Dave Haught

ONCE I WAS TOLD that for an airplane to be a biplane it had to have two wings, a round engine, and be a Stearman. In fact the only biplanes I had ever seen for many of my younger years were Stearmans. I vividly remember trying to keep up with my dad as he worked the summer flight lines to keep a fleet of Stearman crop dusters in the air during the busy season. The big biplanes cast huge shadows to sit under while I handed dad the wrong wrenches or the safety wire that was so much fun to play with. In those days they were big yellow biplanes-very impressive and exciting. Of course, being six and sitting in a cockpit (from which I could not see out) made everything about the Stearmans exciting.