Stearman

~400 H.P. Stearman~

An Almost Fatal Ride In The Sterman © By Tony

These are some of the aircraft that I learn to fly while training at Sussex airport in Sussex New Jersey in the late 40's. A J- 3 super Cub is one of the more advanced planes then the J 3 cub I had started with. I had gone on later to fly different types of single engine land aircraft, some of which were: Stintson Relient, Stintson 105, Taylor craft, and a really fun airplane the 400 H P. Stearman which I used to love to show off by doing all kind of stunts with. One of the first times I had flown it, it almost cost my life and a friend showing off.

I had just got my pilot's license and had it only a month or so. I had been flying over my dad's house in mostly the J 3 cubs, when one day our neighbor was over my dad's house talking about his war experiences, and of course my dad had to start bragging about my war experiences and how brave I was. Anyway it got down to where my dad challenged him to ride with me in an airplane. His name was Christopher and from a real close family of ours who lived next door to us on Mine Hill, New Jersey. Chris took the challenge and we went to the airport.

When we arrived at the airport, Paul Stieger who owned and managed the airport said that all the J 3 cubs and planes I normally flew were all out and there was only the Stearman available.

Without hesitation Paul said, "TONY you can fly it can't you"?

Well without hesitation I answered back "sure".

My instructor Everett Johnson only took me for an orientation ride in it before for only about 30 minutes. I had the controls of the Stearman for about 15 minutes for me to get used to it a little.

Everett was not at the airport at that time. Truthfully I was not qualified to fly it solo yet. As I recalled the conversation and how my dad had bragged about my abilities with airplanes, it was hard to admit to Paul that I was not qualified to fly it. Chris was standing near us, and would hear it and I would never have been able to live it down nor would my dad. Whenever anyone flew the Stearman, regulations required that anyone in the Stearman had to have a parachute on.

I will never forget walking to the big Coca-Cola machine to get the parachutes that were always up on top of it. I would have liked it to be a lot longer walk, because my knees were already shaky.

When we had our parachute on we had to walk hunch over to the Stearman because I didn't realize you don't have to fasten the straps that come under your leg until you are ready to board the aircraft. That is how nervous I was.

Once I got into the airplane I started to remember what we did with Everett and I remembered how easy the aircraft handled after you left the ground. I thought if I remember how to start it and got it going I would be OK. Luckily I pushed all the right buttons and it fired up with a tremendous roar and the airplane started to come alive. I remember them talking about how the Stearman was hard to handle when taxing and landing. The Stearman had a tendency to ground loop.

I managed to get to the end of the runway and started to ease the throttle forward until it was fully open. The torque of the plane wanted to go to the left, not like the J 3 and other lower powered aircraft. I corrected with right rudder and before I knew it we were in the air.

The plane was easy to handle and I was getting more familiar with it. We had no radio or means of communicating electronically with anyone in the airplane or on the ground. The only thing you have is a tube to speak into to talk to anyone in the in the Stearman and a mirror mounted on the outside of your cockpit in those days. So everything was in my hands, without anyone to help me or advise me on what to do if I had encountered a problem.
I was trying not to show how nervous when I looked into the mirror to look at Chris in the rear cockpit, he looked like he had a big grin on his face. I had been flying around for about 30 minutes and was really starting to enjoy the ride, and feeling real confident so I thought as long as Chris was enjoying it so much I would try a few maneuvers that I had learned from Everett in my lessons. I made a few 90 degree sharp turns, 360 degree complete turn, a sharp climbing turn and a little bit of a dive. I looked into the mirror and still Chris had that same grin on his face. I thought he was really into enjoying the ride like I was. I figure it would be about time to give him a real thrill to kind of scare him.

I drop the nose on the Stearman until I had reached enough speed to complete a nice loop. That went over pretty good then I tried an Emmielman, he still was grining so I put it into a spin, a maneuver I had really enjoyed many many times in the J 3 cubs.I had started the spin at an altitude of four thousands feet, the Stearman really handled easily and as we went into the spin it really felt good, until I neutralize the controls and got no response. The aircraft was really picking up speed now and the whistling of the bracing wires was really singing louder and louder, and the ground started to come up pretty fast now. I suddenly became as scared as I was confident a short time ago. I really thought we had bought the farm through my stupidity and our two lives would end because of it now.
The Stearman I flew was like the one at the top of the page.
Airplanes can do that to you if you are not careful and concentrating all the time. I was fortunate to have been really into learning all I could about airplanes and how they operate. I recalled in my study book how some aircraft had to have the opposite input into the controls as you did to enter into a maneuver. So with all that coming back into my mind I kicked in right rudder and put left aleron with the joystick. I felt the Stearman shutter and gradually straighten out heading straight for the ground as I eased the stick back until we got level flight.

When we leveled out we were at an altitude of 800 hundred feet, which meant we had lost 32 hundreds of feet. My knees and body were shaking all over. That was a lesson I had learned and have followed in my mind for many years of flying. Never attempt anything you are not absolute sure about.

When my nerves calmed down and I was feeling OK we landed with a very gentle handling. Everett Johnson never really gave me a problem with what I had done by taking the Stearman up, made me feel that he has more confidence in me then I had in myself. After leaving the Stearman walking away toward the pilots lounge I asked Chris how did you like the ride? His reply was I was scared to death as soon as we left the ground. I turned to him and said you looked like you were really enjoying it when I saw you smiling all the while. He replied that was no grin, my face was frozen from fear. I laughed at him never letting on how scared I had been. I felt let him think I am a terrific pilot instead of a foolish guy who should have known better. I have been flying for 50 some odd years now and thank God from that lesson I have been enjoying every minute of it.

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