Aircraft Information
> Aircraft Make: Stinson. Model: V-77 or AT-19. Nickname: Reliant or “Gullwing”
> Aircraft Mil Civ Description: Airplane SE Piston
> FAA Category and Class: Airplane Single Engine Land
> Engine Description: Single piston (radial)

Aircraft Experience
> As of: 11/4/2024
> Number of Hours Flown: 117
> Number of Times Flown: 106
> Other Aircraft Models Associated: a Million! See Wikipedia for the many model variants of the Gullwing.

First Flown Information
> Sequence First Flown: 78
> Date First Flown: 11/29/1991
> Location First Flown: Alta Mesa Airpark, Wilton, CA. (3CN7)
> Who and/or What Organization First Flown With: John Stoney, Brother and owner of N1943S

Recollections: The Stinson Gullwing is a BIG airplane for its class.  I have flown two Gullwings in my life, the first one being my brother John’s 1943 V-77 which I flew 56 times from 1991 until 2002 (with a gap between 1993 and 2002) and, since 2022, an AT-19 with the Commemorative Air Force’s Rainier Squadron, currently based at the Arlington, WA airport.

The MAIN THING about the Gullwing is this: it’s a tough airplane to train in.  Why?  Because (1) it’s a tailwheel airplane (but, wait, there more!); (2) it’s tailwheel is neither steerable nor lockable, it’s free castoring (so you’re left with ONLY brakes and rudder for directional control…somewhat of an issue when landing and there’s little airflow over the rudder as you slow down) and (3) it only has brakes for the LEFT SEAT PILOT.  So, just imagine yourself as an instructor, trying to teach someone how to fly the Gullwing.  For sure, you wouldn’t START your tailwheel training in one.  But, even with a lot of tailwheel experience, every taildragger can be slightly different (this one, for sure) and it’s just a a tough plane to train in.

My brother John’s approach was to put me in the left seat and hope for the best.  I will never forget my first flight, where I had to, several times, judiciously use the brakes.  This brake use followed (thankfully closely followed) what a test pilot would call a “directional perturbation”.  I had enough awareness to not only make the appropriate brake correction but to sense my brother’s immediate tension, surprise and fear.  His eyes got huge.  We didn’t have any problems but I thought he had to be the bravest man alive.

Fast forward 30 years and now I’m the Gullwing instructor.  Not quite as brave as my brother, I require that pilots demonstrate proficiency in the right seat (which works on landing down to maybe 5-20 knots of groundspeed, depending on how much crosswind there is) before moving to the left seat.  We also spend a fair amount of time getting the feel for transitioning to use of brakes without over correcting.

The Gullwing reminds me of a Cadillac from the 1950’s…large, somewhat lumbering but ultimately classic.  The engine (a 300 HP Lycoming R680, somewhat undersized for the machine) has–like most radials–a wondeful sound, feel and smell.  Oh, and the left pilot’s window (which is made of thick glass) rolls down, just like in the Cadillac.  

Aircraft Information
> Aircraft Make: Cessna. Model: 182. Nickname: Skylane
> Aircraft Mil Civ Description: Airplane SE Piston
> FAA Category and Class: Airplane Single Engine Land
> Engine Description: single piston

Aircraft Experience
> As of: 11/4/2024
> Number of Hours Flown: 106
> Number of Times Flown: 57
> Other Aircraft Models Associated: many C-182 models

First Flown Information
> Sequence First Flown: 15
> Date First Flown: 8/23/1985
> Location First Flown: NAS Moffett Field, CA (KNUQ)
> Who and/or What Organization First Flown With: Navy Moffett Flying Club

Recollections: First flight was at the NAS Moffett flying club and, unfortunately, I didn’t record who I flew with.  An internet search today of the Registration number I flew, shows that it was an older model (a so-called “straight tail”).

The C-182 is good blend of the 172 and the much heavier 206.  While you can certainly argue for any of these models, the 182 seems like the sweet spot to me.

Aircraft Information
> Aircraft Make: Diamond Aircraft. Model: DA-40. Nickname: Diamond Star
> Aircraft Mil Civ Description: Airplane SE Piston
> FAA Category and Class: Airplane Single Engine (SE) Land
> Engine Description: single piston

Aircraft Experience
> As of: 11/4/2024
> Number of Hours Flown: 117
> Number of Times Flown: 66
> Other Aircraft Models Associated: DA-42 (Twin)

First Flown Information
> Sequence First Flown: 142
> Date First Flown: 11/21/2003
> Location First Flown: New Century Aircenter, Olathe, KS (KIXD)
> Who and/or What Organization First Flown With: Garmin Flight Test, Tom Carr

Recollections: The Diamond DA-40, designed in Austria (by a company that first built motor gliders) and produced in Austria and Ontario, Canada, is an all composite airplane designed for personal transportation and flight training.

My first flight was on an FAA project.  I few with Test Pilot Tom Carr and and FAA Human Factors engineer Jeff Holland on an initial “early look” at the Garmin G1000 avionics system.  This system, in it’s infancy at the time, came to revolutionize the airplane avionics industry.  I later certified the first G1000, installed in a Cessna 182.  

Most of my hours in the DA-40 come from renting them at Galvin Training, at Seattle’s Boeing Field airport.  Galvin is an excellent Fixed Base Operator (FBO) and flight training facility and I’ve enjoyed both staying current (with the FAA) and flying privately to introduce aviation to scores of young people.

Aircraft Information
> Aircraft Make: Cessna. Model: 172. Nickname: Skyhawk
> Aircraft Mil Civ Description: Airplane SE Piston
> FAA Category and Class: Airplane Single Engine Land (and Sea)
> Engine Description: Single piston

Aircraft Experience
> As of: 11/4/2024
> Number of Hours Flown: 205
> Number of Times Flown: 133
> Other Aircraft Models Associated: Many submodels of the C-172

First Flown Information
> Sequence First Flown: 7
> Date First Flown: 8/25/1981
> Location First Flown: Corpus Christi, TX
> Who and/or What Organization First Flown With: Not recorded.

Recollections: More C-172’s have been built than any other aircraft.  Over 44,000 of them…and Cessna (Textron) is still building them.

The airplane is simple to operate, fun to fly, forgiving and has a reasonable payload (with care, you can take 2 passengers, maybe 3 if they’re not too heavy and go a reasonable distance).

I also flew the larger-engined T-41 (built for the US Air Force as a screener trainer and still in use by more than 12 militaries world-wide) a bit, in various Navy flying clubs. The extra 50 horsepower really helps.