[sc:Top-of-Post ]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…
[sc:Top-of-Post ]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…
[sc:Top-of-Post ]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…
[sc:Top-of-Post ]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…
[sc:Top-of-Post ]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…
[sc:Top-of-Post ]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…
[sc:Top-of-Post ] 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…
[sc:Top-of-Post ] This guest post is from Nate Perlman, a seasoned commercial pilot and recent Stearman airplane owner. He has many great stories to share, and we look forward to more! Please sit back and enjoy…. We’ve all heard about those deals you never find yourself in the middle of. That deal about the thing…
[sc:Top-of-Post ]Thanks to guest poster Sam Stoddart for this excellent writeup and video sharing the flight of the Spitfires – great history with a great artist! ——————— On the 18th of August, thousands of spectators gathered at Biggin Hall to watch the World War 2 Spitfires take flight once more to commemorate the 75th anniversary…
[sc:Top-of-Post ] You know what they say – READ THE NOTAMS! We always get this great advice and it really would be the wisest thing to do, but sometimes your head isn’t in the game. Let me give you an example: I spend most my time at 500 feet AGL in a taildragger, talking to…