LadiesLoveTaildraggers

Channon Boullion is based at Merritt Island, Florida (KCOI) and flies a Cub.

“I currently fly for the airlines but my passion is flying a Cub with the windows open!”

“I met some ladies in the club a couple weeks ago flying the Cub around and they asked me to register! Thanks!!! I look forward to meeting more great ladies!”

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.

Tuesday, the gals from Ladies Love Taildraggers met up for lunch with the Back Country Pilots group.

The above picture includes Lynn Gardner, Judy Birchler, Bonnie Ritchie, Dianne from Back Country Pilots, Lynn’s tailwheel friend whose name I’ve misplaced!, Jan Johnson, Linda Guthrie, Susan Theodorelos & Heather Gamble.

Shortly after we took the group picture, Kelly Jeffries and her husband arrived and I snapped this quick picture of Kelly & Susan.  What a great turnout of lady taildraggers!!

What a great spot to have a little lunch with a nice view of 27/9 and the North 40!

Not too shabby a turnout of lady taildraggers for a hot, sunny day at Oshkosh. Thanks to everyone that joined us and to the Back Country Pilots group for inviting us to their party!

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Here’s just a couple pictures of the rows and rows and rows and rows… of taildraggers and other aircraft that fought the rain and soggy ground conditions and made it into Oshkosh by Tuesday.

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Tammy Baron flies out of Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC), Anchorage, Alaska.

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I have a J3 Cub and fly a B747-400  for Atlas Air Cargo out of Anchorage,  Alaska. I have flown L100 (C130), Twin Otters, B747-200, B737, DC10, MD11 and now the 400 and soon 800 series of B747′s. My boyfriend has a Staggerwing and an N3N (that I hope to get checked out in) and 2 Barons and a Mooney. We are partners on the J3 Cub. Would love to join your club!

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Kim Stewart from Red Stewart Airport, Waynesville, Ohio (40I) forwarded this little note and pictures.

“Hello, I have attached two pics for your website and FB. Great idea to have a “Ladies Love Taildraggers” website!”

Kim Stewart in between tows in Piper Pawnee at Red Stewart Airfield, 40I

From their website, Red Stewart Airfield is a family owned and operated grass field. The airport and the Stewart family are dedicated to the preservation of grass roots aviation and the more basic “stick and rudder” skills that are slowly being lost.

Sara manages the family business, Stewarts Aircraft Service.

“I should try to get a group photo of all the women that fly at 40I, we have quite a few!! Thanks, Kim Stewart”

Kim,  you  are absolutely right – we would love to have pictures of all the taildragging gals at Red Stewart!  We’ll be looking for them!!!  Judy

Amy Gesch is based at Hartford Municipal Airport (HXF) , Hartford, Wisconsin and flies a J3 Cub.

From Amy:  ”I love the site idea, it’s awesome!  Feel free to cut my “about me” down . . . I just started rambling and it probably sounds a lot like me tooting my own horn. Same on the pictures; I probably have way too many but I do love that little yellow airplane! : )”

From Judy; No way Amy, I love ALL your pictures, your excitement, enthusiasm and love for “that little yellow airplane”!

I’m Amy, and I think I have an addiction to Cubs (kind of like, “I have a fever . . . and the only prescription is more cowbell!”).  I got my private pilot’s license at 18 in a J-3 (they forced me to fly a 150 to do the VOR tracking and unusual attitude recoveries), and became a sport pilot CFI in the J-3 last year.  I’m currently an even 20 years of age, applying for scholarships like mad to get my instrument rating to become a full-fledged CFI.

“My” Cub, which truly belongs to my former flight instructor (who will always be my flight instructor), is 21Y, and she is my best friend.  I got to take her to school with me for 3 weeks last spring (yes, that is good for cool points), and I drained my carefully guarded savings account, putting 26 hours on the airplane, never with an empty front seat.  Well worth it!

We also flew to Lock Haven, PA, for the Sentimental Journey fly-in.  I wrote about that trip on my blog http://aflyingstory.blogspot.com and the story ended up getting published in Plane & Pilot last October!  See http://www.planeandpilotmag.com/pilot-talk/a-flight-ill-never-forget/cross-country-cubbing.html We even somehow won the spot landing contest!   21Y and I also headed to Blakesburg, IA, for the Antique Airplane Association fly-in in 2009 and received the Butler-Brown award for the youngest pilot in a pre-1956 aircraft.

21Y is the cover girl on EAA’s 2010 calendar, and we appeared together on NAFI Mentor magazine’s cover in November 2009.  21Y, my instructor Steve Krog, and I are the picture on the Learn to Fly website (learntofly.org) and I somehow appeared with 21Y in the May 2010 issue of Sport Aviation.

I had the privilege of flying a Super Decathlon once and got to do a few loops and rolls (WAY COOL!).  I also have time in a Luscombe.

I’m currently working on hosting a Learn to Fly day at my home airport (HXF) where Cub Air, the flight school I learned at/am still learning at/am instructing at is located.  I’m super excited to see some new people come out to learn to fly in the J-3 fleet!

Although it’s sort of nerdy, I have calculated that 87.5% of my flying time is in a tailwheel aircraft (I’m looking forward to the 90% mark).

21Y and I may be headed to Lock Haven, finances permitting, but I’m really saving up for the Barnstorming trip (barnstormingmovie.com), which I can’t wait for!

Donna Guerin is based at her home and has a 2200′ grass strip in her front yard.  It’s about 10 nm from Huntsville, Alabama’s Moontown Airport (3M5).

I got my Private in May of 2007 after flying right seat for 6 months with my husband – no reason for him to have all the fun!  Since then I have gotten high performance and tailwheel endorsements.   Bought my little jewel (a 1940 J5A) in Sept of 2008 and have logged over 100 hours in her.   We have a 2,200′ grass strip in our front yard.  Talk about blessed!  I really enjoy flying the Cub and get her out as often as the weather allows.

We just finished restoration of another 1940 J5A that was given to my husband by his Dad before he passed in 2004.  It is the red and  white J5 in the picture.

Gwen is based at O02 in Reno, Nevada and owns & flies a J3 Cub and a Cessna 195.

The above photo was just forwarded by Gwen and taken by her daughter on a recent visit to Albuquerque, New Mexico.  Looks like a beautiful 195 Gwen.  We’re delighted to see your “other love”! What else have you got stashed in that hangar?!?

I fly a J3 Cub and a 195 Cessna, love both.  My husband taught me to fly in 1953.  We shared our love of flying for 54 years, he passed  on 2 years ago.  I have private & instrument certifications.  I flew to Fredricksberg, TX fall of 2008, 23 hours in the 195 and it was wonderful!