Beech Party celebrates 100 years of the Travel Air — General Aviation News

Sunny blue skies, cool breezes rustling autumn leaves, warm camaraderie, and a bountiful crop of flying machines made for a spectacular Beech Party in October 2024, held at the Beechcraft Heritage Museum at Tullahoma Regional Airport (KTHA) in Tennessee.

The 100th anniversary of the Travel Air Manufacturing Company was heralded as a celebration milestone at the annual gathering of Beechcraft aircraft and it just so happened that a singular Travel Air made that history tangible.

Travel Air

Stu and Roni MacPherson flew their 1927 Travel Air 4000, powered by a 300-hp Lycoming R-680, from Orcas Island in the San Juan Islands, Washington. Their more than 2,000 mile flight to Tullahoma, Tennessee, took them 17-1/2 hours over the course of 4-1/2 days.

“If it hadn’t been for the 100th anniversary, we probably wouldn’t have flown here,” Stu said. “This fly-in is so well put on and so welcoming, if it weren’t so far away, we’d be here every year.”

Stu started flying NC4321 about 50 years ago. He bought it in 1974, after having an opportunity to fly it in the movie “Nothing by Chance” in 1973.

Those who’ve read the book by the same name may be intrigued to know that Stu MacPherson barnstormed the Midwest with Richard Bach and the Great American Flying Circus in the 1960s and 1970s. At first he was a parachute jumper, ticket seller, and passenger loader, and after he bought “Ol’ Countdown” (as the dusters called NC4321), he barnstormed the northwest on his own.

“Stu has given rides to 20,000 people, but he’s always quiet about his history with this biplane,” said Roni, who is also a pilot. “We live near San Diego, but in the summers we operate Cap’n Mac’s Magic Air Biplane Tours from Orcas Island.”

Stu graciously shared his Travel Air with numerous riders during the Beech Party.

In his gentle demeanor, he explained, “I’d rather take people for a ride and show them what it’s like than talk about it. It’s such an immersive experience to be in an open cockpit airplane and it’s so beautiful up in the San Juan Islands — those flights are just really mind-altering. We’ve had people come up to us years later and say ‘you changed the trajectory of my life!’”

While this year’s Beech Party attracted pilots from as far away as New Zealand and Austria, Beechcraft Heritage Museum Executive Vice President Jody Curtis said she suspects that Roni and Stu MacPherson flew their Travel Air the farthest distance.

“What a gift it was to have them here for the 100th anniversary of the Travel Air,” she said. “I had the rich blessing to fly with Stu and what an amazing, serene flight it was.”

Another special guest at the party was the granddaughter of Walter and Olive Ann Beech, Jennifer Pitt, who also got the chance to fly in the Travel Air, an AT-11, a Staggerwing, and a Beech 18.

“What an epic event it was with over 900 guests, as well as 22 vendors from across the country,” she said. “We are so very grateful to have had a safe and joyous Beech Party!”

Her comments were echoed by Charles Parish, who has been president of the museum’s board since 2015, succeeding his father John.

He noted that one of the most joyful, yet challenging, aspects of the annual Beech Party is, in a word, “people.”

“We want folks to enjoy the event, so we try to do everything we can to cover all the bases to make sure people are enjoying it,” he said. “The airplanes are why we get together, but it’s the people that make the organization, and Beech Party is like a big family reunion.”

“This is one of our best Beech Parties ever,” he continued. “It’s unbelievable — 13 Staggerwings are here, which is unprecedented these days.”

1938 Staggerwing

One of those Staggerwings was brought by Mike Turner, who first became intrigued with antique aircraft thanks to his aviator grandfather.

“He always talked about Staggerwings and Taperwings,” recounted Mike, who says his wife, Bridget, is to “blame” for the couple owning NC848JD, a 1938 Staggerwing.

“She happens to be an acquaintance with Jim Britton’s great-niece and that’s how we found out about it,” he said, noting that Jim Britton restored the aircraft from 2002 to 2015.

“To my knowledge, it’s the only SD17S surviving in the United States,” Mike said. “It was ordered from the factory by Imperial Oil Company, and the options included floats and skis and two doors. I have the original, restored floats and we’re really hopeful that we can do some float flying in Alaska.”

A couple of years ago, the Turners flew their newly-acquired Staggerwing directly to Beech Party from Vancouver, British Columbia, and then on home to Calhoun, Georgia.

“Beech Party is great, and the venue is top notch, second to none,” Mike said. “We enjoy seeing the local Model A and Porsche car clubs that attend and all the volunteers do such a good job here. The camaraderie is great!”

1939 Staggerwing D17S

Also flying in for the 2024 party was Bob and Jane Hoff of Idaho Falls, Idaho, who have owned N114H since 1971.

“This is the 20th time for this airplane here,” said Bob. “The first time we came was 1976 and aviation legends like Eddie Ross and Louise Thaden, and pioneers like Jim Gorman, were here. Now they’re all gone, and I get real nostalgic being here.”

“Our Staggerwing has close to 5,000 hours total time and I have close to 2,000 hours on it,” he reported. “I think I’m just about the highest-time Staggerwing pilot alive at this point — and probably the oldest one at 83. We’ve also brought our Twin Beech four times.”

Bob grew up with “airplanes in the back yard” as his family has owned Rainbow Ranch since 1903.

“My dad learned to fly in 1938 and my mom in 1948,” he said. “We’ve had a strip on the farm since 1951,” said Bob, who noted the family runs an FBO, Aero Mark, and sponsors the annual Round Engine Round-up every June.

Beech Bonanza

Attending the Beech Party for the fourth time was Pete Reynolds from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, who has owned N3181U, his 1994 Beech B36TC, since 2015.

“Years ago, I had an airplane built to order and even went to the Wichita factory to see it being produced, which was a fabulous experience,” he recalled. “When my daughter was born, I spent more time with family and flew less. Then after 20 years, when I was 58, I decided I could either go back to flying or just say it’s something I did in my youth. I decided to go for it and found this airplane, which fit my parameters. It’s been a wonderful experience to get back into flying, and I’ve never looked back.”

“The wonderful people here at the Beech Party and in the aviation community keep me wanting to fly — it’s all about being part of a family of aviators,” he added.

All are Welcome

There were close to 170 aircraft attending this year’s party, including 13 Staggerwings, 10 Beech 18s, two Twin Bonanzas, two King Airs, one Starship, 15 Barons, 69 Bonanzas, eight Sierra/Sundowner/Musketeers, four T-34s, and one Travel Air.

Notably, there were 40 non-Beech aircraft at the event, which set a new record.

“We welcome anyone whether in their Cirrus, their J-3 Cub, or any other airplane,” said Charles Parish. “This year we had a Howard DGA, a Navion, a Bird Dog, and a Cessna 195 close to show center, and a Mullicoupe close to the Twin Beeches.”

“It’s not just about the pilots — it’s about the photographers, the artists, and the airplane, car, and motorcycle enthusiasts — you don’t have to be a pilot to come here and have a good time,” he concluded. “We welcome everybody!”

For more information: BeechcraftHM.org

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