A aviation & planes forum. AviationBanter

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » AviationBanter forum » rec.aviation newsgroups » Home Built
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

Piper Cub "Grace the Ace" - 80 Spins



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old March 29th 09, 07:00 AM posted to rec.aviation.homebuilt
(Keith Sowter)
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 7
Default Piper Cub "Grace the Ace" - 80 Spins

Searching through my old slide collection I came across one of a J3-65
Cub marked "Grace the Ace" in large titles down the side - tucked away
in the back of a Hangar in Lethbridge , Alberta back in 1980. here's
the Photo

http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1165897/

It had a notice in the Cockpit window saying something about holding a
record for 80 Spins.

Have searched the web - with no result - for more info . Wish I had
photo'd the notice.

Does anyone have any more info please ?
  #2  
Old October 27th 10, 05:15 AM
Dan bedell Dan bedell is offline
Junior Member
 
First recorded activity by AviationBanter: Oct 2010
Posts: 1
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by (Keith Sowter) View Post
Searching through my old slide collection I came across one of a J3-65
Cub marked "Grace the Ace" in large titles down the side - tucked away
in the back of a Hangar in Lethbridge , Alberta back in 1980. here's
the Photo

http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1165897/

It had a notice in the Cockpit window saying something about holding a
record for 80 Spins.

Have searched the web - with no result - for more info . Wish I had
photo'd the notice.

Does anyone have any more info please ?
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.
  #3  
Old November 12th 10, 01:09 PM
Walt Connelly Walt Connelly is offline
Senior Member
 
First recorded activity by AviationBanter: Aug 2010
Posts: 365
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan bedell View Post
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 believe her name was Grace Page. (Grace the ace) Interesting that there is nothing about her on the internet that I could find but again, I do remember the name.

Last edited by Walt Connelly : November 12th 10 at 01:11 PM.
  #4  
Old February 5th 11, 11:11 PM
Wes Krause Wes Krause is offline
Junior Member
 
First recorded activity by AviationBanter: Feb 2011
Posts: 1
Default

"Grace the Ace" (Page) is deceased. I purchased N309H from her son in 2007. It had been in storage for 25 years. It has been restored and returned to service, currently located in Big Bear CA. There is a log entry that claims a world record 80 turns in a spin, ten loops in 60 seconds and a collision with a Camero. I have photograph of the collision. Don't know how she got it back on the ground without doing more damage than shows on the airframe. But she's good as new now and enjoying a life of leisure as an LSA.
  #5  
Old February 19th 11, 10:54 AM
Lindsay Powell Lindsay Powell is offline
Junior Member
 
First recorded activity by AviationBanter: Feb 2011
Posts: 1
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wes Krause View Post
"Grace the Ace" (Page) is deceased. I purchased N309H from her son in 2007. It had been in storage for 25 years. It has been restored and returned to service, currently located in Big Bear CA. There is a log entry that claims a world record 80 turns in a spin, ten loops in 60 seconds and a collision with a Camero. I have photograph of the collision. Don't know how she got it back on the ground without doing more damage than shows on the airframe. But she's good as new now and enjoying a life of leisure as an LSA.
I have many photographs that Grace gave to me during a series of airshows in South Africa in the late 70's. I will try post them on my return to South Africa in March. (I am currently on contract in Abeche, Chad)
  #6  
Old September 20th 11, 02:59 PM
Ruth Jefferson Ruth Jefferson is offline
Junior Member
 
First recorded activity by AviationBanter: Sep 2011
Posts: 1
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan bedell View Post
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.
  #7  
Old November 12th 11, 12:27 AM
Karen Pollitt Karen Pollitt is offline
Junior Member
 
First recorded activity by AviationBanter: Nov 2011
Location: Crestline, CA.
Posts: 1
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wes Krause View Post
"Grace the Ace" (Page) is deceased. I purchased N309H from her son in 2007. It had been in storage for 25 years. It has been restored and returned to service, currently located in Big Bear CA. There is a log entry that claims a world record 80 turns in a spin, ten loops in 60 seconds and a collision with a Camero. I have photograph of the collision. Don't know how she got it back on the ground without doing more damage than shows on the airframe. But she's good as new now and enjoying a life of leisure as an LSA.
I also knew "Grace The Ace" Page, from my days in Long Beach back in the 80's. Grace spoke to me at length of the collision of N309H and the Camaro. Cars running at her beloved Cub were NOT regular stunts. The Camaro, involved in a video shoot, was to race toward her Piper Cub AT A SPECIFIED (by Grace) speed. The car was driven by the girlfriend of the videographer that was shooting a videolog of Grace's stunts. The cameraman told his girlfriend, the driver of the Camaro, to speed up for a more exciting shot. The Camaro's extra speed threw everything off. Grace's forward landing gear struck the grille of the Camaro, which sheared off the Cub's right wheel and damaged the strut on the left wheel. I own a copy of the photo that shows the moment of the collision. Grace had signed it to me, along with "Never trust girls driving Camaros!"

Grace had two flour sacks affixed to the undersides of the Cub's wingtips at the time of the collision, this was a set up for another stunt: without touching her wheels to the runway, she would wing-tap the flour sacks on the runway, breaking them open on impact for a "smoke effect." She brought the Cub to a landing: balancing (steering and compensating with her ailerons) on its damaged left wheel, which was bent by the collision to be nearly at the center of the Cub's belly--and, when the speed and steadying lift had decreased, the Cub slowly leaned, coming to rest on the sack of flour attached to the underside of the wingtip. How Grace boasted that the flour sack was not broken!

Her 80-spin record was set in 1978 in Tucson, AZ. She would increase this record to 82 spins in the early 80's. I flew with this magnificent woman in N309H once, Grace's gift for my birthday. We even did a stunt she called "The Spin Sandwich." I never forgot that day.

I happened upon this website "Aviation Banter" just today. I am so happy Grace is remembered. I live in Crestline, but occasionally get out to see friends in Big Bear, so I might just pass by the Big Bear airport when the weather is warm, to see if I can spot N309H. I am happy this aircraft is still in service. My friend Grace The Ace may be gone, but she would be so pleased to know her Cub is still flying!
 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
1972 Piper Pawnee PA25-235 "C" restoration project harald stein Soaring 2 January 19th 07 04:45 PM
1972 Piper Pawnee PA25-235 "C" restoration project harald stein Owning 2 January 19th 07 12:33 PM
1972 Piper Pawnee PA25-235 "C" restoration project harald stein Piloting 0 January 19th 07 10:56 AM
Finding "Neutral" Position on Piper Elevator/Trim Tab [email protected] Owning 10 December 7th 06 02:43 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 04:45 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 AviationBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.