Rural Missouri - May 2011 - (Page 20)
aircraft from anoth
Vintage Cessna 195s soar high thanks to northeast Missouri’s B
by Jason Jenkins
jjenkins@ruralmissouri.coop
M
ike Barron is no stranger to the trials
and tribulations of today’s air traveler.
A commercial pilot for more than 20
years, he doesn’t deny that his indus-
try has lost some of the allure it once held with the
American public.
But Mike also knows a different kind of air travel,
one that harkens back to an era when aviation was
young, when airfi elds weren’t much more than pastures
and when the experience of traveling on the
wing was still romanticized.
Even after fl ying hundreds of
thousands of miles, Mike still looks
upon aviation with the same amazement
and wonder he had as a young boy
learning to fl y from his father. Today, he is
sharing his passion for fl ying through Barron
Aviation, which he formed in 1997.
Located just outside Perry in Ralls County,
the company specializes in the restoration
of the Cessna 195, one of the most iconic
aircraft ever produced.
nostalgic. It was the last American airplane ever
certifi ed with a radial engine and the fi rst Cessna to
be completely constructed of aluminum.
“It’s the quintessential taildragger,” says Mike, a
member of Ralls County Electric Cooperative, referring
to the single rear-wheel design that was common
among early 20th-century aircraft. “It’s got that
long, slender, sleek look with the big radial engine
in the front that sounds so cool.”
Mike bought a Cessna 195 that had been damaged
and disassembled. When he got it home and
started looking for parts, a lot of them were unavailable.
He began buying the tools to make his own
parts. As he went along, he realized there was an
entire community of aviators seeking support
for this classic airplane.
Perry •
“The parts I made for my project, other
people wanted them for their projects,”
he says. “Things I needed to do to my
airplane, other people needed, too. So
we went right into business.”
The Cessna 195 has a following
like few others. “This plane is to classic
aircraft what the Harley-Davidson
“I was told there was no way we could build a
business of this type out in ‘the middle of nowhere,’
that you had to be located in a metropolitan area,”
says Mike. “I took that as a challenge, and within
two years or so, we were the premier
195 facility worldwide.”
Today, three generations of the
Barron family are involved in the
business. Mike serves as president,
and his parents, John and Marilyn
Barron, manage sales and the
offi ce. His 15-year-old son, Dillon,
works alongside fi ve other employees
in the shop.
Originally from Parkville north
of Kansas City, Mike moved to
Perry after being transferred by
TWA (now American Airlines) to
St. Louis. His father, also a former
commercial pilot, and mother
decided to make the move, too.
They constructed a hangar
and a grass runway on their new
northeast Missouri property. “We
built it with the intention of just
tinkering, assembling some airplanes
and having fun,” says Mike.
“It was going to be just for us.”
Since he was a child, Mike had
been smitten with the Cessna 195.
From its introduction, the plane
was at the same time modern and
20
is to classic motorcycles,” says John. “It’s the look,
the feel, the sound.”
Created in the 1930s by designer Dwayne Wallace,
Cessna put its model 195 on hold when World
War II began. Like most American manufacturers, it
instead turned its attention to supporting the war
effort. Cessna built the infamous T-50, known as the
“bamboo bomber,” in which countless American
airmen trained.
After the war ended, Cessna made a few refi nements
to the 195’s design and put the airplane
into production in 1947. During the next
eight years, the company would assemble
nearly 1,200 Cessna 195s and
190s, the latter using the same
body but receiving a smaller
radial engine.
“It was the corporate
jet of its day,” Mike
explains. “It can seat
up to fi ve, it hauls a
good load and it’s fairly
fast. It actually rivals in effi ciency some of the more
modern production airplanes built today.”
Because they’re dealing with a vintage aircraft
Since 1997, dozens of the classic Cessna 195, which was the last airplane ever certifi ed with a
radial engine, have returned to the sky thanks to Barron Aviation. Today, three generations of the
Barron family make the company a success including, from left, John, Marilyn, Mike and Dillon.
WWW.RURALMISSOURI.COOP
that’s no longer supported by its manufacturer,
Cessna 195 enthusiasts rely on each other. When
Barron Aviation came on the scene and began offering
parts and service, word spread fast. “The Internet
really fueled our expansion,” adds Mike.
The company offers everything a Cessna 195
owner or prospective owner needs. Mike and John
can assemble a custom-built aircraft ordered to a
client’s specifi cations, or they can repair an existing
airplane that’s been damaged.
At the end of its production
run in 1954, a new Cessna 195
cost $23,600 (the equivalent
of $190,000 today). A typical
restoration at Barron Aviation
costs $170,000 to $180,000. For a
polished aluminum body with all
the bell and whistles, the price tag
can reach as high as $330,000.
“A brand-new, modern-day
Cessna of comparable size costs
from $350,000 to $400,000,” says
Mike. “While these 195s go up in
value, the new ones go down in
value — and they don’t have the
‘cool factor.’”
When Gary Snider, an architect
and pilot from Des Moines, Iowa,
decided he’d like to own a Cessna
195, he began searching for the
expertise to help make it a reality.
Little did he know that he’d fi nd
the experts living in his backyard.
“I was expecting to fi nd somebody
in California or Florida, not
in northeast Missouri,” says Gary,
who owns three vintage aircraft
http://WWW.RURALMISSOURI.COOP
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Rural Missouri - May 2011
Rural Missouri - May 2011
Table of Contents
Comments
Columns
Jim Peters’ Passion
Help & Hope
Twist of Fate
Mail Bag
Shoot Like a Pro
Out of the Way Eats
Aircraft From Another Era
Hearth and Home
News Briefs
The Pared-Down House
Marketplace
Around Missouri
Neighbors
Just4Kids
Rural Missouri - May 2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202405
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202404
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202403
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202402
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202401
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202312
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202311
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202310
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202309
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202308
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202307
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202306
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202305
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202303
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202302
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202301
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202212
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202211
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202210
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202209
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202208
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202207
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202206
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202205
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202204
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202203
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202202
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202201
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202111
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202110
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202109
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202108
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202107
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202106
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202105
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202104
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202103
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202101
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202009
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202008
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202007
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202006
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202005
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202004
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202003
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202002
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/202001
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201912
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201911
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201909
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201908
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201907
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201906
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201905
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201904
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201903
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201902
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201901
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201812
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201811
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201810
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201809
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201808
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201807
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201806
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201805
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201804
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201803
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201802
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201801
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201712
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201711
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201710
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201709
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201707
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201706
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201705
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201704
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201703
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201702
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201701
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201612
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201611
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201610
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201609
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201608
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201607
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201606
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201605
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201604
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201603
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201602
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201601
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201512
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201511
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201510
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201509
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201508
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201507
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201505
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201504
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201503
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201502
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201501
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201412
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201411
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201410
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201409
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201408
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201407
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201406
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201405
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201404
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201403
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201402
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201401
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201312
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201311
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201310
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201309
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201308
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201307
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201306
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201305
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201303
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201302
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201301
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201212
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201211
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201210
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201209
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201208
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201207
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201206
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201205
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201204
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201203
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201202
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201201
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201111
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201110
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201109
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201108
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201107
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201106
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201105
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201104
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/videotest
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201103
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201101
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201010
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com