and Game and a flight instructor, taught both his children how to fly.

He learned it from his father.

“It’s fun and neat to have that connection,” Jeff said. “It’s a common ground that we have.”

Jeff, Bob and Scott all worked on restoring the vintage 1947 Piper J-3 Cub that Masie and her brother soloed in. She also wore the same leather jacket that Scott wore when he soloed.

“Even though I really wanted to do it, that added some sentimental value,” Masie said.

More at Red Bluff Daily News Article by Tang Lor

Jeanne MacPherson, master flight instructor writes, (www.mountainairdancellc.com), “I recently had the great privilege of introducing Craig Fuller, President of AOPA, to Montana backcountry flying.”

AOPA president, Craig Fuller

And Craig’s blog response….. “Jeanne….the privilege was all mine to share a glorious day of flying in canyons and grass strips….at least you told me they were grass strips! Thanks for the adventure and the very helpful lessons. All the best, Craig”

Good stuff Jeanne!!

Stephanie Deckro

My day job is interior design and have owned my own design business since 1993.  I always wanted to learn how to fly. So in 2005 I signed up for the ground class at the local community college.  I started flying in a Piper Warrior and received my private pilots certificate later that year.

I completed my instrument rating in 2008. Then in 2011 I was given a ride in a Piper Cub. It was such a thrill!  I love the freedom of flying and the taildragger seemed to bring that freedom to a new level.

Later that year I was endorsed in that Piper Cub. Since then I have enjoyed flying in a Super Cub, Cessna 140, Cessna 185, Cessna 195, T6 SNJ-5 (Texan) and deHaviland Beaver (DHC-2).

I really enjoy landing on grass strips and the watching the beautiful sunsets from the sky.  Now I’m flying a Cessna 140 and loving it!

Stephanie Deckro

Illinois

Melinda flying her Champ

ODE TO A CHAMP

In the fall of nineteen-ninety

On a mild November day,

I lost my heart to a little white Champ

As it flew me up and away.

So unhappy was I that I didn’t know how

To myself take a plane to the sky.

And I hadn’t the funds if I did have the skills,

To buy my own aircraft to fly.

Well, after a while I’d mastered the art

Of piloting planes in the blue.

But to own a champ – now that was a thing

How to manage I hadn’t a clue.

For that kind of airplane was rising in price

So much faster than I could save.

By the time I had enough money, I feared,

I would have one foot in the grave!

Some years went by and I flew the planes

With the third wheel on the nose,

But my heart was still with the tailwheel types -

I just had to have one of those!

My funds grew slowly, and from time to time

I’d think that maybe I could

Find a Champ somewhere that I could afford,

But doubted that ever I would.

And then one day – YES, there it was!

A Champ just perfect for me.

The plane, the location, the price was right

Oh, could it really be?

I conferred and thought, had mechanics look,

And after some anxious time,

The deal was made, registration sent -

Eight-Two-One-Four-Seven was mine!

It needed some work and some TLC

To achieve a return to the sky,

But several months later, inspection complete,

The airplane was ready to fly.

Now I swing the prop, bring the engine to life

And take flight whenever I please.

I go up with the birds and the clouds so high

And look down on the tops of the trees.

Yes, I take off and fly in my very own Champ,

From a pretty grass runway, no less!

On the fine autumn day those eight years ago,

Who would have been able to guess?

Melinda Hooper & twin sister and also Champ pilot, Melissa Adams

By “Lindy” (Melinda Hooper)

Autumn 1998

Linda Winters & her Cessna 170

I met Linda Winters last Fall at her very own “Winter’s Airport Fly-in” after she sent me an email invitation. It’s a mere 43 miles from where I’m based but its a private farm strip and, not knowing a woman was based there, I’d never been there.

North end of Linda Winters Airport, 1600', 0II9. Note the wires if you ever fly in

Linda says: “I have the airplane (Cessna 170A), the runway (Indent: 0II9), and the dream; but, I don’t have the nerve to land! Even so, “I Believe I Can Fly”. One day I will fly my Cessna 170 to the Ladies Love Taildraggers Fly-in!

My husband and I raised our boys with many family trips in our airplane. I’ve been active in EAA and their Young Eagles program since 1994. It’s exciting to see a young person get hooked on flying. They are the future of GA.

Every year since 1996 I have hosted a Fly-in here at Winters Airport (www.WintersAirport.info). It’s the 3rd Saturday in September…..and there are always room for more airplanes so come on over. It’s just fun to hang out and look at airplanes, especially taildraggers.”

Watching the planes fly

Linda Winters

Monrovia, Indiana, 0II9

Getting to know Linda just a little at last year's fly-in

What Linda doesn’t say is that her husband, the pilot, is now deceased. He flew their C170 out of their 1600′ grass strip and she misses all that flying. She loves that old Cessna 170 and loved being in the air. Of course, things are different now with the hubby gone, but anybody can tell she truly wants to get up there again.  I say we send Linda some encouragement and help her get over the fear of landing. There’s a pilot in there somewhere that needs to get out. Linda, I believe you WILL fly your C170 to our Ladies Love Taildraggers Fly-in some day!

Amelie Windel with her Laser 230

Amelie is a 21 year old aerobatic pilot with a lot of ambition and determination. At the young age of 16 she not only got her pilot’s license but received a coveted spot to study math at Cambridge University. She now has set her sights on becoming a world class aerobatic champion.

“In my very early twenties, currently doing competition aerobatics in my little Laser 230 and looking to become a full time airshow pilot in the near future! I’ve attached photos of my aeroplane! (two with me in it on the ground and one of me in the air)”

Newspaper article

This month's Flyer Magainze

TrueTrak ADI PilotII

The digital readout is ground track rather than heading because it’s GPS derived. Turns out the price of a rebuilt electric gyro horizon was approaching $2000 and we have about $2500 in the total auto pilot. That did come with a lot of hard work and effort by Boyd who probably has 40 hours in the total project. Mind you, I’m holding flashlights and handing tools throughout – sympathizing with every dropped screw and misplaced screw driver!

Installed and ready to see how it does in flight!

There’s a lot more involved to this installation than you might guess. Boyd had to make a mount for the ADI instrument, had to make a mount for the roll servo and a mount for the pitch servo. Plus the linkages to the controls from the servos. Had to measure and order a custom wiring harness from Stein Air and then connect all that to the electrical system and wire a disconnect switch on the Ray Allen stick. Of course, nothing’s ever easy. With 38 or so hours into this little upgrade project we were finally able to mount the actual instrument you see in the picture and screw in the 4 little screws. The screws had come with the instrument and we assumed they were the right length. BUT NO!!! The screws were too long and it broke the bezel when we screwed them in. Crap!!! We busted it! “No, No, No, we were 5 minutes away from finally flying it! You’ve got to be kidding me!” But no kidding, it really did have to go back to the factory for repair and we really did have to wait another week to get the project done. And about the money thing, what’s a $550 repair bill to get my Rans back in the air?!

So what's next for the S7 - a paint touch up and new SPINNER ART coming soon!

I doubted I’d want to use the autopilot function much since I really do LIKE to fly the airplane but in the short time I’ve had to play with it I can see it’s going to come in handy.  The aircraft is so lightweight moving my body forward or back or side to side in flight changes my vertical and horizontal track. That makes looking at charts, leaning forward to change GPS setting, etc. less of a chore. Now, I’ll be able to turn it on for a minute or two and the airplane won’t wonder off course.  I know I’m going to get some flack over this  … something like, “That’s not what this kind of airplane’s for!” but so be it. Bring it on!!