Skip Hellen

From high school I was enrolled in A&P school at Northrop Institute of Technology in Inglewood, CA. A year or two later I held my Mechanic Certificate with Airframe & Powerplant ratings. I first worked for my father who owned Alondra Flight Service on the Compton airport in the LA area. In that hangar were stuffed numerous aircraft which helped dad to pay the rent. We had Bob Herendeen's first Pitts S-1, a Little Toot and a PJ-260 amongst the Cessna's. I looked on the little bipes fondly. There were occasional visitors such as John Astlund, Gordon Nauta and Gordon Renfroe, all flying Starduster (one) homebuilts. I thought the Starduster was the prettiest little airplane. Bob Herendeen had not yet begun to compete so the respect I later found for the S-1 was not yet, in my mind, gained.

One Monday morning I arrived at the hangar for work as usual only to find a white with black trim Starduster parked just inside the doors. I looked it over carefully before talking to dad about it. He told me the airplane had been flown down from Van Nuys the day before. Its new owner had not flown it, or anything else since WWII where he had flown the Burma 'Hump' in C-46's. Dad also said he expected the proud new owner out sometime that day to settle the rent- $35 a month if I recall correctly.

Early in the afternoon I was called into the office to meet the Starduster owner, Mr. Harwood H. Hellen, or Skip as everyone got to know him. We shook hands and I remember being a bit intimidated by a tall, well built and slightly heavy handed individual who spoke as if he'd just injested a large spoonful of oatmeal. Skip told me that the pilot who had flown his airplane from Van Nuys to Compton had told him that the airplane was a bit 'wing heavy' and he inquired if I could fix the problem. I told him that I could fix it, anticipating that I would have to make an adjustment after Skip flew the airplane for the first time. Instead, and to my shock/surprise, Skip handed me the key to his airplane. Mind you, since acquiring my Private Pilot Certificate several years before, I had been preparing myself in every way I could to be able to fly just such an airplane as was Skip's. I had learned to fly in a tricycle gear airplane so first came tail draggers. I had a Stinson 108, Taylorcraft and Cessna 180 'under my belt' so far and I knew deep inside that if it weighed under 12,500#, was a landplane with a single piston engine and prop, I could fly it. I took Skips keys and walked toward the hangar door, Skip following along. I did a pre-flight inspection on the airplane with Skip looking on. He asked "have you ever flown one of these?" My response was "no" while I pushed the airplane out onto the ramp in front of the hangar. He then asked "can you fly it?" I said "yes" as I climbed in the cockpit. Skip walked back to the office as the engine started and I was off for my first flight in a single seat, open cockpit biplane. I do not recall having any problem flying the airplane though I remember forcing myself to slow flight and stall the airplane before returning to land. I do also remember being very nervous.

I doubt that Skip or I had any realization of just how large that flight played in my life as a pilot. Most pilots are forced to BUY a single seat airplane just to be able to fly it.

Thank you, Skip!

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