AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2020 - 39

selling 121 airplanes in 1929. The company
managed to thrive through the 1930s,
although Eddie died in an airplane crash
in 1932. Stinson built beautiful and luxurious aircraft; the most well-known might
be the Stinson Reliant. Between 1933 and
1941, through the depths of the Great
Depression, 1,327 Reliants were sold.
The last airplane built by the Stinson
Aircraft Co. was the Stinson 108, a fabric-covered, steel-tube GA airplane with
four seats, much like a Piper Pacer. More
than 5,000 were built from 1946 to 1950.
Stinson closed in 1949 when it was bought
by the Piper Aircraft Co.
LINDBERGH AT STINSON

Before he was famous, Charles Lindbergh
was just a lowly flying cadet-albeit one
with a pilot's license and his own airplane-at Brooks Army Airfield, a mile
and a half east of Stinson. He parked his
Curtiss Jenny biplane at Stinson from 1924
to 1925, since it wasn't allowed on the military airfield.
GOLDEN AGE

In the 1930s, commercial airlines started
using the airport and an art deco-style terminal building with the control tower on
top was constructed by the Works Progress
Administration, which is still used today as
the passenger terminal. Like many airports,
the military used it for flight training during World War II and returned it to civilian
use afterward.
Today, Stinson Municipal Airport is the
primary GA airport for the San Antonio
region. It offers one FBO, a museum, barbecue joint, and access to important early
Spanish-American history and Texas pride.
TEXAS AIR MUSEUM

Stinson is home to the Texas Air Museum,
a modest museum primarily dedicated
to the military aviation history of Texas.
It exhibits a few aircraft, including an
F-4 Phantom, F-101 Voodoo, 1946 Funk,
and 1928 Waco, plus replicas of some
early designs, such as the Blériot flown
by Katherine Stinson (with her original
engine) and an Avro triplane.

Stinson Municipal Airport
Stinson Municipal Airport (SSF)
8535 Mission Rd,
San Antonio, Texas 78214
sanantonio.gov/SSF
Stinson Municipal Airport, six
miles south of San Antonio, offers
a full-service FBO with Jet A and
100LL avgas, repairs, catering, flight
planning, and tie-down spaces and
hangars for visiting aircraft. The
control tower operates from 7 a.m.
to 10 p.m. daily. For Texas barbecue,
head to the Big Bib BBQ, on the
flight line.
Texas Air Museum
1234 99th Street,
San Antonio, Texas 78214
210-977-9885
texasairmuseum.org
Open Tuesdays to Saturdays,
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; closed Sundays and
Mondays
The Big Bib BBQ
8535 Mission Road,
San Antonio, Texas 78214
210-272-0525
thebigbib.com
Open Tuesday to Saturday 11 a.m.
to 6 p.m.
Mission San Juan Capistrano
9101 Graf Road,
San Antonio, Texas 78214
nps.gov/saan/learn/historyculture/
sanjuanhistory1.htm

MAN ON A MISSION

Of course, you can't land at Stinson without visiting the Alamo in downtown San
Antonio. It's the most famous-because of
the infamous 1836 Battle of the Alamo-of
a chain of Spanish missions surrounding
the city. However, the closest to Stinson is
the 1731 Mission San Juan Capistrano, just
one mile away. It's a good spot to stretch
your legs and learn about early SpanishAmerican history.
DENNIS K. JOHNSON is an aviation writer

living in New York City.

MICKENS TO HEAD
HOOVER FOUNDATION
LONGTIME GENERAL AVIATION advocate and public relations professional
Vincent Mickens has been named executive director of the Bob Hoover Legacy
Foundation. The foundation, established
in 2016, honors R.A. "Bob" Hoover-a
legendary air show performer, World
War II fighter pilot, and mentor to
many in the aviation community. Hoover
started the foundation to support "the
educational development and mentoring
to people of all ages who are pursuing careers in aviation and aerospace,"
according to the foundation website.
"Vince will focus his efforts on
increasing the foundation's brand awareness, expanding our donor support base,
as well as creating, developing, and overseeing the implementation of established
and new initiatives," said Tracy Forrest,
foundation president. "Bob was a class
act who was always focused on the
potential of young folks, and their future
as the next generation of leaders in aviation and aerospace."
Mickens is a U.S. Navy veteran and avid
GA pilot, and has worked with the National
Business Aviation Association and for
AOPA. He has his own marketing and consulting firm, Private Air Media Group LLC.
"It is an honor and a privilege to
be offered a leading role in expanding
awareness of Bob Hoover's incredible aviation legacy," said Mickens. "Not
only has Bob Hoover, the 'world's greatest stick,' been an inspiration to several
generations of aviators, but to future aviation trailblazers as well." 
-JSW
bobhooverlegacyfoundation.org

aopa.org/pilot AOPA PILOT | 39
http://www.sanantonio.gov/SSF http://www.texasairmuseum.org http://www.thebigbib.com http://www.nps.gov/saan/learn/historyculture/sanjuanhistory1.htm http://www.nps.gov/saan/learn/historyculture/sanjuanhistory1.htm http://www.bobhooverlegacyfoundation.org http://www.aopa.org/pilot
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2020

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