Flightpath AugustSeptemberOctober 2017

Staggerwing

and Radial Reunion

16 |FLIGHTPATH

T

he inaugural Staggerwing and Radial Reunion,

held at Jacksonville Executive at Craig Airport

in north-east Florida, was deemed a great suc-

cess with more than twenty aircraft attending

overthethreedaysof21-23April.Consideringonly

one Beechcraft Staggerwing made it to Sun ‘n Fun two

weeks earlier, the organisers were thrilled to host six

examples.

Organised by the Moreau family, who recently pur-

chased D17S NC20779, and other local owners and en-

thusiasts,theoriginalideawastohostafly-inforStag-

gerwing owners in the Florida/Georgia region. It

rapidly grew to include other round-engine aircraft

and owners.

While several Staggerwings were unable to attend

forvariousreasons,RobertoGarcia’sN838madeits

first trip away from home base (Pilot Country Airport

near Tampa, Florida) where it had recently been re-

stored. Other aircraft in attendance included five Wa-

cos,aselectionofBoeingPT-17Kaydets,aCessna195,

two Beech 18 twins, a Vultee BT-15, and a number of

non-radial visitors.

The organisers are hoping to hold another event

next year.Nigel Hitchman

Five of the six Staggerwings in attendance at the

inaugural Staggerwing and Radial Reunion.

ABOVE:Roberto Garcia’s

recently-restored D17S was

originally built in 1944 for the

USAAFasaUC-43,butserved

with the USN as a GB-2.

RIGHT:This 1944 example was

allocatedtotheRoyalNavyasa

TravellerMk.I(FT513),butits

service, if any, was brief.

BELOW:Chris Jacobsen has

owned N16M since 1988.

Vultee BT-15 42-

wasdelivered to the

USAAF in August 1942.