Airplane SE Piston

Fairchild PT-23 Cornell

July 20, 2026 by Bob Stoney Leave a Comment

Aircraft Information
> Aircraft Make: Fairchild Aircraft. Model: PT-23. Nickname: Cornell
> Aircraft Mil Civ Description: Airplane SE Piston
> FAA Category and Class: Airplane Single Engine Land
> Engine Description: Single engine radial

Aircraft Experience
> As of: 7/20/2026
> Number of Hours Flown: 9
> Number of Times Flown: 12
> Other Aircraft Models Associated: PT-19, PT-26

First Flown Information
> Sequence First Flown: 194
> Date First Flown: 5/7/2024
> Location First Flown: Richland, WA (KRLD)
> Who and/or What Organization First Flown With: CAF Days Pay Squadron, George Abatt

PT-23 Checkout with George Abatt
(c) Bob Stoney

Recollections: The Commemorative Air Force (CAF) is an organization which strives to preserve history by owning and operating vintage warbirds. It’s a rewarding mission, but takes the determined work of scores of people. I was already a member of Seattle-based CAF Squadron (see my writeup on the AT-19) but–when the opportunity came to fly a PT-23 also–I joined a new squadron in Richland, WA (the “Days Pay Squadron”…the name referring to Richland citizens who each donated a whole day’s pay to buy a B-17 during WWII as part of the war effort).

My “FAM 1” in the PT-23 was conducted with George Abatt on a day where the winds were blowing more strongly than I would’ve liked. We decided to try the flight, promising we’d knock it off if it got worse. Well, it did get worse but the good news was that the PT-23’s flying qualities are so solid in the landing pattern particularly, that it was very comfortable. We faced crosswinds as high as 10-15 knots and it was still comfortable. A testament to this design, which was a basic training for the US Army Air Corps in WWII.

As of this writing, I have tapered back my CAF involvement, owing to being over-subscribed on both personal and professional (consultant DER Test Pilot) fronts. During my time flying the Corneell, I’ve taken several folks for a ride (non-paying) and thoroughly enjoyed this open-cockpit piece of history.

Boeing Model 75 Stearman

July 20, 2026 by Bob Stoney Leave a Comment

Aircraft Information
> Aircraft Make: Stearman Model: 75. Nickname: Kaydet or Stearman
> Aircraft Mil Civ Description: Airplane SE Piston
> FAA Category and Class: Airplane Single Engine Land
> Engine Description: Single engine piston

Aircraft Experience
> As of: 7/19/2026
> Number of Hours Flown: 1
> Number of Times Flown: 2
> Other Aircraft Models Associated: —

First Flown Information
> Sequence First Flown: 4
> Date First Flown: 1/25/1981
> Location First Flown: Roscoe Field, Pensacola, FL (82J)
> Who and/or What Organization First Flown With: Unknown

Recollections: The Stearman was the basic trainer for the US Army Air Corps and US Navy before and throughout WWII.

Stearman Model 75 (Stock Photo) (c) Wikipedia.org

While attending pilot training with the Navy (my first flight in a T-28 was the month before I flew the Stearman) I managed to talk my way into a Stearman ride. I remember only one thing: that the stearman I flew (which my logbook says was “76552”, no idea if that was an N# or serial number) had a lockable tailwheel. At that point, I’d never flown in a tailwheel aircraft so this didn’t mean much to me. I later learned that the Navy Stearmans had a full swivel type tailwheel with a lock (though many have since been modified to steerable). I guess my first tailwheel experience being a Navy Stearman was a predictor of future flying!

I have, unfortunately, only flown a Stearman one other time, in 1992 when my brother and I “traded rides” with a Stearman owner (he flew in John’s V-77 and I got to fly in the Stearman). My logbook shows no landings in the Stearman, so there’s a future goal!

Stearman N707X (stock photo) (c) Aerial Visuals

Slingsby Venture T.Mk2

November 5, 2025 by Bob Stoney Leave a Comment

Aircraft Information
> Aircraft Make: Slingsby Sailplanes Model: T.61 or T.Mk2. Nickname: Falke or Venture
> Aircraft Mil Civ Description: Airplane SE Piston
> FAA Category and Class: Airplane SE Land
> Engine Description: Single engine piston

Aircraft Experience
> As of: 11/5/2024
> Number of Hours Flown: 0.8
> Number of Times Flown: 2
> Other Aircraft Models Associated:

First Flown Information
> Sequence First Flown: 42
> Date First Flown: 5/8/1988
> Location First Flown: United Kingdom, small grass field near Boscome Down
> Who and/or What Organization First Flown With: A glider club, I did not record the instructor’s name 🙁

Recollections:
I was in England for a DT-II (at Boscombe Down) and had a day off. What to do? Why, go to the local airfield and try to talk my way into a flight! I managed to fly this motor glider with one of the club instructors on two separate flights.

Slingsby Venture T.Mk2; Stock Photo
(c) happyscale-modellbau.blogspot.com

Globe GC-1 Swift

November 5, 2025 by Bob Stoney Leave a Comment

Aircraft Information
> Aircraft Make: Globe Model: GC-1. Nickname: Swift
> Aircraft Mil Civ Description: Airplane SE Piston
> FAA Category and Class: Airplane SE Land
> Engine Description: Single Engine Piston

Aircraft Experience
> As of: 11/5/2024
> Number of Hours Flown: 1
> Number of Times Flown: 2
> Other Aircraft Models Associated:

First Flown Information
> Sequence First Flown: 11
> Date First Flown: 5/17/1982
> Location First Flown: San Carlos, CA Airport (KSQL)
> Who and/or What Organization First Flown With: Bobby Macek

Recollections: Two of my squadron mates in VP-9 (my P-3 squadron) each owned Swifts. I was always amazed that they could actually own their planes and, in retrospect, should’ve learned more about airplane ownership at the time. They took me flying once (we did a formation flight) and I got some stick time, though I didn’t land it (I wasn’t a taildragger pilot at that point).

Globe Swift (Stock Photo)
(c) Airliners.net

Both of them went to Delta Airlines soon after our tours ended at VP-9. I might’ve followed them into the airline world, had I not been accepted to attend Test Pilot School. As they say, the rest is history.

Stinson 108-3 Voyager

November 3, 2025 by Bob Stoney Leave a Comment

Aircraft Information
> Aircraft Make: Stinson. Model: 108-3. Nickname: Voyager
> Aircraft Mil Civ Description: Airplane SE Piston
> FAA Category and Class: Airplane SE Land
> Engine Description: single piston

Aircraft Experience
> As of: 11/5/2024
> Number of Hours Flown: 1
> Number of Times Flown: 2
> Other Aircraft Models Associated:m 108-1, 108-2

First Flown Information
> Sequence First Flown: 67
> Date First Flown: 3/3/1990
> Location First Flown: Wilton, CA private airstrip
> Who and/or What Organization First Flown With: Brother John’s friend

Recollections:
I flew a P-3 across country on a Nav Eval, had a several day break, and visited my brother John at his airstrip in Central California. While there, I flew the 108-3 with a friend of his, and then an Aeronca Chief.