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Bill Greenwood
11-05-2013, 03:50 PM
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
11-05-2013, 09:08 PM
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
11-08-2013, 07:12 AM
Andover airport up in jersey has one that they do instruction in.

Bill Greenwood
11-08-2013, 05:07 PM
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
11-08-2013, 08:00 PM
Texas BBQ and Memphis BBQ are both good. I've lived both places.

skier
11-14-2013, 08:20 PM
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
11-15-2013, 01:19 AM
Try Brandon Ayers at Ayers Aviation in Gainesville, Texas. www.ayersaviation.com (http://www.ayersaviation.com) The web-site doesn't show the Stearman but they just did a fresh annual on it.

Jeffsunzeri
11-22-2013, 12:24 PM
"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
11-24-2013, 05:35 PM
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
12-02-2013, 10:28 AM
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

pittsdriver3
12-02-2013, 11:24 PM
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

We flew the N. John Lane delivered the Stearman to the CAF group that year. Not much EAA or CAF going on here anymore but we have several homebuilts around. I'm just finishing up a RV7 for a friend. You have any idea when your Spit will be done? Don