The competition promotes skill over speed along the course that measures 2,610 sm. The race is set to end June 21 at Northern Colorado Regional Airport (KFNL) in Loveland.

The Air Race Classic (ARC) traces its roots to the 1929 Women’s Air Derby in which 20 female pilots, among them celebrity aviatrix such as Amelia Earhart, Florence “Pancho” Barnes, Ruth Elder, Louise Thaden, and Evelyn “Bobby” Trout, raced from Santa Monica, California, to Cleveland.

The ARC continues in the spirit of that event, with women pilots of all ages and backgrounds.

Race organizers note that this year marks the 95th anniversary of the Women’s Air Derby.

• READ MORE: Fundraising Underway for 1929 Women’s Air Derby Film

“The ARC board of directors and volunteers have been hard at work preparing for our 47th race,” said Air Race Classic president Donna Harris. “We welcome back veteran racers and meet new competitors at our start in Carbondale, Illinois.”

The teams consist of at least two female pilots. Each team flies a normally aspirated, piston-powered airplane in visual flight conditions during daylight hours.

To qualify for the race, they must hold at least a private pilot certificate and have 100 hours as pilot in command (PIC). One of the teammates must hold a commercial certificate and have at least 500 hours as PIC or a current instrument rating. Teams can include an additional teammate provided they hold at least a student pilot certificate.

• READ MORE: The Legendary Life of Pancho Barnes, Aviatrix

The teams will launch from (KMDH) starting at 8 a.m. CDT in 30-second intervals. The route takes the aircraft over La Porte, Indiana; Cadillac, Michigan; Newark, Ohio; Monee, Illinois; Owatonna, Minnesota; Moberly, Missouri; Bartlesville, Oklahoma; and Dodge City, Kansas. Teams will execute high-speed flybys over a timing line at each of these intermediate airports, where they may also land to refuel, take a break, or stay the night.

• READ MORE: Air Race Classic Announces 2024 Route

Every aircraft has a handicap, and each team is responsible for its own flight planning. Each team also is assigned a handicap, and the best teams will beat that metric, so essentially the teams are competing against themselves.

Race organizers note that the official standings are not determined until all teams have crossed the finish line.

The post Air Race Classic Ready for Launch appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Three lives were lost in the storm and many more were injured. Reports also stated that several hundred structures were toppled by the tornado. Its path of destruction included one of the region’s most important assets—Crawford County Airport (KRSV), whose infrastructure will be changed for years to come.

Vicki May, a board member and secretary for the Crawford County Airport Authority, explained the impact the storm had on the airport.

“Here with me right now are four of us,” May said. “We have Jeff Boyd, my husband, who lost his plane in the storm. Then we have Howard Hunt and Sandy Staszak, who run the FBO on the field. They lost their business, planes, everything. So, they are trying to get their business back, the airport authority has been trying to get the airport back, and our pilots are trying to get some kind of plane back. 

“The tornado completely destroyed the airport, as you can see in pictures. We had two large maintenance hangars, 18 (spaces) T-hangars, and 19 planes that were here for various reasons—whether based here or being worked on. I think every single one of the planes was totaled, along with the hangars that I mentioned and multiple vehicles, including our maintenance vehicles and courtesy cars. Most of us were insured for a prop strike, taxiing into a light, or something like that—not to lose everything—everything. I said it when the TV station came out to interview me, [and] it’s true. There is a lot of heartbreak out here.” 

The carnage was so bad that everything was leveled, including the airport office. Formerly a stout building made of concrete blocks, May said that there weren’t two that were left mortared together. Volunteers were quick to get started on cleaning up the destruction, including removing balled up T-hangars and airplanes from adjacent fields. Even with the many hands, it took several weeks to pick up the pieces of the airport that were scattered about.

“We are insured like everybody else, although we are not getting enough to put back everything the way that it was—much less make it better,” May said. “We want to be better than before, but we have to find the money to do that. The insurance company is going to give us money to replace what was here, and we can’t even totally do that. So, we are out looking for grants, maybe even some loans, or the possibility of issuing bonds. We did have some money saved up, but that will go pretty quick, and we have to be fiscally responsible with taxpayer money.”  

Not ruminating on their losses for too long, airport stakeholders enthusiastically began working to bring the airport back to what it was before. It has a bright future, they said—especially considering its impact upon local industry and the nearby hospital. 

“We already had several projects that we were working on right before the tornado,” May said. “We had just built a brand-new pole barn to store all of our tractors and other equipment. Of course, that’s gone now. Then there is a government program to renovate older terminal buildings, which we were actually going to apply to be a part of and remodel our office to be more functional. Now we have to build one from scratch. Ironically, the T-hangars were fairly new, because they had been hit by a tornado a few years ago. 

“We are currently pouring concrete for construction of one large maintenance hangar and for the replacement T-hangars. Most of the steel has been delivered. We hope to have them completed this year. We have applied for state and federal funding to rebuild the terminal building with offices, classrooms, and a storm shelter. I want to add [that] the FAA has been very involved and helpful in trying to get us some grant money to get back on our feet.”

The airport has not gotten fuel services back, being that the testing to return the system to service has been a lengthy process. But operations are starting to pick back up.

“The air traffic to industries, the hospital, etc. has ramped back up,” May saud. “Local traffic is still very sparse since we went from many airplanes based here to [currently] one, and it has to sit outside. We believe once we have hangars built, we’ll start to see more planes and local traffic. Once we can provide fuel, we’ll see more planes stopping for refueling. Once the FBO has a maintenance hangar again, we’ll start to see planes coming and going for maintenance and repairs.”

Those who were based at the airport have shown their resiliency. The list of local pilots who were impacted by the storm included a May high school graduate, Jared Hermann. The tornado blew through only three hours before Hermann was scheduled to take his private pilot check ride. His airport being leveled was only a minor inconvenience, as he would go on to pass his check ride only a few short months later in July.

“The tornado brought my training to a complete halt,” Hermann said. “I was training in Howard and Sandy’s [flight school] at the time, which was lost in the tornado. It took a while for things to calm down, but I stayed patient while evaluating my options on how to continue my flight training. While I was trying to find another airplane to fly, I concentrated on my ground school training. Since we couldn’t find a good airplane to rent in the area, my father (Mark) and I purchased an airplane so that I could finish my flight training.”

Hermann advised that he is pursuing a career in aviation as an airline pilot. He is presently enrolled at Southern Illinois University in its aviation program and comes back to Crawford County Airport as much as he can to build time in he and his dad’s Piper PA-28-140.  

The post Rebuilding Crawford County Airport appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

“This is a huge milestone for our chapter and all the volunteers involved,” says EAA chapter president and Young Eagles pilot Mike Baer. “We all love aviation, and being able to share the magic of flying with so many kids is very special.”

Chapter 579, based at Aurora Municipal Airport (KARR), formed in 1977, a full 15 years before EAA created the Young Eagles program, which is designed to give children ages 8 to 17 a chance to fly in a small aircraft. Today, the chapter is composed of pilots of all experience levels from students and professionals to aviation engineers and enthusiasts, and aircraft builders.

According to Baer, May to October is Young Eagles season. On the third Sunday of the month (weather permitting), chapter pilots and dedicated ground crew volunteer their time to share the joy of aviation.

Baer notes that flying Young Eagles is the best thing a person can do with their pilot certificate.

“We usually will have eight to 10 airplanes and 15 to 20 ground volunteers,” he says. “From working registration to flightline marshallers to ride pilots, it requires a lot of people to make these Young Eagle rallies happen. And these volunteers don’t just give their time and aircraft to the cause. They all share their passion for flying to every kid that comes by.” 

For the 20,000th flight rally, there was an eclectic collection of aircraft, including a Cessna 150, 170, 182, and six 172s, along with a Piper Pacer, a Hatz CB-1 biplane, and an American Champion Scout on amphibious floats.

“Over the years, we have also seen Cessna Skymasters, Cessna 177s, Cessna 195s, a variety of Vans RV aircraft, a Quicksilver ultralight, and a squadron of other aircraft that helped us reach 20,000,” Baer says.

While all Young Eagles rallies are fun, this one was made extra special as Chris Gauger, a representative from EAA, was there to present a special trophy to recognize the chapter for its efforts.

The chapter uses EAA’s online registration system to space out the flights during the day so that no one is waiting around for long. There are also child and family appropriate aviation activities, such as a miniature and age-appropriate ground school to keep the visitors busy and entertained while they wait for their turn in the aircraft.

“In addition, we have a tent set up with a flight simulator, allowing the kids to learn basic flight controls while still on the ground,” says Baer. “We also have a static display aircraft that we make available for viewing by siblings who are interested in climbing into an aircraft but are still a bit too young to fly as a Young Eagle, and we, of course, have a souvenir tent where we sell EAA 579 hats and T-shirts to help cover some of our expenses.”

For more information on EAA Chapter 579, visit them on Facebook. 

For more information on the next Chapter 579 flight rally, visit:  EAA Young Eagles Day | EAA | EAA Young Eagles Day Online Registration site

For more information on the EAA’s Young Eagles program, visit:  www.youngeagles.org

The post EAA Chapter Marks 20,000 Young Eagles Flights appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Even for those who are aware of Herrens Bess Hollow Airfield (LL77) in Kampsville, Illinois, one of the grass strip’s main features is a surprise to them.

“My wife, Tammy, and I’s main focus here on the property is that we raise exotic animals. I’ve always been involved with alternative agriculture and exotic animal breeding throughout my whole life. But we’ve never been open to the public, and it’s just been something that we have done for ourselves. A few years ago, we decided to bring this to the public, where people can come into our venue to take a tour and see the animals. I recently started advertising this on various aviation related Facebook groups, because I knew that pilots would be interested in flying to see Kamaroo Farms,” Herren explained. 

Even with the basic amenities in place at this point on the property, and minimal advertising efforts, Herren has stated a strong demand has already revealed itself form fellow pilots to visit their airstrip.

“We’ve only been advertising to the aviation public for a little while now and have already had several people fly into the airstrip. A few have even camped overnight. The combination of the grass airstrip, the rental cabin that’s being built right now, and the exotic animals (camels, kangaroos, ostriches, swans, emus, and other exotic birds) [attracts] many.” 

Herren anticipates that these varied species on the property will form a mainstay at the fly-in destination, especially as he and his wife—a longtime event professional—outfit the property with more activities. Some of the unique things that will be going on at the airfield are the basic animal husbandry and related classes the Herrens plans to conduct. 

“We hope this year to build a water-powered grist mill and have already built a big lake to flow water to the wheel. Our immediate goal, though, is to have alternative agriculture seminars. A lot of people are wanting to move to the country and get a few acres. When they get there, how do they make a living off of it or use it? A lot of people don’t know anything at all in this arena, so we are going to offer classes. An example of a class topic would be how to raise quail, for your own consumption or direct marketing to consumers through the internet. Or experience firsthand how to raise honeybees, goats, rabbits, or other basic animals, too.” 

Herren expects that as more amenities come online, more formal fly-in events will be added to the schedule throughout much of the year. These “fly-in food” get togethers root back to the airstrip’s early days, where Herren, an Aeronca owner, hosted crawfish boils for friends and other aviators.

“What we are trying to do is get people who come in with their airplane and camp overnight, see the animals. Then maybe they’ll be interested in coming back for an event like a pig roast, fish fry, a lamb roast, or a crawdad boil. It’s fun to fly somewhere new and this is a great place to land. We’ve had people come in here in Mooneys, even, believe it or not. They don’t have a lot of prop clearance, but they have. I’ve also had Twin Comanches come in here, as well as biplanes, all kinds of Cessnas, and gobs of taildraggers. It’s a taildragger’s dream to come true, landing here—with bunches of room to land.” 

Everything mentioned to this point is just a small part of the atmosphere that the Herrens are hoping will define the experience of flying into their airstrip. There is one caveat that pilots should be aware of, the “Flying Dr. Dolittle” noted, however. 

“It’s just a pretty place to fly, as we’re in the Midwest—right between the Mississippi and the Illinois Rivers. And it’s especially beautiful to fly around here in the fall. Our only caveat is that since October is such a pretty month to fly, and the weather is pretty good, we try to be sensitive to our neighbors here, who own half the airstrip. Since deer hunting is big here in Southern Illinois, October, November, and December are kind of touchy months for that reason,” he said.

“No sooner that I started spreading the word about our airstrip, did people start flying over here and buzzing the area. And we can’t have that. So, I had to get back on there and ask that everyone stay at pattern altitude and if you want to land, please give us a call. The reason that is, is two-fold. First, I don’t want people flying low and scaring the animals, especially the kangaroos—who will run into the fence and hurt themselves. The second reason is the deer hunters, because we don’t want to mess up their hunting, as they may feel that the airplanes could scare the deer in the early mornings or evenings when they’re doing their primary activity.”

The post Illinois Grass Strip Offers Safari Fly-In Opportunity appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

An aircraft with a long production history starting in Michigan, the multiple Stinson models have seen a wide variety of modifications over the years. Type clubs such as this serve as custodians of information about unique and antique aircraft and are one of the most important methods of sharing best practices for owner maintenance, information about upgrades, STCs, potential maintenance concerns, and piloting techniques.

“We are pleased to again bring together the members of the Stinson family,” said Brett Chilcott, owner of a 1947 Stinson 108-2. “Every time we do this we al get the benefits of camaraderie and information exchange. It makes us all more effective at keeping these pieces of aviation history alive and functioning in our general aviation community.”

Passing Along Resources and Knowledge to the Next Generation

While not every Stinson owner makes it to such an event, those that do learn and then go back to their home aviation communities and share resources with others. For an aircraft that last saw updates to maintenance manuals and even engine maintenance manuals, especially for those that are still operating Franklin engines, decades ago, these events keep knowledge from dying with the older generation of pilots. The last generation of Stinson operators shares their knowledge with the current generation, and the current generation has a duty to share information with the next generation. This is how we keep historic aircraft flying for another generation.

Many of the Stinsons present represent a unique merging of antique and modern. Some had older Franklin engines; some were modified to newer, more current engines with more horsepower. Some had classic VFR-only panels; some were upgraded to modern avionics that were as capable as most modern new production glass panel aircraft. A historic, classic airframe, the Stinson has proven to be adaptable and still relevant to flying in the modern aviation system. This is something that many antique aircraft have been unable to do. Stinsons have proven to be classic and adaptable for modern owners who still love flying them.

• READ MORE: His and Hers Stinsons

I include myself in that group. This event marked a five-year anniversary for my wife and me in the ownership of a 1947 Stinson 108-1. I fly the aircraft regularly to and from the practical tests I give as an FAA designated pilot examiner (DPE), but we also fly it for fun, and I still get a little cranky when it has been too long between flights. My wife will confirm this.

If you are a Stinson owner or operator, join the International Stinson Club. If you don’t own a Stinson, but have another classic aircraft for which there is a type club, join it. I promise your membership will pay dividends in knowledge about your aircraft and help support the communities that keep these pieces of aviation history flying.

The post Pilots Gather at the 2022 Stinson Summit appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Pilots who have not yet had the chance to fly in and land on the 2,000-foot-long grass strip and chat with those based there may be missing out on “Flying the way it was fifty years ago,” as the airpark’s website says.

“We have a very active field and we have a lot of fun out here, a lot of activity and things going on,” the airport’s current owner and manager, Jim Robinson says. “You have to make things happen if you are going to make an airport successful. You got to plan events. 

“Someone told me once, ‘You can’t just sit back and wait for things to happen. You’re the FBO here, you’re the airport. You have to call people and say, ‘Dawn Patrol, Saturday morning, seven o’clock…click.’”

This piece of advice is something that Robinson has enthusiastically acknowledged and implemented, frequently using personal communication to his advantage in stoking airport activity. Through his efforts and those of others, a positive environment focused on flying and community has been cultivated at the privately owned, public-use airport. 

And while an enduring spirit of grassroots flying pervades the airfield’s history, there are a few notable changes since its FAA-referenced activation date of July 1972. 

The first critical point in Erie Airpark’s history was the death of its founder and longtime owner, which ultimately resulted in a change of ownership in the late 1990s. 

“We have been here for about 23 years now,” Robinson says. “The previous owner built it as what he called an Air Ranchette [one home is adjacent to the runway]. From the grass strip, he flew a Viking, or a Bellanca, or something like that, but eventually had an injury at work to where he lost partial eyesight in one eye and couldn’t get a medical anymore. So, he started flying ultralight aircraft and ultimately became a [Quad City] Challenger dealer.” 

Robinson purchased the airport from the previous owner’s estate, then continued operating as the onfield ultralight aircraft dealer. Along with being the base for these sales operations, Erie was a popular spot in the region for Part 103 flight instruction. 

An ultralight flight instructor at the time, Robinson explains what arguably turned out to be the most critical point in 3H5’s history. 

“The FAA had the ruling in 2004 where they dropped the training exemption for ultralight aircraft so we could fly a two-place trainer to teach people how to fly a single-place airplane. The FAA dropped the ruling, and everybody had to become a sport pilot now. Now we don’t have any aircraft to train pilots in anymore because you can’t teach someone to fly in a Cessna 150 and then expect them to get in a single-place Challenger and fly it. So, sales [of the ultralight] started dropping off.”

Even with this rule change, Robinson says that the flying community is as active now at Erie Airpark as it ever was. 

“We do have one Hummel, which is an ultralight, believe it or not, and we have two Phantoms, which are light sports. But, basically about everything we have here is a Quad City Challenger. We have about 25 here on the field, which is probably one of the largest gatherings of Challengers in one place.”

Regardless of model, everyone finds a way to enjoy their aircraft, their friends’ aircraft, and scenic aerial opportunities around the area. 

“We have guys come out and fly in the morning before they go to work, sometimes,” Robinson says. “And there are the guys who are retired who like to come out and fly in the morning, then work on their plane all day, or go golf or something. 

“If it’s a nice evening, they will come out and go for a flight in their airplanes, fly along the Mississippi River or the Rock River and just do some sightseeing.”

Aside from these routine impromptu flights, there are some more formal events that happen at or originate from the airpark. 

“Sometimes on Saturday and Sunday mornings, we will have what we call a Dawn Patrol. Wheels up at 7 a.m….for anybody that wants to participate. We pick a local airport that is nearby, within fifty miles, and we all fly there, meet, and have breakfast together. 

“I will load up a bunch of breakfast burritos, and I will put 20 or 30 of them in an insulated bag, with a couple of thermoses of coffee, a jug of orange juice, and I will pack all of that in my backseat. Everybody gets a burrito, an orange juice, or a coffee. We sit there, talk a little bit, and then everyone jumps in their airplanes and heads back home.” 

At other times throughout the week, pilots, aviation enthusiasts, and a number of others will gather for food and friendship. 

“On Wednesday nights, we have a radio-controlled, model airplane club that comes out here and they fly radio-controlled airplanes here at our field,” Robinson says. “It’s fun to watch those guys flying and we have a lot of people that drive in, unpack a backpack parachute or something and go flying with that. 

“Usually on Friday and Saturday nights, weather permitting, we have a bonfire out there. We all sit around the fire, make hot dogs, play guitars, sing, and watch the stars come out. Just kind of hang out; everybody has a good time.” 

Unlike the airport’s name suggests, Erie Airpark does not have houses surrounding its runways and is not a fly-in community. But there are roughly 30 hangars at the airport, all of which are presently spoken for.

• READ MORE: Excitement Builds For a New Luxury Fly-In Community

And while the airport sees some transient and local traffic from other airports, Robinson is confident that the rural site has the wherewithal to become more popular in the flying community. He says there is one impediment for new pilots to visit, though. 

“We’re actually marked on the sectional chart and if you look up 3H5, it comes up as an ultralight airfield. I think we would get a lot more business if I could change that to a regular airfield. Right now, I got an F with a circle around it, which stands for ultralight activity. What I want it to be is a circle for a private airstrip because we are a privately owned, public-use facility [accommodating to a wide array of traffic] and have close to 2,700 feet to land on.”

Even without this documentation change, Robinson welcomes general aviation pilots to touchdown at Erie Airpark, meet fellow aviation enthusiasts, and learn more about what makes the nearly 50-year-old airport special. 

The post Illinois Airpark Fights to Increase Air Traffic, Fellowship appeared first on FLYING Magazine.