Jim's Aviation Career
And Hobbies

Spartan C-3, Built in 1929,
Soloed by Jim in 1939

Before the FAA was created, the CAA had the oversight of aviation in the U.S.A. and an "unlicensed" airplane could be flown by an "unlicensed" pilot. Jim worked 13 Saturdays at the Mexia, Texas airport to earn 10 minutes flying time each week in the Sparton C-3. The picture on the right shows Jim at the controls in preparation for his first solo flight at the age of 14, in 1939. On this flight a spark plug would blow out of a cylinder and Jim would be forced to land in a pasture just off the end of the runway. The next day, Dave Curry, his flight instructor picked Jim up in Thornton from a pea patch in front of Jim's home and they went to Kosse, Texas where Jim got in 2 hours flying time "hopping passengers" A barnstormer, unlicensed, and 14 years old.

Jim and his 1946 Aeronca 7AC Champion Tandem Trainer

Jim and Lois bought this Aeronca Champion 7AC from David Pipes of Centerville, Texas. He had ferried the airplane from the factory in Minnesota to his farm at Concord, Texas West of Centerville and when he landed in the pasture he hit a gopher hole and broke off the right landing gear and damaged the right wing. He called Jim about a year later and asked if he would be interested in buying it. Jim and Lois went and looked at it and were surprised when they were able to purchase it for only $125.00. It was practically new. They found a new right wing at Stewart Field in Tyler, Texas, painted it and welded the fittings back on the landing gear and they had a like new 1946 Champ for $250.00. If they had kept it instead of selling it for $600.00 3 years later it would be worth about $15000.00 today.

Douglas DC-3 flown by Jim as Captain 1960-63

This Douglas DC-3 (N65WP) belonged to Wanda Petroleum in Houston, Texas and Jim flew this airplane for them as Captain with several different Co-pilots. He received his Airline Transport Pilot Rating (Captain) in this airplane. While taking the check ride for the rating he hit a sea gull with the windshield and the inspector declared the check ride "successful" right then and there..

The Insturment Panel on the DC-3

Although the instrument panel looks complicated to the non-pilot, it was the center of "the front office" of the DC-3 and each instrument was scanned over and over again during flights in bad weather. This DC-3 was known as a Super DC-3, equipt with the latest electronic including weather radar and it cruised at an amazing 210 M.P.H. The seating capacity was 16 in luxurious comfort.

In 1962 after a double engine change at Houston International (Now Hobby) we had a double engine change on the Gooney Bird and on the test flight the right engine caught fire. Jim extinguished the fire and while landing at Laport Airport the left engine quit. A very rare occurance, the loss of both engines and a dead stick landing in a DC-3.

Jim has flown a Lockheed Electra 10E

The Lockheed Electra pictured was flown around the world by Linda Finch of San Antonio, Texas following roughly the same route taken by Amelia Earhart in 1937 when she disappeared near Howland Island in the Pacific Ocean.

Some Facts about the Lockheed Electra 10E

� Number Produced 15
� Number Existing 2
� Wing Area 458.5 Square feet
� Empty Weight 6,454 pounds
� Loaded Weight 15,700 pounds
� Maximum Speed 202 mph (at 5,000 feet)
� Cruising Speed 90 mph
� Rate of Climb 1,140 feet per minute
� Service Ceiling 19,400 feet

Brief History of the Lockheed Electra
� First Lockheed in the Electra series was produced in 1934
� First all-metal, twin-engine transport monoplane produced by Lockheed
� Electra was on the cutting edge of technology in the 1930s
� Originally designed as an economical airliner with high performance and multi-engine reliability. Could carry 10 passengers and a crew of two
� Electras, in various models, were produced until 1941.
� In service throughout the continental United States, Alaska, Mexico, Central America, and South America.
� Electra 10E was the only airframe and engine combination available with the power and design capacity to carry the extraordinarily heavy fuel loads required for the long legs planned for Amelia's flight.
It is a very noisey airplane but stable and very rugged in construction. It is capable of around the world flight when outfitted with larger gasoline tanks and a crew of two.

Jim flew the Lockheed 10E in the early 1960's for Panama Shifflet who was a partner of Panama Williams Pipeline Company of Houston, Texas. It may have been the one being used by Linda Finch. There are only two of the aiplanes still flyable in 1997. Jim is told by World Flight the one being used came from South America.

April 21, 2008 - Yesterday I got a phone call from Marvin Shiflett, Little Panama. He wanted some information about his Father and anything I could tell him would be appreciated. I recited this story to him. In the early 1960s I flew his Father and his staff to Montana to look at the missle sites being built. We were there about 2 weeks and on the way home in a Twin Bonanza at about 8,000 feet over Wyoming Panama's big diamond ring was reflecting on the ceiling of the airplane He saw it and moved it over to hit me in the eyes. I asked him to quit but he was having fun and continued. I told him if he didn't quit I was going to loop the airplane. He didn't and I did. It was good at age 83 to look back at those times. Panama Junior made my day.

First Beechcraft Bonanza with Twin Engines

In 1955 Dave Peterson who was Chief Pilot for Sinclair Refining Company in Tulsa, Oklahoma designed and modified an A-35 Single Engine Beechcraft Bonanza with 2 Continental 205 Engines. He hired Louis Stallings from Pampa, Texas to come to Tulsa and help with the construction, but used Sinclair pilots on a part time basis. Jim was one of the pilots used part time and had opportunity to fly the airplane. It performed exceptionally well on one engine and could be taken off and flown on one engine in spite of the fact the airplane had the conventional "V" tail that was argued by many to be inadequate for rudder control even on the single engine version.

When Dave started to go into production with this aircraft, Beechcraft hurridly started production of it's Travelaire twin engine version of the Debonaire which had a vertical fin and rudder instead of the "V" tail of the conventional Bonanza. Several years later Beech came out with their Twin Bonanza which was a much larger airplane powered by Lycoming Engines.