MOUNT VERNON — She is a naval aviation brat, her father was a career Navy pilot for 35 years, and she was always interested in flying. But it was only four years ago she decided to learn to fly.
Now a civilian attorney with the Air Force at Dayton, Susan Theodorelos met WACO owner/pilot Andy Heins, who encouraged her to go for it, to learn to fly.
She learned at a small grass airport at Waynesville, just south of Dayton, a field similar to Wynkoop Airport in Mount Vernon. She flew an Aeronca, a two-seater light plane, and soloed after 10 hours of dual instruction. She then switched to a Piper Cub, and after six more hours of instruction, soloed in it.
Then came a big jump for Theodorelos: She bought a WACO open cockpit biplane in 2005. The WACO had just been restored by a woman in New Hampshire. Still flying from the grass airport and flying with an instructor experienced in tail draggers, Theodorelos soloed it after 10 hours.
Theodorelos likes to fly, and has flown the WACO 175 hours. Still, she has not yet acquired her private pilot license; she hopes to do that this summer. She has the distinction of being the only woman owner-pilot in the WACO club.
Her WACO is a 1930 RNF, a three-place ship with room in the front cockpit for two people. In WACO-speak, the letter “R” means the make of engine, in this case a 145 horsepower, seven cylinder radial made by Warner, a popular engine for 1930s plane builders. Theodorelos just purchased a rebuilt engine.
The Warner does not have a starter. It is started by spinning the propeller by hand. The company is now out of business and there are no new engines. She tested the new engine an hour after it was installed, then flew to Mount Vernon for the WACO reunion, with only four hours on the engine.
The “N” designates the wing airfoil and “F” the design of the fuselage.
Theodorelos said the RNF cruises at 100 mph, with a fuel burn of 10 gallons per hour. That’s two hours of flying time with fuel reserves. The gasoline is 100 octane low lead at $5 per gallon. Designed in a time when every pasture field was an airport, the RNF lands at 35 mph. For takeoff, the pilot locks the brakes, runs up the engine, releases the brakes and fires the throttle. The plane will take off in 100 feet.
Theodorelos said her WACO is nice and easy to fly; the controls are very responsive. Trimmed to fly level, it will fly with hands off the controls. And, she said, the whole airplane is simple and easy to maintain.
In 1930, Theodorelos’ model cost upward of $4,000. Depending on its condition, buying this model in 2008 would set one back $75,000 to $100,000.
Planes have already begun arriving, but Saturday will be the big day for the 49th WACO reunion and 50th anniversary of the National WACO Club. The public is invited to look over the airplanes, but is cautioned not to climb on them without the owners’ permission. No dogs are allowed on the airport grounds. Pilots will be flying, so those attending need to be careful of the planes as they taxi, and also stay far away from spinning propellers.
