In 1947 the first oIn 1947 the first of almost 1200 Cessna 195’s flew its maiden flight in Wichita, Kansas. In the intervening 70 years these airplanes have been flown hard, neglected, abused, damaged and rebuilt. They were Cessna’s first attempt at building a bonfide business aircraft with speed, comfort and reliability. With its big wing and sleek lines, the 195 was a very efficient, and yet very rugged ship for its day. It was designed at a time when municipal airports were more often muddy, dirty strips rather than thousands of feet of smooth pavement. Unfortunately, the design was a little before its time and already an antique with its round engine and tailwheel.

While we were not able to attend this year’s gathering of 195’s at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Maggie and I decided to join the 70th Anniversary celebrations in Wichita in September. Our plans included a stop in Rapid City, South Dakota for a couple of days to explore Mount Rushmore, Sturgis and Devil’s Tower. After that it would an easy day’s flight into Wichita’s Stearman Airfield (1K1). Well, the Weather Gods had other ideas. A system sat over South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas for the first two days of our planned itinerary. We didn’t even get off the ground but sat in Calgary waiting for the weather to improve along the way.

Finally on Monday Sept 25 things were looking better, and we took off for Cutbank, MT. Clearing customs was a snap, and we were soon on our way to Gillette, WY where we planned to overnight. The ceilings reported in Gillette were 2500’ and visibility was more than 15 miles – not a problem. There is some pretty high country between Cutbank and Gillette and at times we were probably not much higher than 1500’ agl and skirting around the taller hills. Maggie was a little apprehensive, but it was nice and smooth, and she did enjoy the ride. You do get to see more of the country when you’re down low.

We landed in Gillette, fueled up and checked the weather ahead of us. The promised clearing was not happening, and we decided to stay the night as planned. We taxied over to the Flightline FBO where they provided tie-down ropes and chocks. They also supplied us with a ‘Courtesy Truck’ for the night. After a good night’s rest, we were ready to depart for Lexington, NE for a fuel stop (only $4.00/gal) and weather check.

We took off later than planned as there was fog and mist ahead and it took a while to burn off. The ceilings around Wichita were still 800’-1500’ and again it was not really improving. I didn’t feel like flying that low in marginal conditions for an hour and a half, so we decided to overnight. Let me tell you there is not much in Lexington to write home about – except maybe the smell from the Tyson food processing plant – rather overpowering! And the top two restaurants are Mexican! We called Mike Larson who was arriving in Wichita about the same time we were supposed to and learned that he had flown in with ceilings 600’ to 800’. I’m glad that we stayed put as there are too many high towers in the area not to mention all the other airports along our route.

Wednesday the weather was much better with ceilings 3500’ or better and good visibility. After an uneventful flight we were the second 195 to arrive at Stearman Field. These fly-ins are always fun and it’s just like a family reunion when you get there.

The next day there was a fly-out with about 16 airplanes to Beaumont, Kansas about 25 miles away. Just like Linden there is an airstrip adjacent to the town with one big difference.

On the south end of the strip, you taxi down a road into town and park in front of the hotel. Like all vehicular traffic you must obey the rules of the road and stop at the stop sign at the main intersection by the hotel. Street signs are another hazard to watch for – one of the airplanes hit a sign and suffered a slight dent in the wingtip. After lunch we all headed back to Stearman Field for the Maintenance/Tech clinic.

Friday there was no scheduled flying, but we toured “Doc”, a B-29 bomber that is one of two still flying. We got to climb inside and see what it was like to be a tail gunner – what a lonely spot! It’s quite an accomplishment to maintain this aircraft in flying condition and it takes a lot of dedication and effort. Very impressive! We then toured the Kansa Aviation Museum and their collection of aircraft that were produced in the area.

Saturday was pretty relaxing with no planned events. We spent most of the day hanging around Stearman Field watching the flying activities. The Stearman Bar and Grill is located on the field and is a popular fly-in lunch destination so there are always planes coming and going. A bunch of the 195 drivers, along with the locals, decided that it was a great day to practice some formation flying, low runway inspections and do some filming. I managed to do a few circuits and inspect the runway at 190 mph. A great way to spend the afternoon – fly a few circuits, sit, visit, watch and enjoy a couple of cool adult beverages.

Sunday the weather turned for the worse – the winds came up and ceilings came down! A fly-out to Hutchinson was canceled and those that could leave did so early. We had a leisurely day and hoped the weather would improve by Monday. Alas, that was not to be. Another system rolled in and hung around for the next five days. We couldn’t have gotten very far as Calgary was experiencing the first blizzard of the season.

By Tuesday afternoon Maggie and I decided to airline it home and I would come back when the weather improved. One of the guys on the field, Greg Largen, arranged for us to tuck MLB into Jack and Rose Pelton’s hangar beside their 195. Jack’s name might be familiar as he was the CEO of Cessna Aircraft and is now the CEO/Chairman of the Board of EAA. The thing that is so outstanding about all these people is that they will go out of their way to help you out. We were told we could leave MLB in the hangar for as long as we needed to.

Finally, about 15 days later I flew down to bring MLB home. We got as far as Gillette the first day. Upon checking the weather north of there I found the winds were increasing beyond my personal limits and I decided to overnight. Once again Flightline provided me with tiedowns and a vehicle. The next day Calgary was experiencing severe winds, so I got to enjoy Gillette for another day. I was able to use the truck and did some local sightseeing.

Finally on Wednesday October 18, I arrived home safe and sound. It was quite an adventure. After 2300 mm, 21 hours of flying, 300 gallons 100LL, 23 days I finally tucked MLB into our hangar. CFMLB performed flawlessly.