I was going to say “my” first airshow but it’s not about me, it’s about the Stearman. I’m just her handler. The Texas Antique Aircraft Association was holding it’s annual fly-in in Gainesville, Texas and I was going to be there. As I pulled the plane out of the hangar at home in Fort…
I don’t mean to mislead but I’m not talking about the annual get-together in Galesburg, IL or even the end of season gathering in Jennings or any dozens of other fly-ins where more than one Stearman would be in attendance. No, I’m talking about the first time ever that a couple of us got together…
This past November, right at the end of my vacation time, I got to take the Stearman for one last ride. I flew nearly 10 hours during my couple weeks off, which doesn’t seem like much now that I write this but it sure felt like a lot of flying. At least a lot of…
Don’t take financial advice from broke people! And why you need good mentors. “Don’t take financial advice from broke people.” These words of wisdom echoed through my ear buds from one of my favorite podcasts. This piece of advice is handed out regularly from financial guru Dave Ramsey to many of his listeners on his…
Using The Tools You Have The landing gear on the Stearman is big. Big oleo struts and tires with big springs and lots of hydraulic fluid. Every once in a while though these struts can stick and though I’ve seen some creative ways to measure if they work or not when you go flying it’s…
What’s the deal with that prop? What´s the deal with that prop? You may remember when it took me forever to fly home I figured out the propeller was set to a climb setting, not a cruise setting. Most props are fixed pitch or constant speed. Either the blades are fixed and that’s what you…
It took me longer to fly home than it did to drive up there. Pretty much every pilot has made this joke when battling a strong headwind, slowing your progress. It would have been quicker to drive! Cars are passing us on the highway! Usually it’s not true, it just serves to illustrate how slow…
Airplanes can be fun but at the end of the day, they’re just metal, wood, and composite. The one ingredient required in enjoying aviation is people. I have written before that I am the luckiest guy I know. Line guy to pilot has given me a great life. But without the people that have been…
So what’s it like getting checked out in a Stearman? Well, when it’s your Stearman, it’s a little terrifying. The aircraft is a taildragger so you have those attributes to contend with and the Stearman has a reputation that precedes it, and deservedly so. Add to that the fact that this was going to be…
But I thought it was a Stearman? Yes, but no not really. It’s definitely a Boeing, but listen up. Lloyd Stearman, born 1898, worked as an architect after WWI before becoming a mechanic at Laird Aircraft in 1919. Laird sold the company to some of its employees in 1923 and became Swallow Aircraft Company…