A Mix of Airplanes and Chili

We went to the Moundridge Airport this afternoon for a combination fly-in, chili cook off, and private airshow. As a member of the Mid America Antique Airplane Group, we got an e-mail telling us about the event, which was sponsored by a local aviation insurance group. The chili was good, especially given the temperature. It was in the 50's, but the wind was gusting almost 40 mph. Talk about wind chill! It also made it tough for the guys to fly their acts. Pictured is Kyle Franklin with his Super Cub. You'll note duct tape on his wing tip. Part of his act is to pretend to steal the airplane and not know how to fly (like the old flying farmer acts). He has steel plates in the wing tips which he drags as part of the act. Multiple layers of duct tape helps protect everything. Quite a feat given the conditions today. Matt Younkin also flew a Super Decathlon and Doug Jackson a T-6.

It was a nice gathering that we can take the Stinson to some day. I saw Mark there and asked if he had started the welding on 98K yet. It sounds like that is his next task and he is anxious to get it out of his shop and back into mine. Yea!

What's Behind the Hangar Doors

There was a fly-in breakfast at the Benton, Kansas airport yesterday. This airport was renamed Loyd Stearman Field a few years ago in honor of the man behind the Stearman biplane, who set up production in the Wichita area in the 1920's. Benton has been a beehive of construction activity the past year or 2. Many new hangars have gone up as well as a runway extension. A new, upscale fly-in community called Stearman Estates is just getting off the grounds.

Yesterday was a beautiful flying day and there were probably about 25 planes there when Debbie and I drove up. After pancakes, we wandered down the flight line looking at airplanes. Almost everyone had their hangar doors open, so it was easy to walk in and see what is normally hidden. It is amazing how nice some of these hangars are. In some cases, it looks like more than just a home away from home....I think some of these folks are actually living with their airplanes full time! Neat! Maybe that's what they mean by "condo hangars." The pictures show one of the nicer hangars with living areas towards the rear of the hangar on 2 floors. And the floor isn't bare concrete, but a nice tile. Room for 3 airplanes plus a lot of other stuff.

It got us thinking, but then we also have one eye on the economy. Who knows?

You Got Mail

One of the last stops on my D.C. tour was the Postal Museum. Rumor had it they had a gullwing Stinson on display, so I had to find out. It was a pretty neat display of the history of the U.S. Post Office and drove home the point of how important moving the mail was to the development of aviation. Add this to your list of things to see if going to D.C. They also had a Jenny on display as well as one of the later Wright Biplanes, all used to carry mail at some point.

When flying the mail, the gullwing Stinson had a hook from its tail to snag a pouch of mail as it flew over the pick up point, thus removing the need to land at every stop. Pretty ingenious. I have a print by Sam Lyons that depicts that very activity using a gullwing Stinson in my office at work. I will have to compare the N-numbers tomorrow and see if the plane in the painting is the same as hanging in the museum.

My only other thought about seeing airplanes in museums is that it still doesn't beat seeing them in real life, making a low pass down a runway. You need to hear a round engine start and see and smell the oil filled smoke to really appreciate it. And no recording can ever match the sound of a P-51 with its Merlin engine at high revs. So, let's hope the EAA and other groups continue to be successful in keeping these airplanes flying and not just sitting in museums.

A Whirlwind Tour

I arrived home late this afternoon following a busy couple of days. I flew a Bonanza round trip to Houston on Monday (about 7 hours of flying time) and then flew UAL to Washington, D.C. on Tuesday. The main reason to go to D.C. was to represent HBC at a black tie affair recognizing the 50th birthday of the FAA last night. I spent most of Wednesday being a tourist. The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum was on the list in addition to walking up and down the mall seeing the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the WWII Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Wall, White House, Capitol Building, Supreme Court, Library of Congress, and the Postal Museum. My legs were really tired when it was all done.

Then I put on the tux and went to the big affair for the FAA held at the Air and Space Museum. The picture is of myself and friend Dan Zuspan. I have known Dan from Boeing and church for over 20 years. He recently was assigned to the Washington office with Boeing for the next 3 years. We had a great time catching up both at lunch and the FAA party. We clean up pretty well, huh? The command module from Apollo 11 is behind us in the picture.

I only spent 2 hours in the Air and Space Museum during the day, trying to see all the stuff so I would know what to go back and focus on in the evening. Of course, I got so busy talking with folks in the evening I really didn't have a chance for much of a second look. However, it scratched one more thing off the bucket list I had always wanted to do.

If you are an airplane nut with a bent toward history, this is a definite place to visit. To be able to see many of the historic airplanes that shaped aviation was a thrill. I shot a lot of pictures, but none probably as good as you will find in their official publications. But, it will make a great addition to my screen savers until I return there again.