LadiesLoveTaildraggers

Lynn O’Donnell is based at (7FL6) Spruce Creek Airport, Daytona Beach, Florida.

Lynn O'Donnell

I first flew Cubs as an employee of Piper, then DC-3s in charter and skydiving operations. Years later I bought a Stinson 108-3 Flying Station Wagon which I still have and love. I’ve flown it up and down the east coast, from NJ out to Denver and to Memphis.

Ice Runway 4171C

I’m now hanging out in central FL finding all kinds of grass strips and open fields to land in. Now that I’ve retired from the airlines, I keep current as a CFI giving tailwheel checkouts.

Sarah Dickerson is based at KGPH, Midwest National Air Center Airport, just outside Kansas City, Missouri.

Sarah Dickerson

I’m a professional photographer who also does a bit of flight instructing on the side. I own a 1947 Cessna 120 with my husband, Jim, and we presently base the plane at KGPH (Midwest National Air Center) just outside of Kansas City, Missouri.

Cessna 120

I teach at ATD Flight Systems at the Kansas City Downtown Airport and in student-owned airplanes as a freelance instructor. Jim and I attend as many fly-ins as possible (unfortunately, as a wedding photographer I have to really plan ahead). Two must-attends on our list each year are the Supercub.org New Holstein Fly-In in New Holstein, Wisconsin (8D1) held during Oshkosh each year – we don’t own a Super Cub but the site and fly-in organizer, Steve Johnson, is a very good friend of ours and lives less than 5 minutes from us - - as well as the annual Blakesburg, Iowa Antique fly-in.

Having fun at New Holstein

We love our little 120 and spend nearly as much time polishing it as we do flying it! I love the challenge of flying a taildragger and my favorite type of flying is low and slow at sunset!!

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I started accumulating ratings in hopes of switching to a flying career; however, I fell in love with this type of flying and it’s truly where my heart is!

Amal is based at AK28, Chena Marina Airport, Fairbanks, Alaska.

Amal with her Piper Cub Special

Am an avid hunter and fly fisher. I love anything outdoors, especially if I can fly there. I have flown mostly tail “dragger” aircraft, my latest and most favorite being a PA-11.

Picture from my Nome trip last year

My whole summer revolves around where I can go exploring and fishing. Am working on my instrument and commercials at the moment, so am flying even more!!!

From my caribou hunt last fall

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you can see the hide drying out on the right strut, was fleshing it out when I took a break to take this pic

Blue skies!!!

Amal

Kim Ewing is based at Gwinnett County Airport (KLZU) Lawrenceville, Georgia.

Kim flying the Champ

I began flying in 2006, right after I graduated from high school. My aunt and uncle own and operate Bermuda High Soaring School in Lancaster, South Carolina and I learned how to fly in gliders with my uncle as my CFIG. After that, I was definitely “bitten by the bug”. At the time, I was attending college in SC, but I transferred to Embry Riddle Aeronautical University down in Florida to pursue flying as a career!

7GCA

In the summer of 2008, my aunt and uncle purchased a 1965 Aeronca Champ (7GCA). Its 150 hp and a blast to fly. I earned my taildragger endorsement and have been in love with that little airplane ever since, flying it every chance I get. I am a CFI and MEI and a commercial pilot w/ single engine land, multi engine land, single engine sea and instrument airplane ratings.

150 hp 1965 Champ, forerunner to the Citabria

I also have my private in gliders, and hope to earn my CFIG soon. My eventual goal is to fly the big jets for the airlines, but my roots will ALWAYS be in “real” flying, tailwheel flying!!

My fiance (also a pilot; he's a first officer for Alpha Flying and owns a Cessna 210) and I in front of one of the Geico Skytypers airplanes.

My fiance occasionally does photo flights in the 210 and if my schedule permits I am lucky enough to tag along and grab some photos of my own! This shoot was in November 2010 down at Homestead ARB in Florida with the Geico Skytypers and the Blue Angels!! Definitely an amazing opportunity to be there for that!

I just can’t say enough how happy I was to find your site!! Please include me on it, I can’t wait to meet more like minded lady pilots!! Also, I flew the 2010 Air Race Classic representing Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, and am dying to do it again in my Champ if at all possible!! Now if I could just find a partner…..!!

April 13, 2011

Tammie made a movie! About flying! About flying a Citabria – from Reid Hillview! Click on the link for a California flight with Tammie. What a great song choice!

Click on this link: California Fly Day Video

February 5, 2011 Update from Tammie

“This is the Citabria I fly out of Reid-Hillview.  Also, I got married, so I’m Tammie Carswell Searles. It is fun to read about the sister pilots!! Tammie”

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August 28, 2010

Tammie Carswell flies a Pawnee and her PW5 glider out of Crazy Creek (Middletown) and Byron, California.

The most frequent flying I do is in my PW5 Glider (N717PW).   I also fly the Pawnee towplane at Texas Soaring.

I’m a CFI Glider, Private and MEL and have been flying since I soloed when I was 14.  I obtained most of my tailwheel time in an Aeronca Champ.

I’m currently living in California and flying out of Crazy Creek (Middletown) and Byron, California.

I just watched the WSPA video that Gail made and LOVED it and found this web site.  I didn’t know there were so many fun taildragger pilots around!  Please let me join your group!

Happy news from Susan Theodorelos! She & her husband, Andy, bought part interest in a Citabria that belongs to a friend of theirs, also based at their Moraine, Ohio airport. If you were at the Lady Taildraggers fly-in last year you might remember seeing this pretty blue Citabria….

“I now have something to fly that I don’t need Andy to start — that “might” keep up with the RANS — and that I can jump in and come visit without having a “starter” around!”

Looks like some fun summer flying's ahead for Susan!

“It is WAAAAAY different from the RNF — sooo much heavier on the controls….  but I’m current in it now — and with more time I will learn the “finesse” of it.”

Susan

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Posted March, 2010

Susan's Waco Avatar

Susan Theodorelos flies a 1930 Waco RNF out of I73 (Moraine Airpark) Dayton, Ohio.

1930 Waco

In the six or so years I have been flying I’ve done a LOT — so much so that I wrote a little book about it — but that’s for another time!  I have the absolute privilege of owning and flying two 1930 Waco RNF biplanes (well … one is a 75% complete project).

I started flying in 2003, flew the Champ at first — solo’d it at 13 hours, but put my flying on hold due to the death of my mother — got back to flying the following year  but then put things on hold due to the death of my father (yea…it was a bad couple years there).  Got back into flying the following year after purchasing the RNF.

Solo’d the cub in 5 hours and jumped into the RNF, solo’d it after 6 hours and never quit flying after that.  I had 29.7 hours of flying, solo’d 3 aircraft.

One happy pooch (Maggie) & Susan in the Waco

After goofing off for two years, and the threat of my written exam expiring — I finally set things up to take my practical in the RNF!   On 22 October 2009, I got my ticket!  My poor husband was having sympathy anxiety for me — as the winds were gusting to 22 kts on that day.  The ol’ RNF never let me down. It truly is a joy to fly.

The best part is that I took my checkride with Martha Lunken and had an absolute blast!  (I guess you’re not supposed to have that much fun on a checkride, but I did!)  My husband wrote an article about it for Vintage Aviation that came out in February.

Waco One:  1930 Waco RNF NC663Y

Waco Two:  1930 Waco RNF NC863V

Justine Haupt is based at KHWV, Brookhaven Airport, Shirley, NY.

Justine and her very own Stinson Voyager

I got my private rating in a Cessna 152 my senior year of high school, in 2004 . I planned to become a commercial pilot but my career path changed and I essentially stopped flying for a few years. I decided I would get back into it when I could afford my own plane (specifically, a Stinson).

Hey, its cold in New York!

In the spring of 2010 I bought my 1947 Stinson Voyager, and I’ve been having more fun in it than I’ve ever had in a tricycle gear plane! At the moment I’m learning to fly gliders, and I hope to get my instrument and commercial ratings in the future.

Justine in her '47 Voyager

“Justine, we’re all impressed. Your own 4 place at 24 years old – and one of the queens of taildraggers to boot! You’ve got it together, kido!”  Judy

Wendy Moretz is based at 0W3, Harford County Airport, Churchville, Maryland.

Wendy Moretz

I just received my private pilot’s license in February Had to use a 172  for that. I have not been up to the airport lately because of school, but got a 99% on my Air Traffic Control final.

I have flown a Citibria and a Globe Swift and love them. I can’t wait to get back in the Citabria – it is so much more responsive. I love historic planes!

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Julia Doerner is based at (KRNT) Renton Municipal Airport, Renton, Washington.

Julie flying L4

The first flight I took was in a 2 seater Pitts when I was 12. From then on I wanted to learn to fly.

Learning to fly an L-4 at Andover Academy in New Jersey

I did training with Damian Delgazio in New Jersey. My Mom did the advanced tailwheel training and I did primary in the L-4. Ever since I have wanted to own an L-4.

Diana Votaw (mom) & Julie

Now I fly with my Mom every chance I get who owns a Cubcrafters S2. (see Diana Votaw). I have always found taildraggers to be far more fun the tricycle aircraft.

Cool Taildragger Pilot!

I am a student at University of Washington getting my bachelors in Mechanical Engineering.

Julia Doerner, Damian DelGazio, Diana Votaw

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Flying a Stearman!

Lisa Martin is based at (KWRL), Worland Municipal Airport, Worland, Wyoming.

Lisa & her Super Cub

I got my private license in 1989 while 7 1/2 months pregnant with my oldest child. The family priority slowed my flying some, although my husband and I owned and operated our own aviation business in Montana spraying and doing other surveys with airplanes and helicopters.

Dropping into Devil's Canyon. Devils Canyon runs between WY and MT. It is also known as the Big Horn Canyon National Recreation Area.

In 2003, we moved to Wyoming and my husband went to work for Sky Aviation. As my boys grew up and I had some more time to fly, I added on an instrument rating in about 2006.

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We owned a C180 at that time (previously we owned a 7GCBC and an Aeronca Champ). When my boys both graduated and moved on, I poured myself into getting a commercial rating with a Piper Comanche. Soon as I got that rating we sold it to return to the fun and spot-on convenience of taildragger flying. Bought our 150 hp Super Cub in Oct of 2010 and are having so much fun just bee-boppin’ around!

Big Horn Sheep

We’re are anxiously looking forward to some backcountry, fly-in camping trips this summer in surrounding states (Utah, Idaho and Montana). Schafer’s Meadow was our home away from home when we lived in Cut Bank, MT. You just can’t get in to many of those places with a Comanche!