"Local Aviators Restore Stearman"

Thought there might be some of you on here would find this of interest.

http://www.theitem.com

Click on "Busniness" in the column on the left side of page and it will
bring the article up for you.

It is really of interest to me as I will get to take a ride in this
plane. My father flew these back in the 40's so, his daughter (me), who
did not get the chance to know him, as he was killed while crop dusting
a field in Round Lake, MS when I was 5 years old, will now know what it
must have been like for him to fly this type of aircraft.

Thanks to several of you on here who steered me in the right direction.
I was then able to find some info out which allowed me to get in touch
with several people who were on Fletcher Field in Clarksdale,
Mississippi, and who knew my father, mother, and myself, at that time.

I have very little memory of our time on Fletcher Field. Unfortunately,
my mom destroyed a lot of pictures and info concerning this time (and
never discussed it) so, it took me stumbling across an obit for one of
the men who was partners with my father, for me to get the entire
picture of what had happened.

My father was Berkeley Ellis, who was partners with Mabry Anderson and
Ben White in the Mississippi Valley Aircraft Service (they converted the
old warbirds, like the Stearman, into crop dusters)from 1946 until 1949.
My father is mentioned in the book Low & Slow written by Mabry
Anderson on the history of crop dusting.

Hope that you enjoy the article on this Stearman. The men who restored
it are wonderful men and they have been very nice to me. What a thrill
it was to be able to take my daughter and granddaughter out to the
airport to see this beautiful plane right after it was finished. What a
thrill to me to be able to see it in the hangar as it was being built,
and what a thrill it will be to be able to fly in it.

If you got this far in this post, thank you for reading it. It means a
lot to this daughter of a pilot.

Wishing all of you wonderful pilots blueskies!!


Dorothy Ellis Gosnell

he was killed while crop dusting
a field in Round Lake, MS when I was 5 years old

My condolences. A friend of mine in high school was out with her whole family
flagging for their dad, as they often did when he sprayed crops in the summer,
and he crashed before their eyes.

It's a dangerous business and an unforgiving one. Best of luck in your search.

I had a chance to buy a ride in N57TH for my birthday a few years ago. This
particular ship was a '43 Stearman with a R-985 hanging on the front. The only
way I can describe the feeling is that its like sitting in a bathtub at 2,000'
being pulled along by 40 Harley-Davidsons.

Harry

Now, do I truly want to have this type of feeling! We'll see!

Best Wishes,

Dot
=========

Wright1902Glider wrote:

I had a chance to buy a ride in N57TH for my birthday a few years ago. This
particular ship was a '43 Stearman with a R-985 hanging on the front.
The only
way I can describe the feeling is that its like sitting in a bathtub at
2,000'
being pulled along by 40 Harley-Davidsons.

Harry

Thanks much for the condolences and for the good luck wishes. I'll keep
searching. I have found out so many things in just 6 months that I had
not known for most of my life. Best thing is that I have met a lot of
wonderful folks along the way.

My condolences to your friend and her family, too. What a horrible
thing. You are so right, and dusting is a very dangerous and
unforgiving business.

Take good care.

Best Wishes,

Dot
===========

StellaStar wrote:

he was killed while crop dusting
a field in Round Lake, MS when I was 5 years old


My condolences. A friend of mine in high school was out with her whole
family
flagging for their dad, as they often did when he sprayed crops in the
summer,
and he crashed before their eyes.

It's a dangerous business and an unforgiving one. Best of luck in your
search.