Readers enjoyed Tom Horne’s fun look at a classic, easy little flyer—the Ercoupe, as it celebrates its seventy-fifth birthday—with stories of their own.
“Friendly Flyer” brought back fond memories of the Ercoupe that my dad and his brother owned and flew in the early 1940s. It was one of the 112 original ones built before World War II. Dad had been instrumental in getting the Civilian Pilot Training Program into the small Kansas college where he was a science professor. He taught ground school for the program and felt that to be most effective, he needed to become an active pilot. After getting his private license, his brother followed suit.
They purchased a used side-by-side Taylorcraft and flew it until the Air Corps started gathering all available aircraft that were suitable for initial pilot training. Of course the spin-proof Ercoupe with no rudder pedals didn’t fit the requirements. So, after relinquishing the Taylorcraft, dad got a list of all 112 Ercoupe owners and found one in Florida willing to sell (during World War II, the coastal regions were no-fly zones for private flying). They owned it until after the war.
I was a teenager and enjoyed riding in it, often with the top open. Those prewar models had no electrical system, so no lights, no radio, and no starter. I often monitored the ignition and throttle while dad hand-propped. That was as close as I came to actually flying it. For the most part, it was operated off grass strips, which it handled very well. It was a fun airplane and I was sorry to see it sold.
Jim Albright
AOPA 928334
Stillwater, Oklahoma
I own a 1946 ERCO 415C that I bought in October of last year. It’s my first airplane (probably my one and only). It’s also the airplane I’m taking lessons in for my Sport Pilot rating.
My airplane used to belong to the Commemorative Air Force in Texas and was named Lil Yellow Rose. After about six years, a fellow in Lexington, North Carolina, bought her and changed the name and nose art to Carolina Girl. When I bought her, I kept the name. Everyone here in Goldsboro, North Carolina, knows her by that name. She’s quite a hit.
These airplanes are truly friendly flyers. The first ’Coupe I flew, but only as a passenger, was about 30 years ago with a friend in Wilmington, North Carolina. It had rudder pedals. Mine does not. That is a waste of money for these airplanes. I can do crosswind landings all day with no problem as long as the crosswind is 10 knots or less. Any more than that and I’ll stay on the ground.
John Pollock
AOPA 9178718
Goldsboro, North Carolina
“That airplane will not get you there fast and your arms might be tired from holding the yoke, but you’ll have fun, that’s for sure.”
Scott Zinkerman
AOPA 4357037
East Hampton, Connecticut
Flying relief in Haiti
I just finished reading Dave Hirschman’s article “One Patient at a Time” and wanted to congratulate him for having written such a perceptive and excellent story.
I was part of a group air tour of the Caribbean earlier this year which included an overnight stop in Cap Haitien. The Haitian people were extremely welcoming and went to great lengths to accommodate us, despite the tremendous challenges they face. Dr. Rizor is an inspiration to us all.
Allen Schink
AOPA 5478509
Calgary, Alberta
I wanted to write and tell you how much I enjoyed Dave Hirschman’s article, “One Patient at a Time.” Dave so adequately portrayed the struggles of the Haitian people and the even greater struggle to care for them. I, too, am an advocate for the people of Haiti. I went on my first medical mission trip to Haiti during my senior year of high school as an aid to my family physician, Dr. David Stout.
This trip forever changed me. Seeing the impact Dr. Stout had on the community of Saint-Louis-du-Nord, Haiti, I decided that Dr. Stout was a person that I needed to emulate.
This past year I graduated from medical school and am now in a family medicine residency program with the end goal of doing full-time mission work in Haiti. I am also the proud owner of a Beechcraft Bonanza H35 (N5522D) and I have the same vision of using my aviation skills in service to the Haitian people, just as Dr. Rizor does. I dream of working in the same capacity as Dr. Rizor.
Thank you again for your story and advocating on the part of our brothers and sisters in Haiti.
Aaron Frey
AOPA 7693880
Shelbyville, Indiana
Julie Clark
Please pass on a special thank you to Julie Clark for sharing her great accomplishments with us in “Pilots.” Julie is a true inspiration to all pilots, male and female. My wife is a Pinch-Hitter pilot and loves aviation. People like Julie remind all women, including my wife, that with hard work, they too can do anything !
Michael Williamson
AOPA 3650852
Mackenbach, Germany
I enjoyed reading about Julie. I watched her perform in Reno years ago and when I saw her picture in the magazine I could still see that beautiful dive out of sight below ground level from where we were and up again! I love it. As an entertainer, a crowd-pleasing stunt means I did it right. I hold the world title for being the oldest active sword swallower and I just recently became a UFO pilot—United Flying Octogenarians. I can’t afford to fly as much as I like but I still manage a few hours a month. I love what Julie does and wish her many soft landings to come.
Jim “Lucky” Ball
AOPA 787929
Oakley, Kansas
“Thank you, Dave Hirschman, for highlighting the spinning prowess of the Cessna 152. You’re right—it has a spin that will get your attention but recovers quite obediently. Kudos to Aviat for breathing new life into these airplanes. The winner of the AOPA Sweepstakes Reimagined 152 will be fortunate indeed.”
Catherine Cavagnaro
AOPA 3390205
Sewanee, Tennessee
We welcome your comments. Editor, AOPA Pilot, 421 Aviation Way, Frederick, Maryland 21701 or email ([email protected]). Letters may be edited for length and style before publication.
Who’s your favorite co-pilot?
Spouse or significant other 47%
Family member 14%
Friend 30%
Pet 4.5%
Other 5%
Aviation eBrief
Hangar Talk
Like a moth to a flame, Editor at Large Tom Horne is habitually drawn to the lighter end of general aviation. Ultralights, powered parachutes, Wright glider replicas—you name it, he’s flown it. Now electric airplanes are on his mind. After flying the eSpyder electrically powered ultralight, he had the chance to move on to Slovenia with photographer Chris Rose, and fly Pipistrel’s Alpha Electro trainer. You’re probably wondering where Slovenia is. It’s the northernmost nation of the former Yugoslavia, and Pipistrel is in the small village of Ajdovscina. The Alpha Electro is a two-seater powered by six batteries, a Siemens electric motor, and the will to resist focusing on its battery reserve gauge. Still, apart from that last bit, Horne says that it flies just like a real airplane, is nimbler than you might expect, and has surprisingly good performance, proving once and for all that electric airplanes need not be eco-wimps (“The Trainer of the Future,” page 50). Slovenia’s cuisine, however, sometimes calls for adventure, as Rose discovered at a roadside stand. What he thought was pasta turned out to be strands of tripe. Cow stomach, that is. So Horne came away from the trip with yet another interesting logbook entry, and Rose tons of photos and videos—and an, um, interesting Facebook post.
Related Articles
