Tina Thomas (Illinois)

Oct 2009 Tina Thomas (Illinois)

Tina operates Poplar Grove Airmotive with her husband, Steve, at Poplar Grove Airport (C77) in northern Illinois.

Tina says “Love to fly taildraggers that we’ve worked on as projects! Currently flying a 1930 Brunner Winkle Bird, a 1941 SRE Waco and a Twin Beech.  Here’s a picture of Andrew King and I at Brodhead,WI “Grassroots “ Fly-In in September. His Pitcarin and my 1930 Bird. Both have a Kinner on the front and apparently there is some old advertising with the two competing for short takeoff and landing capabilities. I got the shortest take-off  so I’m told and he got the shortest landing in.”

One of my youngest passengers this summer, Makayla, my son’s girlfriend’s daughter. She thought she’d be scared in the open cockpit biplane but ended up loving it with her arms out in the slipstream the whole time. Her mom had to hold her down – I thought she was going to try wingwalking. Now the “Bird” is her favorite ride.