Today’s Top Pick is a 1941 Boeing​/​Stearman PT-17.

Many pilots dream of owning a vintage biplane, complete with open cockpits, fabric covering, bracing wires, and other details that characterize the classics.

In the end, though, they decide that such aircraft, lightly built with thin struts and spindly landing gear, are too delicate to be practical. While this notion might hold true for many biplanes designed during aviation’s golden age between World Wars I and II, it does not apply to the Boeing/Stearman PT-17.

Stearman Aircraft Inc. began turning out biplanes for commercial and personal use during the 1920s and by the mid-1930s had the eye of the U.S. Army Air Corps, which was looking for a new primary trainer.

The Stearman A75, later known as the PT-17 was a near-perfect candidate for the job because it was generally easy to fly yet still demanding enough to differentiate aspiring pilots with potential from those who would be better off pursuing a different specialty.

Perhaps most important was the aircraft’s ruggedness. This is one well-built biplane that was capable of bouncing back from the many mistakes that student pilots make.

The characteristics that made the Stearman a great trainer more than 80 years ago make it a wonderful personal airplane today.

The 1941 model for sale here offers pilots a window into aviation’s past, when airplanes had round engines and fabric covering. It also gives us a new way to see those familiar stretches of earth that we fly over regularly—from an open cockpit.

This 1941 Stearman has 3,749 hours on the airframe, 330 hours on its Continental W670-6A radial engine since overhaul, and 210 hours on its Sensenich propeller since overhaul. The VFR panel includes a King KLX 135 digital GPS/Comm, KT 76C transponder and intercom in addition to traditional analog flight and engine instruments

Pilots searching for a vintage biplane that is robust enough to handle frequent modern-day sorties including fly-ins, vacation getaways, and occasional formation flying with the owner’s club should consider this 1941 Boeing/Stearman PT-17, which is available for $155,000 on AircraftForSale.

If you’re interested in financing, you can do so with FLYING Finance. Use its airplane loan calculator to calculate your estimated monthly payments. Or, to speak with an aviation finance specialist, visit flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: Restoration Nation: The Stearman Next Door
• FLYING Magazine: Taking Wing: Stearman Patrol
• FLYING Magazine: Tuskegee Airmen Stearman Flies Into History
• The Aviation Consumer: Antiques and Classics: Owning and Operating
• AVweb: National Museum of the U.S. Air Force Acquires PT-17
• AVweb: Pilot Completes U.K.-Australia Stearman Flight

The post This 1941 Boeing/Stearman PT-17 Is a Tough, Two-Winged ‘Aircraft For Sale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Former United Airlines pilot Bruce Forbes, 66 at the time, initially told authorities the Stearman experienced engine trouble on a sightseeing flight over a lake and he struck power lines while he was trying to troubleshoot the engine issues. On Monday, he pled guilty in federal court to misrepresenting the facts.

• READ MORE: The Stearman Next Door

“I was flying low over the water around the curves of Lake Keystone and struck power lines, causing the plane to crash into the lake,” Forbes told the court. “I believed if I told NTSB investigators the truth, their investigation would find that I was flying in an unsafe manner, and I would have difficulty receiving insurance payments.”

Last December, an Oklahoma grand jury indicted Forbes on two counts of making false statements and one count of obstructing a government proceeding. The indictment cited statements Forbes made to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) between August 27 and September 30, 2022, and alleged false statements on October 2, 2023, to a special agent of the Department of Transportation–Office of the Attorney General.

His passenger, 19-year-old Baily Nevill, told local news outlets that, before the flight, she had not received a safety briefing on how to unfasten her safety belt. Describing the accident, she said Forbes was demonstrating “water dancing” low over the surface of the lake before striking the power lines and crashing into the water.

Nevill said Forbes tried to pull her from her seat, but “we were sideways, and the water was rising. We were in the middle of the lake. He was screaming at me. And once the water got above my chest, Bruce then decided to let go of me and swim away.”

• READ MORE: Stearman Patrol

Nevill was unsure how she finally freed herself from the belt and swam to the surface. Boaters rescued both occupants and brought them safely to shore.

The court has not set a sentencing date, and Forbes could be facing up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He declined to comment on the case to local news outlets.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

The post Stearman Pilot Found Guilty of False Statements in Water Crash appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 2023 Great Lakes 2T-1A-2.

The Great Lakes 2T-1A-2 traces its lineage back to the early 1930s. But after the company shut down in 1936, a string of manufacturers resurrected the design, which became a fixture in aerobatic competition during the 1960s.  

Monoplanes might have been staging a takeover of precision aerobatics at the time, but many pilots still considered wire-braced biplanes the best mounts for mastering the Aresti Catalog of maneuvers. Some of the top competitors of the era flew Great Lakes aircraft, often modified for enhanced performance.

These aircraft also gained a following with private pilots who enjoyed aerobatics as a pastime for sharpening flying skills and those who simply liked the feel of a vintage biplane. For such enthusiasts, the Great lakes has become the quintessential sport biplane, capable of cross-country travel as well as neat airshow routines. There is still demand for them, and after WACO found recent success selling its golden age models, the company expanded its line to include the Great Lakes.

This nearly new Great Lakes has 10 hours on the airframe and eight hours on its 180 hp Lycoming AEIO-360, which is equipped with inverted fuel and oil systems. The panel includes a Garmin G5, Garmin Aera 660 WAAS GPS, Trig TY-91 Cim, Garmin GDL 52 ADS-B datalink, Trig TN-70 ADS-B In and Out, Trig TT-22 Mode S transponder, G meter, and JPI EDM 930.

Additional equipment includes cockpit covers, dual cockpit heater, entry-assist roll bar handle, aerobatic harnesses and LED lighting.

Pilots who are interested in owning a classic, golden age style, aerobatic biplane in new condition and built using modern methods and equipment should consider this 2023 Great Lakes 2T-1A-2, which is available for $335,000 on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Finance. For more information, email info@flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: Waco Great Lakes 2T-1A-2 Debuts
• FLYING Magazine: Waco Doubles Production and Plans to Expand Product Line
• Plane & Pilot: Return of the Great Lakes
• Plane & Pilot: Great Lakes Sport Trainer
• The Aviation Consumer: Great Lakes Revival: Docile and Glass Smooth
• Kitplanes: Bringing a Baby Great Lakes Back

The post This 2023 Great Lakes 2T-1A-2 Is a Modern, Golden Age ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1927 WACO 10.

There is something about biplanes from the 1920s and ’30s that attracts pilots, often luring them away from the high-tech piston, turboprop, or jet aircraft they typically fly. For some, the opportunity to experience the sounds, smells, and vibrations of a vintage aircraft engine and the tactile feel of direct mechanical controls is irresistible. Others seek the wind-whipped thrills of an open cockpit and the attention they receive when arriving at just about any airport.

While the airplane for sale here is certain to start conversations on any ramp, what it really offers is an escape to remote turf strips, most of which lack a defined ramp. It will transport you to an earlier era when visual references formed the foundation of flying. All you need is a chart and pilotage to find your way, though a tablet with ForeFlight loaded would serve as a reasonable backup. A rare biplane like this will urge you to add as many vintage fly-ins to your calendar as possible. It will also compel you to stop letting those sunny days with gentle winds slip by without a visit to the airport.

This WACO 10 has 2,600 hours on the airframe and 200 hours since overhaul on its Continental W670 radial engine. Its VFR panel includes a Narco 810 radio, PS Engineering 1200 intercom, and King 76A transponder.

Pilots interested in owning a classic biplane from aviation’s golden age that is far less common than the Stearmans and F-series WACOs that arrived several years later, should consider this WACO 10, which is available for $139,000 on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Finance. For more information, email info@flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: We Fly: WACO YMF-5
• FLYING Magazine: Waco Doubles Production and Plans to Expand Product Line
• FLYING Magazine: Wacky Jet Waco Revealed at ICAS
• FLYING Magazine: Be Safe but Authentic with Your New Old Panel
• AVweb: WACO Amphib Certified, First Example Delivered
• AVweb: WACO Gets New Owner

The post This 1927 WACO 10 Is a Golden Age ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1929 Brunner-Winkle Bird Model A.

After years of owning and operating modern all-metal or composite aircraft for the usual business, family travel, and leisure activities, many pilots look for ways to branch out into less-traveled, more adventurous areas of aviation. Some develop a craving for the singular experience of flying a biplane from aviation’s golden age between the world wars.

When the bug bites, you are left with a choice: Which biplane suits me best? Among the numerous candidates, WACOs, Stearmans, Fleets, and Travel Airs often come to mind first. But have you considered a Brunner-Winkle Bird? It was a popular model in its day before the Great Depression cut production short. This 1929 example is looking for a route back into the air after a stint at the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum in Hood River, Oregon.

Much of the Bird’s appeal stems from its forgiving, harmonious handling. Indeed, Charles Lindbergh taught his wife, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, to fly in a Bird. One has to figure that he could have chosen just about any airplane for the job, so perhaps his decision reflects the airplane’s flying characteristics. 

This Brunner-Winkle Bird has 1,020 hours on the airframe and 208 hours on its Continental W670-16 engine. Early Birds were designed to use the Curtiss OX-5 V-8 engine. Later models used Kinner 5-cylinder radials. Upgrades continued over the decades to include more powerful engines like the Continental.

Pilots looking for a between-the-wars biplane that you do not see every day should take a look at this 1929 Brunner-Winkle Bird Model A, which is available for $90,000 on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Finance. For more information, email info@flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: Taking Wing: Stearman Patrol
• FLYING Magazine: Lindbergh Forum to Highlight Innovative Speakers in OSH
• Plane & Pilot: Pilot Recreates England To Australia Flight In Open Cockpit Stearman
• Plane & Pilot: Coming To NBAA: WACO Aircraft? You Heard It Here
• The Aviation Consumer: Buying The Old Ones: Homework Mandatory
• The Aviation Consumer: Off The Beaten Path: Vintage Aircraft

The post This 1929 Brunner-Winkle Bird Model A Is a Golden Age ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1986 Waco YMF-5

Everyone at the airport pauses and looks up from whatever they are doing when a vintage biplane arrives. I recently was treated to a close-up view of a Waco F- series similar to this one when it lined up behind us at the fuel pumps. Many pilots dream of flying a Golden Age classic like this, with open cockpits, a radial engine, and the wind rushing past. This could be a nice opportunity to turn back the clock to an era when general aviation was evolving rapidly, driven by a steady flow of innovation.

Waco built a bunch of F models, all slightly different, but the 1935 YMF-5 is one of my favorites. It is also the version that Waco Classic Aircraft chose to bring back into production in the mid-1980s with numerous improvements. This YMF has 4,262 hours on the airframe and was covered in new Poly-Fiber fabric in 2011. New leather cockpit trim was installed this year. The YMF can accommodate two passengers in the front cockpit with the pilot in the rear.

The aircraft’s Jacobs R755-B2M engine has 814 hours since overhaul, and there are 144 hours on the wooden Sensenich propeller. Avionics include a Bendix King KX-155 nav/com, a KMA-24 audio panel, a KT76A transponder, and a Sigtronics three-place intercom.

If you are in the market for a 1930s-style flying experience with the benefit of improved manufacturing and avionics, and you enjoy turning heads on the ramp, this could be the right airplane for you. This Waco YMF-5 is available for $143,500 on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Financial Group. For more information, email info@flyingfinancial.com.

• FLYING Magazine: Waco Classic’s New-Old World Biplane
• FLYING Magazine: Why Only One WACO RPT Was Made
• Plane & Pilot: Return Of The Great Lakes
• Plane & Pilot: Step Up To The Super
• The Aviation Consumer: Great Lakes Biplane: Docile, Sporty and Fun

The post Today’s Top Aircraft For Sale Pick: 1986 Waco YMF-5 appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

“Long story short, I’m a third-generation pilot, and my grandfather was actually a crop duster,” Daniel tells FLYING from her office in New Jersey. At the time, she says they’re harvesting cranberries, and she’s waiting for the next available dump truck, so she has an hour to talk. Speaking of her familial history, aviation has always been in her bloodline. In his time, her grandfather used Piper J-3 Cubs and Boeing Stearman biplanes.

“He bought a brand-new Piper PA-25 Pawnee back when you could buy them new,” Daniel explains proudly. So, her grandfather taught his kids to fly, and though her father didn’t go into the family business, he at least began teaching Emily to fly when she was 14. So, fate would have it that growing up in New Jersey, there was only one other large crop-dusting business in town, and she took a job there.

“I was working there and didn’t really think I liked it. Then once I saw it, I fell in love with the work,” she says. “So, I had the ratings and just worked my way into the airplane.”

That’s where she also met her husband, Austin. Together they purchased his family’s nearly two-decade-old business, which consists of a crop dusting operation, and a cranberry farm.

“Austin’s dad started the farm, and he and I took it over a few years ago. We’ve been trying to grow everything, so it’s been a wild ride.”

What’s the Crop-Dusting Business Like?

For the Daniels, it’s a big and complex business. They have four aircraft: a Weatherly 620B, an Air Tractor AT-400, an Air Tractor AT-502, and a Piper Pawnee PA-25-235. Daniel says she’s been crop-dusting for the last five seasons. They used to have time in the off-season to “just kind of hang out,” she says, “right now our business is slowly becoming fully all-year round.”

The spraying season includes spraying crops with crop protection products—insecticides, herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers—and planting various seeds between April and November. In October and November, her farm harvests cranberries, and they consolidate much of the heavy aircraft maintenance in the winter.

“We tear all the airplanes apart,” Daniel says.

There are also state contracts to prevent or reduce the spread of mosquitoes, which has been an extended part of that industry since the early days.

Daniel says she flies the Air Tractor 502, one of the more prominent purpose-built crop-dusting aircraft. There are also the Thrush series by Thrush Aircraft and the Grumman Ag Cat, following the Grumman naming tradition of using the ‘cat’ suffix in aircraft names.

She explains that the industry has made a concerted effort to reshape its public image to reflect more accurately the sophistication of the aerial agriculture business and its tools of the trade. For instance, it’s no longer called crop-dusting. Instead, the more appropriate label is “aerial application,” and pilots are “aerial applicators.”

“A lot of people get into aerial application thinking it’s just really cool flying, but it’s so much more than that,” Daniel says. “We’re applicators first—whether or not I’m in an airplane or on the ground, the airplane is just a vessel for application.”

That’s important to note because, in addition to being a competent pilot, aerial applicators need to take a battery of tests to earn certifications to spray chemicals like pesticides. These certifications are state-specific, though there is some crossover. They also have to meet the requirements of Part 137, which allows for low-level aviation operations.

Plus, Daniel says, they need to study the crops for their differences.

“A lot of people don’t realize you have to know these things before you can just hop in a plane. For example, you need to know the difference between beans and hay so that you don’t put the wrong product on the field, and it’s hard for people that don’t come from an agricultural background.”

The Pathway for Pilots

To be an aerial applicator, you only need a commercial license, and there’s no check ride. Operators put pilots through graduate training that allows them to work their way up the smaller piston aircraft before attending turbine transition school. It includes studying various systems, time in a simulator, and some flight familiarization training that consists of the standard stalls, takeoffs, landings, and emergencies. Despite the fact the industry has been seen as a time-building job, for those who want to make it a career, the opportunity is there, especially since businesses are willing to invest in their pilots, she says.

“It used to be kind of a time-building job but has shifted to a career. I can tell you from the owner’s side, it’s an investment in every pilot I put in the airplane, from the cost of training to insurance,” which Daniel says can be tens of thousands of dollars. 

Improving Safety

As for the association that represents the industry, the National Agricultural Aviation Association (NAAA) has been around since 1966 and represents close to 1,900 members in 46 states. Its duty includes representing the interests of small business owners and pilots in that industry. According to the association, these include “professional commercial aerial applicators who use aircraft to enhance food, fiber and bio-energy production, protect forestry and control health-threatening pests.”

The NAAA also provides safety training for aerial applicators. It developed the Professional Aerial Applicators’ Support System (PAASS) to educate pilots about safety, security, and drift mitigation. And, its Self-regulating Application & Flight Efficiency (SAFE) program allows aerial applicators to attend fly-in clinics and have their aircraft professionally analyzed for spray pattern uniformity and droplet size.

What’s Next?

Is crop dusting under threat from new technology? Daniels says, not likely, and puts it into perspective. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as of February 2022, there is a total of 895.3 million acres of farmland across the country. The average farm size is only 445 acres. Of that, 347 million acres are used for crop production. 

“Aerial application, running at full speed, only treats a fraction of that,” Daniel says. She’s right. According to the 2019 NAAA Industry Survey, the industry only treats about 127 million acres annually, so there’s a long way to go. The survey also shows the technological strides being made to improve safety. These include GPS swath guidance systems, onboard weather measurement systems, STCs [supplemental type certificates] for night vision goggles, and more.

As for Daniel, who says she never thought she’d work as a pilot when she was younger, her skills as a crop duster may open up new opportunities. .”I think I would like to do some fire-bombing in the future. The firefighting industry is quite a bit different. You do have to attend the ground school and take a check ride. I’m halfway there.”

The post Pilot Runs a Crop-Dusting Business appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The pilot, identified by Cuban authorities as Ruben Martinez Machado, landed at Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport (KTNT) in the Everglades on October 21.

“He told airport staff that he was a defector from Sancti Spiritus, Cuba,” said Greg Chin, Miami-Dade Aviation Department spokesperson, WPLG reported.

Low and Slow

Martinez Machado is a pilot for a Cuban company called ENSA (Empresa Nacional de Servicios Aéreos), a subsidiary of the government’s Cuban Aviation Corporation, according to Cuban aviation officials. He has a valid Cuban pilot certificate that is set to expire October 30, the agency said.

According to Cuba’s civil aviation authority, Instituto de Aeronautica Civil de Cuba, Martinez Machado took off from Sancti-Spiritus around 7 a.m. on October 21, flying toward Ed Cedro on a crop fumigation flight.

“After completing its second application flight, the aircraft, piloted by the captain on board Rubén Martínez Machado, did not return to the runway,” the authority said in a statement.

He then flew from El Cedro, Cuba, (about 185 miles east of Havana) to Florida, according to WPLG. To avoid detection, the 29-year-old aviator flew at a low altitude, right over the wavetops of the Florida Straits, as evidenced via a video captured by a fisherman off the coast of Florida.

“Acts of air piracy constitute crimes defined in various international conventions, ratified by Cuba and the United States,” Aeronautica Civil de Cuba said. “This fact represents a violation of Cuban airspace, operational safety and aeronautical regulations, in correspondence with the Annexes of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention).”

At 11:30 a.m.—more than four hours after leaving Cuba—Martínez Machado approached the runway of KTNT in the Everglades, where he alerted “officials” that he was low on fuel, according to local reports—officials quoted in those reports as the “tower” at KTNT, though it is a nontowered field.

There, he landed the large single-engine biplane. 

Defecting With Soviet Technology

The Antonov An-2 is a single-engine biplane designed and manufactured by the Antonov Design Bureau beginning in 1947. The rugged aircraft boasts high-lift characteristics, allowing it to operate out of short and unimproved runways easily. 

Antonov ceased production in 2001, and several remain in service with military and civilian operators worldwide.

The An-2 flown by Martínez Machado features the registration number CU-A1885 on its right-top wing and the ENSA logo on its fuselage. The company operates agriculture flights and domestic cargo deliveries under the management of the Cuban Civil Aviation Corporation, or CACSA.

After landing, airport officials contacted law enforcement, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel took Martínez Machado into custody.

This is not the first time a Cuban pilot has defected via airplane. On March 20, 1991, Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 pilot Orestes Lorenzo Perez flew under radar coverage from Cuba to Key West and circled the Naval Air Station three times, to signal friendly intentions. After some investigation, he was granted asylum and allowed to remain in the country. 

The following year, Perez once again flew under radar detection, returning to Cuba to pick up his wife and children, according to the New York Times. Rather than a Soviet jet, Perez opted for a 1961 Cessna 310 that he had purchased with the help of some fundraising efforts and had only landed once before. After sneaking into Cuba and landing on a street near Havana, Perez took off, avoiding Cuban radar, and returned to the U.S. with his family onboard.

An-2 pilot Ruben Martinez is currently in government custody awaiting his immigration proceedings.

The post Cuban Pilot Flies Soviet An-2 Biplane to Florida appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Retired U.S. Air Force Triple Ace Col. Clarence E. “Bud” Anderson, 100, and retired U.S. Navy “Ace of Two Oceans” Cmdr. Dean “Diz” Laird, 101, were treated to Thursday’s flights at Auburn Municipal Airport (KAUN) near Sacramento, California, in the vintage military trainer operated by Dream Flights. 

The Carson City, Nevada-based non-profit has a mission of giving back to veterans and seniors through flights in their four vintage World War II-era biplanes.

The 1940 Boeing Stearman PT-17, which is based on the Stearman Model 75, was produced in large numbers in Wichita, Kansas, as a military aerobatic trainer. The aircraft was renowned for its rugged durability stemming from its steel tube fuselage. Following the war, it became a favored aircraft for crop dusting and airshows.

“It’s neat that this is happening. They’re true American heroes,” James Kidrick, president of the San Diego Air and Space Museum, told the San Diego Union-Tribune before the flight. Both pilots were inducted into the museum’s International Hall of Fame. “They’re going to have a sort of swan song that should be a lot of fun.”

When it came to rumbling down the runway in the open-air biplane, however, it wasn’t exactly either pilot’s first rodeo.

Anderson, whose Air Force career spanned three decades, flew the P-51 Mustang Old Crow while assigned to the 357th Fighter Group “Yoxford Boys.”

“At the young age of 22, Anderson flew two tours of combat against the Luftwaffe in Europe while with the 363rd Fighter Squadron and achieved 16 victories through 116 missions without a single hit from enemy aircraft,” according to the museum. 

Laird is the only Navy pilot to shoot down both German and Japanese aircraft during World War II, the museum said, which called him a “quintessential fighter pilot.” During a nearly 30-year military career, Laird logged more than 8,200 flight hours in virtually every fighter and attack aircraft in the Navy’s inventory.

The men weren’t just reuniting with familiar aircraft. They’ve been friends since they attended Auburn High School together, before they signed up for military service, according to the Union-Tribune.

 “[I]t will be good to see Diz,” Anderson told the newspaper during a phone call before the flight. 

Laird echoed the sentiment, saying, “It will be good to see my friend Bud,” adding, “Well, I’m looking forward to flying, but not falling out—and if I do, I hope the parachute works. I also hope I don’t get air sick.”

Dream Flights operates between 600 to 800 flights annually, vice president of operations Merilyn Chaffee told FLYING. In the span of 11 years, the organization has conducted more than 5,000 flights for veterans in 49 states.

The post Two Legendary Ace World War II Pilots Return to the Skies appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

For the pilots, crews and families that operate vintage biplanes for giving public rides, there are few—if any—days off when it comes to performing important annual maintenance and 100-hour inspections. Meeting the FAA safety criteria for holding out rides to the public when your airplane was built over 80 years ago requires a dedication to the craft few in the aviation community possess.

Every day of the year, Rob Lock, a.k.a. “Waldo Wright” is busy keeping his operation’s four vintage biplanes airworthy. As the largest vintage biplane ride company in the country, his four airplanes are worked hard all year, giving rides in Michigan and Florida and at numerous events throughout the country. Keeping these beautiful old airplanes flying to FAA standards is a seven-days-a-week job, one that he and wife Jill lovingly perform.

“I knew that offering rides in vintage aircraft would be popular in 1995,” Lock said. “So, we went ‘all-in’ and started restoring our New Standards about 25 years ago. We’ve seen people come in the industry, stay for a while, and leave, but we just keep going, and have now built the largest vintage rides company in America. We operate two four-passenger New Standard D-25s, a two-passenger 1929 Travel Air E-4000, and a 1942 Boeing Stearman PT-17/N2S-3 set up with dual controls for one passenger—that’s 11 total seats. Not one vintage biplane tour company can come close to that. Other ride operators rarely have more than four seats available, and very few of them operate year-round.”

Currently, Waldo Wright’s Flying Service offers New Standard and Stearman flights in Michigan in the summer months, and Travel Air and Stearman flights in Florida during the winter. Lock does the majority of the flying, and while he can “call in” several Stearman pilots in each location when demand dictates, he’s the only one who flies the New Standards and Travel Air. “Our Stearman is flown by me up to Michigan and back down to Florida annually. I am in charge of flight operations and am the Director of Maintenance, while my wife Jill handles everything else…marketing, reservations, and paperwork. Once Kermit Weeks re-opens his Fantasy of Flight attraction in the future, we will have all our aircraft in Polk City operating year round,” Lock said.

Lock is a second-generation vintage airplane restorer, having learned the meticulous art of bringing these old biplanes back to life and keeping them flying from his father, the late Bob Lock. I toured Bob’s shop in Reedley, CA in 1986, and watch as skilled hands crafted wing ribs from scratch on one of his many restorations. Rob is continuing the family tradition with equally skilled hands, and he’s not afraid to get them dirty.

“To make this whole barnstorming idea work, it was imperative that I learned how to work on these old biplanes myself,” he explains. “If I was out flying away from my home airport and had a problem, chances were the airport mechanic wouldn’t know how to fix my problem. So, under the watchful eye of my father, I learned the systems and how to troubleshoot and fix my vintage airplanes. I’ve been a licensed A&P mechanic since 2006 and added my Inspection Authorization in 2017.”

For anyone who knew Bob Lock, it comes as no surprise that the expertise to keep vintage airplanes flying has been passed down to his son, Rob. “My father began honing his restoration skills by restoring a Fairchild PT-19 in his early 20s, and, throughout his life, he had a hand in the restoration of close to 40 to 50 aircraft. His big thing was passing along a lifetime of knowledge gained in dealing with vintage aircraft restoration and maintenance to the next generation. Throughout the last years of his life, he wrote over 100 technical articles that are still being published by EAA today. His spirit lives on in those articles; he was one of a kind and is missed by many,” Rob said.

Rob explains that the work involved in his operation is enormous, but gratifying. “Both my wife Jill and I are passionate about vintage aviation, and we do work seven days a week. It’s not a job if you love what you do. After all, my definition of success is building a life that you don’t need a vacation from,” he said.

The post Keeping America’s Largest Vintage Biplane Rides Fleet Flying appeared first on FLYING Magazine.