Don't worry, all of these threads won't go beyond five because that's all I can count. By the time I landed in Florida, the modern light plane had made its appearnce and more Cubs, Aernca's K, the Luscombe, Porterfields, Rearwins, Taylorcraft, and others were mixed in with the big old clunks. I still liked the older biplanes and found a way to get to the local airfield east of town. Johnny Lowe's strip was sand and grass, " L " shaped and with one rickety wooden hangar. It was populated mostly by crop duster types and a few " rich" businessmen who flew Waco cabin jobs and Stinsons. There were Stinson Jr.s , Sr-5, and one new Reliant SR-9. A lot of T-Crafts and Cubs too because they were so cheap to operate. Most of the old stuff had the new balloon tires that ruined the looks but made it safer to operate in sandy soil....as on beaches. I lived on the beach on Siesta Key and it wasn't long before I thrilled to see a string of the old stuff coming around the point north of us one Sunday. Maybe 100 feet alititude and heading south to Crescent Beach where they landed. I covered the 2 miles down there in maybe 2 minutes. They had gathered for a Sunday picnic with their wives and girl friends. I was there most of the day swimming with them and making important friends. They were friendly and willing to share thier food as well as talk about thier airplanes. I made solid and long lived friends that day. That happened evry so often enabling me to become friends with a tall lanky duster by the name of Tommy Livermore. He had a silver Travel Air with a 220 Cont. up front for his Sunday flying and another Travel Air for crop dusting. We became very close friends and I was able to fly in both of his machines.
I really enjoy reading your accounts of what i like to call the "glory" days of flight. Now its much more structured and impersonal, sad to see the days/stoires of old fading away.
