My background and story that led to this experience:
First, I was an airplane nut as a child. Even in first grade, my show and tells were about airplanes. I don’t know why. My parents had nothing to do with aviation. Nobody I knew did. But somehow, I got hooked on airplanes and devoured books at the Freeport (Illinois) Public Library on the topic. I got to where I knew the 629 section well enough that on a glance, I could see if new aviation topics were on the shelf.
I’m still, at 70, reading about aviation history and in particular, World War I topics. As a growing child I built all the Revell 1/72 scale World War I models and painted them before embarking on World War II airplanes and later jets, which at the time, I did not care much for. I was a biplane nut from the git-go. Why???
I soloed, off snow, on my 16th birthday in a Cessna 150 on a grass strip. A year later I returned from my successful private pilot checkride to land in mud at the same airstrip, Dornink Airport, Dakota, Illinois. It’s still there. Runway still quite low in the middle.
After high school in 1972, I joined the U.S. Army and hoped to be a helicopter pilot, but my poor eyesight kept me out of immediately joining for that reason. Instead, I joined to become an OH-58 (Kiowa/Jet Ranger) mechanic and crew chief. I stayed in for seven years. I learned to fly a helicopter (not officially), barely able to hover, but okay at altitude.
Prior to this I had learned to fly a Piper J-3 Cub belonging to a close, older friend, Robert Swanstrom (EAA1343) at the Freeport, Illinois airport (KFEP). I helped cover this plane after chasing it up the street on my bicycle while it was being trailered to a garage in my neighborhood. I went to the 1968 EAA Fly-In Convention in Rockford, Illinois and joined EAA at the ripe old age of 14 (EAA 47330).
Here I will cut to the quick. During many years of flying in a job of being an aircraft insurance adjuster and mechanic (I have an A&P from Rock Valley College and did work as one for a few years), I had some opportunities to fly in various biplanes… always as a passenger – never as a pilot.
Years came and went and the opportunities to fly a biplane, which I love dearly, kept passing by. In fact, those who own biplanes are very reluctant to let you fly them, even while they are supervising. I had ridden in everything from a Pitts S-2 to a Tiger Moth, probably 10 different biplanes in all. I’d flown taildraggers quite often, but not until I bought a Bowers Fly Baby had I owned one. This was all “pre-tailwheel endorsement” days. After all, they were considered “conventional” gear airplanes back then.
And so was the case in 2024. I’d been actively involved in the Kelch Aviation Museum in Brodhead, Wisconsin (C37) from day one after having moved to Brodhead a few years before from Rockford, Illinois, for the sake of the grassroots environment at its airport, and the quiet, small-town atmosphere and country living it provided.
I had sold my 1966 Cessna 150 to a friend as my partner in the plane and I had our own medical reasons to no longer fly alone. But that did not mean I had to stop flying. Flying with pilot-friends is one route a person can take. Buying/building an ultralight is for some. Paying for flights with an instructor is another. This latter method can lead to some interesting new experiences as well… fly some stuff you’d never otherwise get a chance to by only hanging around the local aerodrome. See “Quitting While You Are Ahead” by Dean Zakos (https://midwestflyer.com/quitting-while-you-are-ahead/).
This leads to me flying a Stearman. A C37 Stearman owner, who flies Young Eagles in his Stearman and readily gives rides to others, declined my offer to buy (as a donation to the Kelch Aviation Museum) some “stick time” to include takeoffs and landings. I don’t blame him. And this is typical of owners of classic aircraft. Too much risk, for little reward. But he told me about a fellow who offered dual instruction in a Stearman in Wausau, Wisconsin. I took note.
Since I had already signed up for whitewater kayaking lessons in Wausau, Wisconsin, I found at the last minute that I could get some dual in the Stearman in the same few days I was planning to be in Wausau (a very worthwhile visit). And so, it came to be on a Friday afternoon I drove from my hotel in downtown Wausau a few miles to the airport and met John Chmiel, CFI, FBO and airport manager of Wausau Flying Service (2007 recipient of the Wisconsin Aviation Trades Association Business of the Year Award). We exchanged greetings and hellos from my list of mutual friends in the business. I then admired the museum-like, ultra pilot-friendly office space/hang out – complete with pool table and a bunch of R/C model planes hanging from the ceiling. The space was once an airline terminal and an FAA Flight Standards District Office. Ah, those were the days… walk in and take a written pilot test as I did when I was a mere 15.
John briefed me on what we’d do on the flight and then sent me out to preflight “Orange Roughy,” his 1941 Stearman. It was one of the first Stearmans restored by Pete Jones. My preflight found nothing amiss.
Soon I was strapped in, and the backseat and pedals were adjusted for me. I forewent having a back cushion and since we did not intend to do any aerobatics, no parachute. (I was fine without one or the cushion). However, I could not reach the carburetor heat control, so John, from the front cockpit, operated it upon my request. He never moved it on his own. I had to request it, making me the decider on its use.
John uses battery-powered, noise-canceling headsets in vintage-style, cloth helmets and an intercom to make communication easy. It was my choice as to whether he would make the radio calls, or I would. I asked him to make the calls since he was more familiar with the airport environment at Wausau.
The starter is very different. Wind up the electric flywheel, then engage the clutch, then hit the mag switches. It came to life as only a radial engine can. Puffs of smoke and a gentle rumble. We then did some practice taxiing on the ramp, which I found to be quite easy. He has upgraded brakes, but the Stearman steers well without use of its toe-brakes and the engine at idle (it never died) kept it all quite slow and controllable. While instructed to do S-turns while taxiing for forward visibility, it was not entirely necessary to keep on the centerline since you can easily see the wingtips and distance from the side of taxiways and runways. I did slight S-turns as requested anyway.
All in all, it was not much worse taxiing the Stearman than a J-3 Cub. Same goes for the takeoff and to some extent the landing. I felt the Stearman was more responsive to the controls than a Cub, and the extra power of the 220 hp Continental meant we got to our 1,000 ft. pattern altitude quicker.
We first flew out to a practice area where I did some turns to see how the strut/bank angles worked out per John’s advice. Spot on. Easy to do. Delightful. Then a few easy stalls. Again, most Cub-like. I was beginning to really appreciate this biplane as easy to fly, contrary to any preconceptions I might have had. It’s really mostly a pussycat. You can operate the stick with your fingertips in turns. A bit more hand is needed during takeoff and landing.
Back to the airport, I asked John to do the first landing so I could get the feel of it. Nothing surprising in it. But when it came to the next approach and it was my job to land, the tiny parallel grass strip adjacent to Runway 23 seemed, well, tiny (there are three turf runways, two paved).
The Stearman does most of the approach at 70 mph and slows over the fence with power off for a three-point landing. Since one needs to slip a bit nearly to touchdown to see where you are going, I had some trouble getting it perfectly straight in the flare – where John helped a bit. With runway lights on the right, I was timid about getting over that way, but I was in fact heading that way too much. John told me not to worry so much and to hold my head straight with glances to the sides and not over-do the direction. Flare and touchdown itself was not a problem. Although one time we needed hard braking due to a bit too much speed (it is a very short and narrow stretch of turf). Never a real problem though. I did five 3-point landings on my own, plus a final wheel landing. Takeoffs were totally by “feel” without reference to the airspeed indicator. We did not do any “touch & goes.” All landings were full stop, taxi back. We could have gone longer, but at the time I did not feel I was making any improvement. Another day to work on that.
Taxi in and swing about in front of the FBO exactly where we started from… like I’d done it many times before. In fact, during the flight, I told John, “I was born to do this.” My entire life has been waiting for this moment. He had taken some photos of me during the flight, and I was grinning ear to ear. Dream come true.
Back in the office and getting my 1.6 dual entered in my logbook, paying for the time and otherwise debriefing the flight and talking flying in general, John and I seemed to “click.” We had both read the same obscure 1970 vintage book I was then reading, “Fighter Tactics and Strategy 1914-1970.” We both loved flying for flying’s sake alone. We both did not like flying alone. Always better with someone else along. John has 6,000-plus hours with 4,000 hours of dual instruction. Most of my 5,500 hours are on cross-county flights all over the Midwest, by myself, for work (not a bad gig, mind you).
I bought a new version of his orange on black tee shirts “I flew Orange Roughy.” And came back on Sunday to buy one of his last orange shirts and look over the “museum” more closely.
If you are looking for a weekend or day trip, you’d be hard pressed to find a more pleasant destination. A few blocks of downtown Wausau are full of fine shops and restaurants within walking distance to the river and the whitewater rapids. No rental car needed.
So, before the opportunity disappears, make your arrangements, take your spouse along, and go visit Wausau, Wisconsin and get in the flight you’ve always dreamed of. The cost is surprisingly reasonable. To schedule your flight, call John Chmiel at 715-845-3400 (https://www.flywausau.com).