Barbe Park (Oregon)

Wow, where do I start? I’ve been flying about 4 years now and after getting my TW endorsement in the Citabria, have flown a whole bunch of other taildraggers – everything from the J-3 to an Extra 300.  My “go-to” taildragger is a 1941 Interstate Cadet, owned by Jeanne Wildman (also a LLTD member) & we are pictured here on a very cold day in December 2013, when we had snow on our runway at 7S5!

It never snows here so we had to go fly & of course the engine quit as we came in to land, didn’t let her warm up enough…we always deadstick land anyway so no worries but stopped on the runway, had to huff n puff her off & then handprop.  Jeanne is small but mighty and despite some of the guys offering assistance, we did just fine.

I’m actually finishing my instrument rating, and gasp, not in a taildragger but a Grumman Tiger. Whenever I can get “stick-time” though, I grab it!  Yokes are fine too and I’ve got time in a Luscombe, Chief, Stinson, Pacer & 180/185.  I guess I love them all but especially my original bird, the Citabria KCAB, and now the classic J-3 Cub.

Oh, my new project is restoring a Pitts S-1C with a builder/partner!  Cannot wait!

We have so many taildraggin’ ladies around here where I live in Independence, Oregon (moved to the Air Park a year ago); I’m thinking they are mostly LLTD members:  Deb Plymate, Bev Clark, Vanessa Nelson, Marilyn Husser, Jeanne Wildman, Patty Viall, just to name a few! Very cool.