Thu, Jul 24, 2003
After we ran a short piece on Saturday's crash of one of the
most-loved and -recognized birds in all Henderson County (NC), we
got a "before" photo of this bold machine, and a bit of
history:
It was with great sadness that I learned of the loss of the "Big
Red Stearman" this past weekend. The loss was tempered by the
good news that the pilot, passenger and the folks on the ground
were not seriously injured. The Big Red Stearman has been a fixture
in the Hendersonville area for many years providing fun and
memories for young and old.
As manager of the airport this past four years, I have witnessed
pilot Dennis Dunlap provide rides for those aged 8 to 80. Some were
veterans reliving a past life, others their first venture into the
air. They would roar off into the sky and return with a smile and a
taste of history. They had sampled the joy of flying. The roar of
that big round engine is quiet now, its future uncertain, but the
thousands of memories remain.
As a side note, I am told that during recovery of the aircraft a
small worn Bible, written in Spanish, was found in the cockpit. In
an earlier life, "Big Red" was used as a crop duster in Mexico and
the previous owner placed the Bible there, it is assumed, for God's
guidance as he flew. When Dennis restored the aircraft, it
was dutifully reinstalled.
It appears to have been effective, as God was watching over
everyone involved that day. --John Fadok, Manager, Hendersonville
Airport 0A7
[Thank you, John, for your thoughts, and for the great photo of
Dennis Dunlap's machine, in happier times --ed.]
More News
Chaff Thin, narrow metallic reflectors of various lengths and frequency responses, used to reflect radar energy. These reflectors, when dropped from aircraft and allowed to drift d>[...]
“Today, XB-1 took flight in the same hallowed airspace where the Bell X-1 first broke the sound barrier in 1947. I’ve been looking forward to this flight since founding>[...]
“Teaming up with the EAA and Berlin Express for this event in Cincinnati will give warbird fans a unique opportunity to see the aircraft that helped defend freedom and gave t>[...]
Hazardous Weather Information Summary of significant meteorological information (SIGMET/WS), convective significant meteorological information (convective SIGMET/WST), urgent pilot>[...]
Aero Linx: The Nebraska Aeronautics Commission The Nebraska Aeronautics Commission was created by the 1935 Legislature to oversee the development of aviation in the state. The Comm>[...]