Shannon Gallagher (Tennessee)

Jan 2010 Shannon Gallagher (Tennessee)

My name is Shannon Gallagher and I live in Hohenwald, TN at 0M3 Baker Field.  I have been taking lessons for 7 months now and learning to fly in a 1940 Taylorcraft, BC65.  I really enjoy it and hopefully, as soon as the weather gets better, will finish my flight training.  This is something I’ve wanted to do all my life but was unable to till recently.  I have never flown anything else but a taildragger at this point, and really don’t care if I ever do as I love the little plane.  I have learned to fly using only the simple gauges and no fancy stuff.  I like it that way and appreciate others who have the skill in these wonderful machines.

I have enclosed a photo of me in front of Chuck’s plane.  It’s my good fortune to have a boyfriend who happens to have a taildragger!

Me in Old Betsy taking off for our first flight together.  A moment to remember.

If  job and weather had been cooperating I could have soloed by now but unfortunately they haven’t.  However, I look forward to that first solo flight.  I am probably more excited about flying that first solo than I should be, but I have faith in my instructor and in both my ability and in the plane I am flying.

We live right across the street from the Airport where we hangar our plane.  It’s nice .  Usually in May the local flying club puts on a fly-in and when I get the details I’ll pass them along.  I would very much like for you to come with as many women as you can.  If you need a place to rest and wash my home is across the street  and you are welcome to stay.

Believe it or not I am the only woman to be instructed here at this airport and I now have  another young woman learning in a Cessna 150 and going for her private.  Her hubby is a pilot with Southwest airlines.  Her son Ethan also has his private and is in school for commercial pilot.
The older men at this airport who also fly taildraggers are very encouraging  to me and are full of advice on tailwheel flying.  They tell me that when I am through I’ll be a better pilot than most men because I am learning in a plane that teaches you HOW TO FLY not one that flys for you.  Course that is just RC’s way of being  just a very sweet, old guy.  He is 83 years old and still flies a Swift tailwheel.  He also has a Navion.
Our airport is very tailwheel friendly.  We have a Steerman 450, Piper PA 12,  Piper Colt,  Pitts, Rowden T1,  Luscombe 8A,  Globe Tempo  Swift,  and of course, our little Taylorcraft BC65.