Spirit of St. Louis / Cessna 195 /
F4-U Corsair / Stearman PT-17

by Brian Skeens
(Boone, NC)

Spirit of St. Louis - First airplane I remember by name. It was my father’s favorite plane and he taught me about it and the flight it made.

Cessna 195 - First airplane I flew in back in 1976 at the age of 12.

Went to a local air show (Dublin, Va.) and spotted this hot looking orange and white plane. Went home, looked up a picture of a 195, and painted a picture of the plane (only in orange with the appropriate call letters). Next day (at the show) I found the pilot / owner and gave him my drawing. He was touched and insisted that I go fly with him. Turned out he was the father of a good friend of mine from school!

Just recently found out the plane was sold to Reed Stromberg (Fla.) and was totally restored and even featured on the cover of Flying magazine.

F4-U Corsair - Love all WW-II, however, when the TV show Black Sheep Squadron aired I was hooked on these gull wing "whistling death" beasts!

Stearman PT-17 - First airplane model (Guillows wood kit) I ever built with my dad. Just an eloquent plane that captures the style of classic bi-wing planes of the golden era of flight.