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PROFILES
Troy “Reb” Stimson
July 9, 1998
Troy “Reb” Stimson’s daughter Willa is only 2-years-old,
but already she would rather be flying—especially in the front
seat of his J-3 Cub with the door and windows open. “My airplane,”
she says and points at it.
Reb’s hangar, on Hicks Field in Fort Worth, holds a museum’s
worth of antique airplanes, old cars, motorcycles, bikes and aviation
artifacts. When he is there, the doors are open and sometimes the
people wandering through are filmmakers, air show coordinators or
advertising agents looking for authentic old airplanes. He has eleven
of them.
Three of them—two Wacos and his Rose Parrakeet—were in
the movie Pancho Barnes, filmed 10 years ago. Several have been colorful
backdrops in newspaper clothing ads. They often appear as static displays
at air shows, where Reb loves to talk about flying.
“I love history, I love flying and I love encouraging people
to fly,” he says. “I guess that’s why my three sons
all fly.” They are airline pilots for United, UPS and American.
One daughter-in-law is a Delta pilot; another is a Continental flight
attendant with a private license. Reb, himself, was a Marine Naval
aviator and an American Airlines captain until he retired two years
ago.
Flying is a tradition in the Stimson family. Reb grew up in airplanes
on airports all over the country. His father and two uncles flew professionally
and one great-great aunt was the 7th woman ever to earn an air transport
rating—all were professional pilots.
Going to work with his father meant entertaining himself with flying
dreams. When his dad was at Shepherd AFB in Wichita Falls, Reb played
pilot in an abandoned B-26. At TCU, where his dad was the head of
the aviation department, Reb climbed into their link trainer. “I
had 1,000 hours of link trainer flying by the time I was 12-years-old,”
he says.
Flying for the military and the airlines was a natural for him. Collecting
old airplanes was, too, although he didn’t start out to be a
collector.
But he says, “After I bought and sold my first few airplanes
I thought, ‘This is pretty cool. I am buying these planes, flying
the tar out of them, having a good time, selling them and making money
doing it.’
“I was putting money into my retirement fund and decided, one
day, ‘You know, I love flying. I love airplanes. Why don’t
I just take some of the money I am putting in a retirement fund and
put it into airplanes—make that part of our retirement plan—so
I did that.’ I decided to acquire some airplanes.
“By then I had my first Staggerwing and I bought the Ryan STA
on a layover, by accident. We had a 30 or 40 hour layover in Tulsa.
The guy I was flying with wanted to see this guy’s airplanes--a
P-40, a Spitfire and a Ryan. I have always loved the Ryan and thought,
‘I’ve got to have that airplane.’
“I had a picture of this Rolls Royce with me and asked the
guy, ‘Would you be interested in taking this in trade?’”
The man was. They made a deal and it was the first of many trades
involving airplanes and cars. Another time he traded a Ferrari for
a Travelaire.
Sometimes he traded airplanes for airplanes. “I had a Meyers
200 and I said to a guy, ‘Man, I’d love to have a UPF-7.’
He said, ‘Wait a second. Stand right there.’ He comes
back with a guy and says, ‘This guy is Dick Forn. He has a UPF-7
and wants a Meyers 200. This guy is Reb Stimson. He has a Meyers 200
and wants a UPF-7. Here you are, guys, make a trade.’ So we
did.
It wasn’t always that simple. Other planes took years to acquire.
“A butcher in California had an airplane he had owned for 25
years,” Reb says. “He never flew it. He was saving it
for his kids to learn to fly.
“Once or twice a year I’d go by and give him a stamped
postcard with my name and address on it and a note that said, ‘Yes,
I’m ready to sell the airplane; call me. This (blank) is how
much I want for it.
“He loved to talk and he always gave me some big song and dance.
Then, one time I walked in and he said, ‘Yes, I’m ready
to sell the airplane. Bring me the money and get it this afternoon.’
I was like Holy cow! I ran down the street to a buddy who owned a
bunch of junkyards and said, ‘Joe, I need $3,500. I’ll
write you a check, but just don’t cash it!’ He gave me
the money and I gave it to the guy.”
Each of his planes is well loved and each one has a story. Some of
them are flying now—a 1928 Waco 10 with an OX-5 engine, his
Rose Parrakeet, a Stearman, Willa’s J-3 Cub and a Cessna 185.
A couple of them are being repaired or restored—the Staggerwing
Beech and the Ryan STA. The others--a Luscombe, two Travelaires and
a Bucker Jungman—are standing in line to be put back together.
They share the hangar with old cars, motorcycles, bicycles, spare
engines, old propellers and all the stuff to keep them flying.
Unlike a pristine museum that says, “Look, but don’t
touch,’ Reb and his collection invite you in, welcome you and
say, “This is the real thing—enjoy it.” Reb certainly
does.
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