stearman flight experience - National Naval Aviation Museum

STEARMAN FLIGHT EXPERIENCE
Minimum bid $1,000
The winning bidder of the Stearman Flight Experience will experience what it was like to be a
student Naval Aviator during World War II.
After the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, the skies above naval air
stations all over America filled with thousands of Stearman biplanes training Navy and Marine
Corps pilots.
Nicknamed the “Yellow Peril” because of its yellow paint
and challenging handling characteristics, the Stearman
prepared more than 60,000 student naval aviators for
the SNJ advanced trainer, as well as powerful Navy
fighters like the Hellcat and Corsair.
The Stearman Flight Experience begins with the winning
bidder being fitted for a flight suit and the parachute
required for aerobatic flight. A safety briefing will be
followed by a ground school session discussing the
maneuvers that can be demonstrated during the flight.
The winning bidder and instructor will plan the flight, which can vary from simply enjoying
the pleasures and magnificent views possible only with open cockpit flying, to aerobatic
maneuvers such as loops and rolls over beautiful Pensacola Beach. The primary objective is a
safe, comfortable flight that is a wonderful experience to be remembered.
The flight will depart from Pensacola Aviation Center on the east side of Pensacola
International Airport. En route to the practice area the winning bidder will handle the flight
controls and, under supervision of the instructor, practice basic flying techniques explained
during the ground school session.
Once over Pensacola Beach, aerobatic maneuvers such as loops, rolls and spins will be
demonstrated to the extent the winning bidder feels comfortable. If air traffic permits, we
will overfly Naval Air Station Pensacola and downtown Pensacola before returning to land at
Pensacola International Airport.
Stearman 708 is an authentic Navy N2S-4 that entered Navy service at Boeing’s Wichita,
Kansas, plant on 10 July 1943. During the war it served at Navy training bases in Bunker Hill,
Indiana; St. Louis, Missouri; and Dallas, Texas. When the war ended in September 1945, it was
assigned to NAS Ottumwa, Iowa.
Your instructor for the Stearman Flight Experience will be Pensacola attorney Roy Kinsey,
who has been the custodian of Stearman 708 since it was totally restored by master aircraft
mechanic Allen Thompson of Senoia, Georgia.
Roy holds an FAA Commercial pilot certificate for single and multi-engine land airplanes, single
engine sea airplanes, and gliders. He is also a certificated flight instructor for single and multiengine airplanes.
If the successful bidder holds an FAA pilot certificate, Roy will endorse his/her logbook for one
hour of ground instruction and one hour of flight instruction upon completion of the flight.
Photographs are encouraged, and we hope the winning bidder will bring family and friends to
help enjoy the experience. Some flexibility in scheduling is required as this is a flight that should
be conducted during good, comfortable weather.