Rio Creek Airport

N94888 took to the air for the first time in over a decade on Labor Day 2001 (September 3).  Don Walter, the proud owner, lifted off from Runway 25 as many of the ones who helped with the work looked on.  Some in Rio Creek even recognized it as the "airplane with no wings" that was towed through town behind a pickup (from the paint shop) a few months earlier.

Don is at the controls after the blue coupe's first flight in 15 years!  Some of the guys that helped in the restoration were also there including (L to R): Brian, Lyle, Justin, Sonny Raasch (former co-owner) and Don J.

It was great to see N94888 back in the air after sitting in the hangar for so many years!!!

Not even a little snow could keep the coupe on the ground now!  That's Armond Ullmer landing his Taylorcraft.

Taking the coupe for a $100 pancake?!?...an enjoyable breakfast in Shawano.  Syd Cohen's awesome coupe is parked alongside.

It's been 7 years to the day since my Grandpa made that first flight after the restoration.  Although I had also flown a Taylorcraft and a Piper Cherokee in training, I used this airplane when I took my Private Pilot checkride on July 23, 2003.  It is the same airplane that my Grandpa used for his checkride and my Dad made his first solo in.

My first memory of this coupe was when I was sitting in the kiddie seat.  I couldn't have been more than 3 or 4 years old.  At that point, I was afraid to actually go up in the air so Grandpa would just take me up and down the runway a couple times.  Now, I've been fortunate enough to fly "888" around the Midwest including Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming.  It doesn't get much better than flying the coupe with the windows down!

-Justin (9/1/08)