Piper Cub "Grace the Ace" - 80 Spins

Originally Posted by Dan bedell

I have flown with "Grace the Ace" many times. She was my flight and spin instructor in the 80's and a flying companion till some time in the 90's. She has taught me every bad flying habit I have. She used to base out of Long Beach, with the "Long Beach Flying Club. She hangered her cub in many southern California airports, depending on deals her got. She was a bush pilot in Africa and other war torn third world country for many years via the way of a couple of her marriages. Grace is from an era where rules meant nothing and laws were” meant to be broken”. She knew how to spin and used it as a tool, whether in a Pitts or a Cub. I still amazed that my heart is still ticking alive after flying with her. I did have change my shorts a few time after recovering just a few feet from death. It got to the point were I would only fly with her when she was not at the controls. I will have to dig out some old logbooks to get her real name. The last time I ran into her, she was in her golden years. Just by the numbers and her hard and wild life, not to mention the long term effects of all the airplane that were bent (not all of them were “walk away” ones) I would be surprised that she is alive.

I also knew Grace for many years. She flew at my flying club in Long Beach known as Calstate Flying Club. I believe Dan Bedell also flew with us. I also think he had a brother but I could be wrong. Sorry to hear of Graces' passing. Grace was ahead of her time in most things I think she had to be the first women libber and a true free spirit.