Under the Wing,Inthe Shade

Bob Hedgecock of Barnesville, Georgia, prepares to land his 1928 Stinson SM-2 Junior on the grass at Lakeland. Under the Wing, In the Shade- Sun ’n Fun 2006 Calling all Stearmans and Stinsons, Pipers and Fairchilds, Moths, Wacos, and more ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY SPARKY BARNES SARGENT the class roll had been the field, including the QCF, YKC, on these pages, but we’d like to share called for vintage aircraft YPF, and SRE. And if Al Mooney had just a few highlights from conversa- this past April, the list been around to take a stroll down the tions held with pilots and owners un- would have been a long flightline, he just might have chuck- der the wing, and in the shade. one, beginning with Aeronca and end- led upon seeing two of his tiny Mites Ifing at Waco. For example, members of tied down shoulder-to-shoulder with North Carolina and Florida the Stinson family ranged from a Sta- two of Ben Howard’s towering DGAs. Fairchilds tion Wagon and Gullwing to a Junior But let’s not leave the human ele- The early morning sun bathed Pat and Trimotor; Pipers were well repre- ment out of this roll call, for as Air- McAlee’s Ranger-powered Fairchild sented with the Cub, Vagabond, and master owner and pilot Bob Jenkins 24 in its warm glow, slowly evaporat- Pacer; and Cessna’s lineage was fun to Sr. summed it up, “I don’t know ing the beads of evening dew on its behold, from the Airmaster and the which is the most enjoyable, the air- glossy red-and-cream-colored finish Bamboo Bomber to the ever popu- planes or the gathering of friends.” It coat. The 1940 flying machine looked lar 170. At least half a dozen Waco would be nigh on impossible to in- like it might just have come out of biplanes commanded a presence on clude every pilot, owner, and airplane restoration right before the show— Piper Cubs came out in numbers to participate in the 70th anniversary of the Cub Convoy. Eddie Hoffman of Tarpon Springs, Florida, with his 1946 Warner- Lars de Jounge of Vero Beach, Florida, with his 1941 de Havilland Ti- powered Fairchild 24. ger Moth. Newly minted private pilot Bob Jenkins Jr. with the Piper J-3 Cub Pat McAlee of Belews Creek, North Carolina, and his 1940 Ranger- he and his father restored. powered Fairchild 24. instead of 29 years ago. McAlee de- in time), The Girlfriend (single-place parted from his home base at Shiloh landplane), and The Seabird (a biplane Airport, North Carolina, a few days “I don’t know flying boat). This year, Hoffman flew prior to the show, and his flight took one of them, a 1980 amphibian called five hours and 45 minutes, plus one the Mullet Skiff, to Sun ’n Fun in addi- fuel stop, before he joined light traffic which is the tion to his Fairchild. in the pattern and landed on the field on Sunday. most enjoyable, Georgia Cub, And there was another Fairch- New York Pacer, and ild on the flightline as well. VAA the airplanes Ohio Vagabond member Eddie Hoffman of Tarpon Among the first to arrive for the fly- Springs, Florida, had tucked his one- in this year was VAA member Doug man tent neatly behind the wing of or the gathering Cartledge. He was spied emerging his 1946 Warner-powered Fairchild from his tent and ducking below the 24. Hoffman bought his Fairchild on of friends.” wing of a smart-looking 1948 Piper Valentine’s Day in 1996 and flew it —Bob Jenkins Sr. PA-15 Vagabond as he arose early one home from Chico, California. Remi- sunny morning in the Vintage area. niscing about that adventure, Hoff- Hoffman also enjoys flying the Cartledge was all smiles as he described man smiled spontaneously and said, unique all-wood aircraft his father be- his good fortune of being able to fly “It was the trip of my life; it was so gan designing and building as early the Vagabond from Ohio to Florida, much fun. One of my favorite parts as 1959. These airplanes are cher- at the behest of owner Dave Satina. of the flight was in the late afternoon ished members of the family, and Cartledge landed at Lakeland after log- in west Texas, when we were flying their names reveal distinctive per- ging 12 hours on the trip and discov- along and watching the shadow of sonalities: Sweet Patootie (landplane), ered that only he and Stinson Station the Fairchild dancing on the orange- Lil’ Orphan Annie (strictly a water Wagon owner Bob Kendall of Califor- yellow buttes.” plane and always an orphan at fly- nia were keeping the flightline warm 10 JUNE 2006 Dan Vandermeer of Lake Ridge Airpark, North Carolina, journeyed to Tom and Elaine Huf with their Bumblebee, a 1944 Jacobs-powered Sun ’n Fun with Robert Szego in Szego’s 1973 Citabria. Cessna Bamboo Bomber. that Wednesday before the show. with each other and didn’t even have Cartledge figured he had an extra to talk much,” said Jenkins Jr. with day or so, and it was the perfect op- contagious enthusiasm, adding, “It portunity to satisfy his hankering to was like each of us had another set fly all the way down to Key West. So of hands, we were so synchronized. up and away he went, after camping Nine months later, the Cub was fin- on the field one night, for his second ished and we were flying it. After I cross-country adventure in the little earned my certificate, Dad suggested I airplane. His roundtrip flight took 10 fly the Cub to Sun ’n Fun, and it was hours of flying time, and he returned a great flight down here.” to Lakeland in time to claim a front- Pilots with varying levels of experi- row tie-down spot for the duration of ence were easy to find along the flight- the show. With a happy grin, Cartledge line, from the newly minted to those explained his attraction to the fly-in by who have been flying for 40 years or saying, “Some people go to the ocean more. Wolfgang Buergel (EAA 30479) to relax and watch the waves, but I of East Aurora, New York, was enjoy- come here to relax by watching the air- ing a cup of coffee early one morning planes coming and going.” below the wing of his loyal 1950 Piper Sun ’n Fun 2006 was an especially PA-20 Pacer. He flew it to Lakeland Pilot Doug Cartledge with owner Dave Sa- memorable occasion for Bob Jenkins in only eight hours, with a little help tina’s 1948 Piper Vagabond, which Cart- Jr. It was more than the fact that he from a friendly tail wind. Buergel, a ledge flew from Ohio to Lakeland. earned his pilot certificate only three longtime flight instructor specializing months prior to the fly-in and that it in tailwheel training, describes himself was his first long solo cross-country as an ordinary country pilot and a fair- away from his home base in Rome, weather flier, who started out building Georgia. He was flying a Piper J-3 Cub model airplanes as a young boy. He he and his father personally brought explained, “The Pacer is my second back to life. And sitting one row be- airplane ever, and I’ve owned it for 37 hind the Cub was his father’s 1938 years. I still have my first one, too— Cessna Airmaster. “It’s kind of neat, an Aeronca Champ that I bought in having two planes here at the same 1968. I got the Pacer in bushel baskets, time,” Jenkins Jr. said with a smile. and I covered it with grade A cotton Although Jenkins Jr. literally grew and finished it with Randolph butyr- up under the wing of his father’s ate in 1970.” He flies to Sun ’n Fun Stinson Junior, his personal interest every year, weather permitting, so he in flying began in earnest just a few can enjoy immersing himself in noth- years ago when he became intrigued ing but airplanes for the week. by a Cub he and his dad saw at the Rome airport. Father and son were Pennsylvania Bamboo soon busy restoring a Cub Jenkins Bomber Wolfgang Buergel of East Aurora, New Sr. had kept in his hangar for nearly EAA members Tom and Elaine Huf York, with his 1950 Piper PA-20 Pacer. two decades. “We worked in rhythm shared the flying on their trip down VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11 Mike Truschel of Nokesville, Virginia, with his recently acquired 1943 Stearman, the Yellow Mistress. but we had to stop at Zephyr Hills. It A golden 1941 Waco UPF-7 glows in the soft light was fogged in early the next morning, of an early morning sunrise over Lakeland. so we hung around until it was VFR and then came on in to Lakeland.” Tom Huf calls Sun ’n Fun “the harbinger of spring. We leave the Northeast when there’s still snow on the ground and enjoy this nice warm weather for a week, and by that time the spring has sprung back home. It’s just a wonderful way to start the spring, and we’ve put eight hours of flying time on the airplane coming down here. It’s running like a Swiss watch, and I hope it stays that way.” south in their 1944 Jacobs-powered their flight. “What a trip it was,” said Florida Tiger Moth Cessna T-50 Bamboo Bomber.

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