AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2018 - 54

A HISTORY OF SERVICE

N62201 trained young pilots to fly for the Army Air Forces through
1945. In 1946, the airplane was sold to an attorney in Texas, and
then to another attorney in Louisiana. In the 1970s and 1980s it
was a crop duster and had a few "dings and accidents," according to Haenlein, who has all the logbooks for the airplane. After
an incident in which the airplane clipped some trees, someone
repaired a leading edge with duct tape to keep it flying, he said.
Eventually, N62201 was grounded and cannibalized for parts.
The father and son who rescued it in 1997 trailered the remainder
of the airplane-now missing its tail and its engine cowling-to
Andrews, North Carolina, to begin a top-down restoration with
Jerry Stadtmiller and BIPE Inc., a well-known antique airplane
restoration facility.
"The decision was made to make it a show aircraft," Haenlein
said.
The Stearman was stripped to the bare frame and the cloth
replaced on the empennage. Big Sky Stearman in Sandy, Oregon,
crafted new wooden wings. An electrical system was added, and
the original brakes were swapped out for Red Line Brakes from
Air Repair in Cleveland, Mississippi. "The [old] brakes were kind
of funky-they have a habit of locking up, and if you lock up you
go tail over," Haenlein said. "The Red Line Brakes heat up but
don't heat up the stick," he said.
A Lycoming 300-horsepower R-680E3B now rests in the engine
compartment, which is open because the cowling could not be salvaged. The Lycoming turns a Hamilton variable-pitch propeller.
BACK IN THE LEFT SEAT

The knee replacement surgery caused Haenlein to lose his medical certificate, and he didn't fly from 1975 through 1983. He earned
an accounting degree and began working in the health care industry. In 1983, he regained his medical and earned a commercial
certificate and a multiengine rating, hoping to transition to the
airlines. Then he realized he couldn't afford the pay cut to work
for a regional airline.
Offered early retirement in 1995, Haenlein decided it was time
to return to aviation. He became a flight instructor and taught for
a few years. He flew for NetJets, but he found that the schedule
kept him away from home too much.
Haenlein launched Time Saver Aviation in 2003. The company operates a Bonanza, a Piper Navajo, and a King Air B100.
He also owns a maintenance and avionics shop based at Raleigh
Executive Jetport (TTA).
Still jonesing for a Stearman, Haenlein began looking in earnest, scrolling Barnstormers, Trade-a-Plane, and Controller.com.
"I found this particular market is a specialty market and there are
not that many places that sell these types of airplanes," he said.
He looked at four flying Stearmans, a bunch of projects, and even
a Waco YMF-5.
"It had a lot more up to date avionics, [including] a flat panel
screen," he said. "But it wasn't a Stearman."
Coincidentally, N62201 and Ken Haenlein had crossed paths
in 2008. He had flown a charter to Andrews-Murphy Airport
(RHP) in western North Carolina. Admiring the work, he was
told the owner might be willing to sell. They got in touch, but the
owner's price was too high at the time.
54 | AOPA PILOT September 2018

In 2014 the owner of N62201 had a drastic change in
his financial situation and needed to sell the Stearman,
quickly. He contacted Haenlein again and accepted an
offer of $115,000.
"My wife [Ellen] got this plane for me as a
Christmas present," Haenlein said. "We got the plane
a week before Christmas. It was a beautiful day, 48
degrees, and it was the stupidest flight I've ever done.
We flew from here to Sanford (North Carolina) to pick
it up-and I had to borrow a toboggan because my head
was freezing. I couldn't hear anything."
The previous owner had dubbed the Stearman
Sophie after his mother, and Haenlein kept that name
because "She looks like a Sophie," he said. "She doesn't
look like a Peg."

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AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2018

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