Stearman Instruction ?

[Bill Greenwood]

Does anyone have contact info for a top notch Stearman instructor? I had about 2 or 3 hours, 28 years ago when I was just getting into warbird flying. It was in Phoenix, and we did some air work and then perhaps 4 landings, at Carefree. I did the landings ok, but was never really at home and comfortable with the plane, not like I am with a T-6. The air work was a snap, nothing that I have flown has a more docile and controllable stall than a 220 Stearman; but I never felt like I was in perfect control with landings. The owner didn't have insurance for me to solo the plane. I have done a bit of acro in a Stearman since, but not much and not in a long time. I would really like to go back and fill in that part of my training. If I have my history correct, the Tuskegee airmen trained in Stearmans before going to P-40, 47, 51.

Thanks, Bill G

[JimRice85]

Does anyone have contact info for a top notch Stearman instructor? I had about 2 or 3 hours, 28 years ago when I was just getting into warbird flying. It was in Phoenix, and we did some air work and then perhaps 4 landings, at Carefree. I did the landings ok, but was never really at home and comfortable with the plane, not like I am with a T-6. The air work was a snap, nothing that I have flown has a more docile and controllable stall than a 220 Stearman; but I never felt like I was in perfect control with landings. The owner didn't have insurance for me to solo the plane. I have done a bit of acro since, but not much and not in a long time. I would really like to go back and fill in that part of my training. If I have my history correct, the Tuskegee airmen trained in Stearmans before going to P-40, 47, 51.

Thanks, Bill G

Dr Morris Ray, in Memphis, does Stearman instruction. He also teaches acro and spin recovery in his Decathalon. He also owns/flys a T-6.

Tuskegee Airmen trained in Cubs, Stearmans, BT-13/15 and T-6 before getting into fighters.

[mbond]

Andover airport up in jersey has one that they do instruction in.

[Bill Greenwood]

Thanks guys for the info. The man in Memphis sounds like that might be good for me. I'm not looking for Decathalon training per se, have done a little in that as well as Citabria which is available here in Colo. I have never spun a Stearman or T-6 and that would be a step up. Mostly I just want to get comfortable and current with Stearman landings.
I began my training years ago trying to do it the way a cadet in WW II most liklely would have, that is Cub, Stearman, T-6. The Cub is easy if it is not too windy, and I did enough T-6 trianing to be adequate in them and have flown perhaps 4 solo, including a Harvard. But I want to fill in that middle gap with the Stearman.
If I get to Memphis I will have to go to Graceland, of course, and will get a chance to see if the Bar-B-Q there is as good as it is in Texas.

[JimRice85]

Texas BBQ and Memphis BBQ are both good. I've lived both places.

[skier]

Andover airport up in jersey has one that they do instruction in.

+1

Awesome guys at Andover. I got my tailwheel endorsement there and wouldn't hesitate for a second to recommend them to anyone. I only did one flight in the Stearman with them, and that was aerobatics, but I'm sure they would do a great job instructing in it as well.

[Graumann]

Try Brandon Ayers at Ayers Aviation in Gainesville, Texas. www.ayersaviation.com The web-site doesn't show the Stearman but they just did a fresh annual on it.

[Jeffsunzeri]

"I just want to get comfortable and current with Stearman landings."

This request can be a tall order! Just as soon as you feel comfortable landing a Stearman, it will remind you not to be!

Depending on where you are in the world, there are many good Stearman instructors. Try getting a recommendation from a member of the Stearman Restorer's Association in the area where you'd like to fly. You can post that request at the SRA forum, online.

[pittsdriver3]

Bill, If you ever get through Twin Falls I'll let you fly the N3N but you might have to give the owner a Spitfire ride when it gets done. I'm very comfortable in the N and can give you a good workout in the pattern. You went up in an N with me at the Salt Lake warbird show in 87 or 88. Don

[Bill Greenwood]

Don, thanks for the offer of the N3N flight. After all, who can tell one biplane from another if they are both yellow?
I recall the flight from Salt Lake number 2 back in the 80's, but I did remember it as a Stearman, and I thought it was one the local CAF folks had rebuilt, perhaps from some damage. And anyway, thanks for the ride.
I did enjoy the shows there, for 3 years or so. One big memory was when Craig Hoskins crashed out of a normal loop in the Pitts that he used to do the inverted landings in and walked away from the plane with nothing more than soreness. THat's a testament to a lot of safety gear which he had to the max.
I was in Provo about two months ago, but don't have any plans to go back that way soon.
What are the EAA and CAF doings in your part now?
Bill