Misty Allsup is based at Antlers Municipal Airport (80F), Antlers, Oklahoma and is a student pilot who owns a Champ.
My husband introduced me to general aviation in the Spring of 2009. Â It was an introduction into a whole new world, and I loved it – as long as I was on the ground! LOL
To my dismay, I found that I was terrified of flying.  Seriously, I had physical reactions when I would simply think about going flying with my husband or our friends. Once inside the plane and in the air, I would shake with chills even though my hands and feet were sweating profusely.  My breathing was pretty lousy then, too. LOL I had all sorts of ways to distract myself that would get me through the flight but my legs would be jelly once on the ground. Being that afraid of something didn’t sit well with me so I devised a plan to overcome the fear.
Misty named her new Champ “Marilynn”!
First of all, I just didn’t like flying. Â I couldn’t get used to the feel of banking and I had a bad case of getdownitis so I first needed to find a plane that I simply liked so much that I would give flying a chance.
Enter a 1968 Citabra. Â The owner took me for a short flight, with my hand on the stick and feet on the rudders, and I fell in love. Â I could understand that plane! I just couldn’t get the normal “spam can” planes, they didn’t talk to me. Â So began the search for a “low and slow” tailwheel.
Last year, my husband bought me a 1959 Aeronca 7FC, that had been converted to a conventional gear, as my 30th birthday present. Â I named her Marilynn, and she’s so special to me. Â I love my little Champ!
My fear of flying didn’t instantly go away with Marilynn’s arrival so it’s been a slow process but such an awesome journey.
In the last year, I’ve flown over 120 hours with my husband as my long-suffering pilot-in-command. I’ve got 18 hours in Marilynn and solo’d her on October 17, 2010, and have been having a blast!
“Tailwheels are the only way to go!”
My husband and I also own a Waco UPF7, a Micco SP26, and a Piper Seneca II, and have our own hanger and grass strip in SE Oklahoma. Â We’d love to have ‘ya so drop a line for coordinates.
Judy, love your website, especially since so many of the ladies have Champs. With my husband’s stable of planes, everyone overlooks my poor little Champ so I like to see them fully appreciated!
Cheers,
Misty
misty allsup
Posted at 00:12h, 28 NovemberAh, no; Antlers is still on the small side although they did allow some of the pilot community to build a row of hangars a few years back.
That hangar actually belongs to my husband and me, and is in our backyard! LOL We finished it this summer, and our 3900′ x 180′ runway.
We haven’t gotten it located on the charts yet so I figured I’d better list Antlers as my home airport. 🙂 I should post some pics of the runway…
Bill Tracy
Posted at 16:12h, 25 NovemberDid they build a new hanger at Antlers? That looks nice. The last time I was there there was just a nice little pilots lounge and a courtesy car
Susan
Posted at 15:32h, 21 Novemberp.s. The RNF and the UPF are really like the Champ — just a little bigger and a little heavier — but they are just as much fun to fly!
Susan
Posted at 15:31h, 21 NovemberMisty!
After I posted about Jimmy — I talked to my husband Andy and realized Jimmy spells his name with one “L” LOL Oh well! Can’t wait to see pics of your UPF-7! You should also join the National Waco Club (www.nationalwacoclub.com)! We have a forum as well and I need some lady tailwheel pilot help in there! LOL I’m one on the forum amongst all those guys! HELP! 🙂 We do have a lot of fun… Tina is a member too — I need to get her on the NWC forum as well! Anyway — sooooo glad you found the LLT site! It’s great to have you here with all us gals! You can get my email address from Judy if you and Steve want more info about the NWC!
Cheers!
Susan
misty allsup
Posted at 11:58h, 21 NovemberTina, thanks so much for the support and advice. Always appreciated. I’m a horse trainer, by profession, and flying is the only subject I’ve ever encountered that is near horses, in terms of complexity. A wonderful thing about airplanes, though, is they don’t have a brain – that’s the pilot’s job! LOL
Susan, 🙂 🙂 Don’t give Jimmy too much of a hard time ’cause my husband is Steve Allsup! LOL Haven’t met Jimmy yet and not sure if he’s related but we’ll have to get together and compare notes.
I love your Waco, it’s beautiful, and I read about it right off. I’ll post pics of ours. Is it really like the Champ?
I would love to come to the flyin. Maybe by then I’ll be flying “Lucy” (the Waco) or maybe I’ll make my husband fly Lucy and I’ll fly the Champ, it’d be good x-country experience! Can’t wait to meet you guys! And thanks, so much, for all the encouragement!
Susan
Posted at 08:36h, 21 NovemberMisty!!!
What a fabulous story!! Is Jim Allsup your hubby? If so, I’m going to give Jimmy all kinds of grief on the NWC forum for not sharing your story with us there too!! I’m sooooo happy to see you here on LLT and you should (as I am sure you are) VERY PROUD of your accomplishments!!! WELL DONE!!!
I hope one day you can get in and solo the UPF-7! It’s very much like the Champ — really… and lots of fun! Don’t ever sell your little Champ tho — she’s a beauty and a great plane to fly!!! I hope you can make the flyin this year!
Congratulations!!!
Susan
aka Waco RNF
Tina Thomas
Posted at 12:55h, 18 NovemberWay to go Misty! I started out years ago with a lot of uneasiness myself and pushed through it as well. It it so worth the effort and persistence , even if you are outside of your “comfort factor” now…way too fun not to be a part of “flying,” especially the tailwheel group! Isn’t it great how the airplanes “talk” to you?
Tina Thomas