demonstrated by their father’s example. And throughout those years, his
staunchest supporter, DiAnn, said she
“knew it was going to be gorgeous.”
“I am extremely happy with the
way it turned out and am more than
happy to share it with the other
people, because I know I have spent
so many years coming to AirVenture
and trying to find just one example
of what I was building,” Mark said.
“I was so disappointed because there
weren’t any here, so then I would go
to any biplane and try to gain ideas
that I could incorporate in mine.
Now it’s my turn to pay it back, and
let those next guys raise the craftsmanship bar.”
When Mark flew his Charger to
AirVenture this summer, Brett was his
“navigator,” flying his L- 2, the gift his
parents gave him when he graduated
from high school. Admittedly, the
Charger was flying circles around the
Taylorcraft, and the flight lasted five
hours. From the very beginning of
the project, the biplane has been all
in the family, all through the house…
and now it has charged into its rightful place in the sky. So it was no
surprise that DiAnn and her mother,
Marilyn Petrie; Jama; and Mark’s parents, Herb and Sandy Gilmore, were
all on hand to welcome father and
son to the show, and celebrate the
Gilmore Red Lion’s debut.
The judges joined them in that celebration, crowning this resplendent
biplane with the Grand Champion
Plans Built - Gold Lindy award.
Sparky Barnes Sargent holds a commercial glider certificate with a private single-engine land rating, and
she personally restored her 1948
Piper Vagabond. She was the first
female recipient of the Bax Seat
Trophy (2006). Her first book, a collection of women pilot biographies
entitled A Hunger for the Sky, was
published in 2008.
www.EAA.org/video/Gilmore
2009 Grand Champion Plans Built
