All kinds of aircraft

Savannah light sport floatplane; Rotorway 162F helicopter

I love flying to my grandkids’ house on Mobile Bay, in Mobile, Alabama, and introducing them to the joy and wonder of flying and multiple aircraft. I pull my Savannah light sport floatplane up to their beach and let them experience the airplane and the excitement of taking off on the water and viewing the Mobile Delta, America’s Amazon. Some days, I fly over to their house in my Rotorway 162F helicopter for a completely different experience with rotorcraft. They get to see me take off, land, hover, and can sit in the aircraft on the ground where I teach them all the buttons, switches, and controls.

Sam St. John
Mobile, Alabama

1984 SIAI Marchetti SF.260C

After flying numerous specialized aerobatic and World War II fighter aircraft, the Marchetti SF.260 stands out as the ultimate jack-of-all-trades. You can start your day legally teaching aerobatics—snap rolls, inverted spins, and all—and then load a third passenger or 180 pounds of gear in the back seat to cruise IFR for 600 miles at 175 KTAS. Sleek, agile, and stunning, the SF260 is every bit as beautiful and fiery as its Ferrari cousins.

Rick Volker
Niagara Falls, New York

1952 Cessna 170B

My 1952 Cessna 170B is the best flying airplane I’ve ever owned. Having flown the whole single-engine line, it’s the most fun of them all!

Bernard Schneider
Battle Ground, Washington

Cessna 172

We bought our 172 in 1995 after previously owning a Piper Colt. It did the things we wanted with a bit more capability and had four seats. It has crossed the Bering Straits to Russia and back three times. It has landed on beaches and on glacier ice. We owe a lot to the mechanics who have maintained this bird, and it has been an honor to explore Alaska and keep this airplane with respect to those who built it and keep it flying.

Marshall Severson
Anchorage, Alaska

Would you like to tell us why you love your airplane?

Send a high-resolution photo and information to [email protected] subject line WILMA and look for it in an upcoming issue.