Do you remember in what way you became interested in aviation? Ye When I was twelve.

Do you remember in what way you became interested in aviation?

Ye When I was twelve, we lived to the southern of Kansas City near a major Air Force base. haphazards of my friends had fathers who were officers and fighter pilots for a like reason we talked a lot about airplanes and the military. Plus, I really lov that antique Sky King television series.

How did you acquire started flying?

I was onward a Navy scholarship to the University of Kansas. I wanted to become a Naval pilot and, at that time, the Navy paid for your private pilot license on the other hand you had to solo in below ten hours. A flight exercise had been contracted by the military at Lawrence and I went between the sides of flight training with guys that would be heading to the Air Force or Army. I solo in 74-hr and was the first of my cluster to go solo. After graduation, I was shipped not upon to Pensacola for Naval flight training and started flying Beech T-34 However, this was in the spring of 1970 and that's when Richard Nixon ordered a cyclopean downsizing of the military - when he decided to obstacle the South Vietnamese fight their possess war. There was a big reduction in flight training and I went upon active duty but not as a pilot. I was upon submarines and spent time with the SEALS.

What did you do when you got revealed of the Navy?

I went to law sect and then went into business. The company I started working with had a Twin Beech and a Turbo 210 I went forward to get commercial, multi, and instrument ratings.

When did you purchase your first aircraft?

I left that company in 1980 and met Charlie Naugle, the dean of T-34 restorers.

I liked the T-34 from my Navy days and when the chance came up to bid upon a Civil Air Patrol T-34 I did and harm up owning the plane. I didn't do a sated restoration but had the bird cleaned up and detailed public In 1982, 1 convinced Holiday Inn to sponsor a Pitts aerobatic team. They did and it was a big hit and I went forward to purchase a Pitts Special in 1983 and started getting into aerobatics. I also bought a P prototype Bonanza and, over the years, have concedeed a variety of general aviation aircraft.

How did you gain interested in vintage and veteran aviation?

As a kid, I hung around Stateline Airport (unfortunately, no longer there) and saw an great airplanes like the Beech Staggerwing and a Monocoupe confessed by the famed pilot Harold Neuman. In law place of education a friend gave me a original of the book Great Planes through James Gilbert. I read about the Staggerwing and the way Gilbert described the plane really made me want to confess one. Same with the Jungmeister - Gilbert acknowledgeed such a craft and he praised the machine. I plant a goal for eventually owning the two craft.

When did you realize your goals?

I bought my first Jungmeister in Britain during 1984 I would move on and sell this aircraft to corrupt a Staggerwing. This was a G standard and the very last Staggerwing built. However, in 1997 1 had the chance to purchase the first production Jungmeister and did in the way that Thus I completed my goal (see Air Classics tome 38, Number 2 for further details of Steve's Jungmeister).

Now you have a Warbird in your stable.

I had been looking at the Wildcat for quite more [i]or[/i] less time. I knew it was single of only two Grumman-built Wildcats flying. As a Navy officer, the Wildcat really interested me In the early days of World War pair if it had not been for the Wildcat and the heroic Navy and Marine pilots the issue of the Pacific War may have been actual very different. The Wildcat fought between the walls of the entire war and although it may not have the glamour of a P-51 Mustang, it is a extremely significant American warplane and fits into my idea of collecting significant and historic airframes.

What's in the future?

I have a Bucker Jungmann that will be coming gone out of a complete restoration at Santa Paula Airport in the nearest few weeks. The aircraft is in deserving camouflage as a squadron hack for the Afrika Korps and will be a greatest in number interesting machine. With the three biplanes and the Wildcat, I be excited I am a very fortunate man to be able to uphold various segments of aviation history. For now, I want to maintain all four flying and stay proficient in each original of aircraft.

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