BiplaneFun.com is a Great Choice for Flight Lessons

PRICES:

• 30 min. - $425

• 45 min. - $575

• 60 min. - $695

Payment of cash or check due on the day of your flight.

Call 562-427-9433 to schedule your flight lesson or to order gift certificates.

Only one person per flight and each flight lesson adventure is customized to your preferences including any or all of the following options:

Introductory Flight Lesson:
Your FAA certified flight instructor will teach you the basics. Under his watchful eye, you will be able to safely fly the aircraft yourself.

Basic or Advanced Aerobatic Flight Lessons:: 
Experience as much (or as little) as you desire.  Loops, rolls, spins & more.

Stearman – Tail-wheel Transition Training:
Enjoy a relaxing sightseeing flight along our beautiful southern California coastline.

Spin Endorsement Training for CFI candidates.

Formation flight training in our aircraft or yours.

Gift Certificates

Gift certificates sent to your email. To order call 562-427-9433

All BiplaneFun.com flight lessons depart from the Compton Woodley Airport

Compton Woodley Airport

901 W Alondra Blvd., Compton CA 90220

• Directions:

  • From the 91 freeway between the 710 & 110 freeways

  • Exit Wilmington Ave.

  • Go north on Wilmington 1-mile to Alondra

  • Turn Left onto Alondra

  • Turn Right into the 2nd driveway

  • Park on the left side of the Compton-Woodley Airport office (Look for USA & CA flags)

  • Call your pilot, Mike Hanson at 714-349-1386. He will come to the gate, then you can follow him to the Stearman hangar.

  24-hour cancellation notice required.  All flights are “weather permitting.”

  Any questions or changes, call our office 562-427-9433.

Boeing Stearman Model 75 History

Just one look and it’s obvious that the Stearman is an aircraft with nostalgic presence.

It became an unexpected success during World War II, yet it is one of the least known airplanes of the war.

Built mostly in the 1940’s by Boeing’s Stearman division in Wichita, Kansas. The aircraft was named the Kaydet. Nice try! Hardly anyone called them Kaydet’s, almost everyone called them Stearman’s, then and now.

In the 1930’s and 1940’s at least 10,626 were built for the military. It goes largely unrecognized for it’s contribution as the primary trainer for more U.S. WWII pilots than all other’s combined. It probably holds the record for washing out more Cadet’s too.

Navy aviation Cadet’s, whose trainers were a sunny yellow, and alleged to make crosswind landings either thrilling or terrifying, gave it another name. Given a moments inattention after landing, a Stearman could ground-loop, which is not usually dangerous, except to a pilot’s pride. The Navy students called it the “Yellow Peril”.

The Stearman stands nearly 10-feet tall, 25-feet in length, and 32-feet wing-tip-to-wing-tip. It’s top speed, the specifications claim, is a 125-135 mph. “Yeh, sure with a strong tail wind”. Most agree it is actually about 100 mph.

Its simple, rugged construction, fabric-covered wooden wings, single-leg landing gear and an over-built welded-steel fuselage made it ideal as a trainer for novice pilots. Most were built with 220-hp., 7-cylinder, Continental radial engines, but many had Lycoming and a few got the Jacobs.

The Navy designation was N2S2 through N2S5. The Army Air Corps used PT-13, PT-17, and PT-18. Overwhelmingly they were primary trainers, but some were fitted for night flight and instrument training.

The Army ordered the first Stearman’s in 1936, and the Navy had the last ones in service, which were retired in 1948.  Stearman’s never received much public attention during the war – after all, nobody bragged about a mere trainer.   Cadets had to fly them before moving on to fighters and bombers.  The Stearman was the airplane they left behind.

After the war the slow, heavy biplane turned into an agricultural star.  Crop dusters installed hoppers in the forward cockpit, added high-lift wings and replaced the engines with 450-hp Pratt & Whitney’s.  Strong and sturdy enough to save many cadets during their pilot training, Stearman’s protected even more agricultural pilots who flew them mercilessly.   In their low-level, high-risk environment many agricultural pilots crashed their Stearman’s, but these pilots almost always walked away.  Pilots often hurt Stearman’s, but Stearman’s rarely injure pilots or passengers.  In the ‘60s the Stearman was again outdated, this time, by the more modern AG-Cats to do the crop dusting.

And that could have been the end of the Stearman story, but it’s not.

Pilots like flying the Stearman.  It offers serenity and peace of mind just from flying it.  Using stick and rudder, you can feel the controls, breath fresh air and fly by the seat of your pants.   Because of these qualities, the Stearman entered into a new phase of flying in this modern world.  Now many pilots and passengers enjoy flying “like it was back then”.  All over the country Stearman’s have been dismantled, repaired, and lovingly restored to their original condition.  Many are proudly displayed at Air Shows and Fly-Ins.   Others are offered to the public for the wonderful experience of flying in the open cockpit.

Today World War II combat pilots and WASP’s (Women Airforce Service Pilots) fondly reminisce of their first flying experience with the Stearman as they trained to become pilots.  The Stearman, along with other military aircraft are the focus of many treasured memories and stories to be heard.

But what of the future for the Stearman? With an estimated 2,500 still flying, the Stearman biplane is, collectively speaking, in good hands.  Stearman’s were made to fly and we like to think there will always be people who were born to fly them!

 Call Us Today To Schedule Your Flight Lesson!

562-427-9433

By appointment only

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