The following is a letter containing some anecdotes about Floyd Pankonin and the early days of aviation at Grant, NE.
Dear Karen:
Your father Floyd, I knew very well. I lived seven miles north of
Grainton (30 mi east of Grant NE) I went to high school in Grant and stayed in
Grant, I graduated in 1947.
There were a bunch of us guys who spent an awful lot of our time at
the "AIRPORT" of Floyd Pankonin. A lot of the guys soloed and received
their pilot licenses from Floyd's training. I had no money to do so but had a
lot of rides with them. Floyd flew by the seat of his pants, he could make
an airplane do anything but talk!
I never got to go home some weekends because no one came for me.
One such time I went to the Airport on Saturday morning and Floyd said "I will
fly you home "WOW--was that a thrill. On the way home he spotted two coyotes
and asked if I had a shotgun? We landed at home (no runway) he needed only
a small clearing, I got my dad's 12 ga. shotgun and we got seven coyotes.
Wow--I will never forget that day!
When he taught one to fly, I guarantee you, that you knew stalls,
spins, loops, and how to land an airplane.
One day there was about a 50-55 MPH wind from the NW. Floyd took
off in a J-3 Cub into that wind and he flew backwards over Grant, he probably
flew above a stall about 40 MPH--the 55 MPH wind blew him backwards. I
have seen him land into a strong head wind with a J-3 Cub and hardly be
moving from ground speed and hold the tail up with the correct amount of
power and prop wash then open the throttle and hardly move and be flying
again.
Later Floyd taught me to fly in my own Eronica Chief 9710E. I soloed
in 2:15, he said stop and then he opened the door and crawled out, I about
followed him out. (HA) he said, "take her around the patch", so I did and sure
gave me confidence!
The real test was the 1949 Blizzard. "He was a Hero". He flew all day
every day after dozens of people scooped out the hanger. He delivered
groceries, medicine, baled hay to starving sheep, bottled gas, anything that
he could haul or hang on somewhere. He would throw it out or release in
someway as he flew over. He flew as long as any one needed something. He
probably got paid for some of his endeavers, but I would bet very few.
He was also an ErCoupe dealer for sometime. I loved those pretty
planes and I own one (a 1946) today. Every one flew "his" ErCoupe. Floyd
sure made history in this area of Nebraska.
I flew a Cessna 172 Skyhawk 22 years. I have my own strip and two
hangers behind my house. Yesterday Jim Hunt from North Platte flew in
for coffee in a 1946 ErCoupe. I don't know how many Floyd sold.
After the '49 Blizzard I went into the Airforce and was gone for some
time. And never knew much about Floyd after that time.
In my opinion Floyd Pankonin should definately be in the "Nebraska
Aviation Hall of Fame." I was sure one of his admirers--He was Aviation if a
man ever was.
Lou Coppersmith
Elsie, NE 69134
This page last modified Sunday, 04-May-2008 09:38:01 MDT
Copyright © 1996-2003 Perkins Co. NEGenWeb
Created by R.J. Christensen