|
|
| Dorothy Hester was
the first woman
to do an outside loop and was traveling the airshow
circuit by age 20 during
the 1930's. She died in 1991. She was the
first woman to take
the Navy "G Test" in 1948. Thanks to EAA for the
picture. |
This is one of Dorothy's GLSTs.
I think this is NC315Y that also was Tex Rankin's
plane. Thanks to AeroFiles for
the picture. |
|
|
| Eliot Cross flew
this GLST in airshows
for a while. Eliot worked with the late Jimmy
Franklin with the jet assist
Waco for a while. |
Here is Eliot doing an inverted pass with smoke on.
Can't you just
here that continental radial beller? This plane was
built by Art
Henderson of St Paul MN. Eliot modified it and put
ailerons on the
top wing also. I am told that it was at Oskosh and
performed once
there. |
|
|
| The late Charlie Hillard
(man in
the middle) was the 1972 World Aerobatics Champion flying
his Pitts S-1S.
He was also the lead pilot of the Red Devils and The Eagle
Aerobatic Team
with Tom Poberezny and Gene Soucy. Before his Pitts,
Charlie had a Great Lakes for
a while that he practiced in and flew airshows with. |
Betty Skelton was
an another aerobatic pioneer for women. She made the
Pitts Special famous
by flying Curtis Pitts' 2nd Pitts Special called "Little
Stinker." What
many people don't know is that the first "Little
Stinker" was her Great Lakes
Biplane! You see her here with a trophy
almost bigger than she is.
Click on the picture to see a bigger
version. I can see
this GLST was radial powered. The engine when Dorothy
flew it was a Kinner.
Date would probably be in the 1940's. Here
is a picture of her Great Lakes when she flew
it. Here
is a picture of the same plane now, that has been
modified with the large tail and Warner Radial. Walt
Pierce also trained people in this same
plane.
Here is a video of Dorothy flying N202K
her Great Lakes in 1948.
|
|
|
Paul Fiala is the
only Air Show
pilot I know of today who does airshows in a Great
Lakes. Paul lives
down in Texas. Way to go Paul! Paul now has a
2nd Generation Great Lakes he flies in airshows.
Here is a
video of Paul.
|
It looks like Paul was flying a Ranger powered homebuilt
Great
Lakes. I think he flies a 1970's
Lycoming Great Lakes now.
I sure wish I could see him fly a show. The last person I
ever saw fly
an airshow in a Great Lakes was a man named French at
Ottumwa Iowa
Airshow.
It was during the 70's since Mr. French was flying a new
2nd generation
GLST. Man was he SMOOTH! I HAVE NOT BEEN TO
AN AIRSHOW RECENTLY
WHERE I SAW SOMEONE FLY LIKE THAT. |
