Love Is In The Air!

Feb 2015 Love Is In The Air!

MEN! MEN! MEN!

Ladies, what are we to do with all the men that love LadiesLoveTaildraggers?!

I hear from them frequently. They email. They Facebook.They Tweet. They even register for membership in LadiesLoveTaildraggers.

The gal in the periwinkle blue bikini. I told the artist prior to his sketching her that it had to be decent and that I didn’t want anything too risque. She is in her bare feet because I wanted her to portray innocence and I didn’t want her wearing high heels. I didn’t want a call girl or a dancer, just a youthful and healthy all American girl who fully depicts the joy and exhilaration of the freedom of flight.

Over time, I’ve learned their interest comes in several forms. Some men are OK with silently and quietly observing from afar. Others are a little more aggressive and want to participate on some level. They enjoy being members of our Facebook group, leave comments and are fun to have around. It’s good.  And then there are those men who want to be actual members of LadiesLoveTaildraggers. Maybe it’s time to split hairs a little.

Some in this group of men truly just LOVE taildraggers. They don’t really care if we’re ladies or not, they just love anything and everything to do with flying taildraggers and want to be part of the passion. Hallelujah for these men!! Yet there’s another group of men – the ones that love taildraggers, own taildraggers, love flying their taildraggers ……. AND……. want to find a lady taildragger pilot of their very own. And hey, what better place to search than a site just oozing with lady taildragger pilots?!

Now you all know, we are NOT a flying dating service. We began life on the net to share our passion for flying taildraggers and that is our mantra. But once in a while, when there’s time, I’m OK with introducing you to someone who may just be the next love of your life.

On that note, ladies, let me introduce you to Jerome Behm from North Dakota. Jerome sent in his registration to LLT over 2 weeks ago and I have been so busy with our ladies I have not had time to respond. Tonight Jerome sent me a follow up email.

“Awhile back I saw your website and sent a message to you on it. My take is that you girls are having way too much fun and that it really looks interesting and inviting for us guys out there who also fly tail draggers and are looking in on you. What a beautiful website and I am so glad to learn that it is “picture heavy”. It is so much more inviting that way. And congratulations to all of you for what really looks like such an interesting organization. I’d really like to know some of you lady tail dragger pilots. Pretty girls and pretty airplanes, WOW — and what more could a guy ask for?”

Sounds like a pretty clear message. If you’d like to know more about Jerome, read on. 

Jerome Behm from North Dakota & his 1947 Piper PA-12-150

Here are a few pictures of my 1947 Piper PA-12-150 which was involved in a 22 month rebuild at Hawarden, Iowa not all that long ago. It is really a PA-14 now because it has flaps and so much more but it is still designated as a modified PA-12. These pictures were taken this past summer when I flew the general manager (Dan DeRouchey) of Berthold Farmers Elevator over the elevators in both Berthold and Carpio, ND so that he could get some new aerial pictures in order to update the elevator website. I have more pictures too and will send some of those on to you.

As you can see too, the plane has a name on the engine cowl. That name was there when I bought it in 1991 and I promised the former owner that it would remain there. It had been painted on previously in free-hand style with a long bristled brush. We put the name back on in professional script. There is also a decal on both sides of the aircraft and directly behind the D window. It is of a gal in a periwinkle blue bikini standing on her tiptoes and blowing a kiss out of her hand. The caption beside the picture says “S’cuse Me While I Kiss The Sky”. The gal is holding a white silk flying scarf behind her in her free hand and the scarf is unfurled in the wind. In red letters on the scarf you will see the name, “Mom’s Worry”. A guy in Santa Rosa, California who does nose artwork for the Reno Air Racers did that for me and it is simply beautiful. I would enjoy hearing from you.

Registration;  Hey girls, —I’m a guy but this sounds like so much fun and it would be interesting to know more about your organization. I’m a farmer, rancher, and commercial pilot here in North Dakota. I have been flying since I was18 and started out in tail draggers because that was all that was available at the airport where I was flying. I also fly helicopters and own a beautiful 1947 Piper PA-12 which has recently been rebuilt. I keep it here and hangared on the farm where I live. It is a trophy airplane now.

I am receptive to learning more about what you do if you would wish to tell me. Thank you and I wish all of you the very best.

Jerome Behm

sunbehmaviation@srt.com