Like father, like son, like son ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY SPARKY BARNES SARGENT
trio of Stearmans landed softly on the late-summer grass in Blakesburg, Iowa, and taxied over • • •" to the flightline in the adjoining field. When their big radial engines had falien quiet the three pilots climbed out of their respective cockpits and, with big smiles, stepped on the ground, relishing the moment. Addison Pemberton and his two sons, jay and Ryan, had just completed their first "formation" cross-country flight from their home base (Felts Field) in Spokane, Washington, to the Antique Airplane Association's (AAA) 14
MAY 2007
annual invitational fly-in. That momentous flight didn't just happen, though; it was a long time in the making. You see, it started way back, when young Addison became intrigued by the airline pilots' antique airplanes at Gillespie Field in San Diego. He learned to fly as a teenager, and in the 37 years since then, he has logged 10,000 hours. In 1977, he started teaching an attractive young lady to fly; by the following year, Wendy had earned her private pilot certificate and the couple had their marriage certificate in hand. The arrival of sons jay and Ryan not
only completed their family, but the boys' own interest in the antique mode of aviating serendipitously complemented that of their aviation minded parents. "jay and Ryan have grown up in an aviation environment," explains Addison, elaborating that "they learned to fly in gliders, and then as a family project, we built up a Super Cub for them to learn to fly. We've done 18 projects in 35 years, and the kids have grown up with nitrate and butyrate dope. In fact, when they were young, I would make trips from San Diego to Riverside to get dope
