First Sunday at Santa Paula Airport

[Lisa Severy]

Just thought I'd mention another option for a New Year's Day drive...

For those of you who are interested in vintage aircraft and would enjoy a drive out to Santa Paula in rural Ventura County:

On the first Sunday of each month (10:00 AM to 3:00 PM), Santa Paula Airport (SPZ) opens up to the public for a display of vintage aircraft. Aircraft owners open their hangars to visitors and are available to discuss the planes and answer questions. There are WWII "warbirds" and others from that era. Of course, there are some even older airplanes out there. Many pilots fly in and display their planes. Many of the planes will also be flown around the pattern, so there are always plenty to see (and hear).

Additionally, many of the aircraft owners also own vintage cars, classic cars and race cars. You can see finished cars on display, as well as project cars. There is a vintage radio collection in one of the hangars. There are others that have motorcycles. Something for practically everyone!

This Sunday is supposed to be a beautiful day and should be perfect for viewing the aircraft and all the other things out there. Plan on 2 - 4 hours to get around and see everything and chat w/ the owners.

I'll be there in Hangar 4, Stearman Taxi. If you do make it out, please stop by and say "hi" and see our project!

[George Schilling]

Just thought I'd mention another option for a New Year's Day drive...

For those of you who are interested in vintage aircraft and would enjoy a drive out to Santa Paula in rural Ventura County:

On the first Sunday of each month, Santa Paula Airport (SPZ) opens up to the public for a display of vintage aircraft. Aircraft owners open their hangars to visitors and are available to discuss the planes and answer questions. There are WWII "warbirds" and others from that era. Of course, there are some even older airplanes out there. Many pilots fly in and display their planes. Many of the planes will also be flown around the pattern, so there are always plenty to see (and hear).

Additionally, many of the aircraft owners also own vintage cars, classic cars and race cars. You can see finished cars on display, as well as project cars. There is a vintage radio collection in one of the hangars. There are others that have motorcycles. Something for practically everyone!

This Sunday is supposed to be a beautiful day and should be perfect for viewing the aircraft and all the other things out there. Plan on 2 - 4 hours to get around and see everything and chat w/ the owners.

I'll be there in Hangar 4, Stearman Taxi. If you do make it out, please stop by and say "hi" and see our project!

Lisa, I had no clue you were a pilot. I used to fly in there all the time. Besides the wonders inside all the hangars, there is a wonderful oil museum in a historic building that used to be run by Union Oil within walking distance of the airport. I believe it's 2 blocks west to the main street, then two blocks north. Well worth the time to see. The restored offices upstairs are also wonderful. The building was built around 1870 if I recall. The old hitching post is still outside the building. Heck, the whole town is historic. It was also the original home of Lanceaire. They started in a hangar at the approach end of rwy 22. Makes for a wonderful day outing....especially if you can fly in.

[KJ Christopher]

What is the day's schedule? The Porsche run is over around noon and it might not be a bad trip to take after.

[George Schilling]

What is the day's schedule? The Porsche run is over around noon and it might not be a bad trip to take after.

http://www.richstowell.com/szp.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Lisa Severy]

For the record, the reason you did not know I was a pilot is because I am not! My husband is!

We are in the process of restoring an antique airplane.

Of course, there is much more to the story...

[George Schilling]

For the record, the reason you did not know I was a pilot is because I am not! My husband is!

We are in the process of restoring an antique airplane.

Of course, there is much more to the story...

I'd love to see that project. Do you have your leather hat ready?

[KJ Christopher]

Just finished TRE run. At Rocky Cola in La Canada for lunch, then off to Santa Paula.

[Steve Ekstrand]

Lots of old friends at theSantaPaula airport. That's my hometown.

[KJ Christopher]

https://picasaweb.google.com/kjchristop ... directlink" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A couple of plane pictures and videos. Some cool prop action on the videos.

[James Yom]

https://picasaweb.google.com/kjchristop ... directlink

A couple of plane pictures and videos. Some cool prop action on the videos.

Props? Did you go to a boat show KJ?

[Lisa Severy]

Thank you to the Christophers for coming out to visit us at Santa Paula Airport yesterday. It was really nice to see you out there. Thank you for letting us share our "project" with you.
While there are no pictures of the exterior of our 1939 Bellanca Cruisair Jr.included in KJ's photos, there are a few shots of the cockpit. The avionics have been updated.
There wasn't much action out there yesterday - normally- there is much more to see. Hopefully, you saw enough to have made the trip out there worthwhile!

[KJ Christopher]

There wasn't much action out there yesterday - normally- there is much more to see. Hopefully, you saw enough to have made the trip out there worthwhile!

Yeah, I can't believe I forgot to take pictures of the outside. Stacey did though, and I'll update the album later. Seeing it and sitting in it were great. And standing right next to the runway as those old planes taxied then took off was really cool.

[Lisa Severy]

http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/N25190.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

In case anyone is curious as to what our "project" looks like from the outside. When it was built, it came with a 90-hp radial engine. It now powered by a 180-hp Lycoming.

This airplane used to belong to my father. He rebuilt it from a "salvage" in the early 60's in the garage of our family home. I grew up in and around it. We flew in it almost every weekend. When he became terminally ill in 1989, he gave it to one of his best friends (a dear family friend) who owned it for 20 years or so after my father passed away. When that gentleman passed away in 2009, it turned out he had willed the plane to us. We had no idea. But that it how we came to have her back in the family.

It has been a long (> 2 yrs)and interesting path returning her to reliable airworthiness and getting her "annual" completed. You will see that the exterior is pretty "rough" looking. Some of the "patches" are "access panels/ports" to allow inspection of the airframe. At this point, the paint is cracking in many places due to age, and we will need to re-cover the flaps, ailerons, and fuselage (polyester fabric-covered) and the wings (mahogany plywood covered) at some point in the future.

And for the observant: The FAA says the airplane is a 1940. My dad always said it was built in 1939 (and always referred to it as a '39). We have pictures of it in a Bellanca advertisement in a magazine from 1939. I have no explanation for the difference - and sadly, I can't ask for clarification. It has the standard certification (versus experimental as indicated on this website).

[George Schilling]

Oh crap. Forget the leather cap comment. I read your post too fast. I thought you were restoring a Stearman.

Beside the fact that it's sides are a bit squishier that today's airplanes, the Bellanca would fit right in on a flight line of new planes. It's lines are gorgeous. Just think, that styling is 70+ years old. Take good care of that proud bird.

[David Barrish]

Lisa,

Uprated to a 180, the tail must pop right up at the tip in of the throttle.

How much rudder do you have to hold?

David

[George Schilling]

Lisa,

Uprated to a 180, the tail must pop right up at the tip in of the throttle.

How much rudder do you have to hold?

David

That plane definitely has plenty of rudder available.

[Ed Holley]

This is an event that we would love to come out for in the future as part of a day trip. We just could not make the New Year's Day event.

I'm an "almost" pilot. Got to the point of pre-soloing and had a falling out with my instructor and just never got back to it. I have a bit of partial "help" in the ground school area in that, in a former life, I was a meteorologist for 9 years.

In looking at the photos that you provided, I cannot believe that that is a "1940" airplane. What a beauty.