Biplane rides at Bardstown’s Samuels Field will benefit scholarships

Steve Koch, owner of Classic Biplane Tours of Louisville.

Monday, Sept. 15, 2014 — On the last week in September, a beautiful red Waco biplane (owned and operated by Classic Biplane Tours of Bowman Field in Louisville) will be paying a visit to Bardstown’s Samuels Airfield. This open-air cockpit passenger plane can carry two in the seat in front of the pilot, and these seats are offered to the general public for 15-20 minute flights over the area.

The Waco (pronounced “wah-co”) is here as part of the Ninety-Nines International Association of Women Pilots’ Fall Section Meeting held the same weekend, with events at Lions Camp Crescendo in Lebanon Junction and at the airfield in Bardstown. Ninety-Nines have been working to promote aviation and aerospace education, camaraderie among women pilots, and preservation of the unique history of women in aviation since the time of their first president, Amelia Earhart.

Along with her work for women’s opportunities, Amelia Earhart promoted flying “for the fun of it,” and what could be more fun than the smoothness of the air sliding past your head in a historic style of flight from times gone by?

Steve Koch, owner and operator of the airplane, has been doing biplane rides in Louisville for 11 years. Before he had it, the aircraft was operated in a ride operation in St. Croix and Alaska. He personally has flown this aircraft 2,300 hours. He has been flying in the Louisville area since 1970 and has a total of over 12,000 hours of flying time. He is a missionary pilot with Agape Flights based in Venice, Fla. They make weekly flights to three cities in Haiti, and two cities in the Dominican Republic. He commutes from Louisville to Venice every 2-3 weeks to fly missions to the Caribbean. Agape Flights is an aviation ministry bringing supplies to 370 missionary families in Hispaniola. He is a volunteer with Agape, and the biplane business helps support his work there. He actually looks and talks a bit like a barnstormer, albeit a quiet one.

For the Bardstown flights, Mr. Koch plans to take off from the runway heading south at an altitude that allows for good sight-seeing before turning to fly over Bardstown. It’s probably obvious that this flight can be seen as a great adventure or a romantic date, but even young children enjoy flying with an adult companion.

On the weekend of Sept. 26 – 28, Bluegrass Aviation and the air board are looking forward to visitors. Women pilots (Ninety-Nines) from nine states will be in town, and they will be taking flights in the biplane and also discovering soaring flight with the Louisville Soaring club. The Civil Air Patrol will present a display, and will be on hand to assist as needed.

All public biplane rides are offered as a way to raise money for the Ky Bluegrass 99s Chapter’s scholarship fund.

For many years, Ky. Bluegrass Chapter of the Ninety-Nines has given an annual award to the outstanding female graduate in the Aviation Program at Louisville’s Academy @ Shawnee. Last year, an award was also given to the outstanding female graduate in the aviation program at Prosser Career Education Center, in New Albany, Indiana. Next year, the chapter would also like to include an award to a graduating student at the Institute for Aerospace Education in Frankfort, KY. The chapter would like to be able to offer all of these young women a significant amount towards their college expense as they pursue an aviation-related career.

Boarding passes for the biplane can be reserved in advance by calling 502-303-3944 or by making out a check for $90 each to “Ky Bluegrass 99s” and mailing it to M. Hettinger 131 E Pioneer Ct., Lebanon Junction, KY 40150. Include your name, address, phone and email. Passes can be obtained at the airfield during the weekend of the flights (Sept 26 – 28), but in that case, it might be good to come early in the day or early in the weekend. Credit cards will be accepted.

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