Stephanie Zwolinski (New York)

Aug 2014 Stephanie Zwolinski (New York)

Stephanie Zwolinski is based at a private grass strip, NY50 Johnson Airport, Perth, New York.

@ OSH 2013

I have wanted to fly since I was a little girl, though it always seemed out of reach. Through a co-worker, I got involved in my local EAA Chapter, which has a healthy contingent of vintage taildraggers, and a couple experimental aricraft created from various pieces and parts of vintage taildraggers.

This helpful co-worker also introduced me to my flight instructor and his 1940 Luscombe 8A, which he keeps on a small grass field in the middle of Nowhere-in-Particular, NY. I had such fun learning in that Luscombe that I went out and bought myself a ’46 model 8A, who I have taken to calling “Stella.”

Stella turned out to be a bit more of a project than I anticipated, so after purchase I got to spend a lot of time (i.e., all winter, freezing my bum off) learning how to repair and maintain her, with help from a mechanic friend/mentor. She may not be the prettiest plane on the ramp but she’s now a solid little flyer, and we’ve been doing quite a bit of that lately.

With my friend’s Champ who is kind enough to let me fly it sometimes

I’m still a pretty green pilot but always game for a new adventure. 

Thanks,